Detroit bladesmith Nico Nikolaides delivers in breathtaking style with his first offering of 2025. A one-of-a-kind vegetable cleaver designed and built for daily meal prep combines a collection of materials that just may define a new genre of visual art. With Niko’s technical and performance-driven attributes a firmly in place, attention turns first to the homemade san mai (three layer) blade steel’s cladding which he has forged from a combination of 52100 high-carbon ball bearings, 1084 powder steel, and 4800kc powder steel, to produce a striking visual effect. Metallic ripples, like a soft rain on a still pond, produce a topographic-like texture from the spine downward through the symmetrical bevels, fading away into the dark, 52100 core which forms the cutting edge. Niko’s outstanding bevel geometry and forward-leaning balance that allows this purpose-built tool to perform with minimal effort ensure efficient vegetable chopping breakfast, lunch, and dinner. A very thin, hard and razor-sharp edge is backed by 12.2oz / 348g of mass, resulting in a powerful and steady feel in the hand. For comfort and control, a handle with as much unique style as the blade marries bolsters hand-forged from Niko’s Cluster pattern mosaic damascus steel with a stunning piece of ironwood burl and a ring of ancient, textured bog oak. From the heirloom fit damascus-to-wood transition, to the subtle rounding of the 91mm-tall blade choil, and every detail in between, this Detroit-based artist as raised the bar yet again.