Description

Blade length: 8.375”
Overall length: 13.675”
Blade type: Bloomery Steel
Handle: Stabilized Hardwood (Boxelder Maple)

A true piece of traditional craftsmanship, this bloomery steel chef knife is forged from metal that I smelted out of ore (stone) using a medieval-style bloomery furnace.

I smelted the metal this blade was forged from in the winter of 2024. To make the metal, I heated 25kg (55lb) of crushed magnetite iron ore inside a clay bloomery furnace using charcoal as my fuel. Bloomery furnaces were the primary way European smiths made steel in the Iron Age and Early Middle Ages. This day-long smelting process transformed the crushed stone ore into a white-hot “bloom” of metallic steel. I spent several days forging and folding this steel to make it a consistent, uniform material. If you look closely at this blade’s surface, you can see watery patterns left behind from where I folded the metal. You can also see impurities (slag) that remain from this ancient process. We see the same impurities on surviving medieval blades; they give each blade its unique character and cannot be replicated using modern materials.

This chef knife is handforged and precisely ground from bloomery steel. Bloomery steel shares the properties of modern carbon steels, and can be easily sharpened to a keen edge. Like other carbon steels, bloomery steel will develop a patina as it is used. The patina will respond to the foods you prepare with this blade–no two patinas look alike, and each tells the story of your kitchen and the meals you’ve made yourself and the people you love.

The knife’s handle is carved from North American boxelder maple (Acer negundo), secured with marine-grade epoxy and brass pins. The wood has been dyed with colored highlights, and is vacuum-stabilized with an acrylic solution that makes it impervious to water and oils. This process ensures it will last a lifetime in even the most demanding kitchen.

Care instructions

Every knife comes with a care instruction card that explains how to keep your knife at top performance for the rest of your life. Carbon steel knives should be hand washed (no dishwasher), hand dried, and stored in a dry place to prevent rust. The wooden handle’s finish can be refreshed periodically with butcherblock wax.

 

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Like what you see, but want it a little different? Please contact me to discuss forging you a custom knife.