"Concordia" Fine Custom Chef's Knife

• Size (Knife): Length overall: 14.0" (35.6 cm), Blade Length (at cutting edge): 9.0" (22.9 cm), Thickness: .141" (3.6 mm)
• Size (Stand with knife): 12.75" (32.4 cm) tall, 4.75" (12.1 cm) wide, 13" (33.0 cm) long
• Weight: Knife: 15 oz. (425 grams) Stand: 7 lb. (3.2 kilograms)
• Blade: 440C high chromium martensitic stainless tool steel, proprietary T3 deep cryogenic treatment, hardened and tempered to Rockwell C58, mirror polished
• Fittings/Bolsters: 304 austenitic stainless steel, mirror polished
• Handle: Polished Sodalite Gemstone (Brazil)
• Stand: American Black Walnut, American Poplar, inlays of Sodalite gemstone, Black Galaxy Granite (India), base of Black Galaxy Granite, neoprene feet, engraved black lacquered brass, stainless steel fasteners
• Knife:  This is a custom Concordia, one of my most popular chef's knives, custom made for a great client. The knife is a classic design, technically a "Sabatier" style, originating in France and well-recognized all over the world. The Concordia is large, and I've made this one with the finest treatment and presentation possible for a singular knife and a beautiful, bold stand.
  • Blade: The Concordia's blade is 440C high chromium martensitic stainless steel, my most requested steel for many reasons. It's highly corrosion-resistant, extremely tough, and has very high wear resistance, while capable of an extremely thin, sharp, and long-lived cutting edge. This is not only due to the steel alloy content, it's because of my specialized proprietary heat treatment. This steel is treated with my T3 deep cryogenic process, one that is extremely lengthy and complicated and takes a full week, with 33 specific steps and temperatures ranging from over 1800°F to -320°F! This process is so dynamic and transformative that it creates extremely fine grain, low asperity, maximum development of martensite, and a tremendous amount and distribution of complex carbides. The performance of this blade is exemplary, a blade that will literally last for generations with minimal sharpening, high toughness, and high overall strength. I will flatly claim that the condition of this blade is superior to all others made; no one has or employs this level of treatment detail in any knife, anywhere! In this Concordia, because my client requested a very stiff overall blade geometry, I've created a thick, wide spine and an extremely thin cutting edge. This is accomplished with a 12" hollow grind (accomplished with a 12" diameter profile). The blade is smooth and clean, with a fully tapered tang for balance. The curvature of the blade is just right for mincing, chopping and board work, and qualifies as a master chef's main blade design. The heel is deep, dropping an inch below the forefinger groove, and 1.9" below the spine. The blade is hygienic and smooth and beautifully mirror-polished for easy cleaning and high food safety.
  • Fittings: I bolstered the Concordia with zero-care high nickel, high chromium austenitic stainless steel. This is the same steel used in stainless nuts, bolts, and fasteners, and with 18 percent chromium and 8 percent nickel, it's incredibly tough. This is a zero-care stainless steel, it will not corrode, no matter what it could encounter in any kitchen. The bolsters are rounded, contoured, and polished for a comfortable grip, and the front bolster is elongated along the spine of the knife. This is done for several reasons. One is to give a wide, flat area for the thumb to rest in heavy cutting chores, rather than bearing down on a narrow spine. The other reason is to allow a "pinch" type grip along the spine for finer dicing and board-work. The bolsters are dovetailed to anchor, support, and bed the knife scales permanently to the handle.
  • Handle: The handle scales chosen for this project were at the request of my client, who wanted a bold, blue color. Choosing Brazilian Sodalite also added some fascinating pattern and light play in the striking gemstone handle. Sodalite is a feldspathoid, often used in jewelry, and this particular gemstone has a black matrix for a bold, rich contrast. The scales are bedded to the tang with a stress-free mounting, locked under the bolster dovetails, rounded and smoothly polished. The fit is flawless.
  •  The knife feels sizeable and capable in the hand, with the balance point exactly at the heel of the blade. When gripped with an overhand spine pinch, this large knife feels light and maneuverable, smooth and fresh, ready for any chef's task. A simple rinse is all it usually takes to clean the bright, polished surface in most functions, and the knife satisfies food safety requirements. While the spine is thick and strong, the wide and deep hollow grind lightens the weight considerably. The point is extremely thin and aggressive, yet tough and well-supported by the blade geometry. This is a master chef's knife made for accurate cutting, slicing, mincing, and dicing, for generations. A true family heirloom.
• Stand: As with all of my knives, a commensurate and beautiful stand was necessary. This is a stand designed not only to grace the kitchen environment, it's an extremely stable base for the knife that will safely store and display the knife for generations. I made the body of the stand in American Black Walnut, our nation's most valuable domestic hardwood for a reason. Walnut is smooth, uniform, and durable, while being naturally beautiful. The knife blade edge rests on a thin slice of Poplar, a soft and lighter-colored hardwood just right to bed the edge of the knife and give a contrasting line in the form. I designed and created the sculptural form I named "splash" for the stand, which works well with the deep, watery-blue of the Sodalite gemstone knife handle. The design has water-splash shapes, also recognized as paisley-figures, a very ancient form that is attributed to dolphins, water, and fish. This form is represented in the open carving and four inlays in the walnut. The inlays are precise, deep, substantial, and clean, in polished Sodalite gemstone from Brazil, which display the rich royal blue color. The black plagioclase feldspars in the Sodalite exhibit a fantastic light play of iridescence called labradoresence. The other inlays are of polished Black Galaxy Granite from India, the same material as used in the base. The inlays are bold, curved and domed forms that stand above the surface of the walnut to give a distinctive view from any angle, while being inviting to the touch. This compliment of materials and placement brings together the blue and black in the handle,  the inlay gemstone, and the massive black granite base. Because one of the main components of this form is the cutout shape, it displays a bit of the knife blade, while offering a handle to move the weighty stand around in the kitchen environment. For safety, when the knife is in the stand, no part of the cutting edge is accessible to the fingers. I wanted to make this piece as stable as possible, so I cut and finished a thick, heavy slab of the black granite (over 1" thick). This ornamental and functional stone is dense, hard, and solid, with bronze-gold colored flecks of  Enstatine (Bronzite) throughout. The granite is mined from Chimmakurthi in Ongole district in the State of Andhra Pradesh in India, and is so durable that it's used for countertops and architectural components. The walnut stand is secured to the granite base with stainless steel screws, and the base has inlaid feet of neoprene to protect any surface the stand rests on. The neoprene also aids in creating a non-slip grip. Into the bottom (see photo below), I've inlaid a legend plate in engraved black lacquered brass for provenance. I'm very proud of this stand; I've saved the design for use in future  projects. The wood is oil-sealed and a periodic waxing of wood and stone is all that will be needed to maintain the piece. In the photos below, you can see that the stand itself is an independent work of sculpture, and one of the features I'm known for. After all, a plain knife block is so... pedestrian! This stand begs for the chef to grip the bold handle.
• This is a wonderful project, and I'm thankful to my client and patron for his patience, support, and input. The piece will last for generations of use and eternal beauty. I've taken a ridiculous amount of photos below; please look them over to appreciate this work the way I have enjoyed making it!

Thanks A. K.!