From Rasp to Blade

Each knife begins with a reclaimed horseshoe rasp, sourced from farriers, antique dealers, and estate sales across the Northeast. These rasps were forged between the 1920s and 1960s from high-carbon steel built to withstand years of hard use. I select each one by hand, looking for the right weight, tooth pattern, and steel quality.

The rasp is heated in the forge until it glows orange, then hammered into shape on the anvil. This is where the blade profile takes form: the curve of the belly, the taper of the spine, the angle of the tang. Forging isn't just shaping. It's also refining the grain structure of the steel, making it tougher and more resilient.

Once forged, the blade goes through a precise heat treatment process. It's brought to critical temperature, then quenched to harden the steel. After that, it's tempered at a lower heat to balance hardness with flexibility. This step determines how the knife will hold an edge and how it will perform over years of daily use.

The hardened blade is ground on a series of belts, thinning the edge geometry and refining the profile. The signature rasp teeth are preserved along the spine and flats, creating the distinctive texture that doubles as a built-in grater for garlic, ginger, and citrus zest. Each grind is done freehand, guided by eye and touch.

Handles are shaped from stabilized wood, bone, antler, or other reclaimed materials. Each one is hand-fitted to the tang, then refined for comfort and balance. The handle has to feel right in your hand. It's the connection point between you and the blade, and getting it right is what makes a knife feel like an extension of your arm.

The last step is putting on the final edge: a razor-sharp bevel honed to cut cleanly through anything you put in front of it. The blade is inspected, cleaned, and given a light coating of food-safe oil. Then it's ready. Every knife that leaves the studio carries a lifetime of use in it, and a story that started long before it became a blade.