Rolin Knives 165mm Cleaver 51200 Spalted Maple

Hand forged mono steel vegetable cleaver made from 52100 carbon steel that’s been acid darkened. It features a compound grind (S-Grind) with a medium-thin edge and distal taper that allows for a precise and smooth cutting action with a substantial feel and noticeable food release effect. The half square and half circle shaped is made from spalted maple with a cocobolo ferrule

Spalted maple is not a species of maple but is a common maple that has been allowed to enter into a state of controlled spalting (partial decay) where the fungus that has begun to break down the wood fibers creates high contrast and distinct lines between the pale cream tones and the tan and gray patches. When the spalting is halted at the correct time, the fine grain texture and overall integrity of the wood are not compromised.

All aspects of this knife were meticulously forged, treated, ground, machined, worked, shaped and fit with an incredible amount of detail and intention by Nick Rolin. Originally from the Bay Area, Nick’s blade shapes and styles are inspired by his years as a fine-dining line cook that preceded his time spent in NYC as a bartender after earning a degree in Sustainable Agriculture from UCSC. After a weekend knife making class in 2016, Nick began making knives for friends and the eventual demand lead to returning to the Bay Area in 2022 to make knives full-time.

We were able to test a few of Nick’s knives and were impressed not only with the craftsmanship and aesthetics but also the edge performance, cutting feel and sharpenability of the knives. We are lucky to have Nick in our backyard and are proud to be able to offer his work to our knife community.