Damascus Chef Knife with Burl Wood and Resin Handle, Hand Forged 8 Inch

The chef knife does most of the work in a kitchen, from the onion at the start of dinner to portioning a chicken. The tall blade keeps your knuckles clear of the board, the flat heel chops and the curve toward the tip rocks through herbs. This one is an 8 inch Damascus blade, etched so the layers show, with a burl wood and resin handle. A stamped leather sheath comes with it.

Specification

The blade

Damascus is pattern welded steel forged around a high carbon core, then etched so the light and dark bands stand out. The pattern comes out of the forging, so no two blades match. Under the etch it is carbon steel, which is the part that matters at the board. It takes a keen edge and comes back on a stone quickly. At 8 inches it crosses a cabbage and still steers well. The trade is rust, so dry it as soon as you are done and never leave it sitting wet.

The handle

Burl is the knotted growth on a tree, so the grain swirls instead of running straight. Each block is stabilized in black resin and cured hard, which fills the soft spots and holds up to kitchen damp better than bare wood. The tang runs unbroken from tip to butt with brass pins through the scales, so weight sits back in your palm and the knife stays settled in a pinch grip. The color and the figure change from one block to the next.

The leather sheath

Every knife in this batch ships with a slim blade sheath cut for that exact blade. It is vegetable tanned leather with a welted edge and hand stitching, and the face on this one is hand stamped with a basket weave inside a carved border. It covers the blade only and leaves the handle out, so it is a cover for storage and for carrying rather than a belt sheath. Keep it in a drawer away from other steel, in a knife roll, or on the way to a job.

Who it suits

An 8 inch chef knife is the size most home cooks and professionals settle on. This one suits buyers who want the pattern and the figured handle as much as the cutting.

• Home cooks replacing a factory chef knife
• Cooks who already sharpen on a stone
• Buyers who want a handle no one else has
• Anyone buying a wedding or housewarming gift

What comes in the box

• The Damascus chef knife
• The stamped leather blade sheath
• A care card
• A free laser engraving quote on request

Every piece is different

Each knife is forged, ground and finished by hand, so runs stay small and no two come out alike. The layer pattern, the color of the burl and the stamping all vary from the photographs. Yours will be its own piece.

Looking after it

Hand wash and dry it straight away. Never the dishwasher, never left soaking in a sink, and dishwasher damage voids the warranty. Damascus darkens with use, and that gray patina is normal and protects the steel. Cut on wood or plastic, never glass or stone. Sharpen on a whetstone at roughly 20 degrees per side, then strop. Oil the blade lightly before long storage. More in our knife care and sharpening page.

Put a name on it

Laser engraving is 20 dollars per blade, added on this page. Around 30 characters fits on a blade and longer messages sit better on the sheath. We send a proof image before the laser runs, and it adds 3 to 5 business days. Clean line art engraves well, photographs do not. Free on orders of 10 pieces or more. See the engraving page.

Questions buyers ask

Why 8 inches? It crosses most produce and still fits a home board.

Why put burl wood in resin? Burl is full of voids. The resin fills them and steadies the handle.

What is the stamped sheath for? It covers the edge in a drawer or a knife roll, not a belt.

Will this steel rust? It can if left wet. Dry it after every wash and oil before storage.

Is it dishwasher safe? No, and dishwasher damage voids the warranty.

How long until it ships? Most US orders arrive in 5 to 7 business days with USPS.

The Damascus chef knife with an olive wood handle is the same size in olive, and the hand forged chef knife in rosewood gives you 8 inches in plain carbon steel. More sits in chef knives, in Damascus steel, and in kitchen knives.