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Whale teeth, sheep horns, horse hooves, and petrified trees are some of the ‘special ingredients’ that make these knives the stuff of legend.
The entryway to the workshop of Iceland’s only professional knifemaker is littered with oddities
It was my last night in Iceland when I found Páll Kristjánsson’s little shop of horrors wonders. Simply named “Workshop,” the unremarkable building on the outskirts of Reykjavik belies a place of pure mastery and beauty.
A blade made from an old, algae-stained whale tooth, sheep horn, and 1095 steel
For 30 years, Kristjánsson (nicknamed Palli) and his apprentice-turned-wife, Soffía Sigurðardóttir, fashion blades befit for Vikings. They combine intricate Damascus steel with unique handles made from bizarre treasures.
Palli Kristjánsson shows off whale teeth he will make into knife handles someday
Each knife has some combination of hand-picked materials from the island, including antlers, hooves, bones, and even 16 million-year-old fossilized wood.
Goat hoof knife handle
Their work is so uniquely, well, Icelandic, that the pair is now a featured attraction in pamphlets and must-see lists for tourists.
There are no fancy signs for the husband-and-wife shop. In fact, there is no official name for the business other than “Knifemaker.”
A look around the shop reveals plenty of macabre treasures
But their work is world-renowned and has sold for as much as $10,000 for a single knife. Palli mans the pocket knives and traditional outdoors blades, while Soffia has developed her hand (and market) for one-of-a-kind kitchen knives.
Soffía Sigurðardóttir has specializes in kitchen knives
Icelanders pitch in to the ma-and-pa cause by dropping off unusual items the pair might one day use. A collection of washed up baleens from dead whales, a host of found skulls, a barrel filled with an assortment of horns, and a smattering of crustacean claws retrieved from seafood restaurants litter the shop.
A literal bucket of miscellaneous horns dropped off at the shop
Everything is handmade here and no two blades are exactly the same. You can buy off the shelf or place a custom order online. Be aware: If you try calling the shop, don’t be surprised if you get no answer; the two still use a rotary landline.
Tiny knives made from crab claws salvaged from a seafood restaurants
And for every knife, there is a custom-made sheath. Leather from cow, sheep, seal, or fish is perfectly fit to its mated blade.
Labor Of Love And Time
From top to bottom: ($1,000); Damascus-steel blade, whale tooth, ebony, horse hoof ($750); Stainless-steel blade, horse hoof, 8,000-year-old oak, whale tooth, reindeer horn ($575)
Palli might modify or sharpen the blades, but most of the metalwork comes from outside Iceland. The couple uses Damascus steel or stainless blades from Scandinavia and Denmark.
Kristjánsson imports the blades and metal he uses. Unique banding and mottled patterns characterize Damascus steel
If you have a chance to visit, Palli will even show you his locked case of intricate, shapely knives that are not for sale. These, he told me in heavily accented English, he discovers as he goes.
An aggressive-looking Damascus blade with an ivory-colored Eagle’s head carved from a whale tooth is his favorite. And it is never going to leave that case.
Palli’s favorite knife is not for sale. An etched, Damascus-steel blade joined to a bald-eagle handle carved from whale tooth
Each knife will take five hours to five days, but that’s spread out over weeks of work. Custom orders ship out four to eight weeks after they are placed.
Palli shows off a left-handed-curved blade with whale tooth and ebony haft
Because a single knife will range from a couple hundred dollars to several thousand, it may not be the most practical investment. But it’s hard to resist the sheer beauty and craft of these remarkable blades.
Adam Ruggiero is the Editor in Chief of GearJunkie and host of the GearJunkie Podcast. He cut his teeth as a freelancer, and then news reporter for the site in 2015.
Along with founder Stephen Regenold and Editorial Director Sean McCoy, Ruggiero graduated from the University of Minnesota School of Journalism. He was the recipient of the 2022 Outdoor Media Summit “Editor of the Year” award, and regularly co-hosts the industry’s “Gear Guide” at both summer and winter Outdoor Retailer trade shows.
In addition to accurate and impartial news reporting, and compelling, original storytelling, his interests include camping in all climates and conditions, track cycling and bikepacking, all forms of fitness, the resplendent majesty of coffee, and sports of every kind.
