Jay Fisher - Fine Custom Knives

Chef's Set Fine Handmade Custom Knives

• Size: Knives
  • Concordia Sabatier: Length overall: 14.0" (35.6 cm), Blade Length at edge: 9.0" (22.9 cm), Thickness: .089" (2.3 mm)
  • Conditor Bread Knife: Length overall: 13.8" (35.1 cm), Blade Length at edge: 8.5" (21.6 cm), Thickness: .124" (3.2 mm)
  • Consus Paring Knife: Length overall: 7.25" (18.4 cm), Blade Length at edge: 3.25" (8.3 cm), Thickness: .090" (2.3 mm)
• Weight: Knives
  • Concordia Sabatier: 1 lb., 2 oz. (510 grams)
  • Conditor Bread Knife: 13 oz. (369 grams)
  • Consus Paring Knife: 4 oz. (113 grams)
• Size: Case: Length:17.25" (43.8 cm), Depth: 10.5" (26.7 cm), Height: 5.75" (14.6 cm)
• Weight: Case: 11 lbs., 8 oz. (5.2 kg)
• Blades: CPM154CM high molybdenum particle metal stainless tool steel, hardened and tempered
• Temper:
  • Concordia Sabatier: 60HRC
  • Conditor Bread Knife: 61HRC
  • Consus Paring Knife: 59HRC
• Bolsters, Fittings: 304 Austenitic Stainless Steel, Mirror Polished
• Handles: Agatized Petrified Extinct Palmoxylon Palm Wood Gemstone, +65 Million years old fossil
• Case: Pecan, Arririba (Canary wood), Padauk, Bloodwood, Bocote (Cordia), Red Oak, Poplar, Leather, 304 Stainless Steel
• Knives: This is a very special chef's set, custom made for a great client. He wanted a trio of critical knives, made to be comfortable, useful, and beautiful, with some of the finest premium materials available.
  • Blade Steel: The blade steel is CPM154CM, a high molybdenum, high chromium martensitic stainless tool steel that is made by the crucible particle metallurgy process. This means that the steel is manufactured in a powdered form and fused together under tremendous heat and high pressure. This allows a very high concentration of alloy elements, and very even distribution for the some of the very best high alloy tool steels available today. With this particular steel, very thin cross sectional areas can be tempered to a high hardness, translating to high wear resistance, while the steel is still very tough (resistant to breakage). That, coupled with the high corrosion resistance and superb finish capable in this steel, and the result is magnificent. This is, simply, some of the finest high alloy modern tool steel made in the world today.
  • Concordia Sabatier: Named for the Roman Goddess of harmony and peace, the Concordia is a majestic knife. The Sabatier is a recognized pattern, and my new Concordia design is an imposing and graceful adaptation of this design, begging to be used. I made the blade extremely thin and, coupled with the deep hollow grind, the cutting edge is micro-thin and breathtakingly sharp, from the needle-sharp point to the gently curved heel. Because of the deep and incredibly thin hollow grind, it will last many decades after repeated sharpenings and still remain razor keen. The heel of the long blade drops below the fingers enough to keep the hands off the board, and the long blade has just the right curve for rocking and mincing. The front bolster is sculpted for a pinch grip and additional thumb pressure when needed. The handle of the Concordia is large and substantial; my client wanted a handle that was significant in girth for comfort and control. The balance on the knife is terrific, and the knife feels great in the hand.
  • Conditor Bread Knife: Named for the Roman God of the harvest, the Conditor is a dedicated bread knife, made for slicing through difficult and hard-crusted breads with little tearing and fewer crumbs. The straight axis line of the blade aids in a sawing motion, and the deep "theatre curtain" serrations are distinctive and effective. The wide radius serrations are razor keen throughout, and the variable geometry aids in cutting action. The Consus is not limited to bread, but also slices vegetables with ease. The blade is hollow ground for a very long lifespan and thinness at the edge, and the blade is thicker than the Concordia for more rigidity and substance in a narrower profile. This also allowed me to temper the Conditor to a higher hardness, for extreme wear resistance and rigidity. The handle is long and large diameter and the knife is a pleasure to hold and use.
  • Consus Paring Knife: Named for the Roman God of grain and food storage, the Consus is a pleasing, comfortable, and useful paring knife. I designed it small enough for paring, yet large enough for tighter cutting chores like boning and trimming. The deep hollow grind means a very thin cutting edge with a razor-thin point for piercing an reaching into tight places. The handle is substantial enough to be gripped with three fingers or four, and the handle geometry allows the knife to be held comfortably in forward grip edge up, the traditional peeling grip style for fruits and vegetables. Because the blade is thin at the point, I tempered the Consus back to a tougher temper.
  • Fittings and Handles: The blades and tangs are smooth and polished to aid in cleaning, and the blades and handles are silky and comfortable. The knives are bolstered with zero-care 304 high nickel, high chromium austenitic stainless steel, the same steel used in tough stainless steel fasteners, and will hold their finish without corrosion indefinitely. All bolster faces are polished and finished, and they are secured to the tangs with zero clearance pins for a permanent and tight fit. They are dovetailed for rigidity and stability, and bed beautiful and striking handle scales of Agatized Petrified Palm Wood gemstone. This is an extremely hard fossilized palm wood, originally deposited as a giant palm tree Palmoxylon in the Cretaceous period, 145 to 65 million years ago in the time of the dinosaurs. What is unusual about this fossil is its extreme hardness (some of the hardest I've ever encountered) and the very large pattern of the pores. In the decades that I've been collecting and using petrified palm wood, I've never seen any with a pattern this large, and my references on this fossil confirm that it is a rare find. The tree that once grew in the ancient palm forests of what is now Texas must have been a colossal and majestic specimen. The fossil is highly polished with bits of crystalline structure, and all of the handles are book-matched. The gemstone is many times harder than the blades, and it's interesting to know that the handles will outlast the blades, the owner, and perhaps humanity itself! The gem is smooth and inviting, solid and robust, yet with good balance for each individual knife.
• The Case: A set of this bearing needed a very special case, and it took weeks to bring this one together just right. There are no veneers; all woods are solid panels of hardwoods. The case is made of extremely hard Pecan (a member of the Hickory family) for the sides and critical top areas. This wood is almost indestructible, and I used a complicated joinery technique to create double-double box joints for the corners in South American Bloodwood and Arririba (South American Canary wood) that are striking as well as durable. The lid is ringed with solid Pecan, with central panels of solid Arririba and Padauk for striking contrast. The base of the case is American Red Oak with interior panels of birch and a Poplar cutout that holds the knives. I hand-turned and French-polished the feet and knob of the case in hard Bocote (Cordia) South American Hardwood. I designed the case to stand above of the counter to keep it clean and dry, and the feet have thick inset neoprene pads to accommodate any surface. The inside of the case is padded with suede leather, and an engraved nameplate on the bottom identifies the work and year. The woods are sealed with deep penetrating oil and covered with moisture-resistant polyurethane varnish for easy cleaning and longevity. I even handmade the stop hinges in 304 stainless steel with stainless steel pins and screws for zero-care. It was my goal to create a case that is a work of art complimentary with the creations within.
• This is a great project, and I'm grateful to my client who patiently allowed me to create it. A true legacy piece, this set honors the tradition and creative flourish of the finest kitchen and warmest meals with friends and family.

Thanks, M. S.!