Bladesmith
Gustavo Montero
Gustavo, a freelance “Panday” or blacksmith/ bladesmith of Alapang, La trinidad, Benguet refers to his craft as “Functional Art” on which his blades that he makes are usually used as weaponry or for self defense for he is also a practitioner of “Kali” since 2009. Kali is a Filipino based martial art with ancient fighting roots which uses “Bastons” or rattan sticks familiar within the field of Arnis, and knives called “karambits” that Gustavo usually makes.
While being a practitioner of Kali, Gustavo incorporated the martial art’s principle to his life as he then developed a fascination with weaponry wielding for self defense thus started his career being a Panday. At first, he self taught himself with the easy accessibility of information and knowledge from the internet then mastered from what he learned through the years since 2018 while residing in Ifugao, Benguet, where he also gets his supplies and materials. The regimen as a martial artist and the creative knowledge of being a bladesmith had helped him develop his own style for his craft.
Gustavo’s Works
The tools that Gustavo uses consist of a “Maso” or a sledgehammer and a traditional forge gas with incinerating embers from charcoal. Granting that he doesn’t use any plans for his blades, every project he has done is certainly unique from his other works due to his “freestyle” methods. His blades are mostly made out of recycled hardened steel leaf springs that are commonly found as parts of trucks or jeeps. Gustavo’s process of making a blade starts off with forging while shaping the steel with his sledgehammer before he normalizes and hardens his blade then finishes with carved “Bululs” and skull symbols on the face of it as a trademark signature. He makes the handles by weaving the unsharpened end of the blades with wild ratan, a part of the process that he is really fond of. After shining or polishing the blade, he puts it on display on a “balete” wood he carved as a casing and painted it with natural colors from coffee and “atsuete” for aesthetic presentation. The whole process takes up to four days minimum for a single blade with its weaved handle to accomplish.
With the said uniqueness of his works from each other, given the timeless quality and the attention on the balance and proportion in quadrant that he provides, he refers to his work as “labor of his love”. It all depends on the eyes of the artist and their appreciation of the artistry in weaponry making. It’s the thrill, excitement and the self-fulfilling realization seeing the outcome of his craft that’s why it is important for him to continue being a Panday as he refers to it like reading the development of a protagonist of a novel.
The art of bladesmithing or being a “Panday” takes years thus demands patience and discipline. Gustavo may not seek people to carry his legacy but he still keeps a keen eye for future bladesmiths who share the same dedication for the art. He has only taught his close friends who are curious and interested in his knowledge of bladesmithing. He stated that “techniques can be forgotten but not principles by the guidance of mentorship”.
For Gustavo, proportion and balance makes an art beautiful. It is a principle for the audience who shares his same perception in detail. He stated about his career that he wants to share with other pandays, “you choose creativity over certainty”. His journey of being a bladesmith is a solemn pilgrimage, a never ending path of enlightening self discovery and self actualization.
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Gustavo Montero
Contact Number:
09361551162