NORA # 1334 - 8.5' AEB-L Chef - Spalted Maple | Black Resin
$ 315.00
KNIFE HIGHLIGHTS
- Blade Type: Chef
- Blade Length: 8.5 Inches
- Total Length: 12.65 Inches
- Handle Style: Western | Right or Left Hand Use
- Steel: AEB-L Stainless Steel
- Handle Materials: Stabilized Spalted Maple, Black Resin with small veins of yellow, black and white G10, brass 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)
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.
HANDLE DESIGN & MATERIALS:
Every one of our knives is handmade, unique and numbered. This NORA is a simple mix of materials that combine to make a clean, sleek design. We started with a base of stabilized spalted maple and added a piece of black resin near the blade edge that has very light veins of yellow in the resin. We separated these two with black and white G10 and added coordinating white G10 liners. It's a sharp look with a timeless design. Spalted maple never gets old to us.
Wood stabilization is an added feature that we offer with our knives and spalted wood, in particular, benefits greatly from stabilization. Wood that is stabilized has been injected with a clear acrylic resin under a vacuum process. Stabilization helps to minimize any cracking, warping, shrinkage and/or expanding of the material. Stabilized wood will not absorb water and is generally impervious to oils.
Please note that virtually every piece of spalted wood will have some small voids and cracks. This is just the nature of spalted wood and if it concerns you, we don't suggest you purchase this knife You will find very fine cracks in your handle but you will also be able to notice that the stabilization fluid has filled into these areas making the wood incredibly durable. We let you know this only so that you have full disclosure up front. Some people don't like the look of fine cracks or voids. We understand. Personally we love spalted wood but, again, we like to provide full disclosure up front so there are never any surprises with your purchase.
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.