Kitchen Knives

A good kitchen knife has a blade length that suits the job, a handle you can grip securely and steel you are willing to look after. For most cooking that means a chef knife with an 8 inch blade, a handle in rosewood or Pakka wood, and the habit of drying the blade after every use.

A forged knife is shaped from heated steel with a hammer rather than cut from a flat sheet of cold stock. Forging gives the maker control over the blade's profile and thickness. Most of our kitchen knives are pattern-welded Damascus, the rest forged carbon or satin steel, apart from a stainless set.

Choose an 8 inch chef knife for general cooking, since it is the common length and fits most boards. Pick a 6 or 7 inch blade for a small board or smaller hands. A 13 inch blade, which is 18 inches overall, needs a long board and suits large roasts and big cuts.

Yes. Single knives ship with a char leather blade guard, fillet knives with a leather belt sheath, and every set in one char leather knife roll with a sewn slot for each knife. The guard or roll is included with the knife, so it arrives ready to store.

Yes. The blade or the leather guard can be engraved as a paid option. A set ships in a roll, so engrave the blades. Wood handles cannot be engraved, so the name or date goes on the steel or the guard. It suits a chef knife given as a gift.