Description
When Brazilian bladesmith William Porto’s first handmade mosaic damascus chef knife of 2025 isn’t delivered until August, you can be sure it was worth the wait. The photos speak for themselves: William’s latest creation is extraordinary in every way, an elite marriage of form and function in which two distinct house-made damascus patterns merge for a breathtaking visual effect in a package designed for daily cooking. A complex weave of high-carbon alloys in a tiled mosaic of striking detail stretches from the 24k-gold inlaid integral handle bolster outward through the center of the blade’s bevels. Surrounding this central billet are spine and edge bars of tightly twisted damascus steel that produces an artful and unexpected look that we love. For uncompromising efficacy on the chef’s cutting board, the 226mm / 8.9″ blade is shaped for versatility and precision, a quite thin, razor-sharp edge lying below William’s symmetrical convex bevel geometry. Rounded for comfort, the blade’s spine tapers steadily forward so as to maintain strength and rigidity in the rear for the more demanding chopping tasks, while becoming especially slim as the glass-thin tip approaches for the most delicate work. A very small amount of lateral flexibility in the front half is the other result of the tapering spine and William’s purposeful heat-treatment and hardening process. To complement the beautifully forged and gilded integral damascus bolster is a grip sculpted from stabilized maple, shaped in William’s well-loved Western form that cradle’s the hand with gentle curves and simple elegance. For transport and protection a custom made leather saya is included.
