iNyathi Handmade Knives

South African Manufacturer of Beautiful & Practical Handmade Custom Knives.

iNyathi Handmade Knives has been creating beautiful and practical knives since 2008. Our range of tactical, hunting, kitchen and folding knives are made from the very best Damascus, carbon, or stainless steel. Our handles and sheaths are made from the finest raw materials – leather, horns, wood, bone, antlers, and tusks to name a few.

Each iNyathi knife is a unique piece of art designed with real-world practicality in mind.

From carving up a roast chicken to field dressing and skinning, investing in a proper knife will change your life. Whether you’re starting or building up your collection, we’ve got you covered from chef’s knives to hunting knives and back. iNyathi Handmade Knives deliver great value for knife enthusiasts, hunters and collectors alike.

All products are uniquely crafted with the best quality materials sourced from South Africa and other parts of the globe.

iNyathi Handmade Knives are made to last a lifetime and with proper care and correct use, they will do just that.

Materials:
– Antler. Antler is one of the mainstays of organic handle material in fine custom knives. It can have a beautiful brown textured surface, making it very attractive for knife handles, and a secure, comfortable gripping surface. Polishes well.

– Animal bone. Animal bone has been used on knife handles since the dawn of time. Many types of bone may be used, popular are cow and giraffe bone.

– Buffalo horn. Buffalo horn is another common horn used in knife handles. Very dense and fairly hard. Usually black, but sometimes with white banding and other muted colours.
Takes a glassy polish.

– Ramshorn. Ramshorn is just as tough as Sambar stag, but with some heavy textural lines, and makes an interesting knife handle. Colours range from dark olive green to brown, with some translucency.

– Synthetics. G-10 is a fibreglass based laminate. Layers of fibreglass cloth are soaked in resin and are compressed and baked. The resulting material is very hard, lightweight, and strong.

– Hardwoods. Wild olive, Ironwood, Mopanie, Tambotie, Ebony, African Blackwood, Sneezewood, and Stinkwood are all indigenous hardwoods that give a beautiful finish.

– Whalebone. This is a very unique handle material that comes from whale carcasses found on the Tsitsikamma coast. It takes a very fine polish.

– Stainless steel. Stainless steel handles are durable and sanitary but can be slippery. To counter this, premium knife makers make handles with ridges, bumps, or indentations to provide extra grip.

Knife care:
Wipe dry after use
Wash with warm water and dishwashing liquid only
Please do not put your iNyathi knife in the dishwasher
Wipe the blade and handle with food-safe mineral oil (like Planki Oil) from time to time
Leather sheaths pull moisture out of the air and tend to rust knife blades if not stored properly. When you are not using your knife for extended periods, store it away from its leather sheath
But more importantly, use and enjoy it!

Blades: After profiling, each blade is fired, oil quenched and placed in a tempering oven for two cycles. Each blade is hollow ground by hand and polished to ensure absolute quality.

Handles: All of the raw materials reflect a one-of-a-kind character and can vary greatly in their finished form – thus making each knife individually unique.

Pins: Each knife is decorated with handmade Mosaic Pins. Steel, copper & brass are held together in resin, forming simple, yet beautiful shapes. Solid pins are also offered if preferred.

About – The Story of iNyathi Handmade Knives:
iNyathi is the product of a man’s passion for knives that began in 1957.

Robert Ferreira, my father, grew up on a farm in Steytlerville in the Eastern Cape where hunting, horses, rifles and knives were tools used daily.

He became the owner of his first knife in 1957 when he was in Grade 1. It was a gift from my grandfather while they were visiting the Kruger National Park. The gift sparked an interest in knives that grew as my father did and became his full-time passion after his retirement in 2008.

His love for knife making was such that he would often wake up at 3 am to begin working on a knife and continue throughout the day, sometimes well into the evening. He particularly liked working with natural materials including African hardwoods, antlers, horns, bone and tusks.

As much as he enjoyed making the knives, he also had a passion for people and would often sell his products at the Root44 Market in Stellenbosch, Cape Town, South Africa. He could be found there most weekends with my mother, sharing his passion, stories and experience with visitors to the market.

Sadly, he passed away in March 2020 after a long battle with Cancer.

After his passing, his passion for knife making became mine and I desire to continue his legacy through iNyathi Knives. I am committed to producing knives of the highest quality that are both practical and incredibly beautiful.

Stefan Ferreira
Second generation knifemaker
(and proud owner of iNyathi Handmade Knives)