Knife shops in Istanbul??

U

ubernut

Joined
Jul 21, 2004
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487
Going to Istanbull for a week. Course I'll be knife shopping while the wife looks at rugs.
Anyone know of or how to contact some makers?
Thanks
 
I heard up north near the Black Sea they were famous for making knives there. I was stationed in Izmir, but never made it up there or Istanbul. I bet you could find some good one there though. Are you in the military stationed in Turkey?
 
I was stationed in Samsun, but that's a loooong time ago. We went to Izmir on a brief vacation. I got some great pictures of our motley crew wandering around Efes. Knives weren't a major item that I saw around there.
 
Istanbul has a famous bazaar that is like a city in itsself. Anything that can be bought or sold can be had there. If your wife is looking for rugs, you will be spending a lot of time there sipping chai while sitting on endless stacks of rugs. Just ask any kid there where the knives are and you will be escorted through a dizzying maze of passeges and end up in a knife shop. But whatever you do, do not leave your wife unescorted while you are there. The status of women in that part of the world is not the same as it is in Western culture. She needs to be in your eyesight or with someone you trust at all times. Also, never pay the asking price for anything. Even a newspaper.
 
I lived in Izmir from 91-93 when I was assigned to NATO HQ there. There were an assortment of local knifemakers in the Konak Pasaar who produced their wares in sidewalk smithies using fairly crude equipment. Same for Istanbul only on a larger scale. Quality varied widely so you had to be selective. Whenever we wanted the best quality knives we went to Bursa which is a short drive from Istanbul. Bursa is the historic center for knife making in Turkey so you can be assured of finding whatever you want there. Definitely worth a side trip during your Istanbul visit.
 
I like turkish knifes, expecialy those from Bursa. Althought most of them not appear any-more to be craftmanship, but industry made. Also they seems to me a little flimsy compared to the other traditionals kinfes from Mediterranean's area I use to buy and collect. Shepard's blades (i.e. pattada, sicilian, albany, greece). I bought mostly in my youtness. None is stainless steel (blades are/where forged from ancient car dampner -crossbow- on a carbon fire and reduced with hammer at half or less the original thickness) and handles are in yellow mouton horn (way more though than cow or buffalo horn). Althought they may seems cheap and simple where instead very pricey for the end user and where often payd in nature with a number of cheese forms, a sheep or amomg the times. Where real whorking (cattung wood, killing lambs) an selfe defence instrument's wich had to serve for life and to be passed to sons. All of them appears to belong from a common intent/design: beeing reliable, thought, good in edge retaining (infact are high carbon blades beeing forged on the natural wood carbon fire and) and light because where caried in pockets or bags during all the day, easy to resharpen on filed.
Sorry for log post and bad english :(
 
My wife bought me a small kitchen knife in Bursa for a souvenier. It was, as you say, a production made blade and wasn't anything special as far as attractiveness or quality. However, I did bring home a doner slicing blade that is very nice. The blade is about 18" long, tapers in thickness towards the tip, and is very flexible. Holds a terrific edge so the steel is very good. I don't use it for slicing doner but it comes in handy to thin slices of ham or roast. The blade is marked FETTAH BIRLIK BICAKCIGIL. My rusty Turkish language skills make that out to be something like "The Fettah Bladesmith Shop" or reasonably close proximation.

I borrowed one of the rustic blades you speak of from a Turkish hunter to dress a wild boar I shot on the southern coast. It was sharp as blazes and retained the sharpness all the way through the field dressing chore.

Pleas don't be concerned about your English! It is much, much better than my fractured Turkish. I could manage to order meals, ask basic directions, and call for a beer but that was about all I learned.

Ken
 
Im always amazed by how international this board is! I was just telling my wife about it yesterday. Dont appologize for your english my friend, I think its great. :thumbup:

P.S. Instead of an appology may I suggest filling out your location in your user cp so that we know that you are from a foreign land?
 
The comment Lurker made about being very vigilant of your wife's safety is a sound one.
We were shopping in the Grand Bazaar years ago, and received a fine offer for one of the girls that was traveling with us. She didn't find it very amusing though, despite us telling her how many rugs we were going to get! And yes, be prepared to drink a lot of tea... Not certain of the modern knifemakers, but you can find some great antique pieces...
 
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