Rodrigo Sfreddo

Rodrigo Sfreddo  is a man who has overcome many difficulties to achieve the high level of skill he has attained as a blade smith, including the lack of equipment, information, and even room to work. He is a dedicated man to the study and development of his craft.

Sfreddo has developed most if his notable skills by himself and has been traveling around the country to attend workshops, lectures, and help to develop the custom knife business in Brazil. Here are a few words from Rodrigo:

I have been in love with knives since I was a kid. I used to steal my father's sharpening stone to sharpen my own knives.  At the age of thirteen I started to remodel the ones I had, changing handles, reshaping blades, and making sheaths. I got my first order when I was fourteen and since that time I have never stopped. Actually, I am proud to say I have never had any other job but making knives.

In 1995, while attending the Metallurgical Engineering graduation course, I decided to go full time on the business. I quit college and decided to go after my dream. I thank the day I have decided to become a bladesmith. As by this time I used to live in an apartment, noise and dust became a serious problem so I decided to set up a little shop inside my closet where I made knives for several years. I have started through stock removal but today I am exclusively dedicated to forging

In November 2001 I had the opportunity to attend the first workshop conducted by Jerry Fisk and that was a divisor mark in my professional life and in Brazilian cutlery market as a whole. In this occasion the Brazilian Bladesmiths Society was founded in which I had the honor to be nominated vice-president.

I have had the privilege to have my work published in the best related magazines of the world such as Blade, Knives Illustrated and La Passion des Cuteux. I favor 52100 and my pattern welded steel for my blades, also favoring integral models. I enjoy too forging axes, swords, spears and all classical cutlery.

I have also earned the ABS Journeyman Smith stamp in the 2006 Blade Show in Atlanta and won the prestigious Peck Award, having for the first time in history two knives selected for the finals, those being the best and the second best knives submited.

Damascus, Giraffe Bone slabs and hand textured sheath.

52100 and stag scales with stainless fittings

Ladder pattern damascus, wild olive wood and doomed stainless pins.

Turkish pattern damascus and afzelia handle.

Blued steel frame and fittings, 52100 blade and giraffe bone handle. Picture by Stephen Foster.

Ladder pattern with interrupted twisted bars on the fuller. Ebony and stainless pins on the handle.