Michele Massaro: The Knife Artist Who Forges for Top Chefs

Michele Massaro, a knife maker from Maniago, Italy, has elevated traditional blacksmithing into conceptual art. Working from the Antica Forgia Lenarduzzi, a 15th-century forge powered by water, Massaro produces unique, commission-only knives for world-renowned chefs like René Redzepi, Mauro Colagreco, Enrico Crippa, Antonia Klugmann, Paolo Lopriore, and Pier Giorgio Parini. He rejects the label of artisan, insisting his work communicates ideas beyond craftsmanship. His designs, such as the Parini 5 (an evolution of the Japanese deba knife) and the Ice Rooster (a triple tool for ice carving), balance aesthetics and function. Massaro learned traditional forging techniques from the Lenarduzzi brothers and preserves the brute de forge finish as a signature. He began his practice in 2015 and maintains a limited production, with each knife personalized for the client. His approach emphasizes simplicity, subtracting rather than adding, and he cites music and art as influences. The article, published on Artribune, profiles Massaro as a 'heretical knifemaker' who bridges heritage and innovation.