Following the Chef Knife, this month we are releasing the second blade of Jon’s year long project set – the XL Nakiri. These blades feature an S grind geometry, the first of its kind here at Blenheim Forge. This means the blades have a wide hollow ground in to them behind the edge, with a primary bevel being convexed towards the edge creating an ‘S’ shape when you look down the blade. The idea behind this geometry is to create an air gap between the blade and the ingredient being cut which aids in food release and reduces the friction between the blade and the food. It is also particularly suited to these long and wide blades as it reduces the overall weight of the blade and helps balance the knife.
The blades are extra deep to allow plenty of knuckle clearance, and fairly are long. Designed specifically to excel at chopping, the profile is parallel on the first two thirds of the blade with a gentle belly on the top section.
These Nakiris will come in Jon’s oscillating crushed “W” pattern with an end grain stacked handle and a matching Damascus steel ferrule and end cap.
Dimensions
*Blade length – 195mm
*Overall length – 340mm
*Blade thickness at the spine- 3.5mm
*Blade Depth – 65mm
Materials
*Blade – 1095 & 15n20
*Handle – Fumed oak and Damascus ferrule
Ricardo has always been a big fan of integral bolstered knives and over the past few years he has been focused on developing the complex process of forging them. On this project he wanted to refine the design in a way that introduces an unusual forged detail and helps make the process of forging a quantity of knives more consistent.
The result: A blade forged under our largest hammer with some specially made tooling to create a crisp arrow head shape into the steel. This unusual detail forms the transition between blade and handle, it also offers a comfortable pinch grip. The final stages of the forging is under a small hammer with dies that leave a natural texture in the blade. The concept, a pair of blades to cover all bases – the larger 205mm chef knife is a workhorse with a bit of weight behind it and good food release, will be a great all rounder. The flat heel and curved tip allow for push cutting and rocking. The petty at 110mm is small enough for off board work and brilliant for more intricate tasks.
Each set comes with a leather case made by @owen_leather featuring XXL hand stitching and beautiful burnished edges.
