For almost all of our knives we use Sandvik’s 14C28N – a Scandinavian stainless steel that we’ve found gives the most consistent heat treatment, the best finish, and the best edge. It’s an excellent steel at a sensible point on the value curve. On occasion we also use Takefu’s 67-layer San Mai with a VG10 core, and if you have something else in mind, get in touch.
Both contain carbon – all steel does. The difference is that stainless has chromium added, which bonds with oxygen in the air to create a corrosion-resistant barrier. There’s a persistent myth that carbon steel is somehow superior; it isn’t. And almost all meaningful R&D in blade steel over recent decades has been focused on stainless. We think corrosion resistance matters enormously in a kitchen knife, so stainless it is.
All our custom knives are hardened to almost exactly 60 HRC – Rockwell hardness – which we consider optimal. Go harder and you get brittleness, difficulty sharpening, and an inability to use a honing steel. Go softer and you can’t hold a proper edge. 60 is the sweet spot.
No. Our blade geometry behind the cutting edge is very thin, and Damascus doesn’t suit that. Stainless Damascus is also eye-wateringly expensive. We’d rather put the money into steel that performs the way we want – we do use San Mai (and coreless San Mai though) and can use Powdered Metallurgical Steel if that’s your thing.
Don’t treat it too badly. These are well-made knives that’ll handle most of what a kitchen throws at them. Avoid leaving them sitting in vinegar or salt water, and you’re mostly fine.
No. Two reasons: the heat and chemicals will damage the handle, and the vibration and rattling will quickly dull the edge. Hand-wash only.
Normally. Give it a good scrub, rinse, dry, done.
Not loose in a drawer – knives bumping around go blunt and get damaged. A knife rack, a magnetic strip, or a block with slots all work well.
Wood, (good) plastic or richlite. Glass and slate are abominations unto the eyes of the Lord and will destroy your edge. We feel strongly about this.
It shouldn’t. Very occasionally, small remnants of abrasive left during finishing can break the chromium-oxygen bond and cause a spot. If you see anything, a small amount of Bar Keepers Friend and a good scrub usually sorts it. If not, let us know – we’ll get it back and refinish it.
Honing conditions and realigns the edge – it doesn’t remove steel. Sharpening puts a new edge on by removing steel. Think of honing as checking your tyre pressures and topping up the oil; sharpening is the annual service.
Lightly and fairly regularly – little and often is the right approach.
Gently. The team at Serious Eats have written an excellent guide. We sell honing steels that match your knife if you need one.
If you’re not confident sharpening knives, send it back to us – we’d rather you did that than damage the edge with a bad technique. Electric sharpeners can work, but good ones are expensive. Pull-through sharpeners: please don’t. They’re terrible, almost as horrific as glass chopping boards – and that’s saying something.
Yes. Send your Savernake knife back to us, and for the first three years all we ask is that you include a tenner in the packaging to cover return postage.
Only in person at the workshop – bring the knife and £5 per blade, which goes to the staff Christmas fund. We don’t accept other brands by post.
Anything that’s our fault – indefinitely. If the knife fails due to a manufacturing defect, we’ll replace it. What it doesn’t cover: snapping the tip, dishwasher damage, or accidental damage.
For £75 we’ll regrind, reprofile, and fully recondition the blade, or fit a new handle. Both if needed.
Chipped blades we can usually work with. A broken tip we can reshape and blend – we can’t restore it to exactly original, but we can make it right again. Get in touch.
Just get in touch.
Alas, no. It always involves much more work and time than anyone thinks and it’ll just sit around the workshop while we all do our best to ignore it in the hope that someone else does something about it…
Yes. We verify age at point of purchase using a government-approved digital verification system, or via a quick FaceTime/Zoom call for phone and email orders. Delivery is also age-verified.
There are a number of restrictions, but none of them apply to the knives we make.
Yes, of course – if you’re coming to buy knives and you’ve made an appointment. We’re on the edge of Savernake Forest near Marlborough in Wiltshire. We are not a tourist attraction, sorry.
No. Our machinery is too specialised and expensive to use for courses in any meaningful way.
Not really. It’s difficult to organise practically.
Hundreds, genuinely. Our two main categories are composites – everything from carbon fibre laminates to solid surfaces – and woods, from tropical hardwoods to British native species. Most are shown on the website; if you want something specific, ask.
Depends what you’re after. For bold colour, our Staron solid surface handles are exceptional – warm to the touch, not brittle, not plasticky, vibrant and extremely durable. For wood, we can’t recommend our African hardwoods highly enough, particularly Mopani and Tamboti from Mozambique. Oily, durable, beautiful in the hand, and very low-maintenance. We source them from Dahlmann, just up the road from Hungerford, who are one of the few genuinely ethical timber harvesters operating in Mozambique. The founder met them there when he was clearing landmines. It’s nice when things come full circle.
Yes. Our standard handles cover most palettes and won’t affect your lead time. If you need something more precise, we work with RAL and British Standard references, and can get pretty close to Pantone and hex codes too.
Yes, usually at no additional charge – particularly for wood or composites we can work with. Get in touch first so we can confirm it’ll work.
A ‘custom’ knife starts from one of our existing designs – you choose the blade, the handle, the details. A *bespoke* knife starts from scratch: sketches, scale drawings, 3D models, renders, acrylic mock-ups, and a prototype if needed. Custom knives start from £250; bespoke from £1,250.
Think of it as levels. At the simplest end: pick an Essentials or Maker’s Choice knife with its default handle – next working day dispatch. Step it up to any of our 18 knives with any of our 9 standard handle options: within a week. Go further into the configurator – different handle material, spine pattern, liner colour, contoured handle – and we ask for around a month. Sets and collections are also around a month. Bespoke is 8–12 weeks depending on complexity and how decisive you are.
Quite a lot. There are 18 blade designs, 16 handle materials, 9 liner colours, and binary options for spine and handle contour. We’ll let you do the maths.
Yes. There’s a share button in the configurator that generates a link – save it, send it to someone for input, or send it to us if you have questions.
Get in touch. That’s what the bespoke service is for.
Everything from scratch: initial consultation, sketches, scale drawings, 3D models, renders, acrylic mock-ups, and a prototype where needed. We always make prototypes for chef’s knives (balance matters too much to guess); for things like cleavers and outdoor knives we’re usually confident enough to go straight to a mock-up.
Sometimes – it depends where we are in the process. On longer lead-time orders there’s usually more flexibility. Just get in touch and we’ll do everything we reasonably can.
Anything, as long as the artwork is black and white. No greyscale or colour – the process doesn’t allow for it. There’s generally no additional charge and it won’t affect your lead time. Just get in touch with your artwork.
Through the website, ideally. You can also call or WhatsApp us, or we can send you a direct link to review your order, confirm delivery details, and pay.
Pretty much everything: credit and debit cards, Amex, PayPal, Apple Pay, Google Pay, Klarna, and bank transfer if needed. We’d rather not do cheques or cash.
Yes, through Klarna. Once your Klarna purchase is approved, it makes no difference to your lead time from our end – we receive the funds and get on with it.
It depends where we are in the making process. Get in touch and we’ll tell you honestly where things stand.
You’ll receive an order confirmation and a dispatch notification with tracking details. That’s it. We’d rather spend our time making your knife than sending you emails about making your knife. You’re always welcome to get in touch to find how we’re getting on.
Yes. Just get in touch after ordering.
– Essentials or Maker’s Choice with default handle: next working day dispatch
– Any of our 27 knives with a standard handle option: within 7 working days dispatch
– Configurator / non-standard options / sets & collections: around 1 month
– Bespoke: 8–12 weeks (varies with complexity and how available you are for samples)
These are dispatch times, not delivery times.
Often yes. If you have a deadline, tell us – we’re good at accommodating people who are as badly organised as we are when it comes to presents.
Yes, everywhere in the UK via Royal Mail Special Delivery Guranteed – tracked, insured, next day once dispatched.
Yes, via UPS. We’ve shipped to Colombia, Uganda, Australia, the US, France, and many more. Flat rate of £40.
UK: next working day from dispatch. International: typically 5–7 days.
It’ll be held at your local delivery office for collection, or you can arrange a redelivery.
Unfortunately yes – we’re legally required to include a prominent “bladed item” label. If it’s a gift and you’re trying to be subtle, be aware of that.
Standard UK consumer rights apply. For non-custom, non-engraved knives, you can return them within the statutory window in immaculate condition. Custom and bespoke knives are made specifically for you, so they can only be returned if there’s a genuine defect – which is true under UK law and, frankly, fair enough. That said, we’re human. If something’s not right, get in touch and we’ll work something out. Full details are in our Terms & Conditions.
It won’t. But if it does – courier’s fault, dropped in transit, whatever – contact us and we’ll sort it out.
Absolutely. Ignore anyone who tells you otherwise and gives you all the guff about having to be given a penny back for it etc etc.
Yes – that’s the ideal way to give a Savernake knife. The recipient gets a unique code, uses it on the website or by calling us, and designs exactly what they want. Gift cards are available from £100 upwards.
*Note: gift cards aren’t yet live on the new website, but they’re coming. In the meantime, just get in touch and we’ll sort it.*
Yes. Get in touch. The gift covers the cost of the knife, and if the recipient wants to visit the workshop to kick things off, that can be arranged.
Yes, currently. There is talk of legislation that would require bladed items to be delivered only to the person who placed the order, but that isn’t law yet.
We’d rather not – it’s genuinely a faff – but if it really matters, ask us.
Each knife arrives in our distinctive capsule, accompanied by a letter from Keith, our head of workshop. It is entirely suited to gifting.
Yes. Tiffany, our master leatherworker, can make a perfectly fitted suede pouch or leather wrap for any knife. Pouches and wraps come as standard with our carving and steak knife sets.
Yes – from local pubs to Michelin-starred restaurants, private members’ clubs, and London hotels. Have a look at our professional services page for more.
Yes. Get in touch and we’ll talk.
Yes. What counts as “volume” varies, but we can accommodate significant orders.
Yes. Everything we’ve learned from thousands of custom and bespoke knives, applied to your brief. We can also white-label and brand knives for businesses.
If you know what you want and are decisive about it, probably within two weeks for a first sample.
We do, though most of our trade work is kitchen-focused. Always open to a conversation.
Get in touch with any of us – we’ll pass you to Laurie, who’ll look after you.
