Jonathan Rider

Jonathan Rider has lived and worked in Afghanistan for five years. Learning the art of Nuristani carving from a local master woodworker, Jonathan's Kabul guesthouse was decked from floor to ceiling with his own creations made from local Afghan walnut wood.

For this project, Jonathan drew inspiration from the Silk Road, creating a collection of knives which mix different ideas and styles from the East and the West. Combining the clean lines of Scandinavian knife blades with the rugged toughness of Afghan black walnut, the knives embody a sense of adventure and discovery. They are equally at home on a picnic in the Loire or a hunting expedition in the Pamir.

Although Jonathan has made this first collection of knives himself, the materials are local. Our hope is that Jonathan will be able to train local craftsmen in the art of knife making for the production of future collections.