In the town of Mosfellsbær, just a 15 minutes’ drive f rom Reykjavik, master craftsman Páll Kristjánsson (or Palli) and his co-creator Soffía Sigurðardóttir are hard at work in their rustic atelier, where they create an array of handsome knives for collectors, chefs, and all those who appreciate the workmanship that goes into a finely crafted tool. Icelandic Artisans at Work Damascus steel, well known for its durability and razor sharp blades, as well as stainless steel from Denmark, Germany and Sweden are choice materials favoured by Palli and Soffía.
Many of the blades are Viking Age replicas decorated with finely etched designs that are then expertly paired with a handle carved by Palli. Traditional Icelandic materials are all used to create beautifully carved handles birch, rowan, horse’s hooves, reindeer antler, goat and sheep horn and even fossilised wood. Palli’s knives can be found scattered throughout the world in 85 countries and as collector’s items, they sometimes enjoy fierce bidding between collectors on the internet.
The Woman’s Touch
For her part, Soffía, who has worked under Palli’s tutelage for several years, has created a line of beautiful professional kitchen knives and her own collection of steak knives and forks which are gaining in popularity. Blades for these knives come in various shapes and materials (Japanese, Damascus steel or high carbon steel) and the finely balanced handles make them a joy to use in the kitchen. Chefs, cooking schools and cooking enthusiasts tend to love to show off these one-of-a-kind handmade kitchen tools that have become something of a sought after souvenir from Iceland. Here you can look more closely at the kitchen knife selction: www.kitchenknives.is
Custom-made
Should you have your own design ideas or materials that you would like to use, Palli and Soffía are happy to work with you to produce a custom knife made to your specifications. More information can be found at their websites listed below where you can browse their collections and even special order online. Walk-ins Welcome Palli and Soffía’s workshop can be found at Álafossvegur 29, 270 Mosfellsbær.
Opening hours are 9 – 6, Monday through Friday, from 9 – 4 on Saturdays or if you are in the neighbourhood outside of those hours, you are always welcome to pop in for a chat.
| Álafossvegur 29 ◦ 270 Mosfellsbær,tel: +354 899 6903 www.knifemaker.is,[email protected] www.kitchenknives.is,[email protected] |
