Like the entire Nordquist Designs line, this knife is of truly heirloom quality. Handcrafted in the British Columbia’s Okanagan Valley from locally-sourced materials, these kitchen tools are made to last generations.
- 52100 High Carbon Steel, 62 Rockwell C hardness.
- Hand sanded bright finish. As with all carbon blades it will patina with use. Do not leave wet, dry after use.
- Stabilized maple & brass handle. Stabilized wood undergoes a process which the wood is placed in a vacuum chamber and the air is sucked from the pours and filled with dyed resin. The result is a beautiful natural material that is *almost* a synthetic. Although it is resin, it isn’t completely water resistant and should be oiled from time to time. All of the stabilized wood handles are oiled then buffed with white diamond compound. If a customer wishes to buff their handle, I would recommend a Maguire's car polish and a soft cloth.
- Hand textured brass insert. Brass will patina from use. If the customer wishes to have it bright again, all it take is a couple strokes of some fine steel wool!
High Carbon Steel
Each Nordquist Designs knife is crafted from 52100 high carbon steel. Originally developed for bearings and other ware items, 52100 is one of the premier kitchen cutlery steels, known for good edge retention and toughness while still sharpening easily. Each of my knives are heat treated in house using my own receipt for a hardness of 60-61 Rockwell C. You may notice small dots on your knife, almost like pin pricks, this is where I have tested the hardness of your knife to verify its hardness after the initial quench and temper!
S-Grind Details
Most knives available, be it custom or production, have what is commonly known as a flat grind, meaning the faces of the knife merge at the edge in a ‘v’ shape. The issue with this design is its flat sides cause ingredients to suction, leading to a build-up of freshly cut ingredients on the side of the knife.
The s-grind solves this issue—a deep hollow milled into the blade just above the edge creates an S shape when looking down the knife from the heel, which allows air to get behind the food with every slice. This eliminates the suction present on flat ground knives, and makes quick work of even the most hard-to-cut ingredients (think onions, potatoes, and cucumbers).
The s-grind design is not ground at all, but milled—the machining process adds an unmatched level of precision to the hollow. Once the hollow is made, the bevel and distill taper is hand ground, with a convex edge designed for added food release.
Handmade Leather Wrap
Each of the knives includes a handmade leather wrap which, like all Nordquist products, is crafted in-house. The case is made from 6oz oil tanned leather sourced from S.B. Foot Tanning Company, the principal leather supplier for Red Wing Shoes. An auburn leather lace is woven into the supple leather, securing the knife inside. This simple case is as functional as it is elegant, offering safe storage for your new knife—or perhaps your old one!
