ICEL is the result of a heritage recipe, made with the best and freshest ingredients, made with love. Emotion adds what is not controlled by reason. The union of tangible and intangible attributes, allied to the visual identity, forges a brand that must be managed effectively and clearly reflecting its values and character.

ICEL was born from a small family workshop created in the forties by three brothers, in which steel was forged, and cutlery pieces were produced for agriculture and kitchen. This workshop was located in Ribafria, a small village near Benedita. In the beginning, the product range consisted of pocket knives and a few totally handmade knives. The steel used was carbon steel that was forged and hardened with rudimental equipment. The energy used was produced from coal. The handles were made of animal bones and horns. As production increased, distribution was no longer local and became regional, and the products were then available in shops and markets in different points of the country, mostly transported by rail. By 1945, the small workshop had 25 employees, and the decision was taken to establish a company called Indústria de Cutelarias da Estremadura, Lda. from which the first brand name ICEL would come out.