Gela Khutsishvili

Knife maker

©Gela Khutsishvili

The secrets hidden within

Gela made his first knife when he was nine
His three sons help out in the workshop
His knives contain secret messages

Gela Khutsishvili obtained a degree in construction and architecture, but he has been working on weapons since he was a child. “I made my first knife when I was about nine years old,” he says. “We still use it in our kitchen.” He first experimented with manufacturing different types of knives as a hobby, often offering his creations as gifts to friends and family. But after working for seven years as a firearms repairman, he became a professional knife maker. He opened his own workshop in 2000, at his home in Rustavi, in Georgia. “It is a small workshop, so it is difficult for me to train students there. But I have three sons who help me and thus learn the skills of the craft. I hope one of them continues my work someday.”

Interview

©Gela Khutsishvili

©Gela Khutsishvili

Which kind of knives do you make?: I do not stick to a particular style, I do not let dogmas limit my work. I draw sketches from my imagination and then bring these to life. Apart from knives, I also work on battle axes and do engraving on firearms.
Can you offer us a quick look into your toolbox?: I use all kinds of techniques, so if I show you my toolbox, you will notice that it is full of very diverse instruments!
How ‘typically Georgian’ are your creations?: I cannot say that the shape of the knife is inspired by my home country, but for the engravings I generally try to use Georgian ornaments.
Can you let us in on one of your secrets?: Almost every knife contains a hidden message, concealed by the handle of the knife, about something that happened during the making process. It can be a personal or global event. One knife for example has an inscription about my son cutting a tooth, another about Obama being elected as US president, and so on.

Gela Khutsishvili is an expert artisan: he began his career in 1997