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The Ancient Craft of Knife-Making
An intrinsic part of the history of Mugello
Nestled at the foot of the Apennines in Mugello in northern Tuscany lies the town of Scarperia, with its impressive Palazzo dei Vicari castle sitting in its heart and its main street lined with botteghe
selling knives. Knife-making is the soul of Scarperia. Founded in 1306 on a major route between Florence and the northern part of the Italian peninsula, its castle was a military fortress. Its soldiers needed armaments—armor, swords, spears, etc—and the art of ferri taglienti
(cutting tools is the best that I can do on that one!) became synonymous with Scarperia.
The craft had its origins in arms but quickly grew to include agricultural tools and knives. Every sort of knife imaginable--knives made for hunting, for weaponry, for gutting the kill, for butchering the meat, for use in the kitchen, for personal hygiene. Scarperia’s many craftsmen were proud and jealous of their art. For generations the town rang out from early morning to evening with the sound –the music!--of hammers hitting metal and the scent of burnt antler (one of the materials still used to fashion the knife handles) filling the air. Just after WWII, there were 48 to 50 botteghe
selling locally crafted ferri taglienti
lining the main street of Scaperia. At the time they all had storefronts where you could watch the artisans creating the knives they sold. (Laboratories are now moved off the main street.)
Today the tradition of centuries continues, albeit conditioned by modern technology, commercialization, and market pressures. Scarperia keeps its tradition alive by maintaining a centuries old Antica Bottega del Coltellinaio
and a museum located in the Palazzo dei Vicari dedicted to the art and history of knife-making. and through show-casing the art to visitors.
Piero’s family traces knife-making back at least 4 generations, to his great-great-grandfather. When he was a boy, about 8 years old, he would attend school in the morning and work in the bottega
in the afternoon. He was assigned tasks by his father and uncle, and then in his free time he designed and created table knives. These knives were later given away in charity. He learned a great deal from his father and his uncle by observation and then by trial and error. But the work of musi neri
(literally black faces, from the dust and ash created in production) was not highly valued after WWII, and through family connections he got work in Florence, ending up in a place where his artisan skills were put to great use repairing scales. He found this work very satisfying, with ample room for his creativity.
In the end, however, he came back to Scarperia, to his first passion, knives, and to raise his family. He worked with various fellow artisans, founding the bottega L’Artigiano Scarperia. As Piero says, “Every knife is different. Each has its own story, its own characteristics, its own needs. To bring that out you need to possess an affinity with knives, a passion for them.”
Piero’s wife Luana and daughter Silvia ran the storefront where their products were sold while Piero was in the lab designing and creating knives from scratch, following the old traditions. That storefront is still there, and Silvia is still at work selling. Even now, although he is retired, Piero keeps his hand in making knives from scratch. It is an essential part of his being.
Fabio and then Alessandro joined him in the laboratory in 2007/2008 and are keeping the ancient traditions of Piero's laboratory alive, making knives by hand, and expanding their product line and branding. Fabio and Alessandro both spoke of the deep satisfaction of bringing into existence a knife from raw materials to the finished product. They acknowledge the mentoring of Piero who is, as they said, the quintessential “coltellaio”
(knife craftsman). Together they keep the tradition of knives made by hand alive, using the same ancient materials, and following antique traditions to produce their wares, including, among many others, the Zuava, a traditional pocketknife, symbol of Scarperia’s knife-making tradition.
They are dedicated to the quality of their products and find great satisfaction in bringing their products to market, meeting clients, adapting products to specific client needs, and making their art better known beyond the streets of Scarperia. Product lines have expanded beyond knives to kitchen utensils and accessories, tableware, personal care utensils (like razors), smoking accessories, steak knives (for bistecca fiorentina!), decorative household items. Wherever they can put their artisan skills to work, in the ancient tradition of ferri taglienti.
From Anne & Barbara
What a year! Our busiest yet!!
We discovered that everyone was really ready to travel in 2022!!
Celebrating a 50th wedding anniversary
It's been a long two years of not going anywhere...time to get going!
Ringing out the old year, ringing in the new!
It is almost too strong to resist, this itching to go! We not only agree and encourage your dreaming of your next trip, but are here and ready to help you plan it! It's never too early to start planning. And while regulations will be shifting for some time to come, it is good to be and stay informed about what is possible and what not at the destination you have in mind. Are hotels and restaurants open? Museums? Workshops and other activities? Are guides available to deepen your understanding of what you are seeing? Can one move from one part of the country to another without encountering obstacles? What kind of protections can be built into your trip in case of cancellation or interruption? The situation in Europe is very slow to improve. While England is beginning to open up, the rest of us are behind in vaccine rollout and openings. In Italy, for example, at the moment in orange zones you can eat in a restaurant at lunchtime but only take out is available at dinner, and there is a 10pm curfew in place at least until the end of April. Pressure is building on the Italian government to open more quickly, but given the slow momentum of the vaccine rollout and the explosion of variants, it is questionable how safe further openings are.
Sharing artworks created by our clients from their journeys.
2021 is upon us! We longed for it, we waited for it, seemingly endlessly, and here it is! Uncertainties still abound, but new hope is in the air. Time to PLAN!!!! What new adventures would you like to undertake this year? Where would you like to travel…first? …second? Are you ready to think about traveling in the fall of 2021? Planning is a more active pursuit than dreaming. We all did that in 2020. It’s such a therapeutic activity. But planning, if you want to travel in 2021, is more essential than ever. Venues will open slowly, perhaps limited in capacity. Forethought, reservations, calculations, leaving room for improvisation and regrouping are imperative to be sure that your journey is as memorable as you envision. We’re here. We are eager to help you realize your dreams. It’s what we do. Well. Happy, healthy, joyous new year to all!!! We deserve to realize the hope it brings. And to venture forth on the promised adventures!!
December, 2020 Dear Friends, The year 2020 is not one many of us wish to remember in detail. We have struggled individually and collectively with many issues, some urgently life-threatening or emotionally devastating. So to adopt a cheery, devil-may-care attitude looking back over this unprecedented time seems utterly inappropriate. But we have individually and collectively accomplished things in this period that are worth remembering. Here at Cornucopia Journeys we launched our new web site last March — exquisite timing, to be sure! The new site includes a Journal that gives us time and space to reflect on journeys we have planned or taken or might take, experiences awaiting us, and reflections on moments and people that are worth remembering. So instead of highlighting the journeys people took in 2020 — and of course, there were none this year — we are offering this year’s Journal stories for your perusal, to visit or revisit as your time and inclination may allow. Just click on one below and enjoy. And please note, we are always looking for new topics that might interest you, so please let us know your suggestions for future posts. You know how to reach us! We look forward to "seeing" you in the new year and to helping some of you create new adventures. Remember, it's never too early to start planning! And it's never too late to ask for a helping hand. As we all begin to look forward to a future without Covid, we are eager to help you expand your horizons! It's what we do. Well. Our very best, from our hearts to your homes, Barbara & Anne
