The knife-maker Belencsák dynasty

The founder of the Belencsák dynasty was my great-grandfather, Mihály Belencsák, who originally came from Upper Hungary. From there he moved to Székesfehérvár and then to Körmend. At that time, Körmend did not have electricity, so the workshop was equipped based on local customs and experience gained with water-powered machines. The machines had to be driven by hand. Two apprentices drove the wheel, the holes were drilled by hand and later a home-made ‘drilling machine’’ was also built. The family later donated the drilling machine, the Deipu, to the museum in Körmend. During World War I, the apprentices in the workshop worked under the direction of my great-grandmother. Soon her son joined them as well. My grandfather turned out to be a good craftsman. When he was freed, he went to work in Milan. He soon distinguished himself by his diligence and skills in the Italian knife factory. Upon returning home, enriched with a lot of experience, he went back to work in the workshop. After the Second World War, the workshop had to be set up by the family home. Almost every member of the family tried to modernise the workshop in some way, but the original equipment was kept as a family relic. Walking among the machines, I can almost feel the spirit of my great-grandfather and grandfather here, as their message permeates my soul: “Love the machines, continue this trade and pass it on, let it be handed down and carried on for centuries to come.” I myself became an apprentice in 1983 and attended secondary school at the same time, and I completed my studies there, too. I have had my own trade licence since 1989. In 1985, we won a festival prize at the 4th National Dance House Festival. In 2022, we were also successful at the largest craft fair in Europe, in Milan. I still make most of my knives by hand, using the same techniques and working processes as my ancestors. In Vas County, if someone says, “give me the belencsák”, everyone knows that they are asking for their knife.

Mihály Belencsák Jr