Q & A :
Forge Collection

About the steel:

The Forge Collection blades are available in two laminate constructions: stainless clad Aogami Super and folded iron clad. These are two steels we have worked with since very early in our knifemaking, and both are particularly well suited to the way we like to forge and the kinds of knives we like to make. Both are made for us by Takefu Special Steel in Echizen, Japan, one of the country’s oldest blade steel mills.

The stainless clad version has an Aogami Super core with a stainless outer layer.

It offers the cutting feel and edge performance of a hard carbon steel core, with easier day-to-day maintenance thanks to the stainless cladding. It is a good option if you want a high-performance carbon steel edge with a little less reactivity and a little less upkeep in daily use.

The folded iron clad version has a reactive iron outer layer around the hard core steel.

It will develop a patina with use and tends to show a little more texture and variation from blade to blade. This is the more traditional, more reactive option, and is often the one people choose if they like the feel and look of a fully carbon steel knife. The trade-off is that it asks for a little more care in use.

If you want easier maintenance, go for stainless clad.

If you prefer a more traditional carbon steel feel and a blade that will develop more character over time, go for folded iron clad.

Both are excellent performers, and the right choice mostly comes down to how much maintenance you want to take on and which finish you prefer.

If you are still unsure which is right for you, please feel free to give us a call or come down to the workshop.

Each knife in our Forge Collection is shaped for a particular set of tasks, and together they cover almost everything you’ll do in a home kitchen. All four are forged in our Peckham workshop with high-carbon steel, a 3mm spine at the handle, and a walnut handle with a solid copper ferrule.

Petty — 125mm blade, 250mm overall. Our smallest knife, sitting between a full chef knife and a paring knife. Ideal for off-board cutting tasks like peeling, intricate work like chopping herbs, or even filleting fish. We leave our Petty knives with a slightly more robust grind, so with care they can handle light butchering too. Suitable for meat and vegetables.

Santoku — 175mm blade, 310mm overall. Our all-time bestselling knife and the most versatile shape in the range. The name means “three virtues” in Japanese — slicing, dicing, and mincing — and that’s exactly what it does. A great starting point if you’re buying just one knife. Suitable for fish, meat, and vegetables.

Nakiri — 165mm blade, 310mm overall.  Our take on the classic Japanese vegetable knife. Forged extra thin so it glides through hard vegetables without wedging, with a deep flat blade that makes downward chopping fast and precise. Suitable for vegetables.

Gyuto — 230mm blade, 375mm overall.  Highly favoured by professional chefs. Long and thin with a curved edge for seamless slicing and a pointed tip for precise work. The profile is flatter towards the heel for chopping and curves gradually towards the tip for a comfortable rocking action. Suitable for meats, vegetables, and fish.

What to avoid with all four: bone, frozen food, hard cheese rinds, pumpkin and butternut squash skin, and any cutting surface other than wood or end-grain. These are precision blades, not cleavers.

If you’re starting a collection, the Santoku alone covers most home cooking; pair it with the Petty for detail work, then add the Nakiri or Gyuto depending on whether vegetables or meat dominate your kitchen.

 With regular home use and proper care, a Blenheim Forge knife should hold its edge for several months between sharpenings. The clearest sign that the edge needs work is when the knife starts crushing rather than slicing — particularly noticeable on tomato skin, soft herbs, or when peeling an onion takes more pressure than you remember.

We sharpen, service and repair every Blenheim Forge knife free, for life. There are three ways to use the service:

  • Drop into the workshop. We’re open Monday to Friday, 9am–5pm in Peckham. Current lead time is 1–2 weeks. For same-day sharpening, email us in advance at info@blenheimforge.co.uk.
  • Post your knife to us. If you’re further afield, send it in and we’ll return it sharp and re-finished. Return postage is £15. Full details on our Sharpening & Repair page.
  • Learn to do it yourself. We run Introduction to Sharpening and Advanced Sharpening classes at the workshop. You’ll learn how to maintain any quality knife on Japanese whetstones, including the principles of grit progression.

For sharpening at home, we use and recommend the King Combination Stone (800/6000 grit) — a single stone that handles both setting an edge and finishing it.

One note: please avoid pull-through sharpeners and electric sharpening machines. They remove far more steel than necessary and can damage the bevel of a hand-forged blade. If you’ve used one in the past, don’t worry — bring the knife to us and we can usually restore it.

We only sharpen Blenheim Forge knives — we don’t service blades made elsewhere.

General Q & A


Please allow 2 working days to process and ship your order. The engraving service will add up 7 working days to our standard delivery time.

Special Editions can take up to 2 weeks to process.

Check Christmas Shipping & Delivery above.

We are currently offering a free shipping for all UK orders over £100. UK orders are shipped via Royal Mail and will require an adult signature on arrival. Collection option is also available just email us on info@blenheimforge.co.uk Please allow up to 2 working days to process the order, once the order is ready for collection you’ll receive ‘Order fulfilled’ email and can collect it from Arch 229, Blenheim Grove SE15 4QL, Monday to Friday between 9am-5pm.

Shipping to the EU & USA – £30

We charge a flat shipping fee of £30 for all orders going to the USA and countries within the EU. This fee INCLUDES all customs fees, import duties, and taxes, so there will be no additional charges upon delivery. You will receive a tracking number and link once your order has been dispatched.

In line with the EU’s GPSR requirements, Blenheim Forge is certified to ship to EU & NI.

Represented by:
Authorised Rep Compliance Ltd.
Ground Floor, 71 Lower Baggot Street, Dublin, D02 P593, Ireland.
www.arccompliance.com

Shipping to the Rest of the World – £10

For orders shipped to all other international destinations outside the EU and USA, we charge a flat shipping fee of £10. This fee DOES NOT INCLUDE customs fees, import duties, or taxes. These charges are the responsibility of the recipient and may need to be paid before your package is released from customs. A tracking number and link will be provided when your order is dispatched.

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International delivery times vary by country but generally take 1-2 weeks. Delays may occur due to customs procedures or local postal service timelines. If you would like to use a specific courier service, please email us at info@blenheimforge.co.uk to make arrangements.

Please note, we can only guarantee the safety and tracking of your package up to the point it reaches your country’s customs office. After this point, we are unable to ensure customs clearance or delivery by local postal services. Shipping delays can occur due to customs processes or other factors beyond our control.

We charge a flat shipping fee of £30 for all orders going to the USA and countries within the EU. This fee INCLUDES all customs fees, import duties, and taxes, so there will be no additional charges upon delivery. 

For orders shipped to all other international destinations outside the EU and USA, we charge a flat shipping fee of £10. This fee DOES NOT INCLUDE customs fees, import duties, or taxes. These charges are the responsibility of the recipient and may need to be paid before your package is released from customs. 

Each knife is packaged with care, in a branded Blenheim Forge card box. The blade is protected with a card sheath and we include full care instructions for each blade.

Warranty & Returns

We will address any issues with workmanship or quality as long as the knife has been used in normal conditions and according to the care instructions supplied. The guarantee only applies if the product has not been used for purposes other than those for which they were intended, nor do we cover damage due to improper or unreasonable use. However we do understand that accidents happen and we will always do our best to get a knife back on the road if possible.

We accept returns and exchanges up to 14 days after delivery, please email info@blenheimforge to arrange. For a full refund goods must be returned unused, in the original packaging with proof of purchase within 14 days of delivery.

*Please note that we do not accept returns, exchanges, or refunds for engraved blades.

If you have received the goods as a gift, a refund is only given to the person who placed the order within 14 days of delivery. For a full refund or exchange goods must be returned unused. For any further questions or issues please do not hesitate to get in touch.

Knife Care & Sharpening

Do not place your knife in the dishwasher, wash by hand only & dry immediately.

Never place your knife loosely or unprotected in a drawer with other steel utensils, this can damage and chip the blade. We recommend wooden, magnetic knife rack or leather sheath for storage.

How quickly your knife becomes dull depends on how much you use it. To keep your knife at peak performance and to maximise its lifespan, it’s best to resharpen it using Japanese whetstones. We also recommend using a leather strop between sharpening sessions. Stropping is great for removing a burr after sharpening on whetstones and also for re-aligning a rolled edge. We are also offering free knife sharpening for any Blenheim Forge knife. 

Regular maintenance using a 800 grit stone followed by a 3000-6000 grit polishing stone is our preferred method as it is not only fast, but should remove minimum material leaving a mirror like razor sharp edge. We recommend KING combination stones or the Shapton Pro series.

Check out how to use a combination stone HERE.
 
We don’t recommend using honing steels, pull through sharpeners or other domestic sharpeners on our knives, as they are far coarser than suitable whetstones, and don’t cleanly remove the fatigued metal from the blade, reducing the edge retention and overall sharpness of your knives. For a more in-depth introduction to sharpening join us on one of our Sharpening Classes.

It’s important to recognise whether the blade is rusting, or if it is starting to develop patina. It’s normal for the surface of carbon steel to change colour when cutting wet or acidic foods. Over time blades tend to take on brown or blue hues, but this is patina rather than rust, and if properly maintained will actually protect the blade from rusting. If rusting does occur it can be removed by lightly scrubbing with a scourer or fine wire wool. Treating the blade with a food safe oil (for example vegetable, olive or linseed oil) after washing will help protect it, a key thing to remember is to make sure there is absolutely no moisture left on the blade before oiling it. In time, and with use, the blade will develop a protective outer layer (patina) that helps prevent it from rusting.

It is normal for carbon steels to react to food, especially when cutting acidic ingredients such as red cabbage or onions. This is especially noticeable when the knife is new and has not had time to develop a protective patina. Regular wiping of the blade with kitchen towel during food prep is recommended as this limits the time for the blade to react, over time the steel will stabilise and become less reactive. Any staining on the blade can be removed with either a pan scourer and a small amount of bicarbonate of soda, or Bar Keeper’s Friend applied to a damp cloth.