Unabashed cutting power and a head-turning aesthetic that will keep guests talking long after the meal is served position this striking, robust nakiri by Jeramie ‘Jezz’ Heywood squarely at the intersection of art and tool. A long-time maker and steel aficionado, Jezz makes a variety of specialty blade steel formulas at his shop in Australia for both his own knives and those of other artisans, and even the handle of this creation is made in-house from a composite consisting of recycled plastics. But, back to the blade. Alternating layers of iron and steel are interspersed with veins of copper that extend from the rounded, polished spine (a close inspection of which displays a cross-section view of the many layers) down to just above the edge, forming the dynamic and beautiful outside cladding of the 202mm / 8″ long by 59mm tall blade. Polished and etched, every nuance in the materials’ grain is on show throughout. Forming the final cutting edge is 52100 high-carbon steel, thin, hard, and sharp, the culmination of convex bevels that prize strength and toughness, shaped superbly for all manner of meal prep including the most demanding cuts while easily handling the more delicate slices at the same time. For grip, secured at the front where blade tang enters and disappears into the homemade composite handle is a collar of pine, the composite then tapering out subtly toward the rear, where a forged copper final completes the build.