Knives come in different shapes and sizes, with different steels, blades and grinds, with solid or decorative handles. They can be hard and firm or flexible and fine, and are used for everything from shaving to splitting wood. The knives themselves are as varied as the applications; there are different designs from flat alder to fully integral knives. The fully handcrafted product of an expert is immediately apparent when you pick it up: Everything is perfectly coordinated, you cannot feel any unevenness, the harmony of the execution is immediately recognizable, and such a product contains within itself the concentration of its design and the liveliness of its production. Richard Kappeller from Salzburg has achieved what many others do not automatically achieve, even after many years of professional experience: to penetrate something beyond all doctrinal knowledge in such a way that you get to the bottom of its essence is not something that can be taken for granted today. As a student, he was actually looking for a proper knife for himself, but couldn't find one that met his requirements. He read up on the subject and began experimenting. Even as a student, he remained true to his hobby, which gradually developed into a small trade in handle materials for other knife enthusiasts. These woods and horns were cheaper in larger quantities, and what he didn't need himself, he passed on to other knife enthusiasts. (He still does this today, by the way.) Kappeller quickly found a bustling scene of private knifemakers throughout the German-speaking world, where he initially established himself as a supplier of interesting materials. In the meantime, he continued to improve his knife-making skills and finally ventured into self-employment in 2003. In the meantime, he had studied knives, their materials, design and manufacture for so long and so intensively that he had cemented his reputation as one of the most competent knifemakers. Kappeller developed his craft from the ground up, as was customary in pre-industrial times: from planning to execution, his workpiece is created entirely under his own hand, it is always his own creation and usually a unique piece. Up to 500 knives are made in this way every year, most of them one-offs or small series. It takes about twelve hours of work to produce one piece, but it can take considerably longer for special designs or finishes.

Many users do not realize just how complex a good knife is (even if it does not have a Damascus blade). The type of steel and handle material, knife construction and balance must always be matched to the intended use - and the blade geometry also depends on this. Using the example of our flat alder knife, which Richard Kappeller developed in close cooperation with Manufactum, we can show what is behind this: - The grind only covers half the width of the blade, which means that the knife remains robust enough to be struck with a block on the back of the knife when splitting wood, for example; - A fine, so-called secondary phase is ground into the very front of the blade: It is only here that the knife is sharpened or honed, which means that only a small amount of material is removed and the knife is quickly sharp again; - the all-round steel used is versatile, very edge-holding, easy to sharpen and, above all, resilient. The construction consists of a continuous blade section with attached desert ironwood bolsters secured against lateral shearing forces with sturdy rivets (made of brass and nickel silver). The possible uses are really suitable for everyday use: the knife has to be able to withstand something, so attention was paid to stability. At 3.7 mm, the blade is not too thick, but its special Scandinavian grind makes it tough, right up to the tip. The blade has a Scandinavian shape and remains below the German limit of 12 cm, but it is large enough for most jobs from cutting firewood to slicing up a snack. The back of the blade has a sharp edge and is therefore ideal for making a fire with a flint. A serrated area allows the thumb to rest on it for a firmer cut if necessary. A layer of scale has formed during the rolling of the steel, which has not been removed but only sandblasted and lightly ground off. This surface was removed in the area of the blade grind, which is why the bare material is visible there. The steel used is stainless, but has an impressive sharpness and edge retention. The knife sheath is made of vegetable-tanned cowhide, which was dyed after assembly and then treated with leather grease. A leather strip is incorporated to protect the seam, which the blade can touch without reaching the seam.