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De Wet van Zyl is a bladesmith based in Durban, South Africa. De Wet's career began in 2005, when he spent two years apprenticing with Mastersmiths Kevin and Heather Harvey at Heavin Forge in Belfast, Mpumalanga. This apprenticeship allowed him to hone his skills to a high level. Upon finishing his apprenticeship, he became a full time bladesmith in 2007. In April 2009, De Wet launched his company, Darkwing Blades and his high-quality craftsmanship quickly caught the eye of his fellow knifemakers.
Van Zyl has won numerous awards over the years:
He has been named as a “Maker to Watch” by Blade Magazine.
De Wet creates a wide range of work, from Bowie knives, daggers, and throwing knives, to war hammers and chainmail. He’s also made a Persian khanjar, a wakizashi sword, belt buckle knives, and even a Nepalese khukri. Most recently, he has been focusing on high-performance Japanese-inspired kitchen knives, hand forged from his own damascus or san mai. His ability to take on such a wide range of work shows his exceptional dedication to bladesmithing. His knives are enjoyed by customers all over the world. He also offers bladesmithing courses, sharing his knowledge and skills with aspiring craftsmen.
De Wet van Zyl is extremely passionate about his craft as shown by the numerous awards he has gained. His knives are designed to be used, though they could easily be at the very center of any serious knife collection. Every knife he makes is designed to last a lifetime and can be passed on to the next generation.Damascus Chef's Knife with Maple Burl and Mammoth Molar (6-1/4 in) |
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Damascus Chef's Knife with Maple Burl and Mammoth Molar (7-1/2 in) |
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San Mai Chef's Knife (6-1/4 in) with Curly Maple |
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San Mai Chef's Knife (7-3/4 in.) with Curly Maple and Mokume |
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San Mai Chef's Knife with Curly Maple (6-1/3 in) |
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San Mai Chef's Knife with Curly Maple (6-1/4 in) |
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San Mai Chef's Knife with Curly Maple (6-3/4 in) |
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San Mai Chef's Knife with Curly Maple (6-3/4 in) |
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San Mai Chef's Knife with Curly Maple (6-3/4 in) |
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San Mai Chef's Knife with Curly Maple (7 in) |
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San Mai Chef's Knife with Curly Maple (7-1/4 in) |
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San Mai Chef's Knife with Curly Maple (7-1/4 in) |
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San Mai Chef's Knife with Curly Maple (7-1/8 in) |
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San Mai Chef's Knife with Curly Maple (7-2/3 in) |
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San Mai Chef's Knife with Curly Maple (7-3/4 in) |
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San Mai Chef's Knife with Curly Maple (8 in) |
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San Mai Chef's Knife with Curly Maple Burl (7-1/4 in) |
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San Mai Damascus Chef with Curly Maple and Mammoth Molar |
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San Mai Damascus Chef with Curly Maple and Mammoth Molar (7-3/4 in) |
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San Mai Damascus Chef's Knife with Curly Maple (6-3/4 in) |
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San Mai Damascus Chef's Knife with Curly Maple (6-3/4 in) |
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San Mai Damascus Utility with Curly Maple (6-1/4 in) |
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San Mai Paring Knife (4 in.) with Curly Maple |
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San Mai Paring Knife (4 in.) with Curly Maple |
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San Mai Utility Knife (4-1/3 in.) with Curly Maple |
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San Mai Utility Knife (4-1/3 in.) with Curly Maple |
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San Mai Utility Knife (4-2/3 in.) with Curly Maple |
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San Mai Utility Knife (5 in.) with Curly Maple |
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