Initial package:
I do not have the original packaging.
This knife was handed to me in a nice silk bag with a tie. The knife had a plastic edge protector on it. The knife included a manufactures certificate outlining the construction and materials.
Factory Edge:
Not applicable/ has been re-sharpened.
Weight & measurements:
Weight- 280 g
Cutting edge- 250mm
Tip to butt- 390mm
Tip to bolster-260mm
Bolster to butt-130mm
Balance point- 260mm from tip
Fit and Finish:
The knife was obviously constructed with some great effort and skill by Pierre. As a test knife I am not sure how to rate this, for example the makers name is not on the knife, I cannot comment on that, is it going to enhance the knife or detract? There are some small defects/ fitment issues on the bolsters, liners and wood that cumulatively would have me sending the knife back at this (?) price point. One serious issue is the spine is not rounded where you need it most, the first inch and a half in front of the bolsters.
Handle:
For my cutting style and preferences, everything that is wrong with this knife is in the bolsters and handles. Not that there is really anything wrong per se, just for me it’s wrong. The bolsters are sharp faced; the handles are slabby and just too deep. The overall weight and poor balance of the knife is primarily caused by the handle. The balance is way behind my pinch grip, making the knife feel dead and unresponsive in the hand.
Blade (Profile and Grind):
I like it a lot! The grind is sweet and even, really nice distal taper and thin just behind the edge. The blade thickens quickly as it moves up the knife. Perhaps a bit too quickly. The blade has an ever-so- slight over grind on the left side of the heel. I would imagine this is just starting to show after it was sharpened.
The contact patch of the edge is a real joy on the board; it rolls cleanly and evenly all the way to the tip. The tip is a little high but not by much, sliming the front of the knife down, taking some metal from the spine down may lighten the look as well as the feel.
Edge Retention:
One word- WOW
Cutting performance:
The knife works really well on the board, the blade shape is not something I have used before. It bears a resemblance to the Ino, but cuts much livelier. I prepped 50 Lbs of # 28 potatoes for steak fries and 20lbs of onions with it. No wedging at all. The only item that gave me the slightest wedging and steering was when I was shaving apple slices, no idea why though.
Conclusion:
While some of my comments could be seen as harsh, I really like the knife, if we could say this is an experiment with Damasteel than we have a successful result. If we are testing a blade shape and design, than we need some small tweaks. If we are testing a complete new knife design -then there are issues.
I would urge Pierre to recreate this knife with a simple Wa handle, slim the nose and drop the tip just a scootch, raise the grind a little behind the edge, you will have a fantastic knife for me!
Thank you for the opportunity to use this knife Pierre!