THE KITCHEN INTEGRAL

As it does in other aspects of custom knives, integral construction, with blade bolster, tang and pommel forged from a single piece of steel, has its application in the kitchen. The high-performance chef ’s knives that result from such a construction provide an excellent opportunity for skilled knifemakers to showcase their abilities.

Function is always at the forefront. After all, first and foremost, all knives must cut. So, chopping, slicing and dicing ability, comfort in the user’s hand, edge-holding properties, and easy maintenance and upkeep are prerequisites. To step it up, consider chef ’s knives that blend the basics in their efforts to raise the game. Good looks are indeed a bonus, and the featured models deliver with delicious damascus, tantalizing handles and overall presentation that will keep you in the kitchen just for the sheer pleasure of manipulating them.

FORM & FUNCTION

When Gabe Mabry of Norwood, North Carolina, cooked up a kitchen stunner with a 300-layer ladder-pattern damascus blade