Crafted as only Don Carlos Andrade can comes an extraordinary work of functional art in his French Chef profile, shaped from one of the rarest blade steels one will find in a kitchen knife: 4.25mm-thick Damasteel stainless damascus. Made in small batches at their Northern Sweden forge that has been producing steel for over 300 years, Damasteel’s premier offering is created specifically for high-performance edged tools, and Don makes the most of this storied material. From the thoughtfully rounded spine, symmetrical bevels slim progressively toward the edge with the pronounced freehand convexity for which Don is so well known. This approach to a working tool’s bevel geometry produces a powerful, tough, and versatile blade that will stand up to the largest and toughest foods while delivering consistent cutting performance and food release at the cutting board. Standing 57mm tall at the heel and tipping the scales at 10.4oz / 294g overall weight, the one-of-a-kind piece exudes power and demands respect in any cook’s hand. With the the rear of the blade perfectly positioned for chopping tasks small, large, and XXL, Don then slims the spine steadily forward until a fine, needle-like tip is reached. With the geometry at the tip and just before it expertly honed by this formally-trained-chef-turned-bladesmith of over two decades, there is no slice too precise, and no cut too delicate for this stunning, and stunningly versatile, 206mm / 8.1″ blade. Furthering both the knife’s unique aesthetic beauty and purposeful utility is a handle carved from ‘ivory’ G10. A sculptor of stone and bronze for decades prior to crafting knives, Don’s comfortable and ergonomic French-inspired form is a throwback to those days of creating three-dimensional artworks. His recognizable styling of embellishing knife grips through careful engraving is complemented by an ‘lunar’ inlay of acrylic which sits atop a hidden pin. Completing the build, surrounding the blade’s tapering, full-tang are two, flush, polished stainless pins.