He was born in Detva, but spent his whole life in the village of Stožok. He was brought up in an environment of traditional culture, surrounded by folk music and crafts. In the family, everyone was dedicated to maintaining traditions. As he recalls, looms were only set aside for holidays. His grandmother made costumes, his grandfather made flutes, his mother specialized in bobbin lace, and his father played the heligonka.

Štefan Hukeľ has been dedicated to his craft since 1981, when he made his first valaška. Since then, he has collected information from field research, old masters, and literature. In the years 2009-2012, he expanded his knowledge through a bachelor’s degree in ethnology at the Faculty of Arts in Nitra.

His work has a wide scope. In his workshop in Stožok, he focuses on traditional production of costume accessories – hats, belts, sheepskin coats, and knapsacks. He also makes valaškas, shepherd’s pockets, various leather and metal products – cloak belts, slingshots, belt buckles, hat pins. Another focus of his work is fujaras and flutes. The origins of his products and the patterns that inspire him are mainly from the Podpoľanie region. He also enjoys creating new items from other regions of Slovakia, as it pushes him forward. He makes his own tools, such as chisels, needed for his craft. The biggest demand is for hats and fur coats, which he produces most frequently. He has a special affinity for fur coat production and currently is returning to making valaškas. His products can be found in many corners of the world.

In recent years, he has held several exhibitions of his products at folklore festivals in Detva and Východná. He has also showcased his products at exhibitions in local schools focused on introducing folk culture. As part of these events, he gave lectures to children about traditional production processes. His products are exhibited at the Podpolianske Museum in Detva. He has appeared multiple times as a craftsman on Slovak Radio and television shows focused on folklore (Kapura, Slovakia in Pictures). In 2014, an article along with a video about him was published by the SME daily under the title “Old Masters Lamenting the Extinction of Crafts.” In 2016, a documentary titled “Master of Three Crafts” was made about him.

In 2022, he was awarded the Kvet kultúry (Cultural Flower) by the chairman of the Banská Bystrica self-governing region for his contribution to folk artistry. On the occasion of the 250th anniversary of the village of Stožok in 2023, he received a plaque for his efforts in maintaining traditions in the field of folk production, presented by the mayor of Stožok.

He also worked as a lecturer for the Centre for Folk Art Production in Banská Bystrica, where he taught a leather crafting course