The Nizhny Novgorod region has always been famous for the traditions of metal processing. The ancient town of Pavlovo on the bank of the Oka-river has become one of the centers of the blacksmith's work and knife handicraft. At the end of the 17th century there were about 50 smithies. Among the most famous crafts there was a weaponry one. E.g., in the Hermitage there are rifles with the inscription “Afanasy Ovsyannikov. The village of Pavlovo”. In the time of Peter the Great the majority of the masters at the Armory were from Pavlovo. Later the metal processing craft was developed in the production of the goods for practical purposes – knives, locks, scissors.
In the collection of Pavlovo Museum of Local Lore there are unique objects made by Pavlovo craftsmen: brightly polished place settings of English steel, decorated with exquisite engraving, knives for opening oysters, cheese knives, locks weighing from 0.7 gr to 50 kg; the locks were made in various forms: in the form of a cock, a clock, coat-of-arms, cars, etc. Among the modern exhibits there is an «invisible» knife and an “iron-shod” golden mechanical flea.

Pavlovo Plant of Metalwork JSC preserves the old traditions of metal processing. It is the Russian leader in production of place settings of stainless steel – spoons, forks, knives, samples for restaurants with artistic painting and chasing and golden covering. In December 2005 the plant celebrated its 115th anniversary.
The produce of the plant is characterized by elegance, fine finishing and practicality. The wide choice of the goods (about 150 items) of the plant and their high quality have been highly appraised by the customers. It is the plant where 35 percent of place setting manufactured in Russia are produced.
The age-long experience of metal processing kept in generations has been revived in the production of tourist and hunting knives and sabres. The forgotten craft of artistic forging has also been given its new birth at the plant. Elegant mantelplace settings, candlesticks, cornices, window bars, doors have become the fashionable attributes of modern interiors.
The artistic quests of the artists have influenced the production of metal works for the Orthodox church.
The artistic products of the plant have been numerously awarded prizes at Russian and international exhibitions and fairs. The success of the plant is based upon the low cost and high quality of its products.
The plant has its own museum where the visitor can get acquainted to the history of the enterprise, the secrets and traditions of metal processing. Those who are interested in the production process are offered tours around the shops and master-classes. For business tourists a conference hall and a canteen are available. Leaving the plant, do not forget to buy a souvenir to keep it as a memory of the “city of metal-workers”.

Pavlovo Technical School of Russian Art Craft is a successor of the historic traditions of Pavlovo craftsmen and masters of artistic processing of metals and alloys. It trains artists, producers of artistic metal works, tool-makers.
The delicate incarnation of the quality, taste and traditions of Pavlovo masters of artistic metal processing is the produce of “Arkom” Ltd. – a company located in the town of Vorsma of Pavlovo district and founded in 1999.
Arkom Ltd. has inherited the age-running traditions of Vorsma and Pavlovo masters who specialized in producing cutlery, axes, plates made of high-quality stainless steel, knives of various purposes (hunters’ knives, flic knives made by usual technology as well as with handles decorated with silver and precious stones). The company offers stamping logos on leather and engraving on metal.
Being a young company, Arkom Ltd. has already occupied a place among the leaders in the field of producing souvenir sets (over 20 items) of different composition for outdoor recreation: tourists knives, flic knives as well as cups, flasks, crockery and cutlery, shampurs, etc.