Dandelions in the Wind Chef 210mm

Artist, bladesmith, and damascus visionary Charlie Ellis has delivered his first creation of the year, and the first since his contribution to The Art of Cutlery in Summer 2024, the incredible chef knife. Like that work of functional art, this Dandelions in the Wind Chef speaks for itself. Charlie’s attention to the details is superalitve, including those which fall into the categories of aesthetic, tactile, and performative. From the conceiving and making of the inspired damascus steel, to its honing on the anvil and then grinder to produce his remarkable compound geometry, to the heirloom fit-up of the integral keyhole bolster as it merges with maple burl, Charlie leaves no stone unturned. Balancing a hair behind the blade’s 56mm-tall heel, the knife is steady and quick in the hand, the 210mm / 8.3″ edge dynamic and versatile, designed as a do-all kitchen cutting tool for chopping, slicing, and detail work. The beautiful layering of steel that forms the blade and bolster includes five dandelion plugs, originally forged by Charlie years ago from hexegons made of triangular damascus elements, then manipulated into cylindrical form, and readied for just this occasion. Blowing around and past the dandelion’s beaks and bristles are hundreds of densely packed layers of a metallic breeze, imparting a feeling of gentle movement into the tool. Once forged to shape, Charlie employs his well-loved approach to ‘S-grind’ bevel geometry which sees a lower, convex section slimming downward to a thin, razor-sharp edge beneath the concave portion which reduces friction and assists with food release. This concave portion spans only the space from around an inch in front of the choil where it is a perfect half-moon, to an inch from the tip, leaving mass and strength where it is needed most. Rounded and polished, the blade’s spine tapers steadily and progressively from 3.6mm above the heel, to 2.2mm at the midpoint, to barely over 1mm an inch from the tip, and further still until the glass-thin point is reached. Completing the one-of-a-kind build is a handle sculpted for unbridled comfort without sacrificing an iota of style. With soft, contoured faces and transitions at every turn, the blade’s damascus steel is first extended backward to form the handle’s keyhole bolster. Paired to it, as if the grassy refuge from which the dandelions reach for the wind, a beautiful piece of dyed and stabilized maple burl is the final touch. Don’t forget to stop and smell the dandelions.