Gela Khutsishvili
Knife maker
Rustavi, Georgia
The secrets hidden within
- Gela made his first knife when he was nine
- His three sons help out in the workshop
- His knives contain secret messages
Gela Khutsishvili obtained a degree in construction and architecture, but he has been working on weapons since he was a child. “I made my first knife when I was about nine years old,” he says. “We still use it in our kitchen.” He first experimented with manufacturing different types of knives as a hobby, often offering his creations as gifts to friends and family. But after working for seven years as a firearms repairman, he became a professional knife maker. He opened his own workshop in 2000, at his home in Rustavi, in Georgia. “It is a small workshop, so it is difficult for me to train students there. But I have three sons who help me and thus learn the skills of the craft. I hope one of them continues my work someday.”
INTERVIEW
I do not stick to a particular style, I do not let dogmas limit my work. I draw sketches from my imagination and then bring these to life. Apart from knives, I also work on battle axes and do engraving on firearms.
I use all kinds of techniques, so if I show you my toolbox, you will notice that it is full of very diverse instruments!
I cannot say that the shape of the knife is inspired by my home country, but for the engravings I generally try to use Georgian ornaments.
Almost every knife contains a hidden message, concealed by the handle of the knife, about something that happened during the making process. It can be a personal or global event. One knife for example has an inscription about my son cutting a tooth, another about Obama being elected as US president, and so on.
Gela Khutsishvili
Knife maker
Rustavi, Georgia
AVAILABILITY
By appointment only
PHONE
+995 599193318
LANGUAGES
Georgian
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