Markin Knives

This week we get to know more about Andrei Markin. His story is a great example of how we do not always know where life will take us. It is a funny thing, because my decision to start an Instagram account was inspired by him, and that account led me here, interviewing knife makers. So, I cannot think of anyone more fitting to share their story than him.

First off please tell us about yourself.

I’m a simple Russian guy from the small village and I grew up in a difficult time for my country and family. So, I had to do everything for myself from a young age. It is probably for this reason that I loved working with my hands, and I have gained many skills. I like to create good things myself, despite the fact that it would be cheaper to buy them, but the things that you have made yourself are special.
When I make a knife that I’ve wanted to make for a long time and have implemented my ideas in it, it gives me great pleasure, so much so, that I don’t want to sell it.

What sparked your interest in knives?

I tried to repair old knives several times as a teenager, they attracted me, as most boys probably are and knives are probably the most ancient human tool and are still relevant. I also love good tools.
In 2009, I got my hands on a blade from a metal pendulum saw, I knew that good HSS steel was used in this the desire to make a knife arose immediately, but I had nothing to make blade with, so I took an engine from an old washing machine and attached a whetstone to it, and hung this improvised machine on the wall in the basement of my house and started trying to make my first knife. Unfortunately, I no longer have a photo of that knife. But here is a photo of the second knife I made.

What inspired you, and how did you learn more about this craft?

What inspired me to create knives was the feeling of being satisfied with each new knife and the desire to make the new knife harder and better. At the beginning of the journey, I learned how to make knives mainly based on the ideas of knives that I had seen. Later, thanks to the Internet getting new information became much easier. I also read forums when they began to rise in popularity.

When did you start making knives?

I made my first knife in 2009 or 2010.

What steel did you make your first knife out of?

The saw for cutting steel was made of P6M5 steel, an analog of M2 steel, it was a poor choice of steel for my first knife since it is difficult to process. But after I managed to make my first knife with it, other knives made from other steels were much easier.

Do you have a favorite knife that you made, and can you tell us about it?

I don’t have a favorite knife, or rather, I have one, but it is always changing so each favorite is replaced by another, and this is due to the complexity of manufacturing. The more difficult a knife is to manufacture, the more I love it, right now that is the Yanagiba as it is difficult to make this knife correctly.

What is the most important aspect of a well-made knife?

I’m a not a good salesperson. For this reason, I put the functionality and practicality of the knife first, only then I think about the appearance. I have heard a proverb associated with one good aircraft designer, “an ugly plane will not fly well,” I think the same applies to knives.

What helps you keep going?

I like learning how to make more complex knives, that’s why I started making kitchen knives because they are challenging, and unfortunately for me, I’m not looking for the easy path.

What is the biggest struggle?

Sell your knives at a decent price, especially when you take the first steps. At first, I sold knives at the cost of materials just to understand what people need and to help people get to know about me and my knives.

What types of knives do you make?

I make mostly kitchen knives, including such rare ones for my region as maguro bocho. I sometimes make hunting knives, or special knives for leather. I also make chisels for myself for working with wood because I have scraps of steel that I do not want to throw away. I think there aren’t many people who have a set of chisels made from CPM3V or Nitrobe77 steels.

How did your past influence your approach to knives?

I have never thought about this. I think my childhood and growing up and I had to be a farmer, mechanic, electrician, plumber, builder, etc. Each of those influenced for me that I cannot make knives simply as artistic objects, I want my knives to be put to work. The worst thing I could hear about one of my knives is that it is sitting on a shelf.

Who helped you at an early stage?

I didn’t know anyone who had ever dealt with knives or had at least a workshop, so I had to basically teach myself and experience all the bumps along the way to a good knife.

Anyone influence you?

I was strongly influenced by a man that I didn’t know before. He wrote to me by mail that he lives in Sochi and wanted me to make him a knife. He also wanted specific changes to the blade and I agreed. While we discussed the geometry of the blade, handle materials, and choice of steel, a new master of kitchen knives, Andrey, was born. It was this man who drew my attention to Western manufacturers, he said that I should try to sell a knife to Europe or the USA. Without this advice, I wouldn’t have even thought about it. We have been friends for many years and have met more than once. He told me that there are no coincidences in this world, that it was the universe that introduced us.

What other knife manufacturers impress you these days?

Yes, of course, other craftsmen inspire me to do new work, but I don’t have obvious idols, I just like individual knives from different craftsmen.

Do you draw inspiration from anyone else in this field?

Sometimes I get burned out, especially when I make a lot of knives to order and the ideas from my head remain unrealized, then I look at the masterpieces of kitchen knives from other masters, new ideas and inspiration appear, which motivates me to finish all the knives that have been ordered faster so I can do a new and exciting project.

Have any special breakthroughs or discoveries occurred in your knife manufacturing path?

The most important breakthrough was related to the time when I made my first grinder, before that I worked on a grinding machine with a round disc made of silicon carbide. It was a shock to me when I realized that a hunting knife blade can be made in two hours instead of three days.

What is the perfect knife?

The knife that is near you at the right moment.

How do you approach knife testing?

Right now, four of my knives are being tested in a professional kitchen, all knives are made from the same sanmai that I made for the first time, and I need to choose the best heat treatment, each of the 4 have slightly different heat treatment.
I don’t test knives for cutting edge retention myself because I can’t spend a week testing one knife, especially since I don’t need to use a knife heavily to feed my family. So, I consider professional chefs who really loves good kitchen knives to be the best tester.

How do I design the structure, choose the steel and adjust the heat treatment?

First of all, practice, no theory will work without practice. I also know kitchen knife makers who don’t cook food themselves, which means they don’t use their knives, meaning they don’t fully understand how their knife should work. I want to say that the master must put himself in the place of the buyer of his knives, and if he likes his knives as a buyer, then he is on the right track.

Any favorite steels?

I will say right away that there are no good or bad steels. However, there are steels that are improperly processed or misused. I do like the aggressive cutting of high-speed steels such as M4, REX121, PMD60 S290, K390 and other monsters of metallurgy. I also like balanced steels that will be convenient in any situation such as RWL34, 154CM, S60V and similar.

How has the world of knife making changed since you started?

Russia has changed a lot, the knife culture here is at the final stage of formation, people used to have a lot of problems and almost no one thought about how they would cut food. And today, knife culture in Russia is flourishing, several exhibitions have appeared, where more and more people every year, and these are not only ordinary onlookers, but also are interested in buying which is great to see.

What are your plans for the future? Tell us about any interesting new projects?

Right now, my most ambitious project is to build a new workshop, due to the region, I can’t build it cheaply like a barn or a garage. I have to build a full-fledged small stone house that will serve as a workshop, where I plan to master heat treatment, which will open the way to new interesting projects.

For more information about Andrei’s work visit his Instagram http://www.instagram.com/matk38