Like flames dancing upward from the embers, the magic of the natural world; the warmth of a fire on a cool night; the sensation of analog art held in the hand, are the sentiments conjured by Andrs Maldonado’s culinary creations. Forged by hand at his studio in southern Spain, Andrs combines 1080 and 15n20 high-carbon alloys to produce a damascus steel pattern of exceptional beauty, shaped all the same for unconditional function in the chef’s kitchen. Superbly finished with rounded edges and high-polished, hand-sanded satin bevels that allow the nickel-rich 15n20 to shine just so atop a canvas of dark 1080, the 205mm / 8.1″ blade is designed to do it all. Stiff, tough, and durable in the rear where a 60mm-tall heel is backed by expertly shaped convex bevel geometry above a very thin, hard, razor-sharp edge, the knife will chop for hours with ease. Moving forward, the spine tapers progressively and steadily, resulting in a touch of lateral flexibility in the blade’s front half as the mass at every point throughout its height continues to thin as well. An inch back from a very fine, needle-like tip the spine measures 0.9mm across, while half the distance again it is barely over 0.5mm in width. Versatile enough to make the most precise and exacting slices, and robust enough for the largest ingredients, Andrs has again delivered in all regards, just as we expect of his world-class bladesmithing. Adding to the elegance and utility of the blade is a slim while comfortable and voluptuously shaped handle that begins with a forged integral damascus bolster, and ends with a gorgeous piece of ironwood. The finishing touches include a brass spacer and matching, peened brass pin. Balancing around half an inch in front of the edge’s heel, this one-of-a-kind chef knife is as natural, nimble, and rewarding in the hand as it is to behold with the eyes.