Damir Herceg
Episode · #484
POSLOVNI ĐIR Damir Herceg
Guest Damir HercegHosted by Bojana KoharevićMay 3, 2026
Damir Herceg
About this episode
What you'll hear in this conversation
In Split, where ancient crafts meet a booming tourist economy, Damir Herceg occupies a rare position: he is one of the last remaining professional knife sharpeners in the city center. His business, Obrt Srećko, is a generational craft inherited from his father, but its survival has been anything but traditional. Where his father thrived on contracts from large local industries, Damir has had to navigate their decline, finding new life for his specialized service in the city's burgeoning hospitality sector. He even serves clients who travel from Vienna. This conversation explores how an essential, yet often overlooked, trade adapts to shifting markets and the surprising ways a local artisan can find global reach.
Insights from the conversation
What to take from this episode
01
The decline of industrial giants like Diocom and Uzor meant the traditional client base for knife sharpening disappeared. Damir Herceg didn't just survive; he pivoted to the booming hospitality sector in Split, finding new demand from restaurants and fast-food establishments. Your market doesn't disappear; it just changes form.
02
Most home users in Split now buy cheap knives and discard them, but restaurateurs invest in higher-quality tools. This distinction is why Damir Herceg's business survives — the market for skilled service isn't in volume, but in clients who understand the value of maintaining a professional tool.
03
Croatian restaurateurs in Vienna regularly bring their knives to Split, telling Damir Herceg his work is both better and more affordable than anything they find locally. An exceptional local service can attract an international client base, even when the product isn't easily shipped.
04
The 'Don't throw away, repair' campaign, organized by the Ministry of Economy on Split's Prokurative Square, showed the public interest in preserving old crafts. But Damir Herceg notes that individual craftsmen cannot lobby city hall alone; their collective voice through an association is essential to push for broader support.
05
Damir Herceg points to Venice's glassblowers as an example of how traditional crafts can be a major tourist draw. Cities often overlook their own artisans as potential attractions, missing an opportunity to offer visitors authentic, hands-on experiences.
06
Damir Herceg observes that his workshop has been operating for decades, 'perhaps longer than any city administration has been formed.' Some businesses are so deeply embedded in a community that they outlast political changes, demonstrating the enduring value of essential, specialized services.
07
Damir Herceg began learning his trade as a student, completing his practical training in his father's workshop. The most effective way to master a craft isn't through formal education alone; it's by serving a direct apprenticeship under a family member who has already mastered it.