continued. . . 

It is precisely this impressive heritage that captured Reiss’ fancy. “Berti is the only business that has continually made knives the same way for as long as they have,” Reiss avers. With only ten artisans, production is limited and mostly targeted to the domestic market. There has been limited U.S. distribution in the past (a Boston cutlery store held the exclusive rights for a few years). When the opportunity emerged to launch Berti on the national scene, Reiss eagerly jumped. “I’ve admired the line for years,” he imparts, “and I was always curious why I never saw it in any stores, especially the ones Match sold to.”

Reiss aims to change all that, now that Match is Berti’s exclusive U.S. distributor. “This is a wonderful collaborative partnering,” Reiss conveys. “We’ll work with Berti to make collections our accounts want.” Andrea Berti isn’t accustomed to a U.S. market dictating product development, but Reiss is glad Berti is receptive to developing product around Americans’ predilections. “Tradition is a big part of what Berti does and who they are,” Reiss allows, “but Andrea is beginning to understand that collections need to be developed around what works here.” If the right synergies are tapped, Reiss forecasts an almost $5 million enterprise by 2013, despite stiff competition from more well-ensconced players like Henckels and Wüsthof. “There will always be a segment of the market that prefers Ferraris,” Reiss smiles. You may not need a Berti knife to cut vegetables, he wages, but it sure beats a disposable Ginsu. “There are always people who demand the best, who understand the value of hand-made craftsmanship. That’s the market I serve.” Andrea Berti, who designs much of the line, echoes that sentiment. “Berti reminds us that there are values that exist, different and more important than those offered by modern-day consumerism and low-cost labor,” Berti posits. “There’s a joy and interest in owning a knife crafted to last, not to be thrown away after a brief period of unsatisfactory use.”

Amid rolling hills of verdant forests, Berti’s artisans hone their craft using minimal machinery in a small 1,500-square-foot workshop, after stringent eight-year apprenticeships. “That’s the beauty and magic of this product,” Reiss acknowledges. “The workers do everything by hand, from start to finish. It really is quite extraordinary to see.” Andrea Berti appreciates the reaction of people like Reiss to the production process which remains virtually unchanged since his great-grandfather’s tenure. “Our method means that each knife is appreciated for its uniqueness of character, given by the harmony of its form and the minute detail bestowed by its craftsman,” Berti rhapsodizes. “In each of our knives there is the thought, the hand, and the presence of a unique person.”

It’s this hands-on fastidiousness, Reiss informs, which makes for a razor sharp blade. “Most Americans haven’t experienced an extraordinary knife,” Reiss suggests. “Other companies put their blades through a machine once to create a cutting edge. A Berti knife goes through three hand processes, producing a far superior cutting edge. When chefs use our knives they smile. This is the test of a great knife.”