Undercurrent Silver Chef 265mm

In a tool built for cutting performance first and foremost, an undercurrent of artful, refined elegance permeates each element of this one-of-a-kind chef knife forged by Jordan LaMothe. Practicing his craft in Upstate New York, the ABS Master Bladesmith held nothing back in the creation of this first tool built exclusively for our online collection…Jordan did however contribute a knife named Rift to The Art of Cutlery, a group exhibition which we curated in NYC in 2024, the first knife at that event to find a buyer. Like Rift, this work of culinary art has been forged by hand from an exceptional, homemade damascus pattern, named as you may have guessed, Undercurrent. The bold, flowing marriage of carbon steel alloys extends from the integral handle bolster forward to the tip, forming a striking, 265mm / 10.4″ blade. With the popularity of ‘feathered’ damascus steel patterns today this blade could appear at first glance to present its own play on the feathering technique, however that is not the case: Jordan has instead designed and forged a pattern that when cut, stacked, and aligned just so into the final mosaic, and then carefully stretched through repeated hammer blows via the blade profile’s formation, appears to mimic the oft-seen approach but using very different methods. When the blade hits the board, it is every bit as performative and hard-working as it is beautiful. Jordan’s symmetrical bevel geometry is superb from tip to heel, offering full-convexity that slims from the spine downward, culminating at a razor-sharp, near zero-edge, with only a slight secondary bevel being present. The rounded blade spine tapers steadily, providing strength and toughness in the rear nearest the 55mm-tall heel, and a thin, aggressive tip at the end of the K-tip profile, just behind which Jordan balances precision with enough material for demanding work and durability. These attributes combine with a finely tuned heat treatment to produce a hard blade with a touch of lateral flexibility in the front half. Completing the handle that is as comfortable to hold as any we have had the honor of experiencing, Jordan matches to the rounded, integral bolster of Undercurrent damascus two rings of polished sterling silver which bookend a piece of Arizona Dessert Ironwood, followed by a beautifully sculpted piece of Indian Rosewood. Finally, a decorative, polished stainless steel inlay is found at the handle’s rear face.