Boasting well over a decade of metalworking and bladesmithing experience, not to mention a masters degree in metallurgy and the right to claim co-inventor of the high-performance steel alloy used in this very blade, artisan Tobias Hangler’s chef’s knives check all the boxes. Forged at his studio outside of Graz, Austria, Tobias has fashioned this beautiful, 224mm / 8.8″ blade from ApexUltra carbon steel clad in stainless steel, the two materials separated by a vein of pure nickel to inhibit carbon diffusion during forging and hardening. Large and powerful in the hand, the blade stands 56mm tall at the rounded, polished choil, delivering ample belly in the Japanese-inspired profile for big cutting jobs, toughness along the thin, hard edge for precision and versatility, and a very fine, needle-like tip for detail work and slicing. Balancing an inch in front of the heel, below a wide, tapering, polished spine and forged-finished flats that show the origins of the blade’s hand-hammered origins, the knife is weighted, powerful, and still nimble in the hand. For comfort and control at the cutting board Tobias sculpts striking sumac wood, secured by three flush, stainless pins to form a simple, elegant, all-business handle that suits a variety of hands and cutting styles. A one-of-a-kind workhorse for the hard-working chef’s kitchen.