The knives of Kinmen and Mr. Wu

The Kinmen Knife (金門菜刀) is a knife exclusively made in Kinmen County in Fuchien Province of the Republic of China. The knives are made from the remains of artillery shells fired by the Chinese Communists between 1958 and 1978. Almost half a million shells in 44 days during the August 23rd Artillery War, and another half a million shells between 1960 and 1978, add up to a lot of metal 'imported' into Kinmen – and good-quality metal it is. The family Wu has long made a living out of transforming the shells – or what is left of them – into useful tools. Kitchen knives made from shell fragments have become popular with local residents and tourists.