Adonis X Karyś Gyuto 220mm 1.2419.05

One of a pair of knives created by two of Europe’s most talented artisan smiths, Antoine Kniamen of Adonis Forged Arts and Karol Karyś of made by karyś. In this collaboration the two artisan craftsmen have forged a blade each, but to make things interesting each knife has been completed by the opposite craftsman. The result is two extraordinary and unique kitchen knives.

These two makers are inspired by very different and unique styles. Karol Karyś is fascinated by textures and looks to brutalist architecture for inspiration giving his knives textures that often feel like they have been eroded by time and harsh weather. Antoine on the other hand is inspired by the renaissance, and traditional Japanese technique. So, his work often features straight lines and elegant curves paired with vibrant colours and classical features.

So, the result is an elegant blend of the two artists styles. The blade Antoine forged, in tungsten alloyed 1.2419.05 German steel, is very clean with silky smooth lines and a satin polished finish. The clean finish is an ironic wink at his collaborator who is well known for a rustic and weathered, brutalist style textured finish. But this is no simple piece of polished steel. The blade is a combination of Antoine’s two signature styles, his Kaze series with its hand forged bevels and his more contemporary creations. Performance wise you get an incredibly thin and sharp walkschliff ground blade with an outstanding cutting action on the board.

Karol has given the blade one of his highly facetted and textured handles featuring elegant scroll style engravings on the brass bolster. The engravings are subtly placed amongst his signature brutalist textures, a tasteful nod to Antoine’s renaissance inspired style. The antique linen micarta is a thoughtful choice on Karol’s part also, giving the handle a look and feel that is complimentary and yet somehow still full of Karol’s identity and spirit.

This is one incredible piece, you can imagine the challenge of blending two style like this, which are so unique and different from one another. The two collaborators have managed to blend the styles in a very tasteful and beautiful way. A stunning one of kind piece.