Jože Krmelj

Jože Krmelj

artisans,uppercarniola

1963

iain

German,Slovene

Artisan

819

x x

current,46.1276625914593,14.229099836053459;

Scotland

Jože Krmelj

https://www.kovastvo-krmelj.si

TEXT

Jože Krmelj (1963) spent his childhood in the village of Studeno in the Selška Valley and trained as a carpenter at the woodworking school in Škofja Loka. He then worked as a carpenter in the Alples furniture factory in Železniki. In 1983, he got a job at his ) wife's family's blacksmith shop.as an assistant blacksmith. The family has been involved in blacksmithing for seven generations since 1870, and since 1938 at their current location in Log pri Škofji Loki. Until 1990, his father-in-law managed the blacksmithing production of tools with a total of four employees. The most important blacksmithing product among cutting tools were axes. When his father-in-law was injured in 1990, he handed over the management of the blacksmith's workshop to Jože, who also took on the role of head blacksmith. He learned the blacksmith's trade by watching in the workshop as a self-taught apprentice. He added many new blacksmithing items to the production range and also set up a woodworking workshop for the production of tool handles. In 2010 he learned knife forging from two experienced master blacksmiths in Austria. Today, these knives are highly sought after for their uniqueness, quality and, last but not least, artistic appearance. All the blacksmith products from the workshop are hand-forged under an spring hammer and are unique, made from high-quality steel. The company now employs six people, including a young blacksmith whom Jože trained himself and an apprentice who is currently undergoing training. Kovaštvo Krmelj manufactures useful blacksmith products for partners in Slovenia, Germany and France. Jože Krmelj has grown to love the work of a blacksmith and finds it extremely enjoyable. On Saturdays, he runs blacksmithing workshops, which are attended by students from all over the world. In 2021, he was awarded the title of Craftsman of the Year. As one of the few blacksmiths in Slovenia, he received the Zlata vitica (Golden Vine) Award for special achievements in handicrafts in 2012.

ZRCSAZU_PR_04

2117

info@kovastvo-krmelj.si

+386 (0)41 503 749

woodwork,metalwork,artist

Jože retrained from joinery to blacksmithing when he married into a family of blacksmiths in 1984 and found employment there as an assistant blacksmith. He taught himself blacksmithing by watching in the workshop, searching for information independently and experimentation an within a lot of practice. In 2010 he learned knife forging from two experienced master blacksmiths in Austria.

Jože trained a younger employee, who now works for them and also trains apprentices. Every Saturday, he runs one-day blacksmithing workshops, which are attended by participants from Slovenia and abroad. Workshops accept 5-7 participants, are very popular, and are fully booked several months in advance.This course is intended solely to introduce participants to the blacksmithing process and give them a chance to try it out.

Barbara Ivančič Kutin

Yes

Deepl translator.

male

native

The work of a blacksmith requires enjoyment of work, sufficient physical strength, agility, and endurance for working in hot conditions, as well as a sense of design and precision. Although the work is rough and requires physical strength, a forger must also have a soft side, because without softness and the right feeling, a beautiful product cannot be created.

A local resident of the Škofja Loka area since birth. He moved to his wife's family home in the village of Log nad Škofjo Loko from the neighboring Selška Valley in 1984.

In the workshop, they use only special so called steel for improvement, which is suitable for hardening. For Damascus knives, a special material with a specific chemical composition is used in plates of two different colors (darker and lighter). Wood is used to make the handles: elm, acacia, American oak.

full-time paid job

The material known as steel for improvement is purchased from a Slovenian supplier. More than the origin (which is from various countries), they are interested in the highest quality of raw materials, which is determined by special markings. The wood for the handles is Slovenian, purchased at a sawmill in Metlika, where they also cut the boards to the appropriate thickness.

There is very little waste, just a few buckets per year. These are sold to a landfill as raw material. Everything else is recycled (reprocessed), i.e. reused.

First, the steel is cut into smaller pieces that will be processed. Then, using a forging process (heating the steel to a high temperature and hammering it with a sprin hammer machine (while turning the piece by hand), they first punch a hole for the handle, then forge it into its basic shape (axe, hammer, ice axe, etc.). This is followed by hand finishing to the final shape: hardening, grinding, polishing, and sharpening. The Damascus knife is handmade from 320 thin layers of steel. The technique is around 3,000 years old. To make Damascus steel, a special material with a specific chemical composition is used in plates of two different colors (darker and lighter). Ten plates are first stacked on top of each other, alternating between the lighter and darker colors. This "package" is forged to create a connected, homogeneous structure in which the colored layers are visible. This material must then be folded five times. After the first folding, 20 layers are obtained, followed by 40, then 80, 160, and finally 320. Once the material has been welded, it is shaped into a knife using a forging process, and finally a handle is added. Jože Krmelj makes the handles himself from various materials, including wood, horn, and bone. He also makes wooden sheaths for the knives, while the leather sheaths are sewn by another craftsman.

The most basic tools are a fireplace which is heated with charcoal and has a mechanism for supplying air (this regulates the temperature, which is ideal for forging at around 900 degrees Celsius); an spring hammer, a hand-held forging hammer, and tongs for gripping or turning hot pieces. A barrel of water or oil is needed for tempering steel. In addition, a grinding machine, welding equipment, and protective equipment such as gloves, goggles, and noice earphones are also used.

Good tools are extremely important to blacksmiths; tools for The most important tool is the machine spring hammer, which is over 100 years old at the Krmelj family's workshop and is maintained and repaired by them. This machine has greatly (physically) eased the blacksmiths' work. Since it works perfectly, there is no need to replace it. Most of the other tools are also made in the blacksmith's workshop and are regularly maintained and repaired at home. The tools are part of the family heritage.

The furnaces are coal-fired, the springhammer (machine), grinding and welding machines are electrically powered.The other tools are manual.

There is no waste, as all waste is recycled through re-forging. Only a few buckets per year are sold to landfill as raw material.

Krmelj's smithy is a separate building right next to the family home. There is also a separate building for a woodworking workshop next to the house. The office is located in the family house, which also has internal access to the smithy.

They have a wide range of products, more than 500 items. They mainly manufacture cutting tools: garden, forestry, carpentry tools,firefighting,bbutcher's tools ... such as various types of axes, sickles, as well as claws and hammers. Their their latest products are some rustical items such is a frying pan. Since 2010, when he is alone in the workshop, he have also been manufacturing Damascus knives. All their products are useful.

The products are forged for sale for Slovenian and foreign customers or distributors, mostly in large quantities.

The tools can be purchased in various shops supplied by wholesalers who order the products from the smithy; Jože Krmelj also collaborates with German and French companies who order products from them and sell them in their shops, including through a web catalog. The products can also be purchased in person at the blacksmith's shop or via the online store. Damascus knives are avaliable in his workshop only.

They manufacture custom-made products and also repair their products as well as all other steel tools.

Yes, both for our own products and for steel products from other manufacturers.

All these individual or grosist customers from Slovenia and abroad who want high-quality, durable, handcrafted, and useful products that suit their needs. Repair services are most often used by individuals.

His products has the Art & Craft Slovenia certificate, issued by the Chamber of Craft and Small Business of Slovenia.

Is the operator involved in tourism-related activities? What kind of activities? When do they take place? Who are the tourists (e.g., domestic, foreign)?

"Mi ne rabimo nobene reklame. Mi sami sebi ne oglašujemo. To opravijo zadovoljne stranke." Translation: "We don't need any advertisment. We don't advertise ourselves. Satisfied customers do that for us."

Jože is a member of the DUO Škofja loka Handicraft Centre DUO. He occasionally collaborates with the municipality and other institutions when they order protocol gifts – they come to him directly; he does not offer his products around. Cooperation with kindergartens, schools, and the DUO center also takes place in such a way that interested parties ask in advance to observe the process, participate in a workshop, or learn (apprenticeship).

He is very satisfied with his work and life and has no complaints. He enjoys facing creative challenges in developing new products; there are many problems to solve to ensure that a new product is of the highest quality. He is saddened by the decline of the blacksmithing trade, which no longer interests young people. Jože Krmelj puts product quality first and has no desire to expand. Efforts to preserve the craft and tradition of blacksmithing have always been a priority and still confirm the wisdom of their business decisions today.

"Spoznali smo namreč, da se je industrija modernizira in lahko naredi velike serije izdelkov, pa jih težko prodajo, ker so to izdelki brez duše. Mi pa malo naredimo in lahko prodamo, ker smo videli, da trg išče kvalitetne, unikatne, ročne kose, v tem je naša prednost. Izdelki z dušo. Vsak kos je unikaten." Translation: "We realized that the industry is modernizing and can produce large series of products, but they are difficult to sell because they are soulless products. We produce small quantities and can sell them because we have seen that the market is looking for high-quality, unique, handmade pieces, and this is our advantage. Products with soul. Each piece is unique."

https://www.centerduo.eu/mojstri-rokodelci/kovastvo-krmelj/ https://prvi.rtvslo.si/podkast/intervju-radio/3633109/174860660 https://365.rtvslo.si/arhiv/vizionar-obrtnik-in-podjetnik/174940812

https://www.kovastvo-krmelj.si