NORA #1230 - Padauk Chef
$ 315.00
KNIFE HIGHLIGHTS
- Blade Type: Chef
- Blade Length: 8.5 Inches
- Total Length: 13 Inches
- Handle Style: Western | Right or Left Hand Use
- Steel: AEB-L Stainless Steel
- Handle Materials: African Padauk Wood (stabilized), White & Black G10, Black Micarta pins, Black G10 liner
- Rockwell Hardness: 62 HRC
- Grind Type: Full Flat Hybrid
- Weight: 7.7 oz.
- 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)
GENERAL USES OF THIS KNIFE
CHEF KNIFE
Our take on the classic Chef knife. This is an extremely versatile knife that is a jack-of-all-trades worker and one of the single most important knives in a kitchen. Our Chef knife design can easily accommodate both a pinch grip and a full hold. It is a good choice for those with larger hands or those who prefer a full hold on the handle. Our design is also excellent for those who like a rocking motion while cutting.
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 concept of stainless steel is actually misleading because every steel is, at some level, reactive to water and other elements.
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 or red scotch brite pad and usually the rough end of a kitchen sponge will also do the trick. Take extra care to remove an excess wetness that remain on this blade. Drip drying is not recommended.
HANDLE DESIGN & MATERIALS:
Every one of our knives is handmade, unique and numbered. NORA #1230 is a mix of stabilized African padauk wood accented by a stripe of patterned G10 in a classic black and white color scheme.
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. Its one of our favorite materials to work with outside of wood.
We like the punchy contrast of the black and white against the clay red of the Padauk wood. Note that this wood starts as a bright orangey-red when initially cut and then slowly darkens to a deep reddish brown over time. The pins are a black micarta and there is also a black G10 liner to bring the design whole.
As mentioned above, the padauk wood is stabilized. Wood stabilization is an added feature that we offer with our knives. Wood that is stabilized has been injected with a clear acrylic resin under a vacuum process. Stabilization helps to minimize, if not eliminate, any cracking, warping, shrinkage and/or expanding of the material. Stabilized wood will absorb very little water and is generally impervious to oils. The process helps to ensure your knife has a long lifespan in the kitchen.