Cian Healy, a former Ireland rugby international, uses knife-making as a creative counterbalance to the pressures of professional sport. The process of grinding steel and shaping blades provides a way to switch off, focus and recharge. A kitchen knife gifted by Fingal Ferguson led Healy to visit Ferguson's workshop, where he realised the craft does not require heavy machinery and received encouragement to try it himself. Top bladesmiths around the country report growing interest in the craft. More people are attending bladesmithing workshops as workshops expand to meet increasing demand.
There's a really highly regarded knife-maker named Fingal Ferguson in west Cork, and many years ago, my wife got me one of his kitchen knives as a gift,
I went down to collect it and ended up in a long conversation with him. I saw his workshop and realised you didn't need really heavy machinery to do this. He encouraged me to try my hand.
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