If you are paying any attention to the world of handmade knives, you will know that the best knife is a damascus knife. Be it a chef knife or a hunter, a letter opener, or a longsword, damascus knives are at the top of the heap. As a custom knife maker, I make little else, and over more than 15 years of work, I have had some favorites.
Pick 1
Though it may not be my best damascus chef knife, the first standout is the one that turned out to be the initial prototype for what has become my signature knife. I based my design on the knives I reached for the most in my own kitchen, seeking to distill the best of each one into an appealing, functional, and attainable package. That first one featured a 7” blade of forty-five layer high carbon damascus steel in a pattern known (for reasons unknown, actually) as “Texas Wind.” It was paired with a 5” handle of fine African blackwood with bronze accents.
Pick 2
Another one of my best damascus chef knives is one of a handful of pieces that earned itself a name. I called it “MOM” because those three letters appeared clear as day in the raindrop damascus pattern on the 10” blade. Paired with nickel silver and ancient swamp kauri wood from New Zealand, this piece was one of the first five I submitted in application for the rank of Master Smith through the American Bladesmith Society.
Pick 3
A knife that will forever stand out as one of my best damascus pieces—though not a chef knife—is a large carving knife I called “The Bastard.” This one was a custom order for a real foodie from New York, and what he wanted was a sinister, mean, elegant knife for carving meat at the table. The integral damascus blade was fully 14” long, done in a pattern developed by my friend, Mareko Maumasi, called “Dragon’s Fire” mated to an edge billet of “firestorm” damascus. The combination of the two billets made precision in the forging process very important. This knife really ignited my interest in multi-bar damascus blades.
Pick 4
A piece that must also be on this list is a damascus chef knife I completed for a pair of my favorite clients about a year ago. The clients are a father and his young son. When we first met, the son was only 7 years old, but the two of them already had a shared hobby of preparing fine cuisine. They built their collection over the ensuing years, until the father decided it was time for the son to commission his own chef knife. The son had a surprisingly clear vision for his best damascus chef knife. He wanted The “River Of Fire” mated with a twist for the 6” blade, with Arizona ironwood burl, bronze, and iron for the handle. To this day it is one of the finest pieces I have ever made. I loved the project especially because I knew the piece would bring joy and bonding to these two special clients.
I look forward to my next best damascus chef knife. Contact Jonas Blade to commission one now!
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.