NORA #1700 - 8.5" AEB-L Stainless Steel Chef Knife Kathakali - Multi-Colored G10
$ 255.56
*This one is slightly cheaper than our other offerings only because it rates high on the 'odd' scale. It's a special someone that will love this knife.
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: Stacked G10 in various colors including: green, red, yellow, tan, blue, white, black and brown
- Rockwell Hardness: 62 HRC
- Grind Type: Full Flat Hybrid
- 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 (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 French style chef design is also excellent for those who like a rocking motion while cutting.
HANDLE DESIGN, ENGRAVING & MATERIALS:
Every one of our knives is handmade, unique and numbered. This NORA is a mix of various stacked G10 layers in an odd color configuration.
Let me tell you the story of this knife. It started out as a joke. Steve doesn’t usually make the handles on our knives but in this instance he did and he purposely chose to use all of the leftover G10 that we had in a completely random color scheme...knowing that this would drive me crazy. And honestly, it did at first. I really loathed this knife initially but, to Steve’s credit, it did actually feel pretty good in hand, funky design and shaping set aside.
I didn’t really know what to do with the knife though and I wasn’t sure I wanted to sell it but several weeks ago I saw a documentary about the Indian Kathkali dancers and it was mesmerizing to watch. Really, it’s quite fascinating all the movement that happens in the eyes and when I saw the elaborate face makeup on the dancers I literally felt like this sad knife that was sitting in our shop, unused and unfinished, suddenly had a purpose. The wild color scheme that Steve came up with now seemed entirely aligned to what I was seeing on the screen. So there it is. The inspiration. We’re not sure what the market is for Kathkali inspired knives but if there was ever an image that seemed fitting for a knife, it’s this one. The two seemed meant for each other so we’re hoping it speaks to one of you who maybe feels the same.
But back to the handle...so what is G10, you think? Great question! It is an incredibly strong & durable fiberglass laminate that was originally used in the electronics industry. It's pretty much darn near indestructible. 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.
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.