De Carli Alberto

14 October 2015 Author : Alessandra De Santis

Alberto De Carli, part-time knife maker, began producing his first custom knives in 2001, after admiring the work of Gianluigi "Wilson" Simonella.

The creations made by the maker from Friuli have a deeply traditional design, with classic lines and shapes.
Thanks to the study of the "big" of international knife makers, De Carli sometimes reintroduces these ideas into his customized works which have been inspired by Randall, Morseth, Loveless, Holder or Lee, combining methods from overseas to that of typically Central-European knife makers.

He prefers to create fixed blade knives with hidden tang, a type of construction that allows him to move between different forms and to get the best out of natural materials such as horn, ivory and stabilized burls, which he generally prefers to use for the handles of his own creations, allowing him to obtain a final product which is very personal, elegant and balanced.
De Carli’s blades are made with either stainless steels (N690Co, ATS-34, RWL-34, 440C etc.) and with the best carbon steels such as K720 and 52100, the latter for forged blades. If the maker uses damask, this comes from the workshops of the best bladesmiths, so that the blades created transmit the skill and creativity of these artists.

The sheaths for his knives are entirely made by the maker in decorated leather or with fine reptile skin inlays. Each sheath is sewn by hand so as to become an integral part of the knife and not a mere accessory, often underestimated.
In addition to the materials cited, the craftsman constantly experiments with new solutions that he personally tests.

De Carli currently produces approximately fifteen to twenty knives per year, often on customer orders.

You will not find two identical knives coming from De Carli's workshop, because he is convinced that the handcrafted creation cannot be bound by predefined models. The essence and the strength of a handmade knife lies in the uniqueness of each piece, as opposed to the uniform industrial production.