Increasingly much of the bespoke work that I undertake is kitchen and culinary focussed, hand made knives for anyone from professional chefs to keen amateurs (much like myself), anyone with a keen eye for design and a desire for quality workmanship and materials.
Predominantly used in these instances is a Sheffield made grade of stainless steel, SF100, my stock of the material commissioned with Outokumpu by myself in 2013, that year being the centenary year of the discovery of stainless steel.
I am not a great fan of the use of carbon steels in cooking knives, they always leave a bitter aftertaste in my opinion.
Prices for these knives can differ greatly, those differences dictated mainly by blade length and handle material used, as a rule of thumb the smaller knives starting at around £250 with the largest topping out at £425 should see you covered.
A set of 24 knives made for the restaurant Le Cochon Aveugle, the handles in this instance are Bog Oak, the timber preserved for thousands of years in anaerobic conditions within the silt which formed the floor of the fenland basin after it flooded over 7000 years ago.
An exemplary set of kitchen knives, as set #1000, SF100 blade steel and superb G.L. Hansen & Sons, Flame On pattern G-carta are combined to create a statement piece for any kitchen.
This set a seven piece to include a carver and a fully serrated bread knife.
Again, bookmatched through each knife and the set in turn, side by side, numbered in sequence.
These can be commissioned and prices for each knife start at around £250.
A stunning matched pair of steak knives partnered with a Sheffield made sharpening steel all housed in hand made, in Sheffield, individual leather sheaths.
This pair are handled in stabilised Bog Oak, options of handle material are too numerous to list but please enquire.
A spectacular set of knives made for Sam Buckley at Where The Light Gets In restaurant in Stockport.
32 pieces in total supplied in six different colourways of stabilised Flamed Poplar timber.
This is a traditionally designed Cooks/Chefs knife, blade length is a smidgen over 200mm and again worked from only 2mm stock making it nimble and light, the Sheffield made, SF100 blade steel make this a supremely fit for purpose, everyday use kitchen tool.
Cocobolo handle scales fitted over bright yellow liners and secured by a brace of stainless steel bolts.
A contemporary designed Chefs knife, blade length is around 220mm and being worked from only 2mm stock makes it nimble and light, the Sheffield made, SF100 blade steel make this a supremely fit for purpose, everyday use kitchen tool.
The handle scales are Cocobolo, those fitted over red G10 liners and secured by a brace of stainless steel bolts.
Cleaver styled, general purpose kitchen knife, 150mm cutting edge and under 3mm at the spine, full width bevels will make this equally at home preparing your vegetables or carving your Côte de Boeuf.
Steel is Sheffield-made SF100, handle scales are stabilised Circassian Walnut, the fixings are stainless steel too.
With the blade at around 60mm wide it is also perfect for your chopping board to pan or plate duty.
A set of six 150mm bladed Serbians with Cocobolo scales and hand stitched edge masks.
All from 2mm stock Sheffield grade SF100 steel, varying blade designs and cutting edge lengths between 75mm and 220mm.
Green canvas Micarta over liners of red G10.
These are priced individually starting at around £250 per knife and options of handle materials are available.
220mm in the blade and features professionally stabilised and dyed Poplar Burl.
A splendid set of ten steak knives, each in a different species of timber, every section hand picked by the client from my stock in the workshop.
Serbian trio, all get stabilised handle materials, two in Giraffe shin bone and the third gets Circassian Walnut.
A stunning set of five kitchen knives, the 2mm stock SF100 blades get a unique bright finished applied forged effect.
The Flame On pattern G-carta handle material supplied by G.L. Hansen & Sons, not only are these scales book matched on each knife, the scales were cut from a single block and fitted to the numbered knives in sequence so the pattern runs through the set of knives when placed together.
Set #983 includes a carver and fully serrated bread knife too.
The knives can be commissioned and priced individually, prices starting around £250 per knife.
Blades of 200mm and 125mm, 2mm stock with an applied forged finish, scales of black canvas Micarta.
These are priced individually starting at around £250 per knife and options of handle materials are available.
200mm alongside a 240mm, fully serrated bread knife.
Cocobolo over bright red liners.
220mm cutting edge and features professionally stabilised and dyed Californian Buckeye Burl.
Crafted from the same commissioned for purpose steel as the Harry Brearley knife, 8mm stock, Sheffield-made, SF100 grade stainless steel, each knife hewn from a solid section of such.
Different storage options are offered too, be that for single knives or sets of any size.
The Centenary Steak are priced at £95.00 per knife plus the storage option you prefer.
Of similar ilk to the TIMBER SET set, this collection comprises of twelve pieces, each handled with differently coloured G10 scales.
This set of six steak knives were created for James Close at The Raby Hunt, custom designed and branded jointly between James and myself.
Nickel silver bolsters and fittings are married to scales of Bog Oak, excavated from a peat bog and dating back thousands of years, each reborn remains of the ancient Caledonian Forest.
Made as a limited edition of 100 pieces through 2013/2014, the project in celebration of Brearley's world changing accomplishment 100 years previous, the discovery of stainless steel.
The steel utilised was a commissioned for purpose, 8mm stock, Sheffield-made SF100 grade stainless steel, the knives made in the same Portland Works workshops as the worlds first stainless steel products back in 1913.
The Harry Brearley are now all spoken for but please take a look at my Centenary Steak for a similar option.
Here a set of five steak knives made for Tommy Banks at The Black Swan at Oldstead, all created to the identical profile as my Centenary Steak, one of which is included in the set.
All five however made up differently, combinations of SF100 steel, Sambar, Cocobolo and brass.
Tommy had a record breaking run on The Great British Menu TV show in 2016 and these knives were brought to the table alongside his main course dish, allowing each diner to select their knife of choice.
A fully customer led design, 2mm stock steel with applied finish and Box Elder scales.
Blades lengths of 200 and 150mm for the Cooks knives, a 175mm Santoku and 125mm Parer complete the set, all are 2mm stock with an applied forged finish, scales of black canvas Micarta.
These are priced individually starting at around £250 per knife and options of handle materials are available.
Six Cocobolo steak knives.
A beautiful and simplistic set of knives.
Serbian in stabilised Black Ash Burl.
In 2015 I was honoured to be asked to take part in the WITH LOVE PROJECT, Rob and Chris were travelling the country in order to compile the stories and images for their Backbone of Britain book.
A short while after the intrepid adventurers were heading on a wild camping trip in preparation for their second book, For the Love of Food, such a trip of course demands only the very finest Sheffield cutlery.
Blades of 200mm and 150mm and 100mm, 2mm stock with an applied forged finish, scales of black/green canvas Micarta.
These are priced individually starting at around £250 per knife and options of handle materials are available.