Oak, brass and Fat Carbon in the same set. It shouldn’t work. It absolutely does.
Oak, brass and Fat Carbon in the same set. It shouldn’t work. It absolutely does.
£1,590
Made from scratch and despatched within 4 weeks
A great challenge is how to make a set that looks like a set but isn’t overly identical. Sometimes having exquisitely aligned and identical designs is spot on, sometimes we want to break things up a little.
The glove was laid down by a customer for his 50th birthday – photographs of kitchens were received and inwardly digested, emails pinged back and forth, and at last the original Imperator Set was born. This is our take on the same aesthetic – three knives with fantastic brown English oak burl, pressure-stabilised in resin, with subtle brass pins and liners and then another two with Fat Carbon’s magnificent Gold Camo. We chose the Mini Cleaver (an hugely under-rated particular favourite of ours) and the Good Chopper to go down this route, leaving the oak and brass to cover the rather more graceful Extreme Slicer, Stout Yeoman and Classic.
We can, of course, swap the liner colours and materials and the Fat Carbon for your own take on things, but we’re smitten by how this turned out, and as always have strived to make sure our larger sets have as little practical overlap between blades as possible.
Knives Included
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 Imperator Quintus 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
“Look within. Within is the fountain of good.”
– Marcus Aurelius
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
