Canadian bladesmith Casey Vilensky of Lynn Valley Forge gives a nod to his home country with this striking new feathered damascus pattern created at his North Vancouver studio. Maple Leaf damascus steel, metal art at its finest, fashioned as culinary art no less, features the most recognizable symbol of Canada in the form of darkly etched 1084 carbon damascus steel, outlined by the lighter, twisting and stretched interludes of pattern, driven by the 15n20 alloy's high nickel content. But it's not just fun and leaves around here; at 268mm / 10.55", this is no small chef knife, and Casey never sacrifices utility and function for good looks. The 62mm tall blade is quite thin and light for its size, slightly flexible toward the tip, and razor sharp at the edge. Relatively straight as a Japanese Gyuto often is, the profile is made for unabashed slicing, complete with very slim, aggressive tip, yet with its long footprint, the blade can rock on the board as well. Finally, a beautifully sculpted integral bolster is the slimmest part of a tapered handle, which begins wide and octagonal at the rear, carved from curly black walnut wood, then transitioning through rings of micarta before meeting metal. A brass retention nut is visible at the back of the handle, which matches the handsome curly black walnut saya's brass pins.