Building beautifully designed, expertly engineered chef knives at his one-man shop in the US state of Arizona, Don Nguyen's culinary tools lend themselves to daily use in even the most demanding of kitchens and applications. Often beginning with thicker-than-average raw blade steel billets, his knives tend to be work-horse tools, stiff, balanced and shaped to handle hours of cuts that don't necessarily demand a delicate touch. Yet the thin edges and aggressive tips Don shapes with precision are as suited to exacting slices as to heavy chopping.