Corvus
"Corvus" Fine Handmade Chef's Knife
- Size: Length overall: 12.63" (32.1 cm), Blade Length: 7.5" (19.1 cm), Thickness: 0.084" (2.1 mm)
- Weight: Knife: 8.6 oz. (244 grams) Prise: 29.2 oz. (828 grams)
- Blade: ATS-34 high molybdenum martensitic stainless steel blade, T3 deep cryogenically treated with triple tempering to 61.5 HRC, mirror polished
- Bolsters, Fittings: 304 Austenitic Stainless Steel, Mirror polished
- Handle: Majestic Agate Gemstone (Oregon)
- Prise: Hand-cast, Food Contact Safe, High Strength Silicone
- Knife: The Corvus is Latin name for the family
of crows and ravens. I named this design because the shape of the
Corvus blade reminds me of the incredibly useful and resourceful
beak of the birds, one of nature's very best tools. The Corvus knife
reflects that; it's just the right size for most kitchen and chef's
work, without being to large and unwieldy. This is a thin, hard, and
incredibly sharp knife, with a good heel for the board and a perfect
curve for the chef's handwork. Our family likes this design so much,
it's our main knife in our own home kitchen.
- The steel I chose for the Corvus
blade is ATS-34, a high
molybdenum martensitic stainless steel. The molybdenum aids in
forming nucleation sites for complex carbide development,
and when properly treated, increases the toughness dramatically,
resulting in a blade that's extremely durable. This allows
me to temper the steel at a higher overall hardness
(61.5 HRC), even while being incredibly thin. This means
great wear resistance and less sharpening throughout the
life of the knife. The high chromium and high
carbon results in profuse chromium carbides, increasing
corrosion resistance as well as wear resistance. To bring
this steel to its zenith, I used my proprietary T3 deep
cryogenic process in heat treating this blade; it's a highly
detailed, extremely sophisticated process that takes 33
individual steps and takes over a week long. The result of this is an
incredibly wear-resistant blade that has extremely high carbide
development, fine grain, and extremely high toughness. Asperity is
reduced; the microstructure development is superior to any other
typical handmade knife, and far above any factory or
manufactured knife. This is, simply put, ATS-34 at its very finest
advanced condition. I achieved the blade grind with a
12" diameter contact wheel, creating a very thin hollow
ground blade that stays thin and keen, throughout the life
of the blade. This geometry, coupled with the steel type,
means a knife that will last through decades of use. Of
course, this steel is food contact safe and easy to clean
with a bright, beautiful mirror polish. The spine of this
knife is 84 thousandths of an inch thick, making a very
thin, extremely lightweight tool. I kept the spine and tang
smooth for easy cleaning, and the tang is fully tapered for
aesthetics and weight balance.
- I bolstered the knife with zero-care
304 high chromium, high nickel stainless steel bolsters. 304
is an austenitic stainless steel, and zero-care, as it's a
NSF certified safe kitchen material, used in stainless nuts,
bolts, and fasteners as well as most stainless restaurant
tools and equipment. The bolsters are rounded and smoothed
for comfort, sealed with food contact safe sealant, and
permanently mounted to the tang. They are dovetailed to lock
and bed the gemstone scales to the handle.
- The gemstone handle of this knife is a
bold, beautiful, hard agate coming from Oregon. It's called
Majestic Agate because of the rich purple hues, the color of
royalty throughout history. This is an unusual multi-colored
cryptocrystalline quartz, with large fields of lavender,
hints of black, golden-ochre, white, and reds. Hints of
green even flavor the fields of bright color, a rare
combination of beauty and variety in this natural gemstone.
There are even a few sealed and smooth crystal pockets and
inclusions. I chose bookmatched pieces for the handle, and
the polish is glassy and smooth. In the photos below, note
that most of them have a white reflector above the knife,
and you can tell because the bolsters are white. In several
others, I've removed the reflector, because it can create a
bit of glare on the shiny surface of the gemstone. These
show the bolsters as black. In those five-power enlargement photos, you can see
into the stone (without the reflector's glare) and get a
better idea of the magnificence of this rock. It's
astounding to think of what geologic forces and time it took
to form this stone, and how many wonderful, eternal things
are buried beneath our feet!
- The knife feels perfectly balanced on
the forefinger, it's solid and extremely lightweight in the
hand. It's smooth and sharp and yet long and substantial
enough for most kitchen chores. If you had to choose one
knife of medium size for your kitchen, this would be the
prime selection.
- Prise: New to the field and new to the world,
in early 2020, I developed the prise. This is a substantial block of
hand-cast 800 psi tensile strength silicone, grippy and tough and completely food contact
safe. This nearly 2 pound silicone form is heat-resistant to 450°F (232°C) and
is the perfect companion for the fine chef's knife. More than a rest
for the knife, it's storage, safety, protecting the knife from other
utensils, stopping movement, creating a safe zone for the knife
during use (instead of laying it bare on the countertop or cutting
board where it could spin around dangerously). It's easy to clean, extremely durable, and won't move on the
counter due to its "grippy" nature. Nothing sticks to it, and a
quick rinse in soapy water and rinse is usually all that is required to
clean it. I dyed this prise in a light gray, and in bright light,
the silicone seems to change color to a hint of blue. This is hard
to capture photographically, but the neutral gray will blend well
with most light-colored countertops, whether stone, tile, or
composite.
This prise is made for a right-handed user, so when the knife is to
the right side or at the top of the cutting board, the cutting edge
of the knife and point face away from the user for safety.
Please take the time to
read more about the prise at this bookmark, and see how our own
family uses this wonderful adjunct to the kitchen knife.
- A perfect, mid-sized, razor-keen long lasting chef's knife, in
premium materials and fine finish, with perfect accessory and ready
to bring beauty and function to a new level in the kitchen.
Jay,
Corvus has landed.
I immediately understood why it is your family's favorite chef's knife. The handling is superb.
Very nice weight, light but not overly so. A great size, with a blade thickness that is perfect. Blade flex is perfect - not too stiff, not too much, just a bit.
The prise is a wonderful idea, I love it.
Corvus is beautiful, too, but that is true of all your knives.
I had bought it as a gift, but I'm unsure if I will ever let it out of my hands.
I'd buy another if you put one up. Instantly, or faster if I could.
When I first encountered your knives, I was considering the Ullr for my first purchase. While I was mulling, it found a home.
I have always wished I had moved more quickly on that one. I purchased Corvus after less consideration than I might have otherwise, specifically because of the Ullr. I am glad I did.
Wonderful knife.
Thank you.
R. N.
Please click on thumbnail knife photos