TEHRAN -- For centuries, the rhythmic sound of hammer striking anvil has defined the city of Zanjan, where generations of master craftsmen have forged knives renowned for their sharpness, durability and intricate craftsmanship. 
Today, however, one of Iran’s oldest metalworking traditions stands at a crossroads, caught between preserving its heritage and adapting to the demands of modern manufacturing and global markets.
Knife-making in Zanjan is more than a craft; it is a defining element of the city’s cultural identity. Passed down through generations, the tradition combines indigenous techniques with meticulous handwork to produce knives distinguished by their hardened steel blades, decorative engraving, inlay work and carved handles fashioned from materials such as horn and shell. 
Over time, local workshops have expanded their range beyond traditional folding and kitchen knives to include ornamental swords and finely crafted penknives that have found buyers beyond Iran.
Yet despite its reputation, the industry is facing mounting pressures.
According to Daryoush Naderi, deputy director for handicrafts and traditional arts in Zanjan Province, the sector is struggling through a difficult transition from family-run workshops to semi-industrial and industrial production.
Among the most significant challenges is securing raw materials. Knife production depends heavily on specialized stainless and high-carbon steels, while fluctuations in exchange rates and global metal prices have sharply increased production costs and reduced profitability for artisans.
Production methods also remain a constraint. Many workshops continue to rely on traditional forging techniques using fire and anvil, processes that preserve authenticity but are labor-intensive and make it difficult to achieve the consistency required for large-scale exports. 
Naderi said the lack of rigorous production standards has resulted in uneven product quality, weakening the reputation of the Zanjan knife brand.
The industry is also confronting a generational challenge. Veteran craftsmen are approaching retirement, while relatively few young people are willing to enter a profession that demands years of apprenticeship and physically demanding manual labor. 
Even when raw materials are available, finding skilled workers capable of carrying out critical processes such as heat treatment remains increasingly difficult.
Competition from inexpensive imported knives, particularly products manufactured in China that imitate the appearance of traditional Zanjan knives, has further eroded the domestic market. 
At the same time, many locally produced knives are sold in packaging unsuitable for premium international markets, limiting export opportunities despite the products’ craftsmanship.
Provincial authorities say several
 initiatives are underway to address these issues. These include establishing specialized industrial clusters for knife production, supporting apprenticeship programs to transfer traditional skills, developing technical standards and certificates of authenticity to distinguish genuine Zanjan knives from imitations, and helping producers participate in international exhibitions and obtain internationally recognized certifications.
Naderi said closer coordination between Iran’s Ministry of Industry and the Cultural Heritage Organization is essential, with one focusing on securing stable supplies of quality steel and the other strengthening branding efforts to position Zanjan knives as artisanal products rather than ordinary tools. 
He also noted that Zanjan knives received geographical indication registration last year through cooperation between the provincial handicrafts office and the Zanjan Chamber of Commerce.
Manufacturers, however, say that broader economic conditions continue to overshadow these efforts.
Muhammad Rasoul Zaki, head of the Zanjan Knife Makers Union, said inflation and declining purchasing power have pushed knives down the list of household priorities, reducing domestic demand even as production costs continue to rise. Despite shrinking sales, he said many producers have avoided laying off workers in an effort to protect jobs.
Veteran craftsman Karim Shaabani, one of the pioneers of artistic knife-making in Zanjan and recipient of Iran’s highest artistic distinction, has spent six decades in the trade after beginning as a child. 
He said the exceptional hardness, sharpness and heat treatment of Zanjan blades remain unmatched, while the painstaking production of horn and shell handles continues to distinguish the city’s knives.
But Shaabani warned that rising raw material costs—including restrictions on obtaining deer antler traditionally used for knife handles—have made production increasingly difficult. Without stronger support, he said, a craft that has flourished in Zanjan for nearly two millennia risks gradual decline.
For many of Zanjan’s artisans, preserving the city’s knife-making tradition now depends not only on maintaining centuries-old skills, but also on successfully adapting them to the realities of a competitive global marketplace.