High-quality Nora #1224 - Navy Blue Kiritsuke Collection [xQKHAOrc]

KNIFE HIGHLIGHTS

• Blade Type: Kiritsuke
• Blade Length: 7.5 Inches
• Total Length: 12.5 Inches
• Handle Style: Western | Right or Left Hand Use
• Steel: AEB-L Stainless Steel
• Handle Materials: Stabilized Big Leaf Maple Burl, Urethane Based Resins, White & Dark Gray G10 liner, Stainless Steel Pins
• Rockwell Hardness: 62 HRC
• Grind Type: Full Flat 
• Weight: 8.1 oz.

• This Blade is Ground...
• Thin for Performance (best performance but delicate)
• Thick for Durability (tough, built to last for heavy wear-n-tear)
• >>>>Mid-Range with Special Geometry (specially ground for food release and glide but blade is kept slightly thicker for durability)

• This Knife Feels...
• Heavy in Hand (hefty, durable)
• Light (nimble, maneuverable)
• >>>>Not too heavy, not too light (Switzerland)

GENERAL USES OF THIS KNIFE

KIRITSUKE KNIFE

NORA knife #1224 is our take on the traditional Japanese Kiritsuke knife.  

A Kiritsuke knife is one of the very few Japanese knives that is considered multi-purpose. It is a hybrid between a Yanagi (fish slicer) and a Usuba (vegetable knife.). A Kiritsuke knife works well for slicing and breaking down protein but it also excels at vegetable prep. and general purpose tasks. In Japanese kitchens, the Kiritsuke knife is reserved only for the executive Chef as a sign of respect and also due to the skill needed to efficiently use these knives.

Our Kiritsuke design does not have as flat of a belly as the more traditional Japanese style knives. We have done this to allow just the slightest amount of rock in the cut. We feel it adds a bit more versatility to the knife.

STEEL INFORMATION:

AEB-L STAINLESS STEEL

This knife blade is composed of AEB-L stainless steel which is a high-quality Swedish metal, originally developed for razor blades.  Recently, steel suppliers have made this steel available in thicker sheets and it has proven to be an excellent adaptation for the cutlery industry.

AEB-L has a beautiful balance of carbon and chromium and, with proper heat treatment, this steel produces both a very fine edge as well as excellent toughness and edge stability.  The fine grain structure also makes this steel very easy to sharpen. We believe it is one of the finest stainless steels available on the market today for use with kitchen knives.

As a side note, there are two things we like to mention about this steel:

1.) This steel responds beautifully to honing and if the knife is honed regularly it should need infrequent sharpening.

2.) AEB-L is a stainless steel but just barely.  The concept of stainless steel is actually misleading because every steel is, at some level, reactive to water and other elements. 

The higher carbon content in this stainless is what allows it to get a fine edge and higher hardness than other stainless steels but it also has a tendency to sometimes form very fine rust spots on the blade.  If this happens, these are easily removed with a green or red scotch brite pad and usually the rough end of a kitchen sponge will also do the trick. Take extra care to remove an excess wetness that remain on this blade.  Drip drying is not recommended.

HANDLE DESIGN & MATERIALS:

Every one of our knives is handmade, unique and numbered.  This NORA knife is handled with a hand-casted scale that is a hybrid of both wood and resin.  The wood is a stabilized big leaf maple burl wood and the resin has rich hues of navy blue accented with silver and white.  The pins are stainless steel  and a dual G10 liner with white and dark gray bring the whole look together.  Its a beautiful knife with a very elegant but modern feel to it.

Wood stabilization is an added feature that we offer with our knives. Wood that is stabilized has been injected with a clear acrylic resin under a vacuum process. Stabilization helps to minimize, if not eliminate, any cracking, warping, shrinkage and/or expanding of the material. Stabilized wood will not absorb water and is generally impervious to oils. The process helps to ensure your knife has a long lifespan in the kitchen.