KOTA BARU: Smoke curls from glowing embers as Fauzi Yusoff grasps his hammer. His movements are slow, deliberate, as if syncing with the heartbeat of a craft that breathes through fire and steel.

This is the daily ritual of the former headmaster who has never stopped breathing life into the ‘pisau jam’, a traditional Kelantan Malay knife which is now a mere name to the young generation.

“The shape of this pisau jam is unique, like the hands of a wall clock. I use iron for the blade’s core, but the rest is made from a mix of five types of old ‘pamo’ iron ... if you look closely, you’ll see fine borders along the blade, that’s its signature,” said Fauzi, 69.

Better known as Cikgu Fauzi, he told Bernama that this used to be an after-school hobby for him more than three decades ago.

Today, each strike of the hammer is a memory, a tribute to his late father Yusoff Kasim, a blacksmith in Kampung Padang Embun in Pasir Mas.

Though only 15cm long, each pisau jam forged by Fauzi tells a personal story. Its sheath is carved from tiger-striped acacia wood, the bolster (aring) crafted from hammered molten copper, and the hilt, or handle, made from strong, long-lasting merbau wood.

“Many have offered to buy it, but I can’t let it go. This isn’t just a weapon, it’s my family’s history, my father’s,” he said.

His wife Che Azizah Mat Ali, 67, a retired teacher, is right by him as she watches her husband’s weathered hands at work.

Their four children and 11 grandchildren grew up to the rhythm of metal on iron.

Apart from pisau jam, Fauzi produces machetes, keris, swords and sickles. Each one is forged with patience.

Among his most treasured creations is a knife blade with a wooden sheath in the shape of an arowana fish. 

“It takes months to finish one. Each fin must be carved by hand. I used to sell it for RM550, but now it’s worth thousands of ringgit, but I don’t make it anymore because the sheath maker has passed away,” he said.

His humble workshop behind the house, built at a cost of nearly RM100,000, is more than a place to work. It’s a sacred space, where every spark and ember rekindles memories of his father.

“When I hear the sound of the hammer, I feel like my father is beside me again. I remember how he taught me to hold the hammer, how to be patient when the iron glows red,” he said.

Most orders today come for machetes and sickles, which are ready within a week. But making swords and keris takes time, precision and patience – skills that not every hand can master. A single handcrafted keris can fetch up to RM3,000.

“The process begins by heating the iron over charcoal, then hammering it with an ‘Air Hammer’ machine. After that comes the ‘sepoh’, quenching it in water or oil to harden the blade,” he said.

But the final stage – the rolling and finishing – is the most delicate.

“If you’re not at peace, the blade won’t turn out right. This is my father’s legacy. It’s also my love for the craft.”