We cannot get enough of part-time maker Joshua White’s thoughtful work, so we were thrilled to have him visit our NYC office recently, leaving in our humble hands this gorgeous new one-of-a-kind chef knife. Josh’s style is unique, always eye-catching, and without fail, designed for cutting performance in kitchens large and small. Whether a home chef on the weekends or a professional chopping for hours a day, Josh’s balance and geometry tells the story of a hard-use tool at first touch. In house-made san mai steel clad with wrought iron, 1084, and 15n20 damascus over a 1095 high-carbon steel core, the Frosted Damascus Chef represents Josh beautifully. Balancing just at the blade’s heel above which the rounded spine measures an robust 5mm across, the knife is weighted and full in the hand, its 9oz / 256g overall weight combining with Josh’s outstanding, free-hand convex bevel geometry to produce a blade that moves effortlessly through ingredients, its heft doing its portion of the work and saving the chef’s energy at the same time. Tough and rigid throughout its length, the 187mm / 7.3″ blade’s spine nonetheless continues to slim gradually forward, from 5mm to around 3.8mm at the midpoint, and further still until reaching a fine, needle-like tip perfect for detail work, making this a versatile and well-rounded knife in an ideal overall size. Relatively straight is the edge profile near the heel where the blade stands a full 60mm tall, ensuring its ability to chop with speed and efficiency no matter how large or dense the ingredient. Rounded for comfort in the pinch grip, both the spine and choil are purposefully shaped and finished. The handle, both comfortable and a work of art in its own right, enjoys black and white G10 paired in a layout that we have seen from this New Jersey artist before. A frame of black, carved with handsome details from front to back and capped with a fluted ferule, is surrounded by nicely sculpted white scales that are inlaid with knurled black highlights. At the handle’s rear, allowing for its removal in case care and maintenance are needed is a domed bronze retention bolt screw. Included is a handmade leather saya.