Gyuto 216mm Wrought Iron Clad 135Cr3 Full Kasumi "Phénix" Mali Irie-Cros

$2,872.00

This is truly something special and such a representative piece, both in terms of Milan’s perspective on knife making, but also in terms of the very art of cooking itself. For this piece Milan forged the blade from a San Mai billet he constructed out of 135Cr3 clad in wrought iron. The wrought iron was up-cycled from a unused wagon wheel from his property in rural France. The handle is also up-cycled oak originally harvested and used to produce wine barrels. This concept of producing some beautiful from something unwanted or unused is fitting as in cooking it is often the same. Think of a rough cut of meat that is slow cooked until it is tender and flavorful or a vegetable that is bitter and tough until pickled or braised.

Milan partnered with world renowned hand engraving Mali Irie-Cros to have the blade engraved with the Phénix, a symbol that represents rebirth, a fitting icon for such a beautiful piece of work. Mali Irie-Cros has an intimate relationship with knife making or more accurately the art of sword making. She is a multi-award winner at the Nihon Bijutsu Token Hozon Kai (NBTHK) sword making completion in Tokyo, where in 2018 and 2019 she was awarded first place for her engraving work on Japanese Katana.

The knife itself has a simple, yet elegant design, but Milan’s artistry is much more than skin deep. A water quenched HRC 64 San Mai blade that has been ground by hand on water cooled stone wheel and finished on natural Japanese whetstones. The result is a beautifully consistent convex grind with a stunning Kasumi polish, hazy and clean with lovely alloy banding elements that peak through highlighting the natural structure of the wrought iron cladding.

The realization of such a beautiful piece is the completion of many hours work using artisan techniques to produce a what is an undeniably beautiful culinary kitchen knife, but also a high-performance cutting tools with a very precise geometry. Just amazing!

Product Specification

Blade Type: Gyuto

Overall length:

Edge Length: 216mm

Spine Heel: 4mm

Spine Mid: 3mm

Spine Tip (20mm before): 1mm

Blade Height: 50mm

Weight: 205g

Cutting Edge Steel: 135Cr3

Stainless: No

HRC: 64+

Blade Construction: 3 Layer (San Mai)

Blade Finish: Kasumi and Matte Polish

Grind: Convex

Handle Construction: Hidden Tang

Handle Materials: Old Oak, Brass

Handedness: Ambidextrous

Saya, Hand Crafted Storage or Display Included: Yes

Shipping & Returns

Shipping

We process orders 5 days a week (Monday - Friday) and ship from our shop in Berlin, Germany. We ship with FedEx, UPS and Deutsche Post.

We are happy to offer free international shipping on a variety of orders depending on location and order value. You can check to see where things sit for you here.

Returns

At Modern Cooking we want our customers to be inspired and delighted by the products they purchase through our shop.

However, we understand that you may need to return products occasionally. If you are not entirely happy, you can return your purchase in its original condition within 14 days for a refund. Please email if you wish to return any goods.

In the unlikely event that you receive faulty goods or your order is damaged in transit, please contact us for instructions on how to return the goods as in this case we will meet the cost of return postage, though only if this is arranged through our authorised carriers. Any claim for refund or exchange resulting from faulty goods or goods damaged in transit must be raised within 5 business days.

All Modern Cooking logistics partners provide insurance in case of damage, but the coverage is only valid if we are notified within 5 business days. Please make sure to inspect your order immediately upon receipt to ensure that there is no damage.

Once we have the goods back, we will issue a full refund or send replacements where possible, as you prefer.

Product Care:

Cleaning: Clean by hand with warm water. Avoid wetting the handle when possible. 

Sharpening: We advise using whetstones to sharpen your knives and a honing rod or steel to maintain the burr between sharpening sessions. 

Reactive Steels: Reactive steels like Aogami Super, Apex Ultra or one of the many premium reactive German and Swedish steels are susceptible to rust if not properly cared for. In this case we advise that you keep the knife dry between uses and when storing the knife for longer periods wiping the knife blade with Tsubaki oil or another food safe oil is a wise choice. This will not stop a patina forming on the blade, but it will stop rust. A patina can be a beautiful personal feature on your knife and helps to stop rust forming. So, dry your knife regularly between uses, store in a dry place and apply some Tsubaki oil from time to time when storing for long periods. 

A reference guide to steel types

Handle Care: If you have a knife with a non-stabilised wooden handle, you can apply Tsubaki oil or another food safe oil to your handle from time to time. Food safe wax can be applied to both stabilised and no-stabilised wooden handles. Never apply hot wax or oil as you risk warping or damaging the handle.