Metropolis

Ikoma, Flavio

"Since I was a kid, my life has been influenced by blades, mainly the Japanese style swords and knives. In my adolescence I started working in my father's shop where I had access to new tools and materials. My father always encouraged me in my knife making activities, helping me to make knives and passing on to me the concepts of heat treatment and grinding. In 1986 I started my Mechanical Technician course where I learned the basics of metallurgy and other subjects I still use today to make my knives. I started to make knives professionally in 1993, influenced by the guys at Korth Cutlery. It was in collaboration with Ricardo and Roberto Lala of Korth Cutlery that resulted in the IKBS (Ikoma-Korth Bearing System) we both use in our folders and balisongs. The IKBS is also used by Darrel Ralph and other custom knifemakers. Making knives is not just a job for me, it is also a passion and I make every knife as if it were for me, which ensures the quality the ultimate user demands and deserves."