Knife edge

A close up of the tip of a Damascus steel knife made by my friend Achim Wirtz, a master knife maker in Germany. This particular blade is about 12 inches long, took well over a hundred hours to forge, and was "a fun project" for him. His knife-making skills leave other accomplished knife makers shaking their heads in disbelief.

I spent some time with Achim and other knife maker friends over the weekend. It was fascinating listening to him talk about ancient bloomery forges, bog ore and medieval sword polishing techniques. I can't account for why I'm so smitten by Damascus steel knives, but can confirm that owning one makes time fly in the kitchen.


Click on the thumbnail in the lower right hand corner and you'll see Achim and another knife he made a year ago, plus a close up of that knife he's holding here.