Radio Taiwan International 
Date: 21 May, 2019
By: Paula Chao

Master Kinmen knife-maker Wu Tseng-dong is as tough and steely as his products. After decades of laboring at his art, he is now passing on his skills to a younger generation.

For decades, the Wu family has made use of the shell casings that litter the off-shore island of Kinmen- their home. The island sits within sight of the Chinese coast, and so it has a long history of shelling. Some shells have been there since 1958, when China fired more than 470,000 shells at the small island over a stretch of 44 days.

For generations, the Wu’s have taken these shells and turned them into fine kitchen knives that have become a symbol of Kinmen.

Mr. Wu, now in his 60’s, belongs to the family’s third generation of shell-knife makers. He knows all the secrets of how to make a perfect knife from one of these shells.
[FULL  STORY]