About me

I am Maxi and inherited the passion for silver and knives from my father. My father was a cutler and galvanizer.
He founded the Altonaer SilberWerkstatt in 1997.

From my first salary I bought a Victorinox Swiss Tool and later an Ontario Rat II pocket knife.
Both are tools I cut myself on.

A few years ago then the big leap. My first really expensive pocket knife was a Chris Reeve Small Sebenza for 380 €.

I’ve been wondering for a long time if I should really spend that kind of money on a single knife.
Well, that was a few years ago. A few knives have been added and a few have gone.

The Altonaer Silberwerkstatt

We have sharpened and repaired knives in our workshop for as long as I can remember.

Mostly, however, we reworked and silvered silver antiques such as candlesticks, teapots and cutlery.

Whenever I enter the shop I smell the workshop, which borders directly on the shop.

I love the smell of metal and burnt out putty.

The Altona silver workshop has changed, we have changed.

Beside the silver and the antiques, I think we have built up a first class knife assortment in the last years, which includes pocket knives, fixed knives, razors and chef’s knives.

All products that we stand behind 100 percent.
This not only includes the knife itself, but also the people and the philosophy behind it.

We test knives as often as we can and have developed a feel for steel and workmanship.

No day without knives

I don’t know about you, but without a knife in my pocket I could survive the day but it would be very tedious.
To open packages or bags I don’t use scissors, but the knife I have with me. To cut apples, for example, I also use my pocket knife.
For our grandfathers and fathers it was the most natural thing in the world to have a knife with them.

For us it is too, isn’t it?

I am writing here about knives, manufactories, knife makers, designers and us knife friends.

Most of them will be knives that I also sell in shops or online shops.
You might think that the blog would not be objective enough. That may indeed be so.

But that also means that we deal with knives on a daily basis.
We know your questions and criticisms first hand.

I am writing here about my experience and the experience of my colleagues Yvonne, Ela, Martje, Fabian, Marcel, Christian and Kristof. We are “knifeguys”!

Knifemakers who inspire me