A decade ago, Brazilian artist William Porto was a hobbyist blacksmith, learning the craft and tackling small jobs for local customers. During the day he worked with his father in a neighborhood grocery store, hunted, and provided food for his neighbors. William encountered a skinning knife design, perfect for his daily work, and attempted to recreate it at his forge, his first foray into knifemaking. His interest was piqued, and the possibility of a new career doing what he loved pushed him to pursue bladesmithing full time. Taking courses and forging full time, William crafted his first chef's knife in 2017 at the request of a customer and has not looked back. That first knife won him Best Damascus Knife from the local blacksmith's association, and his second culinary knife went on to win Best Kitchen Knife six months later.

To know that his customers use his work day in and day out to prepare food for friends and family is what motivates William to produce world-class kitchen tools, and today you'll see show pieces from him in stunning house-made damascus patterns, often embellished with precious metals, exotic handle materials, and stunning leather sayas. It's an honor to showcase William's work here on Eatingtools.