Edson Vieira

Edson Vieira is a man of several skills. He is a bladesmith, a gunsmith and a lawyer, though the dreams we all share have recently driven him to become a full time knifemaker. One of the great contributions he has made to our community was as legal adviser for the foundation and registration of the Brazilian Bladesmiths Society, the SBC. Here are some words from Mr. Edson Viera:

Hello, I am Edson Roberto Martins Vieira, Brazilian, graduated in Laws and live in the city of Sorocaba, a hundred kilometers from São Paulo, the capital city of our state. I come from a family of cowboy, people who usually carried a knife with them. This primitive tool could not only save their lives but also could provide the chance to taste some good beef.

Cutlery came into my life as a consequence of my hunting activities as I realized we need a good knife to face the several different situations we come across while we're in the woods. I made my first knife back in 1996 when I still worked on the Fepasa railroad company as a welder and was attending law school. From that on, I could never stop.

In 2001 I had the pleasure to learn to forge with Mastersmith Jerry Fisk while attending his seminar in Brazil. Nowadays my knives are all carbon steel and part of this work is turned to the historical rescue of the local cutlery, more precisely of one kind of knife very well known to Brazilian knife collectors with a still undiscovered history. This knife takes the name of the city I live: Sorocaba Knives. This knife has several particularities amongst them the wonderfull handle design and the fact that the blade and the handle were two distinct parts.

Image taken from the Prudente de Moraes Project Webpage created by the Piracicaba city hall to celebrate the centenary of his death.

The creation and making of these knives took place still in the 19th.century with the foundation of the Royal Factory of Iron of Ypanema in 1818 and the creation of the House of White Arms in 1865 (in portuguese the therm 'white arms' means edged weapons). This was the place were the swords, sabers, bayonets and spear points used in the Paraguay War.

In 1895 the House of White Arms was shut down and some of its staff (mostly european specialized workers, including germans) leaded by Mr. Alfredo Soares, founded the Fábrica de Facas e Facões de Sorocaba (Sorocaba Factory of Knives and Big Knives).

Edson Roberto Martins Vieira: Rua Dom Adalberto Swiersen, 182 - Vila Progresso - Sorocaba / SP - Brazil Cep.: 18081-180
Phone: (+55) 15 232-0168 - E-mail: edsonrm.vieira@itelefonica.com.br

Historical reproduction of an antique Amparo Blade. 5160, ox horn and brass fittings.

8" pattern welded steel blades with ebony and sterling silver fittings and stag handles.

52100, sterling silver and stag.

52100, bone and buffalo horn.

Stag Skinner

52100, sterling silver and stag.

52100, sterling silver and stablized hardwood..