LITTLE VALLEY — The Little Valley Fairgrounds was buzzing with activity over the weekend as knife dealers and collectors from across the country gathered to educate, appraise, buy and sell rare knives at the Village of Knives Celebration. The three-day event celebrating 150 years of craftsmanship and history in the region also included wagon tours to Little Valley’s many cutlery factory locations, as well as the brick home (circa 1898) that still stands at 410 Fair Oak St. that served as both Case Brothers Cutlery Company’s offices and warehouse.
Highlights of the event were the live knife-making demonstrations by Walter Baranowski of Springville, History channel’s “Forged in Fire” champion, and Case descendant John Burrell of Ellicottville. Together, they crafted three knives — the first made in Little Valley in 61 years. The unique knives were auctioned off with the proceeds from the entire event benefitting Little Valley, including its library and beautification efforts.
On Friday, Baranowski forged the blades by heating them to about 2,200 degrees, then shaping and pre-finishing them before handing the blades off to Burrell Saturday for the final finishing. Burrell created the leather handles with brass inlays and then put them on the tang, which is the portion of the knife that extends into or through the handle. Baranowski, a fourth-generation metalworker, said his father was a welder and his grandfather a fabricator.
Now the family tradition is being carr.
