This one will rust
A Blue 2 carbon steel core inside 48 layers of stainless damascus, hardened to 62-64 HRC. The keenest edge we sell, for the cook who will dry it the moment they're done.
Blue 2 (Aogami) core · 49 layers · 62-64 HRC · Sycamore and horn · 21.5cm
Free next working day delivery over £40. Order by 12pm for same-day dispatch.
Keep it with the Season Whetstone · £35
Steel this hard wants a stone, not a pull-through. The 1000 side sharpens and lifts light spotting; the 6000 side finishes the edge.
The steel
Why it takes that edge
Japanese bladesmiths have trusted Blue 2 for generations because nothing else takes quite that edge. The stainless around it does the rest of the work.
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Blue 2 (Aogami) carbon steel core
Only exposed along the cutting edge. It takes a keener edge than any stainless knife we stock.
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48 layers of stainless damascus
SUS420J2 cladding either side of the core - 49 layers in all. The flats behave like stainless.
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62-64 HRC
The hardest knife we sell. Hard steel holds a fine edge for longer, and asks for a stone when it does need sharpening.
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Figured sycamore and black buffalo horn
Natural materials. Wash and dry it by hand, the same as the blade.
Read this before you buy
The price of that edge is a small ritual
Leave it wet and the edge can spot within the hour. Dry it the moment you're done. Give it a wipe of oil if it's going to sit for a few days. Never put it in the dishwasher.
The edge will darken as you use it. That's normal - the darkening protects the steel. What the edge won't forgive is being left wet. Leave it damp overnight and it can pit, and the only way to get rid of pitting is for it to come back to us to even out the edge.
We stock a few of these because some people want exactly that trade: the sharpest knife we sell, and the habit of keeping it that way. Most people don't, and we'd rather tell you now than sell you something you resent within a few months.
By all means ask before you buy - we want you to end up with the right knife. It should be with you a lifetime - it's worth getting right.
If that isn't you: the S4 Chef's Knife · £100
The same obsession over build, a piece of cake to maintain, and £75 less.
See the S4
The stone we'd keep it with
Season Whetstone with Bamboo Base
1000 grit to sharpen and lift spotting, 6000 to finish. The bamboo base raises the stone so you can work comfortably.
£35
Free UK delivery over £40
Next working day. Order by 12pm for same-day dispatch.
Hold one first
Every one of our shops has it - Balham, Crouch End, Islington and West Hampstead.
We'll bring the edge back
If it ever pits, bring it into any of our shops.
Looking for something else?
Our own knives, from the everyday S2 to the S4, share one idea: a blade worth keeping for good.