The designs of Israeli knife designer Boris Manasherov are always highly practical and adapted to the requirements of modern tactical knives.
What was your first contact with knives?
First of all, I have to admit: knives are my great and first love. My family's traditional profession was that of a ritual slaughterer. So I was born into an environment where the knife was a tool. My father, who was a mechanical engineer with an interest in metallurgy, was also a big fan of knives. You could say, then, that my first encounter with knives happened at birth.
When did you make your first knife ?
I began designing and making knives as an amateur in 1976 as a teenager, under the guidance of my father. Since then, I have developed many unique style models for myself.
How long have you been working as a custom knifemaker?
Due to lack of time, I unfortunately don't work as a custom knifemaker. I'm a water technology engineer, an expert in...
Ergonomics and accessibility for disabled people. Therefore, I have very little time left for other things.
What profession did you learn or practice previously?
As mentioned previously, I am a civil engineer specializing in water technologies, as well as the development of ergonomics and accessibility technologies for people with disabilities. In addition, I have military and civilian qualifications in urban warfare and Krav Maga.
Is there someone you would describe as your mentor?
Of course, there were many people from whom I learned a lot. The first of them is my father. From him and my father's friends.
I learned everything about steels and steel processing. My family members taught me how to work with knives, and my instructors taught me various martial arts. I also learned from many experienced knifemakers whose work I loved.
Where do you see your greatest talent as a knifemaker?
I see no different talent in myself than in many other knifemakers. In each one, I see the love of knives, the desire to further learn the skills, and the longing to give a personal touch to the oldest profession in the history of human civilization: knifemaking.
Where do you get your inspiration from?
The design principles can come from various sources. Often they are themes that interest me, such as history, animals,
Birds, cars , architecture, and similar subjects. The functional ideas always come from my professions: martial arts, the military, and nature travel.
What do you enjoy most about your job ?
I enjoy every phase of my work. Generally, I love everything I do and do everything I love. I think I'm pretty lucky.
Where should you start if you want to make your own knife?
I don't really know what to recommend to others, but I would say what I told my son a few years ago: "Do what you truly love. Be yourself and learn everything about it." Everything else will follow.
What does a typical workday look like for you?
My workday is relatively long: It begins at 7:00 a.m. in my engineering office and focuses on the technical planning and management of the office staff. After that, I turn to the work I enjoy most, namely knife design.
My workday ends at 8:00 PM, after which I am free for my family, friends and leisure time.
Can I simply order a custom knife from you ?
Unfortunately, it's not possible to order a custom knife from me. I don't have the necessary time and don't want to commit myself and risk not being able to fulfill that commitment.
What are you currently working on?
I am currently working on a series of tactical pocket knives equipped with features specific to backpackers. I am also developing a series of pocket and fixed-blade knives for martial artists.
Do you sometimes get too much of knives?
Not yet, and I don't think this will happen anytime soon.
And what about your wife? Does she share your passion for knives?
Everyone in my family shares my great love of knives. That even includes my grandchildren. It's probably a "genetic trait".
Besides your diverse work as a knifemaker, do you still have enough time for other things?
I don't have much free time. But I always make sure to set aside time each day for more things outside of work. I also dedicate time to...
My weekends are just for spending time with my family.
What do you do in your free time to relax and unwind?
Twice a week I practice Krav Maga and shooting. I enjoy visiting select art and design exhibitions, and occasionally go to the theater or a concert. Of course, I also like meeting up with friends and reading. All these things help me.
to relax and recover.
What are some things you absolutely cannot do?
To get involved in politics.
What would you get up in the middle of the night for ?
Definitely for any request or need from my family or friends. Also, it often happens that I get a call in the middle of the night.
When an idea comes to me, I get up and document it.
Is there anything else you would like to tell our customers?
I want them to know that I respect and love each and every one of them. I'm very happy when they love my knives. It's very important to me that they feel free to write to me to express their personal opinion, whether good or bad, about the knives I've designed. This helps me to improve my designs.