Pierre Reverdy & Nicole Piel

Knife maker

©Jean-Marc Blache

©Jean Bernard Lassara

Poetic knives

Nicole and Pierre have been a creative couple for over 40 years
Poetic Damascus sculpture is how they refer to their art
They have revived Damascus pattern welding techniques

Pierre Reverdy and Nicole Piel join their creative forces to tell stories through Damascus knives, turning them into true masterpieces. Pierre discovered forging at the age of 14 and was instantly fascinated. He has never stopped experimenting with steel and perfecting his Damascus pattern welding techniques. He developed a unique method to obtain very fine designs. Nicole finds her means of expression in drawing. Her sensitivity to the material brings a symbolic dimension to the forge. The couple met while studying fine arts in Paris, their artistic curiosity quickly merged. Together, they give words to the material until "the piece speaks for itself". The knives and sculptures they create mirror their ever-growing relationship.

Interview

©Jean-Marc Blache

©Jean-Marc Blache

Does drawing play a role in your process?: Pierre: We both draw, but in different ways for different reasons, our style intersects: artistic and technical solutions meet in a wide palette. Nicole has a fine arts background, drawing is her medium of expression, a form of freedom. My training is more analytical, a way to study whether something is achievable and how.
You are constantly exploring new fields, artistically but also technically?: Pierre: Since 1989, my techniques have continued to evolve. I have a will to learn new techniques. By freeing oneself from it so that it becomes expression and not application. In 1992, I acquired an electro-erosion machine to cut out patterns. We are the only workshop in the world to know how to use it.
What is your main source of inspiration?: Nicole: Inspiration is something that comes from within. Creation allows us to search for ourselves, to put down what is within us. We also build ourselves as a couple. Inspiration is a guiding thread. It always completes the next one, you can't go faster than it. It marks the times, emotions and feelings.
Is there a stage that you particularly enjoy?: Pierre: A long time ago I decided that all actions are equally important and to always focus my interest the same way. All steps are significant: the physical steps, the unpleasant ones – you have to accept them all at the same level. Everything is important and it is important that everything is done properly.

Pierre Reverdy & Nicole Piel are master artisans: they began their career in 1989 and they started teaching in 1991