Tamboti is one of Africa’s great hardwoods. Rich, dark, and warm, it ages like nothing else.
Tamboti is one of Africa’s great hardwoods. Rich, dark, and warm, it ages like nothing else.
Price range: £1,910 through £2,150
These knives are for those of you who want to explore some of our less mainstream blades. We have managed to source some particularly beautiful (and extremely durable) Tamboti from a sustainable source in southern Africa, and it’s the little hints of sapwood next to the glorious heartwood that really sets these knives apart. That and our wicked blades, of course…
There’s a huge amount to be said for The Astounding Cleaver: it gives you unparalleled travel if you’re using your knuckles as a guide, you can use it to scoop the fruits of your labours in to the pan and it has heft sufficient to deal with even the most agricultural examples of celeriac.
Herbs, meat and vegetables all fall by the wayside when The Savernake Knife arrives on the scene, and has long been our all-rounder of choice. We’ve loved this eponymous Nakiri since the moment we made it, and to this day it’s generally at the front of the pack when we’re getting someone to try our knives for the first time. It encompasses all we believe about weight, precision, balance and fun.
The Raven’s Claw is our version of a traditional Santoku – a shortish blade, a subtle rock and good knuckle clearance. If you’re looking for a medium sized blade to be at your side in perpetuity, then it’s a tight call between this ‘un and the Classic.
The G&T Slicer is a very handy little utility knife to have about the kitchen, with baby tomatoes, radishes and other items of that nature yielding to its meticulous geometry, while clearly it also excels at its original function of sitting on your drinks tray ready to liven up some gin.
The 10″ Butcher’s Knife does exactly what it says on the tin. Widely used by butchers for sectioning and preparing meat cuts, the long and sharp blade allows the knife to glide through meat with ease.
The Useful Boner is all you need to prepare birds and joints. It’s compact, robust and versatile. It provides both leverage and scope to get right into the nooks and crannies. We’ve crafted it to have just the right amount of flex, for those hard to reach places.
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 Tamboti Esoterica 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
“He who knows others is wise; he who knows himself is enlightened.”
– Lao Tzu
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.
