A bold and beautiful chef knife from bladesmith Steve Pellegrino designed for utility and function, with striking looks that qualify as icing on the cake if you ask us. Form and function just the way we like it. The blade, 220mm / 8.7" long and 57mm tall at the heel, is forged at Steve's Philadelphia studio from a house-made, nine-layer formula with stainless outer cladding, layers of pure nickel and carbon shim, and a core of darkly etched 52100 carbon steel to form the convex section of the primary bevels and the razor-sharp, thin, and hard edge below. Balancing at the back of the maker's mark an inch in front of the heel, the blade's nicely rounded spine tapers steadily, culminating at a very fine, needle-like tip perfect for precision slices, while further back the edge maintains sturdiness for workhorse cuts breakfast, lunch, and dinner. The profile itself is incredibly versatile, with ample curvature to rock on the board and a tip, aligned to the bottom of the handle, low enough for easy detail work. In gorgeous, faceted ironwood with polished brass bolster and ring of black G10, the handle is classic and comfortable, especially in the pinch-grip which allows the forward-weighted blade to move effortlessly in the hand.