Integral Chef's Knife (6-1/3 in.) with African Blackwood - Honyaki W2 Carbon

Product Description for Integral Chef's Knife (6-1/3 in.) with African Blackwood - Honyaki W2 Carbon

Maker: Andrea Lisch, J.S. (click to see more by this maker)
Price: $1,300.00
Item num: 109033
*** This is handmade and one-of-a-kind ***
Blade length: 6.30 in.
Cutting edge length: 6.30 in.
Total length: 11.65 in.
Blade height (at heel): 1.54 in.
Blade thickness (near bolster): 0.12 in.
Blade thickness (at midpoint): 0.07 in.
Blade thickness (near tip): 0.03 in.
Item weight: 6.80 oz.
Blade: Hand forged W2 carbon steel with a differential clay zone heat treatment (Hrc 59-61)
Bolster: Integral W2 carbon steel
Handle: African blackwood
Description: Washington knifemaker, Andrea Lisch is both a bladesmith and a blacksmith. She has worked alongside her husband, Mastersmith David Lisch in both these roles for many years. Her fit and finish is exceptional and her designs are well thought out. Andrea received her Journeyman smith credentials at Blade Show 2023.
The blade is hand forged W2 carbon steel and features a meticulous hand rubbed satin finish. Andrea borrowed her heat treatment technique from the world of Japanese swords. The spine was coated with clay prior to quenching. This resulted in a softer, supportive spine, with an ultra-hard, keen, long lasting edge. The blade is beautifully thin with a nice distal taper for clean, perfect cuts. A convex grind assists food to release from the blade while slicing. This is among the first knives that Andrea made after she passed her journeyman smith test. Andrea's touchmark is on the left side of the blade. Her new "A. Lisch JS" mark is on the right side. Because the blade is forged from carbon steel, we recommend using camellia oil to protect the blade and natural wood handle.
Showing her tremendous skill at the forge, the bolster is integral to the blade. Though this technique is regularly done in production knives, forging an integral bolster in a custom setting is extremely difficult and shows the maker's skill at its best. This technique allows the weight of the knife to be more center balanced and has stronger structural integrity.
The handle is presentation grade African blackwood (Dalbergia melanoxylon). It is nicely contoured for a secure, comfortable grip - swelling at the palm, moving into a slimmer waist, and swelling again at the end of the handle. The dense blackwood will hold up beautifully to hard use, though this knife would feel at home in most any collection. Alternating black fiber and nickel silver spacers assist the handle to adjust to temperature and humidity changes in the kitchen. Like other knives, this knife should not be put in the dishwasher.
Excellent work throughout!


Availability: In stock. Usually ships in 1-2 business days