Richard Kappeller

Knife maker

©Messermacher Kappeller

For the love of wood

Richard loves wood and gemstones
His secret to success is perseverance
He embraces new technologies

Richard Kappeller made his first knife in 2000 while attending a specialist timber course. "I was offered beautiful wood and so I bought handle material and a finished blade," Richard remembers. He put the material together following the seller's instructions on his website. During the six months between leaving school and starting military service, Richard learned more knife making techniques through online tutorials. After the army, he rented a small workshop, put in a workbench and bought his first machines. Collectors, huntsmen and chefs alike appreciate Richard's unique style, characterised by special surface treatment and a design language which reflects his love for varied and diverse combinations of techniques and materials. His most recent innovation is to embellish his knife handles with gemstones.

Interview

©Messermacher Kappeller

©Messermacher Kappeller

Where does your love for knives come from?: I do not know. However, already as a little boy I loved having knives. I used to chop down the small bushes in the park that was in front of our house. I always liked it when a knife was very sharp and therefore worked better.
What are your quality requirements?: What matters is how a knife feels in your hand and its balance. Even if knives look identical, you will always use the one that feels good in your hand.
Skills aside, what does it take to be successful in your craft?: It takes a certain perseverance. I do not give up if something does not work right away. I keep going. Especially when I try out new techniques, things can go wrong. But I keep trying until it works the way I want it to.
Have you recently adopted any new techniques?: I work a lot with precious metals, and I love gemstones. That is why I recently attended a diamond setting and assessor course in Antwerp. It allowed me to develop my latest passion for decorating knives with jewels, using a CAD programme to design and print the wax models.

Richard Kappeller is a master artisan: he began his career in 2002 and he started teaching in 2005