NORA #1463 - 7 Inch Line Slayer - Neptune Blue Micarta
$ 344.00
KNIFE HIGHLIGHTS
- Blade Type: Japanese Styled Utility Knife - “Line Slayer”
- Blade Length: 7 Inches
- Total Length: 12.25 Inches
- Handle Style: Western | Right or Left Hand Use
- Steel: AEB-L Stainless Steel
- Handle Materials: Custom Pressed Micarta with random patterned Duck Canvas in shades of blue encased in resin, Black G10 liner, Black Micarta Pins
- 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:
"LINE SLAYER"
We affectionately call this style blade our "line slayer". This is really an all around great utility knife. It is an extremely versatile knife that is a jack-of-all-trades worker and should serve you well in the kitchen and on the line. Its compact and sleek but also tough enough to handle some of the heavier lifting in the kitchen, including protein breakdown.
Be aware that this knife excels at push and pull cuts along with chopping. What it does not excel at is rocking. There is very little belly (none actually) on this knife so if you prefer a rocking motion when cutting then we would suggest our chef or gyuto design.
HANDLE DESIGN & MATERIALS:
Every one of our knives is handmade, unique and numbered. This NORA has been handled with an ultra-durable piece of micarta, made from a random pattern of duck canvas in various shades of blue encased in epoxy resins. As far as durability and longevity go, this material is about the best you can do. Micarta is very low maintenance, has excellent grip, and is damn near indestructible.
In the past, micarta was looked at as a purely functional material so there was very limited variations in terms of color but recently small producers have been taking micarta to a new level with patterns and designs that are just now becoming available. This particular piece of micarta comes from a small maker in Northern California (aptly named: “Unique Micarta”) who is making some amazing scales made with patterned, duck canvas micarta. We are happy to have his product on our knives and we really love the combination of sheer durability paired with cool design. We added a black G10 liner as an accent and coordinated with black G10 pins. Clean sleek knife and the design carries the same vibe.
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 very 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 compared to many 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 any excess wetness that remain on this blade. Drip drying is NOT recommended.