Integral Chef's Knife (8 in.) with African Blackwood
Journeyman Smith Test Knife

Product Description for Integral Chef's Knife (8 in.) with African Blackwood
Journeyman Smith Test Knife

Maker: Andrea Lisch, J.S. (click to see more by this maker)
Item num: 108619
*** This is handmade and one-of-a-kind ***
Blade length: 8.00 in.
Cutting edge length: 8.00 in.
Total length: 13.30 in.
Blade height (at heel): 1.99 in.
Blade thickness (near bolster): 0.08 in.
Blade thickness (at midpoint): 0.05 in.
Blade thickness (near tip): 0.02 in.
Item weight: 7.80 oz.
Blade: Hand forged 5160 carbon steel with a hand rubbed satin finish
Bolster: Integral 5160 carbon steel
Handle: African blackwood
Description: Washington knifemaker, Andrea Lisch is both a bladesmith and a blacksmith. She has worked alongside her husband, Mastersmith David Lisch in both these roles for many years. Her fit and finish is exceptional and her designs are well thought out. Andrea received her Journeyman smith credentials at Blade Show 2023.
This exceptional chef's knife was part of Andrea's JS test set. When a maker tests to become a journeyman, they create five knives that are the height of their work. These five knives are then judged by established masters to determine if the maker's work is up to snuff. Often, prospective journeymen spend 2-3 times as long creating these five knives as they would generally do, as they know that their work will be poured over by the masters. These five knives are generally considered to be among the most collectable knives of a maker's career.
The blade is hand forged 5160 carbon steel and features a meticulous hand rubbed satin finish. 5160 is tough and chip resistant while maintaining excellent edge holding. The blade is beautifully thin with a nice distal taper for clean, perfect cuts. A convex grind assists food to release from the blade while slicing. Andrea's touchmark is on the left side of the blade. Because the blade is forged from carbon steel, we recommend using camellia oil to protect the blade and natural wood handle.
Showing her tremendous skill at the forge, the bolster is integral to the blade. Though this technique is regularly done in production knives, forging an integral bolster in a custom setting is extremely difficult and shows the maker's skill at its best. This technique allows the weight of the knife to be more center balanced and has stronger structural integrity.
The handle is presentation African blackwood (Dalbergia melanoxylon). It is nicely contoured for a secure, comfortable grip - swelling at the palm, moving into a slimmer waist, and swelling again at the end of the handle. The dense blackwood will hold up beautifully to hard use, though this knife would feel at home in most any collection. Alternating black fiber and nickel silver spacers assist the handle to adjust to temperature and humidity changes in the kitchen. Like other knives, this knife should not be put in the dishwasher.
Excellent work throughout!


Availability: Not currently available