Forged Integral Chef

Inspiration can come from anywhere, and while I’ve been exploring integral knives for the first time in a while, I decided to really embrace the essence of the rustic and the elegant in a functional chef’s knife along the lines of bladesmith Jared Lees. If you’re not familiar with his work, check it out. I have one of his forging hammers, and I used it extensively on this knife…seemed only right.

The blade is W-1, forged from 3/4” round bar. The blade is forged very thin and hollow ground for a frightenly thin cutting edge. So often a rustic knife roots its appeal in its ”rustic-ness” and along the way loses its way as a functional tool. I see more than a few forged chef’s knives that are ground so that they look cool, but retain the edge geometry of a chopper rather than a chef. Not this knife.

The bolster (ala Mr. Lees) is forged to shape and left that way, including the concave “pinch” I have on all my chef’s knives. The Australian Ringed Gidgee handle is fitted to the forged bolster and left just barely proud of the steel.

Knife comes with a leather blade sleeve.

(Forged spoon not included. Sorry.)

Blade length: 9.1”, Blade width (at the heel): 2.4”, Overall: 14.75”