Beta Testing Fusion Wood Knife 8" (BD1 Steel)
Pros: Light, Balenced, and Pretty.
Cons: Too Flexible for hard vegetables, Leather Case is unsanitary, and Factory Edge could be sharper.
I did not buy this knife, I was asked to test it out so I do not know the price.
Hi my name is Chef Bobby Childs I am a Kitchen Manager in Training at The Culinary Institute of America. I spent the last week using the 9" Fusionwood handle chef knife and I have to say it is a pretty nice knife.
The first thing I noticed with the knife is that it comes in a leather sheath, it is unsanitary and because it is leather it will absorb water causing the sheath to smell. I like the whole matching sheath and handle, that was nice but I feel overtime i will have to switch to a different blade case. The second thing i noticed is how light the knife is. The tang of the knife is fatter in the center and gets thinner towards the tail end which leaves the knife evenly balanced. I learned that this knife acts kind of like a long petty knife. The heel of the blade is angled which allows to get a higher grip on the blade which gave me more control. I was able to do precise cuts with 100% accuracy but once i moved on to harder/denser vegetables such as carrots and butternut squashes the blade bent so much i was unable to be precise so i had to switch knifes. The handle of the knife only has 2 rivets attaching the handle to the blade which i know it saves time and money but in the long run it could cause problems. The final comment i have about the knife is the blade; the blade was fairly sharp but for how much i used the knife the sharpness did not last long and i found myself sharpening it on a wet stone. The edge came back fairly quick but left me with a question of "what kind of steel is the knife made out of?"
Overall the knife is a great knife for precise cuts but lacks the strength to be a "workhorse" knife. I would recommend this knife to most household consumers and all moderate level chefs. I would like to see on the blade of the knife what kind of steel it is and for the blade to have a sharper factory edge. This Knife looks great and is very light; I feel that it will become a knife I will use on a daily basis.
