Physical Object An inanimate, three-dimensional object or substance. Note that digital representations of, or surrogates for, these objects should use Moving Image, Still Image, Text or one of the other types. Material Steel and wood. Natural Cultural Cultural Function Useful and art product. Creation Purpose The product is a time-consuming work of art that allows for creativity. Jože Krmelj makes Damascus knives in his spare time out of his own joy and enthusiasm for the technique. His customers are individuals from Slovenia and abroad who want a high-quality product that is also a unique work of art. Knives only can be purchased in Krmelj's online store or from him personally, but they are not always available. Technique The Damascus knife is handmade from approximately 320 thin layers of special steel. The technique is around 3,000 years old. The handles are also handmade (from wood, animal bones, horn; there is even a product with an ivory handle in the display case). 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.Each knife has a custom-made sheath made of wood or leather. The wooden sheaths are made by Jože Krmelj himself, while the leather ones are sewn by another craftsman. Material Source Steel with a special chemical composition (different from that used for tools) is purchased from a local distributor. Conecept Blacksmithing has been a family craft for seven generations; production still takes place in the traditional way, with each piece passing through the hands of blacksmiths who work it by hand. This means that every item is unique, despite being mass-produced. Damascus knives are made by Jože Krmelj in his spare time when no one else is in the workshop (the knives are not part of wholesale production). He has been using this technique since 2010, when he trained with master craftsmen in Austria. Production Quality Small production, very few items per month; Up to 30 or 50 pieces per year. External ID ZRCSAZU_AR_04(1) Field Worker Barbara Ivančič Kutin AI Tools Yes AI Content Translation. Craft woodwork,metalwork Tool Fireplace, blacksmith's hammer, tongs, grinding tools, woodworking tools. Place The town or city Log nad Škofjo Loko 13, 4220 Škofja Loka Prim Media 2133 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Damascus knife Type The nature or genre of the resource Physical Object Description An account of the resource The Damascus knife is a unique, high-quality, and artistic product. These knives come in various sizes, but most often (like the one in the picture) the metal blade is 21 cm long , width 3-6cm and 2 mm thick. The blade is embedded in a handle, which is usually 12-14 cm long and made of various materials (wood, horn, bone). Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2025 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource 2121 Extent The size or duration of the resource. 21cm x 4cm x 21cm Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource iain Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context 821 Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived craftedobjects,uppercarniola References A related resource that is referenced, cited, or otherwise pointed to by the described resource. https://prvi.rtvslo.si/podkast/intervju-radio/3633109/174860660 https://mro.si/en/iron-forging-museum-kropa Slavec Gradišnik, Ingrid, 2011: Kovaštvo (Blacksmithing). In: Slovenika, slovenska nacionalna enciklopedija. Ljubljana: Mladinska knjiga (pp 627-628). https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Damascus_steel Date Submitted Date of submission of the resource. Examples of resources to which a Date Submitted may be relevant are a thesis (submitted to a university department) or an article (submitted to a journal). 13/01/2026 Alternative Title An alternative name for the resource. The distinction between titles and alternative titles is application-specific. Damaščanski nož. Spatial Coverage Spatial characteristics of the resource. current,46.1276625914593,14.229099836053459; Date Modified Date on which the resource was changed. 13/01/2026 Europeana Specific elements of the Europeana Semantic Elements. Europeana Type The Europeana material type of the resource. TEXT