Randy Haas reckons he's got it made, and he's right, not only in life but also in what he makes, he haas it made.
You see he's got this talented young man, who is only 21 years of age at the time of writing, working with him.
Thats Randy Jr, by the way and he makes this incredible stuff below. And that's not all.
The two Randy's call it feather damascus and to really make it fly Randy, that would be Randy senior, makes it into knives, fantastic knives like this.
Thats 12 inches of kitchen slicer heaven and possibly the most handsome looking kitchen knife I've ever clapped eyes on.
Specifications as provided by Randy are
Sujihiki :
OAL, 446mm
Blade, 300mm.. heel to tip 1080 and 15n20 Feather pattern.
Heel, 45mm high
Spine, 2.2mm heel, tapering to 1mm a inch behind the tip
Grind, Left hand convex ground.
Handle, 130mm long 25.2mm front height, 26.7mm back height. 18mm wide front 19.5mm wide back.
Materials, Stabilized curly redwood and Hippo tooth. mosaic pins.
Notice the subtle taper on the handle from front to back as well as the distal taper on the blade spine. Those are the kind of details that make a good knife into a great knife.
I have always said that the kitchen knife is the Trojan horse of knifemaking. So perhaps its appropriate that the grip is hippopotamus(river horse) ivory. Those bolsters are stabilized redwood, just smashing and check out the "H" mosaic pins in the bolsters. Clever !
Is it any wonder Randy looks like he's got it made. Here is what he haas to say about it all.
"The knife is a 300mm, or 12" blade Suji, or more commonly known as a slicer. Its the first Left hand ground blade I have ever made and also the largest feather pattern blade we have ever made. Its stylistically a Japanese influenced design. The knife was part of a two knife set for a Wedding present.. And holds a special place in my heart because of that as well as the way the materials combined to make them so unique and beautiful
The Sujihiki is the Western equivalent of a Japanese Yanagi knife. Similar to a Western slicer, its function is cutting fish or meat after they have been filleted or boned.
I am full time knife maker… Its my Passion and I thank God that he has blessed me to be able to make these beautiful, functional, working knives. I love my job more and more every day. Its that passion and excitement for the steel that pushes me to make every knife to the best of my ability. Striving to make every knife functional and build it into a usable tool as well as functional art.
I made my first knife from a pre ground blade and a beautiful wood handle about 10 years ago. I remember it like it was yesterday. The feelings and emotion and pride from making that 1st knife.. Yep, I was hooked. The combination of making something useful and beautiful was addictive and challenging and rewarding all at the same time! And I still have that same feeling with every knife I make.
I quickly realized that I was drawn to the natural beauty of wood (burl) and other natural materials. I'm a self proclaimed BURL JUNKY!! And have spent countless hours and tens of thousands of dollars building a stash of the finest woods on the planet for you to choose from. One of the questions I am often asked is What is a burl.. In simple terms, Its a growth/wart that grows either on or in the root system of a tree. Its a natural anomaly that produces wild and beautiful unpredictable grain, swirls, rays and eyes in the wood. Resulting in some of the coolest and most beautiful knife handles material you will ever see.
The next piece of the puzzle was the amazing steel known as Damascus.. Which is a combination of two or more steels that are forged together.. often folded and manipulated to make incredible and beautiful one of a kind patterned welded blade steel. Each bar of damascus is unique as a fingerprint. No two will ever be exactly the same. Making it a organic and awesome look that is hard to describe yet easy to see.
My oldest son Randy Jr. age 21.. Has joined me working full time in the shop. He is forging some amazing damascus billets and blades. Keep a eye on this kid.. as he’s going places in the knife world. His passion and excitement for the steel has breathed a new life into the shop. Which continually pushes me to create better knives to keep pace with the amazing damascus steel hes creating!
I make many style of knives from folders to fighters, and everything in between. Over the last couple years I have devoted a HUGE amount of time and efforts into learning the art of making a proper kitchen knife. Testing and modifying every aspect of my ideal kitchen knife. learning and growing with each and every blade. With input from pro chefs and home cooks alike we continue to tweak our designs and methods.
The knifes I make are full customs…The customer contacts me and together we design their knife and choose the different materials used to make it. This is a very cool way to get a new knife! Think about it… YOU get to, pick the style of knife and also get to choose all the details that make the knife YOURS.. From the blade size and shape to the type of steel, to the materials used for the handle, guard and pins. Together we will create a beautiful knife that has your personalty and design aspects in every way!! What knife lover/user/chef wouldn’t want that?"
Randy
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