who am I

Hello,

I'm Johannes.

At the age of eight, I received my first pocket knife, a Victorinox Camper, during a vacation in Switzerland. This was the beginning of a lifelong collection and an obsession with everything sharp.

When I was fourteen, I built my first workshop in an old barn on the grounds of my family home. It didn't take long before I turned an old stove into a forge to "fire up the iron." When I returned from camp that summer, my grandfather, the son of a blacksmith, had decorated the shed and hung a sign with  "Smidse" (flemish for forge)  above the door.

After completing my Master's in Product Design and training as a farrier, and after sharpening thousands of knives and creating many designs—some surprising, some disappointing—I realized that my hobby had grown too large and too important for me, to remain just a hobby. With the support of my wonderful wife and the encouragement of good friends, I decided to pursue my passion professionally.

Since 2024, I've been making knives and offering sharpening services under the name Odonata, which means "dragonfly" in Latin. This symbol has been my signature for years, used to sign my designs and letters, and has now become my 'maker's mark,' which I etch into my knives. (By the way, it was also on my birth announcement, but for that story, I refer you to my mother.)

Every knife I create is unique and tells a story. And with every knife I make, I strive to improve. When I sharpen a knife, I always imagine that I will be the one using it.