Description
Damascus steel gets sold on appearance far more often than on performance, which is why so many patterned blades are a cosmetic cladding around a soft core. The pattern here is the by-product of a functional structure: 67 layers of steel folded around a VG10 core, hardened to 60 plus or minus 2 HRC, with the layers doing the toughness and the core doing the cutting.
The geometry is a seven-inch cleaver measured at 180mm of blade, 73mm of width and roughly 2.2mm of stock, which is thin enough to move through an onion without splitting it and wide enough to scoop what you have cut. The handle is 140mm of red G10, a laminate that does not absorb water or swell the way natural timber does, and the whole knife comes in at about 313g with the balance sitting forward of the bolster where a cleaver wants it.
The pattern is what you see. The VG10 core is what you are actually cutting with.
Why The Layer Count Matters
- ✦ 67 layers of Damascus steel folded around a hardened VG10 core
- ✦ Core hardness of 60 plus or minus 2 HRC, the range where an edge holds without becoming brittle
- ✦ 7-inch cleaver blade at 180mm length and 73mm width for cutting and scooping in one motion
- ✦ Thin 2.2mm stock that passes through vegetables cleanly instead of wedging them apart
- ✦ Red G10 laminate handle that does not absorb water, oil or odour
- ✦ 15 degrees per side edge geometry with a polished finish
- ✦ Supplied in a handmade gift box, FCM certified
Technical Specifications
- Blade Material: 67-layer Damascus steel with VG10 core
- Core Hardness: 60 plus or minus 2 HRC
- Blade Length: 180 mm (18 cm)
- Blade Width: 73 mm
- Blade Thickness: Approximately 2.2 mm
- Total Length: 320 mm
- Handle Length: 140 mm
- Handle Material: Red G10 laminate
- Edge Angle: 15 degrees per side
- Weight: Approximately 313 g
- Finish: Polished
- Packing: Handmade gift box
- Certification: FCM
- Intended Use: Vegetables, fruit, meat and slicing; not for bone or frozen food
How To Use It Properly
A blade at 60 HRC and 15 degrees per side is a precision instrument, not a general-purpose hack. It will go through a chicken breast, a cabbage, a tray of peppers and a block of firm cheese faster than anything in a standard knife block, and it will do that for years if it never meets a bone, a frozen block or a coconut. Treat those four as the boundary of what it is for.
The maintenance routine is short. Rinse and dry immediately after use, because the layered cladding will spot if it is left wet, and store it in the box or on a magnetic strip rather than loose in a drawer. A few passes on a ceramic honing rod every couple of weeks keeps the edge aligned; a full sharpening is a once-a-year job with a whetstone and a steady hand.
The wide, thin cleaver profile is what makes it useful beyond slicing. Once the cut is done you can scoop and transfer in the same motion, which is why professional kitchens keep a blade like this near the prep station rather than in a drawer. For a home cook moving up from a supermarket knife, the difference is immediate on the first onion.
What Buyers Ask Us
Q: Is the Damascus pattern real or printed?
It is real. The 67 layers are folded steel, so the pattern runs through the material and shifts with the light and the etch. A printed pattern is flat and identical on every unit; a folded one is not.
Q: Will it rust?
The cladding is a layered carbon steel, so it will spot if it is left wet. Rinse and dry after every use and it will not rust in normal kitchen conditions.
Q: Can I cut bone or frozen food with it?
No. The core is hardened to 60 HRC to hold a fine edge, which makes it the wrong tool for bone, frozen blocks or coconuts. Use a heavier cleaver for those and this one will last.
Q: How often does it need sharpening?
With a ceramic honing rod every two to three weeks, a full whetstone sharpening once a year is normally enough for home use. In a busy kitchen, expect to sharpen every few months.
Q: Is 313 grams too heavy for long prep sessions?
The weight is in the blade rather than the handle, so the knife does most of the cutting work. Cooks moving from a 200g chef knife notice the first ten minutes and stop noticing after that.
Q: Is the handle dishwasher safe?
No. Wash and dry it by hand. Dishwasher heat and detergent will degrade the G10 surface and the layered cladding over time.
Q: Does it come gift-ready?
Yes. It is supplied in a handmade gift box with the blade protected, which is why it works as a gift for a serious home cook without any additional packaging.
Q: What is the blade angle out of the box?
It is sharpened to 15 degrees per side. That is a fine, slicing geometry, so keep to a honing rod between sessions and do not use a pull-through carbide sharpener, which will remove far too much metal.
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