KNIVES

— These are ordinary knives – their points aren't that sharp. They weren't forged too well. If you sharpen them they erode quickly. So…I went to select the steel. I chose steel pieces that I would be able to forge myself. These kinds of pieces they usually chuck out into the trash, and I'm there being selective, choosing what strips I needed by their length and width. So if the steel was able to be tempered I make a template. I first drew the shape on a sheet of paper, and then I fixed it to the steel sheet and cut around it. I didn't make it during work hours but rather during lunch breaks, cut the template out then. So, when the basic shape was ready I would go see the forgers. We had very good specialists at our factory, good guys. So, I'd get a bit of steel and go see them. And they'd tell me, "There's nothing you can do with this bit grandpa. You can't forge it. But this one we can do." (...) Then they'd forge it like I wanted. It was important not only that they forged it, but that it was tough too. When they'd finished a strip for me I set to work on it. I got all the grime off it and polished it up like a mirror. Then I chose the plastic. I went to another workshop, and the guys there helped me choose a piece and I made the handle. I attached it myself. I stuck two strips onto the slab and I had myself a knife. And so that the rivets weren't visible I glued some more stuff on top of it… Or you can get a ball bearing, and the guys roll it out into strip. You can make an excellent knife with them. Solid, doesn't rust, and stays sharp for a long time. But sometimes you can forge it too much, and then it can break by just falling.