NORA #1665 - 10 Inch Kiritsuke - Get a Grip
$ 521.88
10% of the purchase price of this knife will be donated directly to International Rescue Committee. The International Rescue Committee (IRC) responds to the world's worst humanitarian crises, helping to restore health, safety, education, economic well being, and power to people devastated by conflict and disaster. IRC is a 4 star charity, as per Charity Navigator.
KNIFE HIGHLIGHTS
- Blade Type: Kiritsuke
- Blade Length: 10 Inches
- Total Length: 15 Inches
- Handle Style: Western | Right or Left Hand Use
- Steel: AEB-L Stainless Steel
- Handle Materials: Arizona Ironwood, OD Green | Red G10 Accents, Brass Pins, Black G10 Liners
- Rockwell Hardness: 62 HRC
- Grind Type: Full Flat Hybrid - Performance Grind (3 different bevels blended)
- This Blade is Ground...
- Thin for Performance (best performance but delicate)
- Thick for Durability (tough, built to last for heavy wear-n-tear)
- >>> Mid-Range with Special Geometry (specially ground for food release and glide but blade is kept slightly thicker for durability)
- This Knife Feels...
- >>> Heavy in Hand (Hefty. Durable. )
- Light (nimble, maneuverable)
- Not too heavy, not too light (Switzerland. Fitting weight for the size of the knife.)
GENERAL USES OF THIS KNIFE:
KIRITSUKE KNIFE
This blade shape is our take on the traditional Japanese Kiritsuke knife.
A Kiritsuke knife is one of the very few Japanese knives that is considered multi-purpose. It is a hybrid between a Yanagi (fish slicer) and a Usuba (vegetable knife.). A Kiritsuke knife works well for slicing and breaking down protein but it also excels at vegetable prep. and general purpose tasks. In Japanese kitchens, the Kiritsuke knife is reserved only for the executive Chef as a sign of respect and also due to the skill needed to efficiently use these knives.
Our Kiritsuke design does not have as flat of a belly as the more traditional Japanese style knives. We have done this to allow just the slightest amount of rock in the cut. We feel it adds a bit more versatility to the knife.
ENGRAVING:
Lately Steve has taken an interest in the engraving. This is a new thing. The shelter-in-place order has apparently brought out his more creative side and several weeks ago he began digging much deeper into Illustrator and creating patterns.
He had the idea for engraving a pattern into the upper section of the blade that also serves to provide additional grip while cutting. The placement is meant to provide light texture precisely where a pinch grip would fall. I let him run with it and the result is what you see in this knife. Graphic. Punchy. Useful. We think it's a cool concept and you may see this idea pop up on more knives in the future.
HANDLE DESIGN & MATERIALS:
Every one of our knives is handmade, unique and numbered. This NORA knife has been handled with an uber-durable Arizona Ironwood that is striped down the middle with an equally durable composite: G10 in OD Green and Red. It has a sort of subdued, almost vintage militaristic look that we like.
So what is G10? G10 is an incredibly strong & durable fiberglass laminate that was originally used in the electronics industry. It has been adapted in the knife making world and has proven to be an excellent material for handles as it has high strength, low moisture absorption and can be found in a variety of colors. It’s one of our favorite materials to work with outside of wood. In this case, we thought it was a beautiful complement with the wood.
STEEL INFORMATION:
AEB-L STAINLESS STEEL
This knife blade is composed of AEB-L stainless steel which is a high-quality Swedish metal, originally developed for razor blades. Recently, steel suppliers have made this steel available in thicker sheets and it has proven to be an excellent adaptation for the cutlery industry.
AEB-L has a beautiful balance of carbon and chromium and, with proper heat treatment, this steel produces both a very fine edge as well as excellent toughness and edge stability. The fine grain structure also makes this steel very easy to sharpen. We believe it is one of the finest stainless steels available on the market today for use with kitchen knives.
As a side note, there are two things we like to mention about this steel:
1.) This steel responds beautifully to honing and if the knife is honed regularly it should need infrequent sharpening.
2.) AEB-L is a stainless steel but just barely. The higher carbon content in this stainless is what allows it to get a fine edge and higher hardness than other stainless steels but it also has a tendency to sometimes form very fine rust spots on the blade. If this happens, these are easily removed with a green scotch brite pad and usually the rough end of a kitchen sponge will also do the trick.