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Our Story
Our hand-made cutlery craft date back to the 1770’s, when traders from all over the Middle-East set into the mountains of south Lebanon. The traders ran along the strategic trade caravan routes from the Mediterranean into the middle east and settled in the beautiful town of Jezzine. The name, Jezzine, derives from the Aramaic (Syriac) word, meaning "depot" or "store". Many historians believe that Jezzine served as a storing location for traders because of its strategic location on the caravan route.
While the region was ravaged by numerous wars including the Ottoman ruling and the French colonization, the early history of this artifact is uncertain. The craft of making cutlery in Jezzine is thought to have started in the 1700s, however there are indications that it might predate the establishment of the town. In the early to mid-1900s, nearly 30 artisans from Jezzine engaged in this craft, locally referred to as “Jezzinian Knives”, unfortunately with the aging demographics, constant security concerns, and the current economic crisis, this art is near extinction. Today only a handful of artisans practice this art patiently and with resilience.
Chahine Cutlery started with our great grandfather in the late 1800s, Daher Chahine, and was passed down generation to generation. Antoine Chahine revived the craft in 1991 when he returned to Lebanon. Antoine took the traditional cutlery and reinvigorated the craft with a new bird design, sustainable materials that stand out in their simplistic elegance.
The bird-shaped handle is inspired by the Phoenix bird, hence the local Phoenician heritage. Phoenicians lived in the east Mediterranean area after traveling from ancient Greek to the ports of Tyre, Tripoli and other ports along the eastern coast on the White Sea. The Phoenix bird is also referred to as thee Fire bird in reference to Greek mythology. The mythology referred to this majestic creature as early as 500 BC. It is thought that the bird dies in a firestorm and is then reborn from its ancestors’ ashes: An unfortunate and recurring metaphor to the region’s reality.
The Chahine Family is committed to continue this tradition despite the challenges. We heard our customers, and we believe now is the time to increase our reach and to make our craft available to everyone around the world. Chahine Cutlery is being reborn with sustainable materials and practices. We are excited for this new chapter and hope we can earn your engagement.
The Chahine Family
