Santas Workshop

I went to Santas workshop.

Saturday night I was walking around the Plaza Independencia with a buddy, Devin, and we were talking to all the metal working artisans, becasue Devin is into making jewelry/metal work. So we got refered to a booth, and the guy at this booth was Santa. He was jolly with a big white beard-- Santa. So santa makes knives and we all chatted it up really well, and in the end he gave us his card and invited us to his house where he makes all his knives. Devin and I were really stoked, so we gave him a call and we went to his house today, it was so great.

He lives in a section of the city that was described to me as the *bronx*, so we went and it was great. In his back yard he had a pig, chickens, and bunnies--for eating. We showed up and he just started working. The knife he made started out as a piece of car suspention, and he just chalked out the shape he wanted, and cut out that knife. He filed it down, cut out some other pieces, and after 2-3 hours there was a bone handled knife. It was really different because he just had pieces of animal hanging around his shop. There was an emu leg, a horse leg, and lots and lots of cow bones. When he finish cutting out the knife he threw the leftover pieces under his work table and called it the banco, because he was gonna make different smaller knives out of the little pices. He said it was important to not waste. His son was also making a knife that was really cool to watch, becasue everything they use is recycled. The sons knife was like a fancy knife, with a stripy wood hilt,and all of it was made out of recycled stuff. The blade-guard was made out of a handle from a drawer, that was follwed by the leg of something copper for the beginning of the hilt. then wood, and the end had a fancy looking pointy thing that used to be a handle for a drawer. I took a picture. Then we all sat together and chatted drinking Mate. it was so great. The mom had made some biscutes, and she invited me over to show me how to make them. The dude, Angele, invited us all out to eat asado any time we want and the son invited me out to learn how to make knives. THis is soooo cool. While we were being shown around the yard we saw the mom packing sawdust into a metel bucket, then put it under a cylinder and lit it on firel, and she explaind that that is their water heater. They are a very natural family and they say that the sawdust is cheaper than gas and better for the environment. ¿Que bueno, no? They had all kinds of plants and trees in their little yard and we got to try the jam she made, it was amazing.

I kinda feel like that area is more like the real argentina, because in the centro where we all hang out it is very much like it is in the states, all the same. Out in Las Herras the streets were small, the cars were slower and there wasnt the familiar feeling i have around my house. The side walks were made of pácked dirt, etc... Over here there are gas stations and little super markets.

so all in all i had a great day

un beso,
Pame