Article Links

Handcrafted Knife: Knife maker turns old artillery shells into steel knives

For more than fifty years, Wu Hseng-Dong, a skilled knife artisan hailing from Kinmen, Taiwan, has been repurposing old artillery shells into exquisitely crafted steel blades. His distinctive craftsmanship has become a draw for tourists to the island, conveniently located just a short ferry ride away from Xiamen on the Chinese mainland. Rian Maelzer brings us the tale.

In Kinmen, Taiwan, Wu Hseng-dong meticulously fashions steel knives from aged artillery shells, each with decades of history embedded within.

Wu Hseng-Dong, the master behind Maestro Wu Knife Makers, shares, "Our knife-making tradition dates back to my grandfather's era, around 1937. Personally, I've been honing this craft for over half a century. In those days, our focus wasn't solely on knives; we catered to the needs of an agricultural society, crafting various farming tools and fishing gear for daily use. Our expertise extended beyond knives; we would traverse the entire village, offering repair services for anything in need."

In markets and restaurants, there was high demand for knives. So gradually, we stopped traveling around and settled down in our hometown, Wu Village. In the 1960s, we opened a shop in the city center.

Read News