BF2019 - NORA #1603 - 6.5" Nakiri - Nón Lá
$ 419.25
KNIFE HIGHLIGHTS
- Blade Type: Nakiri
- Blade Length: 6.5 Inches
- Total Length: 11.75 Inches
- Handle Style: Western | Right or Left Hand Use
- Steel: AEB-L Stainless Steel
- Handle Materials: Live Edge Stabilized Redwood paired with urethane based resins, black G10 liners, stainless steel pins
- Rockwell Hardness: 62 HRC
- Grind Type: Full Flat
- 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
NAKIRI
The Nakiri knife is a Japanese style knife that is specifically designed to excel at cutting and prepping vegetables and greens. These blades are very thin and literally fall through food. Because of the thinness, these blades should not be used for cutting through any type of bone or harder objects but you would be surprised at the versatility of the Nakiri. We find we use ours for a wide array of tasks in the kitchen - everything from protein prep to bread.
The blade height is just over 2 inches which is larger than many other Nakiri's but we find it helps keep your knuckles off the board and it works well with many larger vegetables.
ENGRAVING:
The engraving on this knife features a woman wearing a Nón Lá or Conical Hat. This hat is worn all over Asia but is a traditional symbol of the Vietnamese people. This style of hat is used primarily as protection from the sun and rain, or even as a basket for women going to market.
These hats supposedly appeared around 300 – 400 years ago in Vietnam, and throughout Asia in general. The Vietnamese, however, are particularly associated with this hat and have taken these hats to an artform by embroidering and writing poems on the hats, calling them Nón Bài Thơ (Poem Hat). We thought it was a great reminder that many things can be both beautiful and useful. Poem hat for a Poem knife. ;)
This knife has been custom engraved. The engraving was done via fiber laser so there is depth to the engraving more so than you see with an electro etch or CO2 laser. We do, however, keep the depth low so it does not catch food and minimally interferes with the primary cutting function of the knife. A small amount of stickage is normal around the engraved area, especially initially. (due to a very small burr that is formed around the engraved area) This will lessen over time as the blade is used. Please note though, if performance is your #1 priority then we encourage you to NOT purchase this blade. A blade with no engraving WILL have a smoother glide than a blade with engraving. For most, however, this difference is so minimal that it is barely noticed. We just like to provide a full disclosure up front so you know exactly what you are purchasing.
The engraving should last as long as the knife but please note that it will slightly degrade over time as abrasives are used on the knife. We recommend the soft end of a sponge with soap and water for cleaning and mineral oil periodically to condition the blade (and handle). Keep in mind that stronger abrasives, such as steel wool, scotch brite pads, sand paper or stone sharpening directly on the engraved image will further degrade the image.
HANDLE DESIGN & MATERIALS:
Every one of our knives is handmade, numbered and unique. The number on each knife represents the production order of our small company. As such, if you have NORA #1000, that knife represents the 1,000th knife made here at NORA knives.
This NORA knife has been handled with a beautiful 'Deep Blue Sea' Shokwood which has hues of shimmering royal blue & black in the resin. Shokwood is a hybrid mix of stabilized live edge wood and urethane based resins. This particular handle has a stabilized American redwood. The nice thing about these handles is that this is wood that is usually thrown out by the mills since it is deemed unusable for most uses. It gets new life on this knife after being stabilized and with the resin added.
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 not absorb water and is generally impervious to oils. The process helps to ensure your knife has a long lifespan in the kitchen.
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.