Now who wouldn’t want to cut their perfectly cooked, sizzling steak with a blade made from an old truck leaf spring? Tell that your friend who is not into knives and they will surely think you mad! But around these parts, we know that one of the best steels to recycle for kitchen knife use is that found in automotive leaf springs. These auto cast-offs are usually made from 5160 steel, which is a wonderful alloy for many knife blade applications. In fact several highly regarded custom knife makers use this steel source for their (sometimes) expensive creations. These knives are carbon steel so you need to keep them dry after using and washing or they will rust.
We discovered Daovua, a Vietnamese company, just over a year ago. And while their first blades could best be described as project knives, input from our customers and us, and the blacksmith’s willingness to listen and learn, has resulted in a huge improvement in quality.
The kurouchi finish is very smooth and long-lasting. The grinding is really sophisticated. And the handle is really well made and quite lovely to hold. These are very acceptable knives with surprisingly good edge geometry. We are still amazed at how they take an edge after sharpening.
This is the first steak knife that they have made for us and you can color us impressed!
So when you have your friends over for a steak dinner next time, surprise them with these works of art that have come from nothing more than a junked old car and a few pieces of wood!
Location: Vietnam
Construction: Hammer Forged, Mono Steel
Steel Type: Recycled Leaf Spring Steel (Carbon Steel)
Edge Length: 115mm
Total Length: 241mm
Weight: 52g / 1.8oz
Blade Height: 27mm
Handle: Bubinga
Edge Grind: Double Bevel Even