Can you tell a handcrafted replica from other types of reproductions or copies?

Everyone thinks so, but this is not entirely true.

Most people cannot tell the real thing.

Only those knowledgeable in the secrets of Materials Science and their handcrafting procedures can.

Subscribe here and find out with me. It is a good plan.

And if you change your mind, you can always unsubscribe.
Both options are free of charge.

Additionally, if you subscribe, you will receive:

– A 4-minute video where I show you the full process to handcraft a 19th Century “Coltello d´Amore” (Love Knife), a handcrafted replica which gained me the First Prize in the Castilla La Mancha Handcrafted Knife Contest in 2023.

– Full access to the Premium Blog: “Materials Science applied to Bladesmithing”.

WHY DID YOU DECIDE TO OFFER THIS TYPE OF SERVICE?

First of all, I would like you to know that before becoming interested in traditional blacksmithing, all I wanted to do was to become a good Engineer, have a car and buy a house… the usual. It took me many years and a great effort to get there, but I did. Everything was going well.

Later on, after 19 years dedicating my life to scientific and technological research (I was an Industrial Engineer at the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC), I realised that what we call “technological development” is only part of what people need to move forward.

There is another part, one that relates to the beauty and slowness of crafting, and I began to devote my life to it.

In the most appropriate words of Tomás Alía, a crafts master and a Gold Medal for his Merits in the Fine Arts in 2022:

“The new luxury is everything that is handcrafted. Slow, beautiful and forever shall be the motto that designers and craftsmen will be using in future”.

My name is Víctor Aparicio, and I am the grandson of Félix Aparicio Velarde, a great blacksmith. My father was also a craftsman, he helped shape the marble at the Almudena Cathedral in Madrid. I joined this trade because my roots called me.

Today, I am a teacher at the Toledo Blacksmithing School, a bladesmith and an armourer and I work by order.

Life is highly unpredictable.

“Slow, beautiful and forever”

My grandfather, Félix Aparicio Velarde, with his assistant, Emiliano González, at the National Championship of Trade Skills. Modality “Handcraft Forging “. Madrid 1957.

WHAT ARE YOUR PIECES LIKE?

They are unique.

My aim is to materialise the piece you have in mind, whether it is based on an original piece or not; following your own design or letting me design it based on your wishes or needs.

ARE THERE MANY BLACKSMITHS AND BLADESMITHS IN SPAIN?

WHAT MAKES YOU DIFFERENT?

When I say this, many people feel offended.

Even amongst the most prominent bladesmiths, there is confusion between a “handcrafted” and “hand-made” piece.

Could you say that handcrafting is to use your hands to open and close an electric oven, use a belt sander and laser-engrave a piece?

I do not think this is handcrafting.  I am very respectful of the skills required to do this, but this is not the type of craftsmanship I am talking about.

A piece that has been formed and hardened on the forge, worked using sandstone and a foot pedal grinder, engraved with punch, chisel or acid is not comparable to the “same” mass-made piece where industrial machinery and all kinds of technological and electrical tools have been employed to make it.

They are NOT the same piece and can never be.

You may like this or not. It is your decision.

In both cases, the two pieces cannot be considered the same.

Here at “Laboratorio de forja” (edge weapon forging lab) I make craftmanship following the traditional procedures from our ancestors, what I call metallurgical craftmanship.

The above is something different.

The pieces leaving my forge are a fragment of Mediterranean metalworking history. Today these are replicas or original pieces. Tomorrow they will be ancient pieces.

This is what I offer: I would like you to hold in your hands a product that evokes history, and is made using ancestral traditional techniques.

SO, YOUR WORK IS NOT FOR ALL KINDS OF COLLECTORS?

An edged weapon made using traditional procedures is not for everyone.

I say this with deep respect and with no means to offend.
Truly, I do not want to sound arrogant, but neither my replicas nor any reproductions are for everyone.

They are a luxury item for only a privileged few. Those who can afford the privilege to seek quality, history, authenticity and beauty in every detail of a piece.

It is not just about price. It is about value.

This is comparable to buying a shirt from a high street store or visiting a tailoress. The experience is different.

You can have a couple of shirts for casual daily wear and that is fine, the neck looks perfect, perhaps the sleeves not so much, and that is fine.

However, have you experienced having a shirt made by a tailoress? And a hat? A pair of shoes? A tailored suit? This is certainly not for everyone.

I forge unique tailor-made pieces.

Subscribe and you will find out much more about the pieces I can make for you and the making processes which I can also show you.  

 WHAT GUARANTEES DO I GET WITH YOUR WORK?

I am an Industrial Engineer, a bladesmith, an armourer and a teacher at a prestigious Blacksmithing School. I have been devoted to the study, research and work with metals for 35 years. These are my guarantees. I vouch for my work.

WHAT PIECES ARE YOU CURRENTLY SELLING?

You can find pieces that are currently for sale on the “UNIQUE PIECES” tab. Please feel free to send your request if you would like more information, including prices.

I am currently working by order and there may be a waiting list. Please be aware of this.

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Coltello d’Amore siglo XIX. My replica was awarded the first prize at the 41st Castille La Mancha Blademaking Competition, Albacete, Spain, 2023.

My name is Víctor Manuel Acosta Aparicio, an Industrial Engineer, a Bladesmith and an Armourer. 

Let us make something together.

“Slow, beautiful and forever”