The Slicer / Carving Knife Apex
The Slicer / Carving Knife Apex
This slicer is a carving knife for preparing meat and fish, both raw and cooked. Its profile takes inspiration from Japanese tanto blades, adapted here for a fine culinary knife. The spine starts thick near the handle and tapers quite quickly along the blade towards the tip.
I’ve made the lamination here in the workshop, combining stainless steel, pure nickel and an Apex Ultra core. Apex Ultra offers excellent edge retention at very high hardness, while its fine carbide structure keeps it relatively easy to sharpen. It’s a combination that suits a slicer well, holding a fine cutting edge through plenty of use and responding well to sharpening when it needs refreshing.
The stainless cladding makes everyday care simpler, although the exposed carbon steel core will develop a patina and should be washed and dried after use.
The handle is made from spalted silver birch with a bog oak bolster, shaped in my signature Nouko handle design.
Cutting edge length: 215 mm
Blade height at the heel: 40 mm
Spine thickness: 4.5 mm at the ricasso, 2.3 mm midway, 1.8 mm one inch before the tip
Core hardness: 67 HRC (Rockwell C)
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CARE & WARRANTY
My knives are made from some of the finest high carbon steel the industry has to offer. I tend to use Super Blue and White Japanese steel, along with 01 Tool steel.
High carbon steel lends itself to traditional bladesmithing from forging to heat treating for centuries. It allows the smith to achieve perfection without modern interference. High carbon steel blades are easy to sharpen and retain their edge for longer. In return, they require proper care if they’re going to remain rust free. They develop a beautiful patina over time, and become a truly unique treasured blade.
If you take care of your blade, it will take care of you.
For my handles, I use locally sourced hardwoods such as oak, walnut and and silver birch.. I’m beginning to experiment with olivewood which I source from my motherland in Greece.
I stabilise all my handles using the best available resin to retain their looks, and extend their life.
CLEANING & CARING -
Hand wash with warm water and soap or wipe with clean cloth and then dry the blade and handle thoroughly. If the blade was left wet and rust has developed, use vinegar and a soft sponge to remove the stains. Once in a while or if you store your knife for extensive periods apply a food-safe oil, this will protect the blade but also help it to develop a beautiful uniform patina.
DO NOT put your knife in the dishwasher - it will be damaged
Use warm water and a soft cloth to clean your blade and handle, then immediately dry with a soft cloth. If left wet, rust can develop on the blade, and the handle may occasionally warp. If you see any small spots of rust, use a little vinegar and a soft sponge to remove the marks and then wash and dry.
Every month, apply a little food safe oil on the blade to protect the blade, and help develop a beautiful patina. You can also apply food safe oil if you plan on storing the knife for any extended period of time.
CUTTING SURFACES AND STORAGE -
Always cut on soft surfaces. Hard surfaces such as metal, glass and stone will blunt your knife or even create chips in the blade. The best way to store your knife is on a non-metal surfaced magnet rack, or in a sheath or wrap if placed in a drawer.
Avoid using your knife to cut through bone and other hard materials. I apply a thin grind to all my knives, and hard materials will damage this. You’re perfectly fine to chop hard vegetables though.
OUR PROMISE TO YOU (WARRANTY) -
I produce knives to the best of my ability. Even so, there may be rare occasions where a knife may experience a material failure or previously unnoticed manufacturing issue. Under these circumstances, I aim to fix where possible, or replace. Please contact me as soon as you notice anything you don’t feel is right.
I do not warranty misuse or abuse of the knives, but I would be happy to inspect and quote for a repair.