Through the Fire
Continuing the Artisan Tradition
BY: Sierra Fisher
As home cooks and chefs know, it’s essential to have the right tools to draw out both the taste and texture of individual ingredients. Sourcing locally made, quality knives can be a challenge, but DMV+ residents are fortunate to have Giancarlo Sulmonte, who fuses traditional craftsmanship with his artistic vision to make custom Japanese-style knives, right here in Frederick, Maryland.
Sulmonte has been working as an artisan for over a decade, honing the skill and precision he uses to fabricate each order. Before pursuing knife creation full-time, he had a career in IT, and he credits the artist community in Frederick County for their support during his early forays into his own work. With the help of his friend Erin Aylor, another local wood and metal artisan, Sulmonte chose to make custom kitchen knives to showcase his craftsmanship. He works in a purpose-built home studio—a light-filled space housing antique metal presses, lined with an array of handcrafted tools and hooks—using reclaimed 18th- and 19th-century wrought iron and lumber from local businesses, and the artists’ community in Point of Rocks.
Sulmonte says he likes how using historic wrought iron gives it a second life and connects him to the blacksmiths who once worked the same metal, and that he’s able to source lumber from a local mill specializing in the kinds of exotic woods that make for a more enduring product. He crafts using no measurements or drawings, and uses anvils from the 1850s for larger work that requires shaping and refining, adding unique depth and character to his knives and rustic tools. Through intentional practice and dedication to the improvement of his craft, he learned that, “There is no wrong way to do this… You just have to make up your mind, that this is what I am doing, and go after it.”
Engraved with a decorative G, each knife is both old and new, a utensil and a keepsake. Giancarlo Sulmonte’s knives can be bought directly from the Sulmonte Ironworks website or purchased from Edgeworks Knife & Supply Co. in Frederick. Typical production time for the custom creations is one to two business days, depending on the length of the knife. Sulmonte also does architectural ironwork, such as decorative pieces for stair railings, and is open to working with his customers to forge artistic visions of their own