Tasmanian knife-maker Tim Lowry finds huge demand for his wares online

Blacksmith Tim Lowry taught himself almost everything he knows — he even used to make his own charcoal to fire his forge — and now he is carving a path into the online shopping market.

Tim Lowry from Organic Blades working on one of his artisan knives. Picture: LUKE BOWDEN

SELF-taught blacksmith Tim Lowry has spent 20 years perfecting the art of knife-making and has found a huge demand for his wares online.

Now 38, he first discovered the ancient trade as a teenager, through a friend whose father was also a blacksmith and knife-maker.

“We were 13 and my mate used to do it with his dad so we started mucking around and trying it as well,” Mr Lowry said.

“It turned into a hobby from there, and I did it all through school and kept doing it for five years while I was working in the building industry before I could finally turn it into a living.”

Tim Lowry discovered the ancient trade as a teenager. Picture: LUKE BOWDEN

Working from his home at Copping, Mr Lowry forges his knives from second-hand steel — often used saw blades — folding and tempering the steel until it is hard enough to hold a fine edge.

He mainly makes knives in the Damascus steel style, saying the characteristic mottled texture makes them highly prized.

“The patterns in the steel flow nicely into the salvaged timber handles, too,” he said.

After selling his knives at Salamanca Market for some years, he now sells entirely online, saying sales have gone up during the pandemic, likely because more people are browsing and shopping online, and focusing more attention on home cooking again.

Find out more at organicblades.com