Banyuwangi – Since the 1970's, Kalibaru Wetan Village, Kalibaru District, Banyuwangi Regency is known as a center for kitchen utensils. At first, the majority of the population of Kalibaru are farmers and laborers on plantations.
New around the year 1965, there are three residents from Madiun Regency who migrated to Kalibaru to make pots and wok crafts. The three people named, Godel, Sugiyo and Misrudin.
Samsul Arifin (59), second generation of kitchen utensils says, first time making crafts in 1978, he still uses the material from the drums. Then in the 1980s, craftsmen began to switch to using zinc bahan.
“The material is bought from the factory, if you sell it first, you still carry it around,” said Samuel, Friday (4/8). At that time, he continued, the number of kitchen tool crafts in Kalibaru still reaches 60 more people.
The longer, Competition between craftsmen is getting tougher, make one by one the craftsmen choose to migrate outside the cities and provinces. “Year 1996 until the crisis era, many choose to migrate. Maybe stay 10 craftsmen who can make. I myself have been to Makassar and Bali, kitchen craft sales around with shouldered,” he said.
Since 2000's, the craftsmen have started to accept orders from outside the city, without having to sell around again. “Now it's there 34 home kitchen utensil craftsmen here. Now the system is in order. Sold it to Ternate, Kupang, Sumbawa, Flores, Sumatra, Borneo,” said Idhoatul Ghonia (37) one of the craftsmen of kitchen utensils.
Idhoatul is a third generation craftsman, grandson of the first craftsman, Misrudin. At the moment, Craftsmen have made kitchen utensils from aluminum, stainless and monel. From material, per kilo Idhoatul sells from Rp 75 thousand per kilo of aluminum pots, stainless Rp 125 and the model costs Rp 1 million per kilo.
Not only pots and pans, Currently, the craftsmen are also making a variety of equipment ranging from cake ovens, pot, glass, cake mold until soft. “A day if the pan sometimes makes five. Pas lebaran rame, per day can be up to Rp 8 million. If today depends on sustenance,” he said.
Not only that, the tourists said Idhoatul also started many who stopped by to buy directly. Along the road in Kalibaru Wetan Village, you can see a variety of kitchen utensils hanging in the yard of each craftsman's house.
“If tourists, many stop by to buy. Many are also curious while wondering how can this many be selling,” he said. (merdeka.com)
