XX. Autumn Brno Knife Exhibition, 11 November 2023

The Autumn Brno Knife Exhibition, held on 11 November, celebrated its twentieth anniversary with an international group of exhibitors, showing some great knives and blades. Martin Helebrant reports.
 
Text and photo’s: Martin Helebrant
 

    

Brno is different from Prague and the Brno exhibition is always distinct from the Prague exhibitions. I am not sure what causes it. Maybe it is that Brno is much closer to Slovakia and Austria, and in fact also to Hungary. Fact is that the Brno exhibitions have a long tradition, always being multinational.
This autumn it was twenty years since the first knife exhibition was held in the Via Crucis of the Brno New Town Hal. The organizer of most of these exhibition was Lubomír Maďarič, himself a knifemaker of the high degree and reputation. Due to health problems, Mr Maďarič significantly limited his production in recent years, and handed over the organization to Mr Lubomír Kovalčík. The auspice to the exhibition is traditionally held by Mrs Lord mayor of Brno and protector is Secretary emeritus of the Brno Town Hall, Pavel Loutocký. The continuity and internationality is part of the Brno exhibitions, which applies to the exhibitors as well.
Autumn 2023 was no exception. In the anteroom of the Via Crucis were tables of knife makers from Moravia, Slovakia, and Hungary. Fact is that the very front table of Mordor Forge was more in fantasy style than a high degree of cutlery, but it had its customers for sure. Traditional specific of the Brno exhibitions is the large proportion of luxurious artistic knives. Here masters Atilla Konoly (HU) and Štefan Albert (SK) present two solid pillars, being very closely followed by younger masters Martin Vasil and Pavol Turňa (both SK).
In my report of the Příbram show, I expressed my surprise about the award for a kitchen knife. I did not expect Brno to continue the trend. But it did. Maybe I am simply more sensitive to these knives now, but it seems obvious that these large, skill demanding blades are encountered on exhibitions more and more often. It were kitchen knives of different size and shape that formed a substantial part of the offer on tables of masters like Jakub Adamuška (awarded in Příbram), Martin Pinda from Lothrek armory or the Lithuanian Berezhnye Bro’s. Shape and size of the majority of these kitchen knives are inspired by Asia, i.e., you are most likely to encounter large, tall blades with an octagonal handle.
 

Mr. and Mrs. Maďarič and the Secretary emeritus of the Brno Town Hall, Pavel Loutocký (right).

Edged weapons
The presence of edged weapons was unexpectedly large. There were two large fighting knives, or rather a short, double-edged sword and a really large (single edged) knife, made by David Posselt. I noticed him in Brno for the first time, his cutlery is rather a statutory, ceremonial, but no one can deny the technical perfection and functionality of his blades. Another attractive table belonged the Brno-based master Michal Krieg. He offered knives and daggers in medieval style, fighting axes and hatchets. Most dominant on his table was an elegant Polish style sable – karabela. All his knives were not much ornate, rather simple, ones that a normal combatant carried from battle to battle, or a normal non-aristocratic man would use for his daily chores. Mr. Krieg is making his blades primarily for the re-enactors, groups attracted with historical fencing and similar, which means that they are perfectly functional. We are living in the age of firearms and we tend to forget how efficient a well-made edged weapon can be in the hands of a skilled man. The decoration and ornament are nothing but cherry on an otherwise deadly piece.

 

    

This year’s focus was, more than in recent years, on fixed blade knives. I missed Janos Madaras from Hungary (as far as I can remember he was absent for the first time) and I dearly missed his bicska - traditional Hungarian folding knives. In fact (at least in my eyes), the colours of the folding knives have been held high only by two masters: Czech Jiří Čurda (awarded for his exhibits) and Slovakian Peter Simon.
The offer of fixed blades was much larger. Let me start from relatively simple production, where I would like to mention the knives of Mr Brož (Knifet knives), handy small blades that can get a hell’u’va lot of work done. These are knives which you can afford even as young man with an almost empty pocket. Master Vincent Otradický (SK) presented even simpler knives, monolithic ‘Celtic knives’. Robust, plain black smith’s work raised to a new level by the perfect grind. The result is almost indestructible tool, simple but for many of us aesthetically appealing. Miroslav Pouzar exhibited a very elegant ‘willow leaf’ made from homemade wootz blade with acacia wooden grip. For him this was a step outside his comfort zone. ‘Real Pouzar’ is a multitool set with an elaborate sheath, consisting of a hunting knife, a small saw for opening the pelvis and a triangular stabber for a mercy to the crippled fowl. All these three are in one precisely designed and clearly executed leather sheath. For many a sheer beauty.
When referring to hunting knives, I should mention knives of Ján Mokriš and Miroslav Bliščák (both from Slovakia). The knives of both are decorated by engravings made by Marek Horňák (his engravings can be found also on folders by Štefan Galovič). Ján Mokriš offered also a very heavy knife, almost a hunting sword or a small machete, a nicely made tool on the edge of the statutory artefact and a working tool. Anyway, the blade will please its master in both roles. Speaking about the hunting motifs I should point out work of Pavol Turňa (SK). I have kept an eye on his production for some time already and trend of his work is clearly upswinging. His knives Big Five and Hunter are somewhere on the border between a practical knife and a piece of art. Worthy of mention is also the elegant dagger in Japanese style, decorated by traditional Japanes Sakura motif, which might be kogakatana – a small ritual blade included in the katan furniture.
Hunters are not the only ones who visit the woods. Mushroom picking is a traditional pastime activity in the Central and Eastern Europe. The mushroom pickers are the target group of Martin Vasil and his knives with the concave edge and a small brush to clean the picked mushroom. A similar knife with concave edge decorated by etched autumn leaves motif was exhibited by Miroslav Bliščák.
There were plenty of practical, utility knives. A nice example are the knives by Václav Vlček (I met him for the first time on this year’s Brno exhibition and consider his production quite advanced). Another interesting piece was a knife by Miloslav Veselý, clearly exhibiting cubistic influence with a touch of the passing belle epoque. Where this comes from I have no clue. Let me finish the working knives section by work of Jaroslav ‘Karbous’ Pacák. His knife with ostrich bone handle stained with a light bluish mirage is attractive by design, elegant and perfectly functional.
A really, really rich offer of the grip and grip panel materials caught me by surprise, as well as the splendid selection of sharpening stones on the table of Jindřich Šimek. furthermore, there was a very nice a diamond dust covered flattening panel for the renovation of worn sharpening stones, and a handsome support for the sharpening stones.
I traveled back home by a night bus, swooshing through the slight rain, and half sleeping I was thinking what kind of magic Lubomír Maďarič and Lubomír Kovalčík use to attract so many exhibitors from abroad to Brno. I failed to find an answer, except the undisputable charm and reputation of Master Maďarič. And the attraction of 20 year of tradition, which I wish and hope will last in the years ahead.

 

are stainless and Micarta.
 

combination of different materials.
 

The handle is Grenadille.
 

the handle is Iron Wood.
 

Ebony and Mammoth.
 

A fixed blade by Miroslav Pouzar. The 125 mm blade is stainless Damask, the handle is Lilac.
 

Miroslav Pouzar. The 108 mm blade is 19 312 and Ni Carbon Damask, the handle is Birch.
 

and stainless.
 

The handle materials are Plum, Elm and Cherry.
 

handle material is Fallow Deer.
 

Another hunting knife from Ján Mokriš, this time with a 170 mm N690 blade and Antler handle.
 

sandwich, and both have Mammoth handle scales.
 

Sleipner, the handle is Fallow Deer.
 

the handle is Birch wood.
 

A working knife by Jaroslav ‘Karbous’ Pacák. The 129 mm blade is Elmax, the handle is Ostrich Bone.
 

The ‘Big 5’ by Pavol Turña. The 94 mm blade is Carbon Damask, the handle is Ebony and Camel Bone.
 

The ‘Heron’ by Albert Štefan. The 98 mm blade is Damasteel, the sculpted handle is stainless.
 

 

sheath.

A fixed blade by Vilém Ostradický. The 110 mm blade is spring steel, the handle is Acacia and Silver.
 

Overall lengths are 260, 260 and 280 mm respectively.
 

‘Vivare Militare est’ by David Posselt. The 395 mm blade is Sleipner, the handle is leather.