High Carbon Steels (HCS) are what have been used to make edged tools for centuries. The addition of around 1% carbon to the iron, when heat treated correctly, can create a knife that is incredibly sharp, incredibly tough and one that will retain an edge for a considerable amount of time. A HCS knife will last for generations if looked after correctly. It will also develop what is called a “Patina” over time as the steel reacts with foods (particularly acidic foods) and the air; this is perfectly normal. The patina looks beautiful and tells the story of the knife; every patina is unique. It will also help with corrosion protection when fully developed. However, a HCS will develop rust if left uncared for, particularly in or around moisture.

Stainless Steels (SS) are generally categorised by having at least 14% chromium which is what gives it the stainless properties. SS blades are “stainless”, not stain proof and still require an element of care to make sure the blade will last for generations. Modern SS is now equivalent in performance terms to HCS. They can be made ridiculously sharp, can hold an edge for a long time although they are generally slightly less tough than HCS blades and are slightly more difficult to re-sharpen, due to their hardness.

Damascus patterned steel is a catch-all term. It is when at least two differing steels are “forge-welded’ together into many layers and then manipulated into different patterns which, when etched in acid, display the unique pattern. Damascus steel can be made of either HCS or SS. It is generally expensive due to the time, labour and materials required to make it, particularly in SS. However, when highly polished and etched, Damascus steel is absolutely stunning.

San-mai (3 layers in Japanese) is a technique where the core steel (HCS or SS) is clad on either side by a different steel. This cladding can be a different hardenable material or a mild steel that doesn’t harden. The original technique was developed in Japan when making Samurai swords. The softer cladding gives shock-absorbing properties to the blade and allows the core to be made very hard and sharp. When etched in acid, the differing steels care revealed and this can bring a very eye-pleasing aesthetic to the knife.

‘Hamon’ is a technique developed by Japanese Samurai sword makers. It is when a heat resistant clay is applied to the spine of the blade before heat-treatment. This means that when the blade is quenched, the spine cools much slower than the edge. This, similar to the San-Mai above, makes the edge incredibly hard but allow the spine to remain softer for increased shock-absorption. As with the San-Mai, when etched in acid, the line between the hard and softer areas can be seen and features as a ghostly line - the hamon. Hamons can only be achieved on HCS blades and not SS as they require a fast quench.

I use woods sourced both locally and from the furthest corners of the planet. Only a few woods are dense enough to be reliably used as scales without any treatment. For most of the wood I use, I ‘stabilise’ it by using a vacuum chamber to impregnate it with a resin. This makes the wood virtually bomb-proof and allows a beautiful polished finish. It is also possible to combine some really interesting pieces of wood with dyed resin to make what is called ‘hybrid’ wood.

I use a whole range of synthetic materials such as G10 (hard, coloured resin) and micarta (materials soaked in dyed resin). These make handle scales that are tough, wear resistant and also have a beautiful aesthetic. I also use a range of other resin based materials with different elements impregnated within it to give my handles amazing textures and colour contrasts.

Animal horn (and even bone in some cases) can be used to make the actual handle or parts, such as bolsters. Animal horn can come in a range of colours, shapes and sizes and has unique properties which make it perfect for knife handles; that’s why it’s been used for centuries.