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Sylvain Maenhout:

Forging a new life

26 May 2023 | 24 minutes

Sylvain has always loved cooking, but when he discovered a passion for working with metal and wood, he retrained in order to create kitchen knives for chefs.

Mike Axinn and I travelled to Paris to meet four artisans. In the first of our series on who we met there, we talk with Sylvain Maenhout who took the decision to retrain as an artisan in his late 30s. Becoming an artisan has given him the ability to work from home and have a more balanced, family-centred life.

man in workshop holding knife

Sylvain Maenhout

As is the case in most cities, finding a workspace in central Paris has become increasingly expensive. There are also tight restrictions on noise and dust. So Sylvain Maenhout made the move to an eastern suburb, ten kilometres out of town in Nogent-sur-Marne.

We chatted with Sylvain about his background and how he worked in business before choosing a very different path: becoming a blacksmith making kitchen knives. 

hammer laying on an anvil
benchtop rolling mill with large gears
metalworkers bench with vice & sanding belts

We visited Sylvain’s workshops – the first dedicated to metalwork – which had a 1950s rolling mill, anvil and hammer, and hydraulic press.

He tells of his passion for forging and how he loves working both with metal and wood. He explains how he sources his materials – steel from Germany and wood from suppliers who have already seasoned it.

wooden rack made from a pallet holding metal bar stock

Sylvain’s supplies of metal for knives

Then we go down to the basement where he has a second workspace dedicated to woodwork and knife assembly. In the house’s former coal-room he shows us where he does the heat treatments and sharpens the knives he’s making with Japanese wet stones.

Sylvain’s Japanese wet stones for polishing

Sylvain tells us about the range of knives he creates and his experiences talking with professional chefs and private customers.

work-in-progress knives

Sylvain’s work-in-progress knives

sylvain-m.fr

instagram.com/sylvain.m.coutelier

We mention the farm-to-table restaurant Les Résistants. And for French speakers, this interview with Sylvain (dialogue in French, though YouTube auto-translated captions available).

Credits

Producer: Sarah Monk

Producer and editor: Mike Axinn

Music: courtesy of Audio Network

  • Loin De Toi 3051/2, Cyril Giroux, Campbell E Browning, Vincent Tirilly, David Bossan

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