Two knives, one handle, six months of making. No two alike.
Two knives, one handle, six months of making. No two alike.
Price range: £285 through £645
The Gyuto and the Agile Yeoman are the two knives we’d put in front of someone who wanted two knives to tackle almost everything. The Gyuto handles everything on the board – smoothly rocking through prep, long drawing slices, anything that needs blade length and a fluid motion. The Agile Yeoman covers everything else: in-hand work, carving a chicken, filleting a fish or anything that doesn’t need a chef’s knife but deserves a proper one. Between them there is very little they won’t do, and very little functional overlap, which is a good thing.
We use a lot of epoxide polymer for all sorts of stuff. Every pour has an excess, and this we tip into what we fondly call the ‘Mega Bucket’. Layer by layer, colour by colour, everything we’ve cast and made accumulating for up to six months until the bucket is full. When the last layer goes in, we decant, partition and nuke it to within an inch of its life under pressure and heat. What comes out is the STRATUS handle: delineated, compressed layers, each one slightly different from the last because the sequence is never repeated. It is the fordite of the knife world, cool to the touch, comfortable in the hand, and unlike anything else anyone makes. Once run VIII, this particular combination of colours will not exist again.
CATRA – the global authority on cutlery performance – rank our knives in the top 2.5% of all blades ever assessed for initial sharpness and edge retention. Each blade in the Stratus VIII Duo is hardened in-house to 60 HRC using a nitrogen atmosphere process, taking the steel from 1080°C to -75°C in a controlled cycle that maximises carbide formation, edge stability and corrosion resistance. The blades are ground to a unique concave profile – a geometry that reduces drag and improves slicing performance without sacrificing rigidity. Each knife is sharpened to 15 degrees per side.
Washing
Wash by hand and dry immediately. The steel handles dishwashers, but the handle materials don’t, and the blade will dull faster regardless. Ten seconds at the sink is the right habit.
Day-to-day maintenance
A honing steel realigns the edge between sharpenings. Two or three passes per side before heavy use is enough. You don’t need to do this every time – just when the blade starts to feel less certain.
Sharpening
We offer complimentary workshop sharpening once a year for the first three years. After that we sharpen at cost. If you prefer to sharpen at home, our blades are ground to a 15-degree bevel – specify this if you use a third-party service, as most sharpen to 20 or 22 degrees as a default.
Storage
A magnetic strip or knife roll is ideal. Loose in a drawer accelerates dulling and risks chipping the edge. If a drawer is the only option, a blade guard solves both problems.
Handle care
Timber handles benefit from a light application of food-safe cutting board oil once or twice a year. Composite handles need nothing beyond normal washing.
Yourself
“Onions have layers. Ogres have layers. We both have layers.”
– Shrek
Essentials & Maker's Choice — Default Handle
Each knife has a default handle that is held in stock and available for next working day despatch.
Essentials & Maker's Choice — Alternative Handle
If you'd prefer a different handle from our standard range, we'll despatch within 7 working days.
Knife Builder & Sets and Collections
All knives designed through our Knife Builder, or ordered from Sets and Collections, are despatched within 3-4 weeks. If you have a particular date in mind, get in touch — we're often able to help.
All orders are delivered by Royal Mail Special Delivery Guaranteed in specially-designed tubular Savernake packaging. A signature and age verification will be required on delivery.
International Delivery
We charge a £40 flat rate for delivery worldwide.
Lifetime Guarantee
With proper care, our knives are guaranteed for a lifetime of use
Unique Concave Geometry
Our signature blade profile. A cutting edge with only the thinnest sliver of near-parallel steel to follow through.
CATRA Top 2.5% Worldwide
Independently ranked in the top 2.5% of all knives ever assessed for sharpness and edge retention
60 HRC Hardness
Hardened in-house to 60 HRC using a nitrogen atmosphere and cryogenic treatment to -75°C
Individually Crafted
Every knife is made by hand in our Wiltshire workshop, from steel selection through to final edge
Like some more options?
Our configurator lets you choose from 18 blade designs, with full control over handle material, shape, spine pattern and accent colour.Â
