At the heart of the company: Rienafer - Artisanal micro-cutlery

These days, it is between Montreal and France that I was able to reach Benjamin Carrara, founder of the Montreal micro-cutlery company Rienafer . Small in size and volume, Rienafer nevertheless conveys raw passion. With his philosophy of taking his time, Benjamin Carrara lets himself be guided by emotion and the pleasure of making each piece, one knife at a time.

The little story

Benjamin imagined the concept of Rienafer during a trip to Corsica, following the meeting of an artisan cutler, by pure chance. With his contagious passion, the craftsman instilled in Benjamin the sudden desire to make his own knife. Back in Montreal, he perfected his knowledge for a while at the Forges de Montréal, then finally set up a micro-workshop behind his apartment on the plateau.

Gradually, Benjamin Carrara begins to produce knives that he offers to friends and family. A friend, Chloé, a well-known chocolate maker in Montreal, encouraged the budding entrepreneur to apply to exhibit at Souk@Sat and test the market by selling his creations. His participation will have paid off, since these meetings encouraged him to move forward with his local business project. And where did the name of the company come from? Since Benjamin has two children and had a full-time job at the time, he could only devote himself to his passion when he had nothing to do…hence the name!

Craftsmanship and its challenges

The entrepreneur is constantly progressing, but profitability remains his main challenge. This passion is expensive, both in materials and in the time devoted to each creation. It can therefore be difficult to make buyers understand the value of a work, considering the products made in China that can be found on the market.

But in craftsmanship, the approach is different, each piece is unique. Here, the materials used are steel and natural materials. The blades are usually made of carbon steel, but also other materials like Damascus steel. For the handles, the choice is quite vast, but most often natural materials are put forward, such as wood, horn or bone.

His indispensable tool? His forge and his backstand, brand new and very efficient, made by the one who taught him a lot, Daniel Cerbera. Faithful to the principles of local economy and ecology, Benjamin relies on recycled materials, which he collects or barters with other craftsmen. His company also offers sharpening services.

Nothing to do!

His greatest pride? When a customer sends him pictures of his knife in action! It's always very rewarding. And his professional motto? “Nothing to iron ”, obviously.

For the coming year, the challenges will be enormous for the company. In addition to craftsmanship and sharpening, the passionate entrepreneur is working on a line of knives under the theme of the Mediterranean and produced in small series. To discover and enjoy soon, for their usefulness or as a collector's item!

To learn more about Benjamin's original creations, visit his Signé Local member page!