Sardinian knives – a sharp souvenir with tradition

In Sardinia, handmade knives are an indispensable part of everyday life for the island's inhabitants. Sardinian knives are both an essential tool and a status symbol. The ancient art of knife making has been preserved on the island, and folding knives are still handmade there today. Anyone who wants to take home such a magnificent piece as a souvenir of their holiday in Sardinia should be aware that craftsmanship also has its price in Sardinia and steer clear of the cheap, machine-made goods in the souvenir shops on the coast.

Handcrafted Sardinian knives are unique pieces and are characterised by elaborately decorated blades and handles made from Sardinian mouflon horn. Such a piece can cost 300 euros or more. The most beautiful examples can be found in small knife smithies. Three places in Sardinia in particular are known for their traditional knives: Arbus, Pattada and Guspini.

Arbus and its museum of Sardinian knives

The small village of Arbus is located in the mountains not far from the Costa Verde in the south-west of the island. This is where the folding knife known as the Arburesa comes from, which is characterised by its distinctive curved blade. It is manufactured and sold, for example, in the Coltelleria L'Arburesa di Francesco Pusceddu.

Anyone interested in Sardinian knives should not miss a visit to the knife museum in Arbus, the Museo del Coltello. Here you can marvel at the smallest folding knife in the world. The largest and heaviest specimen is also on display there. It has even made it into the Guinness Book of Records twice: first in 1989 with a length of 4.85 m as the largest folding knife in the world and in 2001 with a weight of 295 kg as the heaviest in the world. But of course, the museum has more to offer than just curiosities. Numerous antique knives provide a good overview of the Sardinian knife tradition. However, the most important exhibit is the forge, in which the lit blacksmith's coal was heated to maximum temperatures with the aid of a bellows to heat the metal. The blacksmith (Ferreri) had various tools at his disposal for shaping the blade, such as an anvil, tongs, a forging hammer and a vice. A visit to the beautifully restored old building of the museum in Arbus is definitely worthwhile.

Guspini and its shepherd's knives

The town of Guspini is known throughout the island for its shepherd's knives. The handmade, unique Coltelli Guspinesi knives have a slightly rounded blade and a handle made of sheep horn. The shaft and blade are crafted by hand over several days – many of these precious, unique pieces are almost too beautiful to cut with. The Sardinian shepherd's knife Coltello Guspinese comes in two versions – with a pointed blade and a blunt blade. The latter is also known as the Sardinian miner's knife. It was created in 1908 after a law, the Decreto Giolotti, prohibited the carrying of pointed knives longer than four centimetres in mines and workers' quarters. In the harsh world of miners, riots, disputes and knife fights between workers were not uncommon. By banning pointed knives, the aim was to prevent overly bloody confrontations. Today, the Coltello Guspinese is sold in numerous knife shops.

The folding knives of Pattada

The Pattadesa is a folding knife with a handle made of mouflon or ram horn and a pointed blade. The mountain community of Pattada is located in the province of Sassari, where this type of knife is made, which is why it bears this name. The craftsmen of Pattada have a reputation for being the most skilled in the manufacture of folding knives.

The Pattada knife is scary to me. It is as sharp as a razor blade. I have also witnessed several times how a quick, sharp cut ended the lives of young milk lambs. ‘That's life,’ my Sardinian friends comment on the event: ‘Cruel, but inevitable.’ I don't disagree; because a milk lamb roasted over an open fire in the Sardinian style is a real delicacy for all non-vegetarians.

Personally, I like the blunt knife from Guspini best because it is the perfect breakfast utensil, for example, for spreading butter on a slice of bread in the good old German way in Sardinia.

In addition to knives, barbecue accessories are also manufactured in Sardinia. The many markets on the island usually offer a wide selection of hand-forged skewers, roasting and barbecue grills, fireplace shovels and everything else that Sardinians and tourists need for cooking over an open fire.

With a Sardinian ‘Adiosu’, I bid you farewell for today.

Joachim Waßmann