Kikuichi NWD utility knife 150 mm damascus

At one hundred and fifty millimetres, this is a knife you reach for with almost anything: too big for just peeling, too small to serve as a chef's knife. The blade counts 45 layers of damascus and is nevertheless wafer-thin and light.

Blade construction

The core is made of AUS10, a Japanese steel that gives the knife its hardness. Around it lie nickel, SUS410 and J1 stainless steel, together 45 layers fused at high temperature.

Because each type of steel has a different carbon content, they react differently to the forging process. That is what creates the pattern on the blade: it is not an applied coating but the result of the construction itself.

Handle

The handle is made of rosewood with an ebony ferrule.

How this knife is made

Damascus knives are always made by hand, and that takes time. At least four master craftsmen work on a single Kikuichi knife, from forging the steels to sharpening, each with their own speciality.

Specifications

• Model code: NWD150
• Knife type: utility knife, all-purpose
• Blade length: 150 mm
• Blade type: damascus
• Core steel: AUS10
• Number of layers: 45
• Steel layers: nickel 11 layers, SUS410 6 layers, J1 stainless 6 layers
• Hardness: HRC 60
• Bevel: double-sided
• Bevel angle ratio: 50:50
• Handle material: rosewood
• Ferrule material: ebony