Blenheim Forge
£190.00 – £320.00
£190.00 – £320.00
It’s no secret that here at the Forge, we love English Walnut. Recently, we acquired a tree with some of the most exquisite grain we’ve ever encountered. To celebrate, we’ve handpicked some of our favorite handles from the classic range stock. These are some of the finest pieces of timber in our workshop, offered at no extra charge. To order, simply select the blade number from the drop-down tab and proceed to checkout.
All the handles, despite their varying appearances, come from the same magnificent 200-year-old English Walnut tree. This historic tree grew on the grounds of the house where Guy Fawkes plotted his Gunpowder Plot. A couple of years ago, it was sadly felled in a storm. The tree was milled and slowly kiln-dried by the team at Goldfinch Furniture, a charity that provides young Londoners with alternative routes into employment through training in furniture making and timber milling. We were fortunate to receive some of this exceptional wood from them.
From the beginning of our knife-making journey, we have been firmly against using tropical timbers. While some may argue that FSC certification ensures sustainability, the reality is more complex. The long journey these woods undertake and the numerous intermediaries involved make trusting such certificates challenging. Moreover, it seems unnecessary to exploit rainforests for knife handles when there is a rich variety of excellent native hardwoods available. Sometimes it’s a little bit harder to track down, but it’s finds like this that make the extra work worth it.
We are currently offering 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 at: 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 228, Blenheim Grove SE15 4QL, Monday to Friday between 9am-5pm.
International Shipping
We charge £10 per order for international shipping. We ship orders using Royal Mail International or FedEx/DHL courier services for larger orders. If you would like to request a special shipping courier please send us an email to: info@blenheimforge.co.uk. Once your order is shipped, we will send you a tracking number and link to track your package.
Please note – international orders can take up to 3-4 weeks to arrive, depending on the country and its customs procedures. This means that shipping may be delayed due to circumstances out of our control
International Taxes and Duties
We don’t cover customs fees, duty taxes and import fees and these are the recipient’s responsibility. We can only guarantee the safety of the product in transit up to the point of the recipient’s country’s customs office. After that point we have no way to guarantee the clearance of the item through customs, or delivery via your local postal system. Duty fees might have to be paid before your order is released from customs.
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.
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.
How to clean my knife? Do not place your knife in the dishwasher, wash by hand only & dry immediately.
How to store my knife? 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.
What should I do if my blade becomes dull? 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.
How to sharpen Blenheim Forge knives? 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.
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. Check out our demo below on how to sharpen your knife with a combination stone or for a more in-depth introduction join us on one of our Sharpening Classes.
What should I do if my knife is rusting? 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.
The blade of my knife is changing colour and staining food, what should I do? 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.
Classic Range
The Classic Range knives have a Japanese Blue Paper Steel core with folded iron cladding. These knives are made from carbon steel, which provides a very fine edge that sharpens easily. It’s normal for the surface of carbon steel to change colour when cutting wet or acidic foods. In time, and with use, the blade will develop a protective outer layer (patina) that helps prevent it from rusting. The Classic range blades are all left with a beautifully textured forge finish, and the handles are made from English Walnut with a solid copper ferrule.
Stainless Clad Range
The Stainless Clad range blades have a Japanese Blue Paper Super Steel core with a stainless steel cladding and forged finish. These blades are hand forged with a similar high-performance Japanese steel to our Classic Range but are simpler to look after because they have a stainless cladding on the outside, making the majority of the blade resistant to corrosion. The Stainless Range handles are made of fumed oak with a solid brass ferrule. Both Classic and Stainless Clad Range blades are entirely hand forged and tempered to a high hardness resulting in an enhanced cutting ability with great edge retention.
The use of sustainable materials in the creation of our knives has always been important to us. We only use native hardwoods for the handles, with the traceability of its source a high priority. Our main supplier is the charity Goldfinch. Based in Bermondsey, they mill and season timber sourced from within London, mainly from windfallen trees. Within the knife making industry as with most manufacturing there is a huge amount of waste in terms of both energy and materials. We focus on efficiency at every stage of our process, forging as close as possible to the finished dimensions not only helps our blades’ performance it also means we make the most from our precious Japanese laminated steel. We also believe that the longevity of a product is just as important – even if something is made from materials with the greenest credentials they are worth nothing if it is thrown away or replaced in a couple of years. We make our blades with the aim for each one to be cherished for years to come, with ease of sharpening and maintenance at the forefront of our material selection and design process.
Arch 228-229, Blenheim Grove, London SE15 4QL
