Michael Schimmel - Metal designer

Damask smith and metal designer in Kalkhorst on the Baltic Sea

The freelance metal designer Michael Schimmel lives and works in Kalkhorst, a small town near the Baltic coast of Mecklenburg. In a rustic half-timbered smithy directly opposite the castle, he creates one-off pieces entirely by hand - according to his own design or to individual orders. Michael Schimmel is best known for his high-quality damask knives, all of which are unique.

Damascus forging - a millennia-old craft

The art of damask forging dates back to the 4th century. Back then, brittle steel was combined with malleable iron to create a homogeneous, elastic yet hard material. This technique lives on in Kalkhorst: the special mixture of metals leaves an unmistakable pattern on each blade, making each piece unique.

Diverse metal art - from jewelry to garden sculptures

In addition to knives, Michael Schimmel also produces fittings and jewelry, garden sculptures and lights. He not only works with metals, but also natural materials such as stone, wood, bone and teeth. Most of his work is sold in the region - a craft that is firmly rooted in the Baltic coast of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. The products are also available in his wife Catrin Freuschle's producer gallery in Klütz, which is open from April to October.

Visit to the forge in Kalkhorst

If you would like to visit the half-timbered forge in Kalkhorst, you can do so by individual telephone arrangement. Kalkhorst is located in the Klützer Winkel region, one of the quieter travel spots on the western Baltic coast of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern - not far from Wismar and the Hanseatic city of Lübeck. A visit can easily be combined with a trip to the nearby coast or a stroll through the old town of Wismar.