ICEL

Icel originated from a tiny family workshop that three brothers had established in the 1940s, where they processed steel and produced kitchen and farm cutlery. The small village of Ribafria, which was close to Benedita, was home to this workshop. Initially, the product line included penknives and a few knives that were produced entirely by hand. The steel grade was carbon steel, and it was forged and hardened using crude tools with coal-derived energy. Animal horns and bones were used to make the handles. With increased production came more regional rather than local distribution, which allowed the products to be found in stores and marketplaces across the nation, primarily by rail.