All activities / Craft Skills (Bladesmithing, Pottery, Glass) / Chania
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Craft Skills (Bladesmithing, Pottery, Glass) in Chania
Crete's northwestern gateway, a historic Venetian harbor town that serves as the access point for Samaria Gorge and the White Mountains canyon system, two of Europe's finest canyon walks.
Why here
Sifaka street in the old town is the historic Mahairadika, the knife-makers' quarter, where a few forges still make the traditional Cretan blade with a mantinada verse cut into it.
Best months
These are working forges and retail shops. Whether any run a hands-on workshop varies, and the municipal heritage programme that does teach forging runs only periodically.
Getting there & around
Schools & guides (1)
O Armenis
OutfitterO Armenis is the Pahtikos family forge at 14 Sifaka Street in the Mahairadika, the old knife-makers' quarter of Chania old town. Grandfather Apostolos Pahtikos gave 65 years to the Cretan knife; his son Michalis has carried the workshop for forty years, forging, quenching and finishing each blade by hand. Handles come from bone, horn, olive wood and aspalathos, and every blade is engraved with Crete, a Cretan saying and the Armenis name. Phone +30 2821 054434.
Also good for craft skills (bladesmithing, pottery, glass) in September:
Torn between Chania and Fes for September?
A plan settles it for your skill and budget, same-day.