Snakewood Damascus Cleaver 175mm

In a single, edged chef’s tool the extensive experience and unyielding pursuit of excellence of two of our talented and longest-standing makers is on full display. Forged to shape by ex-chef and California bladesmith Don Carlos Andrade comes a presentation-grade vegetable cleaver in carbon damascus steel created by artisan and Washington designer Salem Straub. Etched and polished to reveal the beautiful, randomized pattern of alternating 15n20 and 1084 alloys which Salem has so elegantly provided his counterpart, the blade’s material is classic, refined, and designed to perform. Taken to the anvil, Don’s repetitive hammer blows move metal with heat and pressure to create a 175mm / 6.9″ long by 57mm tall cleaver-inspired profile with efficient vegetable chopping squarely in its crosshairs. Unlike some, this blade is not paper thin and delicate, but robust and ready for everything, boasting Don’s superb and pronounced symmetrical convex primary bevel geometry which leads downward from rounded spine to an especially thin, razor-sharp edge. The hard, toothy, carbon damascus edge paired with Don’s meticulous shaping and balancing of the steel combine for an extraordinary cutting experience. The knife’s center of gravity falls just as handle meets metal, providing the chef a comfortable, natural, and steady feel on the board, with a total mass that allows the object’s weight to do its portion of the work. As with all work by one or both of these incredible West Coast craftspeople, art, tool, heirloom object, and living artifact are each, at once, the result of their creative visions, culminating in this one-of-a-kind piece with a handle as breathtaking as the blade. Sculpted in Don’s well loved, shield style wa handle shape is a stunning piece of snakewood, inlaid as is his trademark with round, maroon G10, capped at the front with a matching G7 glass laminate, and finished with a single mosaic pin. To protect and transport the Snakewood Damascus Cleaver, a cloth-covered saya is included.