Masterpieces offered by the "Praktica" workshop follow the best traditions of the famous art of the Zlatoust gunsmiths and steel engraving craftsmen.
This workshop specializes in the production of unique ornamented cold arms and household articles. All the articles of "Praktica" are created by internationally recognized artists-engravers and craftsmen, all of them are unique, hand-made and made to order only.
The technology of the cold arms applied in this workshop includes the use of the famous Zlatoust high-quality steels characterized by superior hardness and firmness, and Damascus steel is produced in its own forge. In addition to steel, the manufacturing elements of the cold arms contain brass, bronze, mammoth bone, valuable kinds of woods, leather, precious and semi-precious stones. In the finishing and embellishing traditional treatment techniques are used - such as etching, nickel-plating, silvering, gilding, bluing, engraving, carving. 
Ornamented cold arms are the basic products of this outstanding artistic workshop, but the whole range of articles also includes various writing sets, paper knives, dishes, trays, mugs, vases, wine and hunter's sets, canes, binoculars, etc.
Ornamentation is effected in a variety of styles - Russian, West European, Arab and others, as well as landscapes, hunting or battle scenes, portraits, symbols (specific monograms, signs, coat-of-arms), etc. Embellished blades are hand-made usually from high-quality instrumental steels with a protective coating, non-ferrous or Damascus steels. Sheaths are of first-class leather, wood, metal or combined.
Each article bears the trade-mark of the workshop, the author's name, place and date of production and is supplied with a certificate bearing information of the author, time of manufacture, materials used, kinds of decoration and a short description of the article. All items are delivered in wooden or leather-bound magnificent boxes..
Some additional information
1. Gilding - gold used is of 22 carat standard with thickness of 10-15 microns.
2. Damascus steel normally consists of 500-1000 layers or even more.
3. Wood - only precious types of wood are used: rosewood, nut-tree (walnut), box-wood, special birch and similar.
4. Every blade has its unique identification number.
5. Zlatoust chef-d'oeuvres are not only of highest artistic and jewelry value and can become marvelous decoration parts of any interior, but also bear all necessary utility characteristics. Blades are made of best alloyed steel and particularly solid metals, hunting and combat knifes and daggers are correctly balanced. Still, due to today's high security standards applied to international shipments, the blades are not completely sharpened.
6. To take out or to export the "Praktica" products from Russia, one still have to obtain special set of documentation confirming their status of "arts and crafts' articles". When you place your order in our boutique, we easily handle it for you together with "Praktica".
7. This workshop has a full industrial cycle organized in its 4 floor building on the total territory of more than 2.000 m2. All creative masters involved (the most recognized are Guennadiy Bersenev, Yuriy Riabkov and Oleg Averkin) are members of the Painters Union of Russia.
ORNDECOR EXCLUSIVITY & OUR CLIENTS
The owners of “OrnDecor” for many years remain exclusive partners for “Praktica” outside of Russia and CIS countries. We are the only private persons and enterprise who constantly hold for sale in the West a collection of these chef-d'oeuvres.
Today among our clients are listed the biggest museums of Russia: State Hermitage (St. Petersburg), Armory of Kremlin, State Museum of History (Moscow), Central Museum of Navy Forces (Moscow), Artillery Museum (Moscow) and others.
Important customers are Ministry of Navy Forces, Russian Army, governmental agencies, corporations and banks (both Russian and foreign).
The Kremlin constantly orders “Praktica's” items as valuable gifts, trophies and rewards to be presented to dignitaries and leaders of states for their highest merits on very special occasions.
We fulfill exclusive orders for personal or public anniversaries (for example, look at the magnificent saber for the Prime-Ministers of Russia, remarkable engraved portrait of His Holiness Alexiy the Patriarch of Moscow and all Russia).
The art of Zlatoust is part of national pride and cultural riches of Russia. We are proud to count among our clients a lot of recognized collectors - connoisseurs of cold decorated arms and beautiful jewelry, fascinated by perfect harmony and charms of the ZLATOUST masterpieces.
MAKING TO ORDER 
Any specimen from our boutique can be reproduced in one or more copies by order of any customer. The most practical is that in your order you make reference to a certain item in our boutique. For this type of deals you can obtain much better final price (in average for 20-40%) than for its original.
But we also handle orders with taking into account the customer's various requirements - as to his specific distinction element (personal portrait, stamp, emblem, etc.), nomenclature, design, ornamentation and budget.
Specific design draft of the future product can be agreed upon with every customer.
Devoted "Praktica" clients can even order the articles to be made by a certain master and do their best to acquire for their collections at least one masterpiece of each master.
The final price is formed primarily by the quantity and quality of a master's artistic work involved. The price also varies significantly in case a client places an order with nominating special precious metals or stones to be used and specifies their quantity, size or even whole parts of a specific item to be produced from them.
In average it will take about 2-4 months to produce items ordered by you and to deliver them to your address. You can opt between 100% prepayment or partial 25% payment on order and 75% final payment upon receiving of our notification about readiness of your article for shipment.
INTERNATIONAL EXPERTISE CERTIFICATE
In June 2001 we have received quality & conformity certificate for the ZLATOUST products issued by the official (state owned) EPURE EXPERTISE bureau in France. This reliable and internationally recognized office specializes in art and antiques valuations according to international & EEC standards.
This certificate in French is properly stamped and signed and includes detailed description of the ZLATOUST masterpieces together with coloured pictures and confirms:
- Highest quality, art & manufacture level,
- Authenticity of materials used – Damascus, precious stones, metals, …,
- Technology' uniqueness,
- Correctness and conformity of our sale prices to the quality level of the ZLATOUST items.
It is confirmed as well that this level of prices is in average much lower than for the comparable items produced in Europe / USA and can be even considered as basic and minimal. Prices are quoted simultaneously in US dollars, euro and French franks.
The original of this certificate we show to our customers, certified copies could be provided along with purchase of any ZLATOUST item as per request of a client.
Publications about Praktica / Zlatoust
2002, Excalibur No 25, No 26
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“Russian Cup”
design & making of artistic workshop PRAKTICA (from catalogue)
One of the best tennis-players of the world Maria Sharapova receives in Moscow, 2005 highest award of the Russian Tennis Federation - “Russian Cup”, exclusively designed & made by PRAKTICA.
