At the beginning of the 20th century (1930) Mr. George Sapounakis learns the art of making handcrafted knives in the knife factories of Chania, Crete. Later he opens his own knife factory in Chania where he introduces his son Emmanuel Sapounakis to the art of knife making. In the 1970s, Emmanuel Sapounakis opened his own knife factory in Heraklion, Crete. The imagination of Emmanuel Sapounakis and his ability to create designs on knives with images inspired by the Cretan tradition has been recognized and over the years he has received awards and patents for many of the various designs that he has created.

In 2002 a new modern facility was opened for production of traditional Cretan knives at Hamopryna Mallion. This new facility has enabled Emmanuel to teach his craft to other artisans and take advantage of innovative machines that result in the marriage of traditional techniques with modern technology.