From raw steel to a precision instrument – the life of a cutler

Does René Friend's retirement mean the end of the cutler tradition at Victorinox

René Frieden is a real craftsman. He knows his material. His stories show that only someone who invests a lot – an incredible amount – of time and attention can become a master of their craft. The smith looks back over 50 years of experience, highlights the changes in his profession, and talks about the inner peace and satisfaction that comes from knowing his craft through and through.

Learn from René’s vast experience as he shares his tremendous knowledge of steel with us.

From apprentice to master

A trained cutler knows exactly how to hone a blade at the necessary 17 degrees to make a blade razor-sharp. It takes months, even years, before you can feel the correct angle in your fingers. René remembers how he had to hone scissors at Victorinox for almost an entire year. „“Sure. It was difficult, but that’s what it takes. And that’s the only way to get better and better,” he says. This is why it’s so important for a craftsman to have a passion to learn, but also plenty of patience.

It’s the desire to learn something new and well that enables them to withstand the many days at the grinding and polishing machines. Sometimes a little pressure helps as well. René remembers a slump he had during his apprenticeship. „“One time, I had really bad grades. I was immediately called in to see the boss.”“ And by this, he doesn’t just mean his line manager, but the CEO of Victorinox himself. Elsener knew how important the next generation was for his company, which was 500 people strong at the time. That was why he monitored the grades of all of his protégés. „“I was sentenced to extra work at the grinding machine,” grins René. But of course he knows how important this time was. It’s no coincidence that he passed his apprenticeship exam with flying colors in 1970.

Learn about a few of René Frieden’s special tasks

Soldier’s knife

In 2009, Victorinox resurrected the first Swiss Army soldier’s knife of 1891. This is a perfect example of why the company still needs a cutler, even today. The engineers working on the project were stumped by the fact that the edges of the scales were rounded, but the rivet holding the knife together was rounded only in one place. How was it possible to make sure the rounded side of the rivet was in the correct position? René grins: “Quite simple, a small tube on the 100 model.”

Details

Deer antler knife

Knives are subjected to high pressure. In the past, it was common to have knife handles made of deer antler, as it effectively dampens pressure and blows. The material also feels nice in the hand. Even today, deer antler knives are very popular with collectors. Even though Victorinox no longer manufactures such knifes, we are experts when it comes to repairing old deer antler knives. People from all over the world send us their knives to be fixed, including the knife pictured here, which is from South Korea.