NORA #1429 - AEB-L Stainless Steel - Everyday Carry - Tread Lightly
$ 176.00 $ 0.00
KNIFE HIGHLIGHTS
- Blade Type: EDC (Every Day Carry Knife, Small Utility)
- Blade Length: 2.25 Inches
- Total Length: 6.5 Inches
- Handle Style: Western | Right or Left Hand Use
- Steel: AEB-L Stainless Steel
- Rockwell Hardness: 61 HRC
- Grind Type: Full Flat
- Handle Materials: Stabilized Wood of Unknown Nature (but its awful pretty and derives from the Pacific Northwest), Red G10 Liners, Natural Micarta Pins
This Blade is Ground...
- Thin for Performance (best performance but also more 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 for its size, durable)
- Light (nimble, maneuverable)
- Not too heavy, not too light (Mid-Range Weight)
GENERAL USES OF THIS KNIFE:
This knife is an everyday carry design that we made which is a great all around outdoor or EDC knife and will work well for general use in a variety of situations. This blade is stubby but very functional. Likewise, the handle has a great two-grooved design for finger and thumb grips. It works well with a variety of different holds.
There is a nice weight to this knife and the edge is left a bit thicker than our chef knives to ensure it can handle tougher use. We use these little guys everywhere, in the same way you would use a pocket knife.
HANDLE DESIGN & MATERIALS:
Every one of our knives is handmade, unique and numbered. This lil' NORA knife has been handled with a beautiful piece of stabilized wood that resembles an ironwood or mesquite in feel and density. We don't honestly know what it is. It was purchased from one of our favorite wood suppliers and dubbed a "mystery wood." Our supplier actually cut and dried this wood from his backyard. It hails from the Pacific Northwest and has some beautiful spalting and color to it.
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
ENGRAVING:
We used an engraving on this little guy that you may have seen before. Its a coiled snake resting near the blade edge. Our original idea for this knife was a "don't tread on me" theme but we decided to leave that idea for a larger knife when we have all the handle materials we want. In the meantime, this little guy was the dry run for that theme and is a cool piece in its own right.
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.
The blade was originally etched but we disliked the mottled appearance of the etch so we lightly re-ground the blades to remove the etch, although the remnants of the etch still remain near the base of the handle.
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.
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.