Description
The question isn’t “What will you use it for?”—it’s “What won’t you use it for?” From New York bladesmith and artist Dan Tompkins comes one of the most unique, eye-catching, and downright handy custom chef knives you’ll see this week. Its 112mm-long, 38mm-tall blade is forged from a formula of go-mai (five-layer) cladding in Dan’s own house-made stainless damascus steel over a core of high-performance CPM MagnaCut, a state-of-the-art powder metallurgy stainless steel engineered specifically for high-end cutting tools. Heat-treated and hardened to 64 HRC, the edge is thin, hard, and razor-sharp, perfectly tuned for the discerning chef. Visually, the knife is as striking as it is functional, with bright polished nickel dramatically contrasted by the darkly etched matte carbon layers. Beneath the beauty lies superb convex geometry, excellent balance, and a profile that makes this compact knife feel like a full-size chef’s tool in action. At just 3.6oz / 102g, it is light, nimble, and perfectly suited for everything from vegetable chopping to fine precision slicing—even on the smallest cutting boards. For comfort and control, Dan has crafted a tapering octagonal wa handle from a stunning piece of boxelder, accented with a polished ring of pure nickel and a contoured black G10 bolster. The ultimate daily prep companion, this knife invites you to reach for it again and again, transforming ordinary meals into a moment of pure joy.
