Every day, blacksmith Fredrik Spåre works in an environment where he is exposed to extreme heat, which also puts him at risk. At Arbesko, we are proud that our Oxelösund safety footwear can give his feet the best protection, allowing him to focus on his craft.
On a hot summer's day, we visited Fredrik Spåre in his smithy, located in a scenic setting outside Örebro. In the smithy, which was previously a shoe sole factory, the furnaces contribute to the heat. It is in a really hot environment that Fredrik makes his knives.
"It all started when I wanted to make my own hunting knife. After that, I started getting knife orders from my chef friends, so I bought some tools and a few machines for my garage. Eventually, it became too crowded in the garage, and I found this place, which I turned into my smithy. This wasn't my plan from the start at all; you could say it's a hobby that got out of hand. In addition to making my own knives, I also hold courses in my forge.
A hot and risky job
We all know that knives are sharp, but it's not cuts that are the biggest risk when forging knives. It's the sparks that fly off the steel during processing and land on your shoes. And scraps of metal that are up to a thousand degrees hot, which end up on the floor and are easy to step on. Or a heavy tool that you drop on your foot. That's when you need protective footwear that can withstand these tough challenges.
Safety is incredibly important, and that requires good footwear. I work in an extremely hot environment and I need to feel confident that a piece of red-hot steel won't hurt my foot if I step on it, and the toe cap protects me from heavy falling objects. I also move around a lot during the day, so it's important that they are comfortable to wear. Oxelösund from Arbesko is perfect for me; it meets all my requirements. Another advantage I have discovered with Arbesko's Oxelösund boot is that I don't get steel chips falling into my shoes, something that otherwise happens every day.
High quality standards
Fredrik sets high standards for the steel he works with; only the best is good enough. Forging knives is a true craft, and the chefs, restaurants and private individuals who order a knife should feel confident that they are getting a quality knife.
‘The raw materials I use are of the highest quality, and I mainly use Swedish-made steel. This also applies to the wood I use for the knife handles. That's why I'm particularly pleased that Arbeskos' production is also located in Sweden, and even as close to home as Kumla. I see many similarities in how we work,’ concludes Fredrik.
