The small knives made by Yang Ming-shan (楊明山) of the Taroko tribe in Hualien County have recently gained popularity with tourists visiting the area.
He admits, however, that he would never have come up with the idea if it had not been for his son.
“Because my son kept asking for toys, I tried to make him a miniature Aboriginal machete,” the 40-year-old Yang said.
PHOTO: CNA
Yang has been a motorcycle repair technician since graduating from junior high school and opened a motorcycle repair shop in Wenlan Village (文蘭) in Sioulin Township (秀林) in 1992. His wife operates a betel nut shop at a tourist service center in nearby Dongmen Village.
INSPIRATION
“One day, my son saw a knife I took along with me and asked for one as a toy. I had no choice but to make a miniature version for him,” Yang said.
The episode fueled his interest in making traditional Aboriginal knives. He began crafting a series of small knives, ranging from 5.5cm to 12cm in length, based on real Taroko tribal machetes, which are 58cm long.
Yang attributed his success in producing the knives to the “skills I developed working as a motorcycle repair technician, as well as indigenous people’s talent for handicrafts.”
SUCCESS
Yang made the knife sheaths with juniper wood, which can be used as key rings and mobile phone and bag pendant straps. Soon after the creations were put on sale at his wife’s store, they became a hit.
Knives play an important role in Aboriginal life, as they are widely used for hunting, farming, working and preparing food, and were once used as a betrothal gift for the bride’s family by the groom’s family.
Yang now makes the knives full time, while repairing motorcycles has become a sideline.
His wife and brother-in-law are sometimes called on to lend a hand to meet increasing demand.
CHINA THREAT
The popularity of his creations has not been without a significant downside, however, as a number of low-priced made-in-China copies have swarmed the local market trying to piggyback on Yang’s success.
The knife maker hopes to use innovation and new products to stay ahead of the competition created by the knock-offs.
Yang said the Taroko tribe is the only one of Taiwan’s 14 tribes to make knives and he vowed to stick with the industry and develop more products to protect and promote his tribe’s unique culture.
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