1084 High Carbon Steel-Nickel San-Mai Cleaver with Cypress, Deer Antler, and Aluminum Pins

USD 2200

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Back in Bhutan, I had the opportunity to work on several knives using locally sourced materials and repurposed high-quality steel. I called this collection the "Bhutan Collection." These knives served as demonstrations for the specific techniques I was teaching during my two-month workshop there.

If you've been keeping up with my newsletters, you know I only released two knives from this collection: the gyuto and the cleaver. However, there was another knife that was reserved before I even presented the collection: a 1084 high-carbon steel-nickel san-mai cleaver.

Much like the Dozum I worked on during my trip to Bhutan last year, I decided to incorporate a contrasting line of nickel into the blade to highlight the San-Mai Laminate forging process.

This cleaver, like the other knives in the collection, was forged from a hard 1084 high-carbon steel core with a soft iron cladding that gives the blade its matte forged black finish. I sandwiched these two metals while forging to create a laminate pattern on the blade, which I emphasized by polishing the sharp edge.

What made this particular blade unique was the addition of a layer of nickel into the sandwich. Once I polished the cutting edge, the pattern revealed a river of nickel flowing along the edge of the knife, like a flash of lightning in the dark sky.

For the handle, I used locally sourced cypress, which I shaped and sculpted to fit perfectly with the deer antler bolster. The deep coffee-like color of the handle contrasted beautifully with the bright bone-like color of the antler, creating a visual play of textures and burls that I really liked.

Using the same cypress, I sculpted a scabbard to house the blade and finished the design with aluminum pins neatly arranged around the beveled edges. I also crafted a domed scabbard pin from the deer antler to continue the handle's design motif onto the scabbard.

I've decided to make two more pieces of this knife using materials I have in my studio. I'll still be using cypress and deer antler for the handle and scabbard, but this time, I'll forge the cleavers from new 1084 and nickel san-mai laminates.

I'm excited to announce that I'm opening two reservation slots for this knife. If you'd like to own a piece of this project I worked on in Bhutan, reserve a slot below.

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