Minoan Crete had a thriving metalworking industry, making tools, utensils and weapons, few specimens of which have survived. It was believed in the ancient Greek world that armament and heavy weapons were invented in Crete by the Kourites, the mythical race of warriors that protected Zeus during his infancy in the island. The metallurgy skills of the Minoans and consequently the manufacture of weapons in Crete continued during the classical era, long after the eclipse of the Minoan civilization.
The use of swords, knives and daggers as military weapons is obvious and ancient, and the Cretans were no different during the long and turbulent history of defending their homeland. During the Venetian occupation knife workshops were organized in most urban areas, some of which in the same location they are today. Metallurgy continued and flourished during the Ottoman occupation, and knife making became of extreme importance in the 19th century. Those years of repeated insurrections for independence created the need for quality weapons and the blacksmiths of Crete responded with enthusiasm, making oversized knives, the length of which reached up to 80 cm. These huge knives could also be used as swords.
In the early part of 20th century Cretan volunteers fought in numerous wars and campaigns for the defense and freedom of Greek territories and the Cretan dagger was an important complement of their weaponry. Even during WWII, the peasant countryside and the Cretan guerillas were armed with their trusted daggers.
There is no questioning the sentimental and military value the Cretans hold for their knives and daggers, passing them from generation to generation, gifting them as a token of friendship, respect, honor, and love.
The anatomy and construction of the Cretan knife
Today, the genuine Cretan knife, sometime called basalis, is created by the few connoisseurs of the traditional art, exclusively by hand, with the help of traditional tools.
The making of the Cretan knife is a complicated process, involving several skills: blacksmithing, silver and goldsmithing, carving and engraving. The work is never rushed, some quality pieces taking several weeks to complete, their monetary value reflects the effort, skill and time invested into their making.
There are specific characteristics required to identify a genuine Cretan knife and the presence of all of them gives the knife added aesthetic and monetary value. These components are highly practical or symbolic. There is also a ritualistic order in which the construction of the item takes place, followed almost superstitiously by the craftsmen involved.
Manika – the handle
The knife handle, manika, is the first item to be constructed, the material of choice being ivory, buffalo or oxen shin bone, preferably black or dark color. A suitable substitute is the horn of a deer, ram or goat, always from a male animal due to its strength and beautiful hues. The bone is boiled in a solution of lime and ash for 4-5 hours and then is formed into the desired shape by a special tool. It is polished to a high finish with a wool cloth and a paste made from olive oil and charcoal dust. The bone is then sawn in half, each half to secure the blade and to ensure uniformity of the structure and appearance. Eventually the handle will take its characteristic V shape with specific proportions, reminiscent of a shuttle, first appearing at the end of the 18th century and enduring ever since. Since the Cretan knife doesn’t have a guard, the V groove on the handle served as a secure place to wrap the thumb while holding the knife underhand.
Knives are named after the color of their handle. Black or dark colored handled knives are called mavromanika, black handled, and are highly desired due to their rareness. White handled knives on the other hand are called aspromanika, white handled.
Lama – the blade
The blade, lama, is made of single piece of stainless steel, is heated, forged, shaped and sharpened and then sealed for greater durability. The shape of the blade is straight, with a single cutting edge that curves strongly upward at the end and ends at a sharp tip. The structural peculiarity of the tip of the Cretan knife, gives it a great piercing ability.
The lama is thicker on the top, skafi, taking a slight T shape with a groove on either side, thus making it resistant to bending, but at the same time graceful and light weight. The grooves formed at the base of the skafi were useful at the time of warfare to ensure less effort when pulling the knife from its victim. In genuine Cretan knives the skafi is artistically and patiently decorated with geometric designs or tiny nature motifs.
The lama is finished by adding a mantinada, a traditional Cretan rhyming couplet, or nature motives along its sides. The engraver coats the blade with a thin layer of wax and engraves the designs of choice with special tools. A solution of nitric acid and salt is then poured over it which burns the metal and thus engraves the design on the blade.
The old knives of the 19th century never had mantinadas written on the blade but had a decorative frame in which they wrote the date of manufacture. The master craftsman decorated the lama with elaborate carved designs of cypresses, laurels and other plants, dragons, hearts pierced with arrows and other representations.
The length of the blade varies. In the middle of the 19th century, Cretan knife makers made their blades long like swords, as the turbulent history of the island at the time required.
After the decorative process the lama is then attached to the manika, the handles. It is squeezed between the two identical pieces of prepared bone and secured by metal rivets, in pairs of three or more depending on the blade’s length. The tang, the part of the blade inside the handle, is covered with the tseperliki, a highly decorated metal strip, usually of silver, from the root of the blade, widening proportionately all the way to the end of the handle. The root of the blade was secured to the handle with a permane or kapse, a silver or bronze attachment for safety and aesthetic reasons.
At the end of the manika, inside the V groove, a hole is drilled and a masia, a pair of steel tweezers is inserted, capped off with a bone or ivory button. These tweezers were used by the smoker knife owner of the past to place pieces of charcoal in his nargileh, a purely Cretan invention, not found in any other knife.
Foukari – the sheath
The final and most time-consuming component is the foukari, the sheath. The foukari is made of heavy silver sheets, folded and filled with tar or ceramic dust, cylindrical and contouring to the shape of the knife. It is highly and skillfully decorated with nature scenes, dragons, flora and fauna of Crete, historical or religious events and other lively designs. Knives made for Christian owners have a cross engraved somewhere in the design of their foukaria while the ones made for Muslims bared the crescent moon. The tip of the foukari ends in a dragon or snake head, symbolizing bravery and fearlessness in battle. The Cretans believed that the knife should be displayed as a symbol of life rather than an instrument of death thus the lively decorations.
Inside the foukari is a case made of oleander wood to enbody and protect the blade. The mouth of the foukari is always cylindrical and bares the zekia, consecutive decorative rings, their number varying depending on its length.
As a final touch, just below the zekia there is the kerkeli, a ring on which the xomplia, small decorative chains with silver conch or coin like ornaments are attached.
The luxury of the Cretan knife is justified because the knife in Crete was the man’s main jewelry and most precious personal possession.
The Cretan knife in daily life
Other than being used as a weapon of war, the Cretan knife continues to play a big part of the culture of the island.
It is an indispensable component of the Cretan attire; it is tucked proudly and prominently in the red sash around the waist and displayed at any opportunity, during festivals, holiday or special occasions, whether happy or sad.
A miniature Cretan knife, made into a brooch, is gifted to new born children as a token of independence and strength, to carve their own path in life.
In traditional engagements, the young man will gift his bride to be a small silver knife with an ivory handle and a silver chain to keep in her bosom. Her argyrobounialaki was both a jewel and a weapon in the old days, as the young lady could defend her honor with it should she be disrespected.
The same young man will gift his koumparo, his best man, a genuine Cretan knife in a luxurious case as a symbol of appreciation and bond.
It was used in magic and supernatural rituals, especially the mavromaniko, for protection against evil spirits.
Buying a Cretan knife
There are many shops around town selling Cretan knives, most of which are cheap imitations, mass produced from unsuitable materials. They are merely a souvenir of someone’s visit to Crete. The handle is plastic, the blade a questionable alloy and the sheath is cardboard or PVC. They are not a representation of the genuine Cretan knife and are not suitable as an artwork.
An investment on a genuine Cretan knife is well worth the money since its value only increases in time due to its rarity, craftsmanship, material quality and timelessness. Owning a piece of art and Cretan culture is possible from one of the two remaining workshops in the city of Chania that make Cretan knives the old fashion, traditional way.
In addition to the traditional Cretan knife, the Chania workshops create other wonderful and durable knives, suitable for household, outdoor or professional uses. They are 2-3 times sharper than machine made knives and last a life time, a piece of Crete in your hand.
