Medrano Knives: Blades have always been present in my life. I grew up in a family of nature lovers, people who dedicate their free time to hiking, bivouacking, hunting, fishing... Since I was a child, I've seen and observed my elders handle and care for their blades, knives, and axes, and I constantly heard them say: "A blade and knowing how to use it is all you need in nature."
I was 13 years old when, with my savings, I bought my first pocketknife, with my parents' permission and with all the excitement in the world. The excitement faded on the second day, when the knife's manufacturing and design errors made me understand something I had never thought about: "not all blades are reliable." At that moment, another phrase I always heard my elders say resonated in my head: "If you want something done right, do it yourself." And that's how I discovered my calling. I began drawing my first designs and carving them in wood, until I was able to begin working with steel. I also discovered that the internet can be a great learning tool. Countless hours have passed in front of a screen absorbing all the knowledge I could find about cutlery.
A few years later, I decided to train as a Machining Technician and Industrial Designer, and I did so. I completed vocational training to acquire the knowledge and skills I needed to become a cutlery maker. Subsequently, and even today, I continue to learn from the best and have taken courses with masters such as Kyle Royer, Neels Van Den Verg, and Jason Knight.
Knives and pocket knives are tools with a purpose: to faithfully serve their user. The tool must be ergonomic, perfectly finished, without sharp edges that could cause injury, and with all the materials properly assembled, as if they were one. The steel must be ideal for each purpose; the blade design must achieve the most effective and efficient cut possible; and they must maintain a pleasing and inspiring aesthetic.
Each piece that leaves my workshop is unique, with a unique design and corresponding manufacturing process, based on forging or rough grinding. The steels I use for the blades, depending on the project, are carbon, stainless, powder, and Damascus steels. For the handles, I incorporate all kinds of quality materials, such as exotic woods, carbon fiber, resins, and other exclusive materials like ivory, titanium, and precious metals. Traditional leathers and modern Kydex are the materials chosen to make the sheaths for my pieces. Designed based on the tastes and needs of each client.
Why is Cuchillos Medrano for you?
If you share my passion for blades, I have little to explain. As a craftsman, my main aspiration is to create irreproachable pieces that, with responsible and proper use, will never disappoint, that fulfill their purpose and will last and endure, as they have the potential to be passed down from generation to generation and continue to perform. They are 21st-century knives, pocket knives, and tools that embody the best of the cutlery tradition.
“Soul, heart, and edge”
Each of my pieces is born with a singular purpose; no two are alike. They emerge from the combination of my craftsmanship and the will of my clients, which is why I say they have “soul.” My pieces speak for me and reflect better than anything what kind of craftsman I am and what I wish to contribute to the world through my creativity. There is no art without “heart.” And, of course, the “edge,” the part of the blade that transforms everything it touches into something else. There are endless possibilities that remind us that every use of a blade must be responsible, without fear, and with respect.
