Bergamot Koa Chef 290mm

Masters Bladesmith Aaron Wilburn shows off his many talents, both creative and technical, in a one-of-a-kind chef knife of exquisite character. Crafting functional art for the kitchen and beyond for over two decades, Aaron has formed a 290mm / 11.4″ hand-forged blade large enough for every cut and handsome enough for presentation in the dining room. Thin, sharp, and dynamic from the 59mm-high heel to the slim, pointed tip, the Western form enjoys a full belly that brings the blade’s edge sweeping upward in the forward half, allowing the profile to rock smoothly on the board for chopping work, its long length excelling as well at slices of all variety. A touch of lateral flexibility is welcomed. All of these attributes, while remembered by the chef’s hand, can be temporarily forgotten by the eyes as their gaze meets the extraordinary mosaic damascus pattern of Aaron’s design and making in which a criss-cross of metallic strands seem to stitch together near-symmetrical bursts as though of organic origin. The carbon steel alloys that form the blade are part of the single piece of steel from which the integral handle bolster is also forged, altogether complemented exquisitely by the grain of the Hawaiian Curly Koa which completes the knife’s grip. Comfortable and handsome in a simple, sculpted Western form, the heart melts as the fingers find their place with a natural ease.