The beautiful, flowing grain of the handle's mun ebony wood meets integral forged bolsters of Niko's barbed mosaic damascus, which sit atop the blade's staggered, random pattern damascus upper section, merging finally with the edge's low-layer twist pattern. A work of culinary art by this Detroit bladesmith seems a fitting descriptor for this versatile kitchen workhorse that is as memorably enjoyed with the eyes as with the hands at the cutting board. A thin, hard edge is supported by Niko's wonderfully shaped and pronounced convex bevels which provide strength as well as food release from the 51mm-tall heel along the gently curved edge profile to the very fine, pointed tip, perfect for detail work. The rounded and polished blade spine tapers steadily yet allows only the slightest semblance of lateral flexibility, giving the knife a tough, hardworking feel with a balance point just at the front of the handle's bolsters.