Poglia, Fish Handle Knife

[Acquire from Poglia]

Steel that ploughed a field before it reached your table.

Forged in southern Brazil · Reclaimed carbon steel · Horn and brass handle

Why it's here

Max Poglia grew up in the ranch country of southern Brazil, and his knives are still forged there by a second-generation blacksmith. The blades begin as worn-out plough discs. The handles are built up from horn and brass in the gaucho manner. No two come out alike, and you can see a person's hand in every one, which is exactly what we look for.

The object

The blade is hammered from a single piece of carbon steel that runs the full length of the handle. Horn in mixed shades is stacked with brass and shaped into a curve that gives the knife its name. Because the steel is carbon and uncoated, it darkens with use and takes a very keen edge.

Living with it

It is at home beside a cheese board, a cured ham or a steak. Wash and dry it by hand straight after use and rub in a drop of oil now and then. The grey bloom that develops on the blade is the point: it records every meal.

Origin: Forged in southern Brazil, finished in New York
Blade: Reclaimed carbon steel, full tang
Handle: Mixed horn and brass

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