Forged from a combination of steels that we have been working with since day one.
Although they look very different to the knives we were making in the beginning these kitchen knives still echo our original principles. An understated design focused on functionality and versatility. These full carbon steel blades are forged from Japanese Blue Paper Steel that has been clad with tough folded iron. They are fantastic to sharpen and will hold a fine edge for a long time. As with all carbon steel knives they do require a little more maintenance than most mass produced knives, but with a little care these tools will last a lifetime.
Each knife in our Classic Range 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 — 150mm blade, 290mm 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 — 220mm blade, 365mm 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:
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.
