Rolin Knives Honyaki 210mm Gyuto W2 Carbon Argentine Lignum Vitae with Saya

Hand forged and differently heat treated honyaki style gyuto made from W2 carbon steel with a rokkaku hanmaru - half hexagon and half circle shaped - handle made from dense Argentine Lignum Vitae. This handle shows a natural green color with a tight feather patterned grain and topped with a heirloom fit copper ferrule. Comes with a custom maple saya with a leashed copper pin, matching the copper ferrule.

The blade features a walkschliff convex grind where the convexity widens as it leaves the medium-thin edge then tapers back down as it approaches the spine, putting the high point of the curve about 2/3rds up the blade from the edge. This creates a precise and smooth, low drag cutting feel with good release. The walkschliff grind pairs very nicely with the strong distal taper.

W2 is renowned for it's ability to take a high contrast hamon when used in honyaki style knives. It can get very hard when heat treated appropriately, allowing it to hold a sharp edge with great edge retention supported by tungsten and vanadium inclusions in it's alloy but it is susceptible to edge damage if abused. 

Argentine Lignum Vitae shares the same high density and natural oiliness as the more commonly known Geniune Lignum Viate but it's not nearly as regulated. Lignum Vitae species are so dense that they were once used as wooden ball bearings on ships. Argentine Lignum Vitae's oiliness allows it to take on an hyper-smooth polish and when it's exposed to sunlight, it's pale yellow tone turns to a synthetic looking but actually naturally occurring green.

The copper ferrule is secured to the handle with hidden pins with slight beveling on both the bottom of the ferrule and the top of the handle. The style called heirloom (or museum or heritage) fit leaves a slight but intentional void that protects against hard edges becoming exposed if there is any shrinkage at the joint over time.

All aspects of this knife were meticulously laminated, forged, treated, ground, machined, worked, shaped and fit with an incredible amount of detail and intention by Nick Rolin. Originally from the Bay Area, Nick's blade shapes and styles are inspired by his years as a fine-dining line cook that preceded his time spent in NYC as a bartender after earning a degree in Sustainable Agriculture from UCSC. After a weekend knife making class in 2016, Nick began making knives for friends and the eventual demand lead to returning to the Bay Area in 2022 to make knives full-time.

We were able to test a few of Nick's knives and were impressed not only with the craftsmanship and aesthetics but also the edge performance, cutting feel and sharpenability of the knives. We are lucky to have Nick in our backyard and are proud to be able to introduce his work to our knife community.