For the last few years, I have been using a Fusionwood santoku knife from New West Knifeworks in my kitchen. It’s truly a beautiful knife in every way: strong and sharp with a gorgeous wood handle. I’ve said all along that it’s a functional piece of art.
A few weeks ago a representative from New West Knifeworks contacted me about trying the chef knife from their newest line of knives, the Fusionwood 2.0 line, and I was delighted to put it to work in our kitchen. To be honest, when I started using santoku knives years ago, I never went back to a chef knife because I really love the thin blades that cut everything from meats to vegetables. They assured me that I would like the changes they’ve made to the chef knives, and boy were they right.
The Fusionwood 2.0 8 inch Chef Knife is a joy to work this. The full-tang blade is a combination of European and Asian influences, with a super thin cutting edge and extra-thick steel in front of the handle for easy gripping. It’s very lightweight compared to most chef knives, and deftly cuts through any meats or vegetables. I’ve cut beef, chicken, pork, turkey, butternut squash, broccoli, and many other vegetables, and it has performed all of those tasks beautifully. The blade holds its edge very well, and I’ve found that it just needs a bit of honing with a diamond sharpening steel about once a month. It’s easy to care for, just a dunk in hot water to clean the blade, towel dry, and slip it into the protective leather sheath.
As someone who appreciates fine knives—a trait I got from my father and grandfather—I am truly impressed with the colorful layered wood handles. They gorgeous and made with sustainably harvested hardwoods. They also have sustainably harvested cocobolo wood handles that darken over time and contain natural resins that resist water damage. I have knives with beautiful multi-colored handles and can’t wait to see a cocobolo handle.
The Fusionwood 2.0 knives come in 11 different styles, including the chef knife, paring knives, chopping knives, utility knife, serrated deli knife, and others. Between now and Christmas, they have a free shipping offer, plus you can enter their Facebook holiday sweepstakes to win a 4-piece chef knife set. The sweepstakes ends on December 20, so get your entry in soon!
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[Disclosure: I received a knife to review from New West Knifeworks. Opinions expressed are my own.]
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