Honing tourism with blades fired in tradition

Honing tourism with blades fired in tradition

SOCIAL & LIFESTYLE
Honing tourism with blades fired in tradition

For nearly two centuries, the village of Ban Fai Mun in the far northern province of Nan has honed the craft of knife making by using both old techniques and modern materials.

A knifesmith is busy hammering steel into the shape of a blade in the basement of his house in the village of Ban Fai Mun, home to the ethnic Tai Phuan people who make a living producing fine-quality knives and cleavers.

The survival of this age-old profession has been buoyed by the presence of knifesmiths -- whose talent have been honed as a community enterprise -- and the marketing of knife production as a tourist attraction.

Ban Fai Mun is home to the ethnic Tai Phuan people who migrated to the area in 1834 from neighbouring Laos during the reign of King Rama III. They settled predominantly in the areas known today as Nan and Phrae provinces.

The village of Ban Fai Mun bears the hallmarks of this unique identity in the language the inhabitants speak, the beliefs they hold, and their way of life. Similarly, the knifesmiths are part and parcel of this distinction.

In the 185 years presence of this group in the area, the production of knives has been a live museum as local blades are made in full view of visitors -- in almost a theatrical setting -- near to the basement of every knifesmiths' home.

Visitors are invited to stop and take a look at blade production in progress.

Charcoal, which is gathered together in heaps, fuels the raging fires in which steel bars are placed. The bars are subsequently heated to a glowing red state before they are hammered and shaped into blades. As a result, the sound of hammering can be heard in echoes from house to house in regular rhythms.

The main product made by the artisans is knives, either for personal use or display.

Signs are put up at the entrance of the village in which it is described as a place steeped in the tradition of making ‘sharp and strong’ knives.

A number of local residents make a living from this trade, which largely involves age-old methods since machines cannot replace manual labour and the meticulous craftwork.

Artisans can be seen concentrating on the task at hand as each knife is produced one by one.

Seri Tha-in, 54, of Moo 1 village, said knifesmiths inherited the technique from the ethnic Tai Phuan people whose settlements are scattered across central Thailand and Laos (Xieng Khouang province). It took Mr Seri three years to master the craft which he learned from his father.

Mr Seri said the artisans prefer to make knives from leaf springs of discarded vehicles because of its strength and durability.

In the past, knives were mostly sold to local farmers in the communities and those who lived close by.

Vichit Chaiming, 60, who supervises the "Khon Tee Lek" (Metal Smith People) learning centre, said he has been producing knives for 40 years and that the hallmarks of the knives are the elaborate pattern on the blade handles.

Knives for general use are made in Ban Fai Mun cost between 300 baht to 800 baht per piece. However, the prices can be as high at 1,500 baht for knives made specially to order.

Buyers from across Thailand are able to place orders for the knives thanks to online marketing channels.

Mr Vichit explained that the leaf springs are brought from car repair shops from within and outside the province. However, the material is not easy to obtain since every vehicle only has a pair of springs.

Spring metals are the material of choice because of their strength and due to the fact that they can be bent into shapes ordered by customers with ease.

"The key to making top-quality knives is patience," Mr Vichit said, adding that each knife and the handles consume a lot of time to put together.

Somsak Jinpan, head of Ban Fai Mun village, said that the community has a registered population of 1,134 spread across 384 households. Of these households, about one-tenth of them still rely on the knife-making trade to earn a living.

Mr Somsak noted that few people would have clung on to the craft had it not been for the community enterprise model which provides knowledge about the manufacturing and marketing of the knives.

The enterprise currently has 94 members who form a collective force to push forward the sale and public image of the products.

The hand-made knives and cleavers rolled out by artisans come in wooden sheaths.

The village has opened its doors to tourists and visitors, many of whom come on tours to study the Tai Phuan-influenced knife trade which is deemed a rarity.

Mr Somsak said that of late, supplies of the knives are being dwarfed by orders which has prompted the community to think about mechanising some non-essential labour-intensive steps to raise productivity.

The village is at a crossroads between retaining tradition and old-school practices to preserve the art form in its original state and keeping the craft alive by making it commercially and economically viable.

Weerin Wanthamart, the development officer in Tha Wang Pha district of Nan, said a strong sense of community runs through Ban Fai Mun, which is also suited for accommodating tourism.

As knifesmiths are promoted as a tourism pull factor, members of the village are also being trained to be guides who can tell visitors stories about their home and provide sightseeing tours around the community. In fact, a dozen homes have already been converted into homestay lodgings.

Ban Fai Mun is leading the way in being an example of a village which was adopted the sufficiency economy model, Mr Weerin said.

The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) said the community is rich in history and indigenous products and crafts.

Rapanuwat Kadnak, director of the TAT's Nan office, said discussions between the authorities and the village have touched on the possibility of spinning off a new line of pocket knives that do not resemble weapons.

Do you like the content of this article?
COMMENT (4)