There is no doubt, the knives are the best friends of the Chef. We have many available tools to facilitate our job, but a good sharp knife always makes the difference.
As we sometimes create our own tools to perform tasks better and faster, months ago I decided to use my spare time wisely and started drawing some models (11, to be exact) and started to collect information on steel.
Seriously and unexpectedly, I discovered an entire new world made of percentages of components like carbon, chromium, vanadium, molybdenum, temperatures extremely well calibrated in forging, hammering and tempering, to have the final product with great elasticity, strength and tenacity.
All this began to absorb most of my free time and I found myself spending nights in front of the computer understanding how the 0.04% of phosphorus or the 0.75% molybdenum affects the hardness of a blade according to the Rockwell scale... What a headache!!!
No matter what, the sketches became drawings, the drawings became projects in scale 1:1, the projects became shapes in plexiglass before and later in wood. Then I found myself looking for a blacksmith passionate enough to do few pieces for me and again... What a headache!!!
Never forget who you are and where you come from, especially if your homeland is called Tuscany, so I discovered a hidden workshop in the Apuan Alps (I do not reveal the name) where two very special craftsmen produce tools of the highest quality and where their ancestors used to produce swords and weapons back in 1500. It has been an unexpected experience for me to be with them, exchanging thoughts and ideas and correcting the many mistakes I did in the project.
Finally I got my blades, I continued the "homeland" way, thinking that those special blades deserve a special handle, that's when I found in my mother's backyard the trimmings of the trees from our family olive grove and ready for the fireplace. What a shame! The olive tree wood is great for everything and resistant to any stress, so I found many aged pieces and I cut them in tiles good to be assembled as the scales of the handle and really appealing with their natural and typical wood grains.
To assure a very long life to the handle, I have decided to add two bolsters (or guards) made of bronze to keep separate the cutting side with the handle itself and obviously, all the assembling is done with bronze rivets too.
Should I forget that in Tuscany we have the best leather tanneries in the world? Of course not! And here we go with a dedicated leather case sewn thanks to my old sailor skills and with a little bronze tag with the engraved name of the knife.
At this point I have only to introduce my new babies which are looking for new, passionate owners:
Boning knife Tuscania BN15, length of the blade 15 cm, length of the handle 12 cm, weight 150 gr, price without shipping 170 eur.
Pairing knife Gladio PR11, length of the blade 11 cm, length of the handle 10 cm, weight 85 gr, price without shipping 115 eur.
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