blade steel | 1095 carbon steel
HRC | ~63
overall Length | 212mm
blade length | 86mm
blade height at heel | 42mm
spine thickness at handle - mid - tip | 3.0mm - 2.6mm - 2.5mm
handle material | quilted ambrosia maple
ferrule material | reclaimed brass embossing stamp, micarta
weight: 108g
I am aiming to make a full set of knives from 01-08, this is a prototype for my 02 line of knives and is one of two I made. I am aiming to make a brutalist inspired small vegetable cleaver ideal for preparing herbs or small vege.
This knife’s mono-steel blade is made from 1095 carbon steel. It is similar in composition to the Hitachi White line of steels, with high levels of carbon and very few impurities. This steel performs at a high level while offering greater toughness and edge retention than its Japanese counterparts. It takes extremely fine edges and is easy to sharpen while producing very fine burrs.
With an asymmetrical grind, this knife is designed for a right-handed user. The left side of the blade is smooth, allowing the full-length hamon to be visible, while the right side is heavily forged.
The takedown handle is made from quilted ambrosia maple. The handle is sealed with multiple layers of natural tung oil.
Each knife comes securely stored in its own wooden sheath and wrapped in a furoshiki.
material | ambrosia maple
overall length | s 240mm - m 355mm - l 470mm
spoon cup diameter | s 30mm - m 45mm - l 60mm
weight | s 14g - m 24g - l 58 g
These comfortable yet practical spoons help you reach into the corners of pots when stirring sauces or soups. The square, chisel-like sides make scraping the bottoms and corners of pots and pans easy, while remaining pleasant to the touch when tasting.
The smooth yet faceted texture of the bowls is hand-carved on each piece, making every one its own unique little delight.
All weights and lengths of items are approximations based on the measurements of a single member of each batch. The products are made to be as close to identical as possible, but some variation will exist due to the handmade nature of the items.
blade steel | 1095 carbon steel
HRC | 62
overall Length | ~185mm
blade length | 157mm
blade height at heel | 25mm
spine thickness at handle - mid - k tip | 2.9mm - 2.5mm - 1.1mm
handle material | ambrosia maple
ferrule material | micarta
weight: 62g
This paring knife is designed for boning, peeling, and delicate tip work. The edge at the heel is stout, gradually becoming finer as it progresses toward the tip. This makes the heel suitable for boning and cutting through joints, while the tip is fine and ideal for trimming silver skin or peeling an apple.
This knife’s mono-steel blade is made from 1095 carbon steel. It is similar in composition to the Hitachi White line of steels, with high levels of carbon, very few impurities, and no alloying elements. This steel performs at a high level while offering greater toughness than its Japanese counterparts. It takes very fine edges and is easy to sharpen while producing delicate, wispy burrs. With a symmetrical grind, it is suitable for both left- and right-handed users.
The takedown handle is made from locally harvested ambrosia maple. Due to its strong figure, irregular colouring, and the small holes left by ambrosia beetles, this wood is less sought after by larger manufacturers for its lack of uniformity. It is precisely these features that I find give it its beauty and individuality. Both burnt and natural-finish handles are sealed with multiple layers of natural tung oil.
Ferrules are constructed from either paper or linen micarta (layers of fibre bound together with phenolic resin). Micarta is an extremely tough material that becomes grippier when wet.
Each tang is stamped with the model, batch, and serial number, as well as CI25 (Cooking Implements / year of manufacture).
There are two six-sided handle designs available:
Peak – swells toward the ferrule before tapering toward the butt of the handle.
Standard – a simple taper that gradually swells away from the blade.
Each knife comes securely stored in its own wooden sheath and wrapped in a furoshiki.
All weights and lengths are approximations based on measurements from a single knife within each batch. While every effort is made to keep the knives as consistent as possible, small variations will occur due to the handmade nature of the work.
material | ambrosia maple
overall length | 280mm
weight | 35g
The spatulas are bent at the paddle–handle junction. Steam bending keeps the wood grain running through the entire piece, offering superior strength at a lighter weight compared to conventionally made wooden spatulas.
Faceted handles offer a comfortable feel. Finished with three coats of food-grade, 100% natural tung oil.
All weights and lengths of items are approximations based on the measurements of a single member of each batch. The products are made to be as close to identical as possible, but some variation will exist due to the handmade nature of the items.
meet bret
Bret is the maker behind Cooking Implements. With a background in architecture and years running his own knife-sharpening business, he now focuses on his true passion: making thoughtful tools meant to be used every day.
bret’s top pick
blade steel | 26c3 carbon steel
HRC | ~63
overall Length | 426mm
blade length | 301mm
blade height at heel | 52mm
spine thickness at handle - mid - k tip | 3.2mm - 2.7mm - 2.2mm
handle material | reclaimed pallet from overseas
ferrule material | resin
weight: 249g
This is by far the largest knife I have made, and I have to say I am quite pleased with how it turned out. With a full-length hamon clearly visible on the left side of the blade—and peeking through toward the tip on the right—this piece can be displayed in either orientation and is sure to stand out in any collection.
This knife’s mono-steel blade is made from 26C3 carbon steel. Similar in composition to the Hitachi White line of steels, it contains high levels of carbon and very few impurities, with a small addition of chromium that increases edge retention. This steel performs at a high level while offering greater toughness and edge retention than its Japanese counterparts. It takes extremely fine edges and is easy to sharpen while producing fine burrs.
With a lightly convex asymmetrical grind, this knife is designed for a right-handed user. As a result of this grind, the knife performs unlike any knife I have used previously—it goes exactly where you tell it to, making it a pleasure to cut with. The left side of the blade is smooth with a hamon running the full length, while the right side retains heavy forge texture.
The takedown handle is made from wood reclaimed from a pallet that came from overseas. The wood is extremely dense with a deep mahogany colour. The handle is sealed with multiple layers of natural tung oil.
Each knife comes securely stored in its own wooden sheath and wrapped in a furoshiki.
As a small bonus, this knife will also come with several additional handle options that can be swapped to achieve different aesthetics. I have included some brutalist-inspired burnt wood handles shaped with rasps that I think are particularly neat. As this is the last knife I made with this tang design, three additional handles will be provided.