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Find an old crossroad where each road leads to a cemetery. Light a handle made of gold mined in the oldest kingdom and bones from a famous knifesmith. Pray to a God of forging and you may be lucky to get an answer. Or unlucky? Muahahaa
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I was wondering the same!
Did your Lew Griffin arrive yet?
59mm thats a long ass cleaver
CiderBear
Senior Member
How does one buy such a righty knife? Teach me your ways, master
email shinichi for custom specs
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MTC had a grip of iron clad wats a couple weeks ago. They’re actually cheaper than stainless clad.
Horsemover
Well-Known Member
It seems that his site is down and he hasn’t responded to email for a couple days which is very unlike him.
You ask for a true lefty grind offcourse(just kidding). Shinichi happened to have one 270 in stock and my timing was right, so no custom order.
For anyone who has followed the work of the reclusive Alex Horn they realize that he has some special talents. When I heard that he had left the Carter Muteki brand I couldn’t help but be concerned that he had taken his tremendous talent and moved on to other adventures. With that in mind I searched for and acquired some of his recent production. Here’s a few pics ...
It’s one of Horn’s Signature series knives. 177x45x2.18mm. 111gms. 1095 steel core with a reactive A203-E steel cladding. Hand forged and sanded with what I believe to be a coffee etch. Bocote handle with a black G10 bolster. Though not my preferred size it promised to be a fearsome cutter and I took advantage of my first chance to put it to work.
As luck would have it I provided grand-kid services so that my daughter and her husband could have a date night. There was no doubt what supper would be as my “Seven Layer Supper” is a true kids favourite and offers ample opportunity to test fly my new knife. Here’s a few pics ...
The knife was truly a case of “art” meets “function”. Laser thin, light and easy to handle the knife was a joy to use. For me the knife approaches the upper reaches of my collection. The best news ... apparently Alex is indeed setting up a new shop to produce knives from. I look forward to the magic that Alex is capable of producing. My prediction ... we definitely haven’t heard the last of Alex Horn.
It’s one of Horn’s Signature series knives. 177x45x2.18mm. 111gms. 1095 steel core with a reactive A203-E steel cladding. Hand forged and sanded with what I believe to be a coffee etch. Bocote handle with a black G10 bolster. Though not my preferred size it promised to be a fearsome cutter and I took advantage of my first chance to put it to work.
As luck would have it I provided grand-kid services so that my daughter and her husband could have a date night. There was no doubt what supper would be as my “Seven Layer Supper” is a true kids favourite and offers ample opportunity to test fly my new knife. Here’s a few pics ...
The knife was truly a case of “art” meets “function”. Laser thin, light and easy to handle the knife was a joy to use. For me the knife approaches the upper reaches of my collection. The best news ... apparently Alex is indeed setting up a new shop to produce knives from. I look forward to the magic that Alex is capable of producing. My prediction ... we definitely haven’t heard the last of Alex Horn.
Attachments
Alex is apparently setting up a shared shop space with JMChopp who also just left Carter to do his own thing.
Look like awesome kid friendly food. Just layer up, top with some cream, maybe cheese as well?
Elliot
Senior Member
Leaving the 2340798495394th generation blacksmith's shop is a reason to want more from him.
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, Alex Horn is definitely a knife maker worth keeping an eye on. The multiple knives I’ve experienced from him have all been nothing shy of top notch. I suspect we will see some great knives coming out of his and JMChop’s shop
One of the interesting connections that I found in my research is that Alex “liked” virtually every post on Instagram made by Mareko Maumasi. Not a bad maker to “like” and follow. Maumasi too has been working with coffee etching and encourages other makers to follow. Alex then produces what appears to be a coffee etched series of knives which, in my opinion, are extraordinary. I tried to confirm this for months but the folks at Carter weren’t talking and Alex was his continuing reclusive self. Could it be that there is a “patent pending” on a process? Who knows ... but the results are obvious ... check out the pics.
It can be counterproductive to tell for makers. The finish depends on execution rather than process typically. And usually it's a series of things used in very precise ways achieving a end result. Coffe can indeed have been used, ferric chloride as well, and probably some way of smoothing that oxide layer out again so it will not feel draggy in use. Knife looks great
This is my first custom, made by Joel Adler. I really like it a lot. The shape is intuitive and fast at 230mm and 58mm deep at the heel. 52100 core san mai. The handle I designed to look like a sunset. Joel shaped it well, its pretty comfy.
I agree and certainly wasn’t looking for anything beyond a confirmation that it was a coffee based etch at some point. I try to be careful about saying things that I’m really not certain of and the intricacies of knife making, finishing and etching are well beyond my pay grade. I do know what I like and IMO Horn’s execution of this etch is excellent. I love the look of the blade and am hopeful that the effect of the etch doesn’t dissipate quickly. One thing that is interesting is that if you compare the before and after meal prep shots of the blade a very slight patina did seem to develop over the etch. Here’s an “after” pic showing the patina ...
Again I find the whole effect very attractive but I suppose there are those who would think otherwise. I really like the fact that the San mai sandwich was formed by hand forging rather than through the use of pre-laminated blanks. I get that laminates May in fact produce a superior blade, but I guess I’m just old school and like to imagine the smith doing the forging. One thing that I really didn’t emphasize was the quality of the f&f. It’s excellent in every respect. Rounded spine and choil, beautifully tapered, we’ll chosen and finished handle ... the innovative blade shape. There’s a lot to like even though I personally tend towards a larger knife, or purpose built nakiri for the sort of prep work I was doing. It’s the sort of knife that you look for reasons to use.
About the dish ... it is indeed kids friendly. I’ve posted it in the Recipe forum for those who are interested in making it. My daughter says that it’s the only dish containing vegetables that her kids will eat without complaining. I’m thinking that is due to the tomato soup which is an unquestioned kids favourite. It’s officially a “seven” layer supper, but often ends up being ten or more layers. I often add crushed potato chips (New York Cheddar is my favourite) and multi type shredded cheese (Tex-Mex is the kids favourite) to the last 20 minutes of baking. Most leftovers from the vegetable drawer like mushrooms and a little bit (don’t go overboard for the kids) of sliced garlic or sliced leeks work well to add additional layers. Kids like plain old weiners or cubed balogna. Adults like spicier fare but you can easily do up a split dish with two toppings. Best of all ... you can feed a family of six on less than ten bucks! ... and you get to chop up a storm with your fancy knives!!!
@Brian Weekley
As with most forced patinas and etching, the steel will still continue to patina. It'll pick up some ghost grays and hints of blues at first. Really fun stuff
As with most forced patinas and etching, the steel will still continue to patina. It'll pick up some ghost grays and hints of blues at first. Really fun stuff
In my opinion the patina and signs of use really adds to the character of the knives. Somehow it makes me sad to think of a “BNIB” knife stuffed in a box and stored in a closet somewhere. Of course there’s a limit to the amount of use that I’ll accept. Every knife has a definite lifetime of use, but I rarely buy a knife that has seen anywhere close to a minuscule portion of a lifetime of use.
milkbaby
Well-Known Doofus
Really nice knife! I've been following his Instagram for a few years, really nice guy and great looking knives!
@Brian Weekley
the craftsmanship looks really well executed, but the profile is so off putting, looks like a honesuki, cant help but feel thats awkward as hell to use just the ergonomics of it..
the craftsmanship looks really well executed, but the profile is so off putting, looks like a honesuki, cant help but feel thats awkward as hell to use just the ergonomics of it..
You make a very interesting point. The profile is quite different from the funyaki’s the normally come from Carter's. In fact that is one of the reasons I bought it and a previous knife from Alex that has a similar profile. It’s simply been described as a “kitchen knife” in some parts. I like the appearance very much but then I love to see artists exercising their art in different ways. I could never see anything in a Picasso but readily acknowledge the quality of his art. It definitely does not handle like a honesceki. All of my honesceki’ s are substantial, stiff and blade heavy. For a reason as their intended purpose is disassembling poultry. This knife from Alex is not like that at all. It’s very comfortable to me and especially light in hand. I used it tennis racquet style as well as in a short pinch grip. I would push cut the veges at different spots on the blade depending on the type of vegetable I was prepping. The sharp tip and angle of the blade to the tip made slicing peppers, onions and the like very easy. One thing that I don’t think I would use it for was prepping meat with any cartilage or bone. I would definitely reach for another knife.
One thing to keep in mind in support of your point is that I am a home cook. I rarely produce the same dish twice in a month and typically feed one to four persons total without any time pressure. I have many knives and in comparison to a commercial chef look at my knives differently. To a Chef I believe a knife is a tool ... you pick the tool that matches your technique. As a home cook I constantly adjust my technique to the knife or knives I’m using. I don’t care if it takes me two or three minutes to prep a carrot. So having a knife that works perfectly with my technique isn’t that important to me. The fact is that my cutting techniques aren't that fixed (good) to begin with.
Thanks for your observation. I think it’s a good one.
i think it looks pretty french chef in its overall profile, and the french aren't terrible at cooking, or cutting. id say one would have to actually use the knife first to be certain of its handling. it looks like it would handle just fine, i look forward to hearing about it more.
A few weeks ago I came across the opportunity to acquire a Gyuto on BST made by Mareko Maumasi. It’s a 235x57x3.37mm knife that weighs 232gms. San Mai integral construction from Cru Forge V steel. Maumasi has a compelling personality and produces artistic and distinctive knives. I really didn’t expect that I would be able to add one of his customs to my collection but fortune smiled on me that morning.
Here’s a few pics of the knife ...
I like to show my New Knives in action with a “Welcome to the Family” meal. I’ll often solicit a recommendation from the previous owner for a recipe suggestion. I’m this case YG420 suggested Benihana rice which he used to Maumasi to prepare for his young son. He sent me a recipe which I’ve done my best to reproduce.
Here’s a few pics of the Maumasi in action and the meal.
Perhaps the best part of all was the wonderful patina that the Maumasi developed. Here’s a couple more pics ...
The knife itself is a work of art. It’s flawlessly executed. Sitting with it and examining it is like watching a fire ... endlessly changing angles, lighting and perspectives. Extremely comfortable in hand and perfectly balanced. This knife deserves every bit of the quality reputation that Maumasi has earned. It’s a wonderful addition to my collection.
Here’s a few pics of the knife ...
I like to show my New Knives in action with a “Welcome to the Family” meal. I’ll often solicit a recommendation from the previous owner for a recipe suggestion. I’m this case YG420 suggested Benihana rice which he used to Maumasi to prepare for his young son. He sent me a recipe which I’ve done my best to reproduce.
Here’s a few pics of the Maumasi in action and the meal.
Perhaps the best part of all was the wonderful patina that the Maumasi developed. Here’s a couple more pics ...
The knife itself is a work of art. It’s flawlessly executed. Sitting with it and examining it is like watching a fire ... endlessly changing angles, lighting and perspectives. Extremely comfortable in hand and perfectly balanced. This knife deserves every bit of the quality reputation that Maumasi has earned. It’s a wonderful addition to my collection.
