{"title":"Joel Black","description":"\u003cp\u003eJoel Black is among the most well-known and well-respected blacksmiths in the UK, and his path to the forge runs through professional kitchens as much as through workshops. Close to two decades cooking in commercial kitchens across the UK and France gave him the practical understanding of what a kitchen knife needs to do, and a BA Hons in Artist Blacksmithing followed by seven years of forge experience gave him the means to make one. Working from Hereford, he occupies an unusual position: a maker who has lived both sides of the board, designing tools with first-hand knowledge of how they will be used.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHis knives are rustic and unmistakably hand-made, but the performance behind the aesthetic is serious. Black works with premium carbon steels including Apex Ultra, 26C3 (Spicy White) and Sheffcut, and produces his laminated steels in house. The range includes Honyaki, in-house Damascus, wrought iron and stainless clad blades, alongside other tasteful combinations he develops in his own forge. The design language sits somewhere between traditional British blacksmithing and contemporary culinary geometry, with each blade resolved to balance workshop character against the precision a modern kitchen demands.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhat makes Black's work stand out is the consistency between intent and outcome. The knives look like the tools of a craftsman who has cooked, because they are, and they cut like blades made by someone who has spent serious time at the forge, because he has. For Modern Cooking, Joel Black represents a particular strand of British artisan bladesmithing we value highly: materially honest, performance-led, finished with workshop character rather than polish for its own sake. His knives are beautifully made working tools, built to be used and to age well in serious hands.\u003c\/p\u003e","products":[{"product_id":"gyuto-250mm-wrought-iron-clad-apex-ultra-kogatana-saya","title":"Gyuto 250mm Wrought Iron Clad Apex Ultra - Kogatana Saya","description":"\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eThis is such a unique and iconic design from Joel Black. The addition of the Kogatana makes this a very practical all in one package. The Kogatana is a great little knife for small detail tasks and forged in the same wrought iron clad Apex Ultra steel it’s not just a fancy bonus, it’s a practical and very sharp complimentary utility knife.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eThe Gyuto is substantially thick at the pinch point 4mm+, but it very quickly thins out to about 2mm and eventually tapers to just over 1mm before hitting a very fine needle like tip. Balanced perfectly with a comfortable blade hight around 50mm, nice thin bevels and hair-splitting sharp edge.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eThe finish on the blade is very beautiful. Wave like wrought iron with an almost Damascus layered pattern to it, treated with a hazy Kasumi on the bevels and reflective satin polish on the core Apex Ultra Steel. Above the bevels Joel has given the blade a contrast rich, mottled kurouchi finish.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eIt’s stunning blade and it will perform beautifully.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eThe saya and handle are made of bog oak with a simple silky smooth waxy finish. Subtle and classy with a touch of orange contrast twine on the Kogatana. Beautiful fit and finish all around, a very cool and iconic design that is practical and striking.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Joel Black","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":43779000959241,"sku":"MC-91-660","price":1442.56,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0581\/7273\/5626\/products\/Gyuto250mm_KogatanaWroughtIronCladApexUltra-6.jpg?v=1754644895"},{"product_id":"gyuto-250mm-wrought-iron-clad-apex-ultra-kogatana-saya-1","title":"Gyuto 250mm Wrought Iron Clad Apex Ultra - Kogatana Saya","description":"\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eThis is such a unique and iconic design from Joel Black. The addition of the Kogatana makes this a very practical all in one package. The Kogatana is a great little knife for small detail tasks and forged in the same wrought iron clad Apex Ultra steel it’s not just a fancy bonus, it’s a practical and very sharp complimentary utility knife.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eThe Gyuto is substantially thick at the pinch point 4mm+, but it very quickly thins out to about 2mm and eventually tapers to just over 1mm before hitting a very fine needle like tip. Balanced perfectly with a comfortable blade hight around 50mm, nice thin bevels and hair-splitting sharp edge.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eThe finish on the blade is very beautiful. Wave like wrought iron with an almost Damascus layered pattern to it, treated with a hazy Kasumi on the bevels and reflective satin polish on the core Apex Ultra Steel. Above the bevels Joel has given the blade a contrast rich, mottled kurouchi finish.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eIt’s stunning blade and it will perform beautifully.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eThe saya and handle are made of bog oak with a simple silky smooth waxy finish. Subtle and classy with a touch of orange contrast twine on the Kogatana. Beautiful fit and finish all around, a very cool and iconic design that is practical and striking.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Joel Black","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":43779017572617,"sku":"MC-91-661","price":1442.56,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0581\/7273\/5626\/products\/Gyuto250mm_KogatanaWroughtIronCladApexUltra_2-28.jpg?v=1754644872"},{"product_id":"gyuto-230mm-damascus-clad-apex-ultra-kogatana-combo","title":"Gyuto 230mm Damascus Clad Apex Ultra Kogatana Combo","description":"\u003cp\u003eThrilled to have some more work from Joel Black. The Kogatana and Gyuto combo with saya is such a cool design. A small Kogatana knife for the details and a Gyuto to cover the rest. The black bog oak saya and orange para cord look very cool together.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA paragraph in and we haven't even mentioned Joel's exceptional work forging and finishing both of these incredible high performance blades. The convex bevels on the Gyuto are finished on whetstones, delivery both performance and amazing aesthetics.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe Kogatana is a lovely little kitchen scalpel, perfect for detail work like coring, scoring, and cleaning produce. Made from the same Damascus clad Apex Ultra steel, this is a handy razor conveniently paired with this stunning Gyuto.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Joel Black","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":44370927911177,"sku":"MC-91-662","price":1797.4,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0581\/7273\/5626\/files\/Gyuto230mmDamascuscladApexUltraKogatanaCombo-7.jpg?v=1754643998"},{"product_id":"gyuto-240mm-iron-clad-apex-kogatana-combo","title":"Gyuto 240mm Iron Clad Apex Kogatana Set","description":"\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eJoel Black continues to produce his Gyuto, Kogatana sets and it is clearly becoming a signature design for the ex pro-chef come artisan bladesmith. Joel’s knives are characterised by premium stone finished bevels and geometry inspired by his years in the professional kitchen, and clearly a touch of Japanese design. The highly tapered geometry sets his work apart from classic Japanese kitchen knives. The tapered geometry gives his knives a highly versatile design perfect for fine cuts and more workhorse cuts alike. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eHowever, the beautiful stone polished bevels, which are a signature feature on Joels knive’s and the classic octagonal handles show that his knives are clearly inspired by Japanese design. This blade features a house forged Apex Ultra, Iron Clad, SanMai with a rustic blacksmith finish and Kasumi polish. The grip is a beautiful combination of Black Palm, Mammoth Molar and Buffalo horn. The Kogatana is Apex Ultra clad in Damascus and both knives fit in the Bog Oak Saya. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThis is the perfect set for a professional chef to carry daily or as a perfect starter set for any home kitchen. The kogatana for the fine details and the Gyuto for everything else. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Joel Black","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":44429364756745,"sku":"MC-91-663","price":1807.38,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0581\/7273\/5626\/files\/Gyuto240mmIronCladApexUltraKogatanaSet-14.jpg?v=1754643889"},{"product_id":"gyuto-215mm-honyaki-kogatana-set","title":"Gyuto 215mm Honyaki Kogatana Set","description":"\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400;\" data-mce-fragment=\"1\" data-mce-style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eJoel Black has polished and etched to revel a stunning hamon and incredible alloy banding on this honyaki kogatana set. If you have ever wondered how this kind of finish is achieved, it’s a long process of skilfully polishing the steel on a variety of specialty whetstones, some of which are very rare and often extremely expensive. The steel is also etched in various contrast solutions like citric acid, which highlight the hamon and alloy banding.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400;\" data-mce-fragment=\"1\" data-mce-style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eJoel has a passion for this kind of finish, and it shows in the results, which are stunning. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400;\" data-mce-fragment=\"1\" data-mce-style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eFrom a performance perspective the edge is very sharp, and geometry is beautifully shaped. Perhaps one of the best features of a stone finished knife like this is that it’s very difficult to achieve such a clean and beautiful finish while also hiding inconsistencies in the bevels. So, what you get is perfect bevels that are easy to maintain and a geometry that is a pleasure to cut with.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400;\" data-mce-fragment=\"1\" data-mce-style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eThis is one of two honyaki kogatana sets that we recently received from Joel, both have walnut, dear antler, and buffalo horn handles and walnut sayas. Both knives also feature a kogatana utility knife as part of the package, which is also finish in the honyaki style.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400;\" data-mce-fragment=\"1\" data-mce-style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eThis is a stunning piece of work from Joel, the kind of thing we would happily take home ourselves.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Joel Black","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":44452876321033,"sku":"MC-91-664","price":2064.36,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0581\/7273\/5626\/files\/Gyoto215mmC130Honyaki-57.jpg?v=1754643833"},{"product_id":"gyuto-220mm-honyaki-kogatana-set","title":"Gyuto 220mm Honyaki Kogatana Set","description":"\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400;\" data-mce-fragment=\"1\" data-mce-style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eKind of burying the lead here, but I wanted to start with the stunning material selection on this one. Primarily the stunning walnut used for the body of the handle and the Saya. Walnut is such a beautiful timber. It has an incredible subtle character. This feels perfect as a paring for the distinct and classy style of a Honyaki blade.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400;\" data-mce-fragment=\"1\" data-mce-style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eThe walnut features incredibly stunning figure with some lovely eyes and a soft matte finish that has a delightful soft texture to it. At the business end of the handle, you will find a classy antler and buffalo horn ferule giving the handle an antique feel about it.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400;\" data-mce-fragment=\"1\" data-mce-style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eSo, getting to the main attraction, the blade is incredible. A lovely geometry, tapered spine and a thin and sharp edge. The incredible stone finish, beautiful cloud Hamon and detailed alloy banding are really what this knife is all about and its stunning.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400;\" data-mce-fragment=\"1\" data-mce-style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eThis incredible Gyuto comes as a set with a Kogatana utility knife, with its own unique space in the hand crafted Saya. An incredibly unique piece of one of the UK’s finest craftsmen.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Joel Black","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":44452876386569,"sku":"MC-91-665","price":2064.36,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0581\/7273\/5626\/files\/Gyoto220mmC130Honyaki-7.jpg?v=1754643811"},{"product_id":"gyuto-230mm-wrought-iron-clad-apex-kogatana-set","title":"Gyuto 230mm Wrought Iron Clad Apex Kogatana Set","description":"\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eSatisfyingly thick around the pinch point with a subtle taper to the tip. Convex bevels and a lovely razor-sharp edge. From a performance standpoint Joel Black knows what he is doing, this is going to be a very fun knife to have in your kitchen.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe blade is forged in apex ultra, which will give you an amazingly sharp and resilient edge. The wrought iron cladding has a unique pattern through it and Joel has finished the bevels with a subtle and hazy Kasumi polish, which looks incredible.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe blade is dressed in some beautiful materials and the result is a rustic, Japanese inspired design, stone polished bevels, and a package that includes a very useful Kogatana utility knife. The Amazique and Buffalo horn handle features a bog oak and Imitation Ivory spacer and pairs beautifully with the bog oak Saya.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eAll around a sensational piece of work, guaranteed to bring you joy in the kitchen.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Joel Black","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":44452878811401,"sku":"MC-91-666","price":1807.38,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0581\/7273\/5626\/files\/Gyuto230mmWroughtIronCladApexKogatanaSet1.jpg?v=1754643779"},{"product_id":"gyuto-240mm","title":"Black X Hado Gyuto 240mm SanMai, 135Cr3, Wrought Iron, Ebony and Brass","description":"\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe Black X Hado Gyuto is an exceptional knife, born from the collaboration of world-class craftspeople and designed exclusively for Modern Cooking’s MCX design studio. Limited to a rare batch of just ten pieces, this Gyuto exemplifies precision, artistry, and innovation. The blade is forged in the UK by the esteemed British blacksmith Joel Black, renowned for his craftsmanship and attention to detail. After forging, the blade journeys to Japan, where Hado Knives’ master sharpener Tadataka Maruyama applies his signature touch—an ultra-fine, flat grind paired with a chamfered heel and elegantly rounded spine. These details create a blade that balances performance with beauty, embodying the finest elements of culinary tool design.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe handle of this Gyuto is crafted in Austria by Tobias Hangler, bringing another layer of refinement to this extraordinary knife. Made from premium ebony and featuring a custom-fitted brass front bolster, the handle is shaped in the elegant tapered Rokkaku Hanmaru style, a Modern Cooking favorite for its ergonomic and aesthetic appeal. The blade’s classic pointed Gyuto profile, combined with a subtly radiused edge and tapered spine, ensures effortless cutting performance and a nimble, balanced feel in hand. Forged from 135Cr3, a high-carbon, low-alloy tool steel, this blade delivers exceptional sharpness and edge retention, making it a truely high performance, precision cutting tool.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThis project is a celebration of the challenges and rewards of global collaboration, bringing together artisans from four countries—spanning the UK, Japan, Austria, and Germany—over a period of six months. Each knife reflects the collective expertise and dedication of its makers, from forging and sharpening to handle craftsmanship and design. At Modern Cooking, we are immensely proud to have worked with such a talented network of artisans, including Joel Black, Tadataka Maruyama, and Tobias Hangler. The Black X Hado Gyuto is more than just a knife; it’s a symbol of what’s possible when passion, skill, and collaboration unite. With only ten pieces available, this Gyuto represents a rare and extraordinary achievement in modern knife-making.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Collaboration","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48804741284105,"sku":"MC-70-565","price":1314.75,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0581\/7273\/5626\/files\/JoelBlackXHado240mmGyuto135CR3WroughtIronCladEbonyandBrass0089.jpg?v=1754641095"}],"url":"https:\/\/moderncooking.com\/en-is\/collections\/joel-black.oembed","provider":"moderncooking.com","version":"1.0","type":"link"}