As Strong as Two Oxen - A Tour Of the Due Buoi Knife Factory in Maniago
Early Start
Address – check. Camera – check. Batteries – check. Phone – check!
I live about 45 minutes from the Due Buoi knife factory, but since I sometimes get lost on the narrow, winding streets of Italy, I headed out early to make up for any lost time that might be spent driving in circles.
To my luck, and great surprise, I easily located the factory and was a good 30 minutes early.
Ready, camera?
Since I am still learning about the capabilities of my camera, I was glad to have some extra time to take test shots for lighting and make sure I felt relaxed before we started. That hour I spent on the Internet the night before preparing myself for the shoot sure paid off!
Meeting Vittorio
While I was waiting for a few other people to arrive, I was introduced to Vittorio Centa, the owner of Due Buoi (which translates to “Two Oxen” in English), who was waiting for the oven to heat so his workers could begin heating and then quenching the knives. He was very friendly and eager to show us a special part of the knife-making process.
Keeping Tradition Alive
Technology improves, skills grow, resources become more, but there are some things in our world of choices that are still done best by the hands of man (or woman!)
To my surprise, there were just two workers needed for this phase of production – Gianni and Lino.
Gianni and Lino stop for a quick pose as they diligently work to heat and quench the steel.
Quenching the Knives
When we entered the room where the two men worked, the small oven (“forno” in Italian) had just been heated.
Left: The belly of the big blue oven heats to the proper temperature. Right: Knives hang on hooks as a worker uses tongs to adjust the lid.
Top Left: Knives are lain on a small work table. Top Right: Empty hooks await some knives.
Bottom: Gianni and Lino work quickly to hang the knives for the next phase of production.
Gianni and Lino worked in perfect harmony, completely in-sync as they swiftly and skillfully went about their task. They were so patient as I snapped my photos, since many times I was right in their work space. Oops!
The knives were first placed on hooks and then suspended into the oven’s firey belly.
The quenching trough was located to the left of the oven, so when it was time to take out the knives, one man removed the lid as the other carefully guided them to the water.
Left: knives rest atop the oven, waiting to be heated. Right, top to bottom: The lid of the oven is removed. The red hot knives are extracted. Tongs are used to move the knives to a water trough where they are quenched.
Quality Cutlery
The exciting photo shoot seemed to come and go as quickly as the steam from the quenched knives evaporated.
We made our way back to the small showroom and had a look at some of the finished products. There were quite a few!
I immediately noticed the Cristina Carving Set and the Sani Carving Set. They would have come in handy for that big turkey I prepared for Thanksgiving. Maybe next year!
There were many other things that I would have loved to see and photograph at Due Buoi, so I was excited that Vittorio graciously welcomed us back in the future to do just that.
Left: The Cristina Carving Fork features the Due Buoi logo. Right: The Sani Carving Set (top) and the Cristina Carving Set (bottom).
For those interested in knife making and the Due Buoi products, stay tuned to our blog for news about the next visit!