What Are Examples Of Handmade Knives? | Jonas Blade

What Are Examples Of Handmade Kitchen Knives?

Handmade knives are defined by the quality of their craftsmanship and can be as much an expression of the owner as they are an expression of the maker. They can also be easier to sharpen even with prolonged use over time and can be passed down to the next generation. Collectors sometimes ask me whether I can make the blade slightly longer, or slightly deeper, or whether I can give the edge more or less curvature. The simple answer is yes because I make each knife completely by hand, which allows Me to do just about anything a collector might envision. It is also true, however, that I have refined many of my signature designs over more than a decade of knife making, so in many cases the only things we alter are the materials for the piece. 

Let’s take a look at a few a examples:

Chef Knives

Chef’s knives are my most popular designs, largely due to the fact that so many people are passionate about their food; chef’s knives get used, usually on a daily basis, so the appeal of a truly unique piece is more obvious. 

7” Chef’s Knife

Below is a simple example of my signature 7” chef’s knife, featuring a blade of 1084 high carbon steel and a handle of stabilized curly maple.

A knife with a wooden handle

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The next example is the same 7” chef’s knife design, with the same handle material, but this time the blade is 45 layer high carbob “Texas Wind” damascus steel, done with a high contrast finish.

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10” Chef’s Knife

Next there is a 10” chef, also done in the 45 layer “Texas Wind” with a curly maple handle, but in this case the damascus has been done with a low contrast finish, and the curly maple has been dyed brown. Due to the popularity of certain sizes (e.g. 7”, 8”, 10”), I have templates to work against in order to produce repeatable designs, but there is absolutely no reason I couldn’t do a 9.75” chef’s knife, for example.

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Variations Of Chef’s Knives

Finally, here are two examples of pairs of rather fancier versions of my standard designs. The first is a matched pair of multi-bar twist damascus blades with a more complex handle constructed of book matched curly walnut with a curly maple spacer. The second example features a matching set, including an 8” chef’s knife and 5” petit chef, along with custom “saya” (scabbards) for each one. Both of these two examples also feature a scooped “pinch bolster” at the front of the handle to provide different ergonomics.

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These handmade kitchen knife samples are all variations on a chef’s knife theme, and I provide them only as examples of what can be done with relatively small changes. The possibilities are nearly endless, and I look forward to the ideas that my customers bring to me. More often than not, they enable me to come up with something that I never would have on my own.

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About The Author

Zack Jonas was born and raised in Massachusetts in the 1980’s and is still a New Englander today. With his growing love for art over the years, he took an introductory bladesmithing class at MASSart. It was there that he learned one of his most valuable lessons, which is that everyone has some insight worth learning. Today, he is a full-time bladesmith and feels incredibly fortunate to have found his calling.