Andrés Maldonado’s earliest memories involve time spent in his father’s blacksmith shop in the south of Spain. The forge taught Andrés one thing: he wanted to make swords. As he grew Andrés would spend any moment available practicing the craft and learning the nuances of artistic forging from his dad. As a teenager, with his passion for metalwork intensifying, Andrés studied and learned everything he could about steel and its properties. As soon as he finished school Andrés went to work in the family business performing whatever tasks his father required of him. Once his father’s retired, Andrés dedicated his time to his passion: sword making. From swords, for which he discovered there is a limited market, Andres downsized the metallic objects he was forming to focus on outdoor and hunting blades, but he quickly discovered the challenges they presented were limited, as were the lessons to be learned. With new challenges in his sights, Andrés turned to kitchens knives and the demands that such high-performance tools require. Growing his repertoire of knowledge and skills with the help of master culinary bladesmiths around the world, and continuing to this day, Andrés designs and sculpts stunning, one-of-a-kind chef knives from his own damascus patterns and other premium ingredients. His passion for his craft is evident in everything he makes, and it’s an honor and pleasure to present Andrés’ work to you here.