Clad in striking, house-made damascus and pure nickel, thisApexUltra-core chef knife was forged by the talented and experienced hands of Austria’s Tobias Hangler. Tobias is the bladesmith and metallurgist, with a Masters in Metallurgy from Montan University, who workedto develop from the ground up the new, high-performance steel that forms the blade’s edge, and this one-of-a-kind tool is as purposefully designed as the materialwithin it. Thin and razor sharp, the 235mm / 9.3″ edge sits below mid-high bevels that boast Tobias’ super convex geometry. The dense, random-pattern damascus transitions to the silky, satin-finished ApexUltra core through a layer of nickel that inhibits carbon diffusion out of the hard, monosteel edge during forging and heat treatment. A dynamic and versatile kitchen workhorse that balances less than an inch in front of the 57mm-tall heel delivers 9.3oz / 264g of wood and steel, imbuing power and control on the cutting board. The flush blade tang tapers backward through the handle for balance, becoming rounded and polished above a matching choil where the spine again begins to taper distally toward the tip, from 4mm, to around 2.4mm at the midpoint, to barely 1mm at the one-inch mark, and still thinner to a glass-thin, needle-like culmination perfect for detail work and precision slicing. A simply shaped, beautifully finished full-tang handle of poplar burl completes the package.