Ca’s Trinxeter is a small shop in Muro that keeps alive a tradition of knife-making dating back to 1900. Here you can find all kinds of handmade Mallorcan knives, crafted by the mastery of Biel Miralles Ordinas, the fourth generation of the family. His connection to trade began at a very young age, when Miralles recalls ‘playing in the workshop with my father, who gradually started giving me jobs to do’. As he explains, being a trinxeter is not easy, and despite having been in the trade for 30 years, ‘I still learn new things every day’, while emphasizing that in a trade like his, knowledge is infinite.
The way his father or grandfather worked is ‘unfeasible’ today, as Biel points out, but his desire to make knives has led him to adapt his work to modern times. He emphasises that the most important thing is to maintain this manual process. Unlike factory-made products, where everything is mechanised with dies and conveyor belts, the knives Biel makes are forged, tempered and sharpened by hand. This dedication is evident in the final finish, which no machine can imitate. A handmade knife is different: ‘they all look similar, but when you look closely, no two are alike,’ he proudly points out. For Biel, the artisan pace is ‘tira-tira i bona lletra’ (slow and steady wins the race). Experience has taught him that you cannot rush and that the more time you spend learning to do the job well, ‘the faster you will do it’.
At Ca’s Trinxeter you can find everything from shepherd’s knives, grafting knives and fisherman’s knives to trinxets and corvillos. Of all this variety, Biel’s favourite is the shepherd’s knife, ‘the typical one that everyone carries in their pocket’.
Each tool has its use, and in the case of the trinxet, ‘it wasn’t just used to slice bread for Mallorcan soups’. Biel recalls how in the old days it was also used to quickly cut the reins of horses or galleys that got caught and could harm the animals
The creation of a good trinxet requires a clear process because, otherwise, ‘we would get lost,’ says Biel. In order for all the blades to come out the same, they have to be marked on the pattern and cut out. The second step is to forge it with a hammer, stretching the metal in the desired direction to shape the piece. Next, it is tempered to give it the heat treatment and, finally, sharpened and polished. Then, a handle is attached and it is coated with oil.
Biel recalls how, in the beginning, all these steps turned into a ‘this isn’t going to work out for me.’ With time and perseverance, he gained the necessary skills and can now make more than twenty a day.
Biel is grateful to be part of Emblemàtics Balears, as it has allowed him to make himself known to many people who did not know about the existence of this craft.
‘The satisfaction of knowing that the customer is taking away a good tool that you have put all your appreciation and all your knowledge into making’ is Biel’s favourite part. He says, ‘Everything I do has been taught to me. I haven’t invented anything’; in this way, he pays tribute to his grandfather and his father.