Where are the Indian Knives?
Material sciences are important element of scientific and industrial development. India needs to make advances in critical elements but we got to start with steel!
One of the traditional strengths of India was its super advanced materials tech. Indian scientific and commercial development of Gold, Silver, Bronze, Copper, Brass and later steel was instrumental in the economic advantage we enjoyed till 1000AD.
Yet today, Which country makes the best knives in the world? Swords? You will find Americans, Japanese and Swiss/Germans on the list. Even some Koreans will make the list. But you won’t find Indian knives here.
Knives are a good test product.
Knives have limited complications, yet deep knowledge, expertise and craftsmanship are required to produce a quality knife. A quality knife is a test of metallurgical know-how, iterative experimentation and craftsmanship. These qualities are then industrialised to get the best knife. A quality knife tradition means this knowledge is dispersed within the economy and is available to a larger group of people, allowing them to innovate when they are ready.
I have not seen any Indian craftsman being recognised for this skill. As we become richer as a country, some of these skills will be valued more allowing these craftsmen to build their own brands.
On the corporate front, you may note Godrej-Cartini knives are decent. But they are nothing to write home about. I am not sure of Prestige Tru-Edge knives. At tier 2, you have manufacturers like Anjali and Crystal (from Western India). But none of them has the quality of a Victorinox. Nor do I see them investing in this knowledge.
We may have the expertise.
This does not mean we do not have the knowledge to make good-quality blades. Some blacksmiths do make some really excellent utility blades for use in farming and meat processing. Yet, in today’s modern age, many of these blacksmiths have given up on that art.
There needs to be some mechanism to revive and nurture this art. I was amazed that the History Channel has a reality TV series titled Forged in Fire, where bladesmiths compete to create a quality blade for a cash prize of $10,000. Maybe we need something of this sort to bring out the hidden talent and knowledge.
Indian metal arts are still good.
India still has a lot of metal art (not necessarily industrial metallurgy). These techniques are diverse in the type of metal, and the kind of artwork (inlays, metal non-metal combination, carving and sculpting etc.) Some of the pieces are quite utilitarian, while others are decorative.
But I fear these may not last for long. We do not treat our artisans and our traditional knowledge with the respect it deserves. For example, here is a video describing Bidri metalwork. I doubt IITs or other engineering colleges have explored the science behind this art form.
This is important because…
Knowledge of metals has always been one of the critical building blocks of economic power. The knowledge and expertise related to metals feed into multiple industries. The mental aspects of metal know-how work also create a tinkering mindset that values craftsmanship. If we want to be an economic powerhouse we should develop these skills.
As long as we remain degree centric and English speaking at our institutions and companies, we will always remain alienated from the traditions of our own land. The most fundamentally insurmountable line is drawn when our institution or company opts to operate in English rather than the regional language. This is why we fail and will keep failing. Having talent is one thing, but knowing how to mobilise that talent requires maturity our elites simply lack.