Emmanuel Esposito was born near Torino, Italy in 1983 and spent much of his childhood in his family’s machine shop. His grandfather was a self-taught machinist, who hand built equipment like milling machines and lathes from scratch when there were very little resources after WWII. From him, Emmanuel first learned how to transfer ideas into a physical reality.

Out of sheer practicality, Emmanuel decided to make a knife for himself when he was fifteen years old. After this first attempt, he sought out more information about knives through specialized magazines and books. From there he discovered the world of Fine Knives and then visited his first knife show in Milan.

“My passion for Fine Knives grew and within few years I became a member of the Italian Knifemakers’ Guild. Initially I made fixed blades, but soon moved on to integral and then to folding knives. In folders, I found that I could really explore my interest in combining intricate mechanisms with aesthetic design.”

He has developed his unique style over the years using high-tech materials like carbon fiber and metal alloys along with traditional materials like gold and mother of pearl. “This combination of old and new, along with decorative techniques and mechanisms has led to the distinctive look of my work.”

Some original features of his work include the evolution of the mosaic inlay: Using hundreds of tiny pieces of mother of pearl, Emmanuel hand-sorts and arranges each piece according to how it reflects the light. The result is a chromatic inlay that oscillates between light and dark with movement. His knives also house unique locking mechanisms, including the double C-lock, which he patented in 2010. Much of the final finishing on his work, like the anglage beveling, straight graining and black polishing, were inspired by his interest in the detailed construction of mechanical watches.

As of 2017, Emmanuel has expanded his work to include men’s luxury accessories, and in 2018 he entered into collaboration with independent luxury watch brand URWERK.

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“I feel that I have been very lucky in my life. I have a wonderful family, can do the work that I love, and have interesting friends and associates all over the world.” -EE