He is trained as a blacksmith and farrier. He became interested in the old craft, especially shepherd’s knives, after meeting Master Jozef Lenhart from Bojnice. Shepherd’s knives fascinated him so much that he began to systematically dedicate himself to them. He studied their decoration, blade shape, materials used, and the entire construction. He deepened his knowledge and expanded his own collection of shepherd’s knives, which he acquired as gifts or purchases. To this day, they remain his primary study material in knife production.
He has been dedicated to this profession since 1984, and over the years, he has developed into an exceptional expert. He is known as a knife maker not only in his region and in Slovakia but also abroad, where he participates in various knife exhibitions and events. He is the only one in Slovakia engaged in the production of the so-called shepherd’s cast knife, the presence of which in Slovakia is associated with shepherd culture – it can be said to be a Slovak national knife. The reinforcing and decorative design on the handle of these knives is created by pouring liquid pewter into the “lace” carved to a depth of 2 – 3 mm in the knife handle. The knife handles are made in accordance with tradition from fruit woods, as well as from spruce or antler.
Currently, his range includes more than 15 variants of shepherd’s knives decorated with cast pewter. He focuses on producing a wide range of utility knives, from kitchen knives to camping and hunting knives, and even special knives made from rare damascus steel. His passion lies in creating historical replicas of medieval and older knives. He applies his own design in knife production.
He is a member of the Slovak Knife Association and the association Bohemia cultallatores, holder of several titles from the international competition exhibition Knife of the Year, diplomas and recognitions from folklore exhibitions in Slovakia, the Czech Republic, Austria, and Italy. In 2006, he obtained certification as a master of folk artistic production in the field of knife production, awarded by the Commission for Assessing the Professional Qualifications of Folk Art Production Workers.