Read what Karim has to say about the journey the knife has taken to become an award winner:

I’ve been involved in this crazy chef world all my life in one way or another but I started my journey 18 years ago. When you get that first set of college knives with those wonderful black plastic handles and edges like spoons, you think they are the best things in the world and the love of sharp, shiny knives is born.

I left college and joined the ‘real world’ where the chefs had bigger, shinier and much sharper knives and you get told that you need this brand or that brand then someone comes in one day with a Japanese knife and it was amazing! Folded steel, sharper than the Devil’s wit but the handle weight was too light. At this point I was hooked on German blades as the edges were good but the handle weight and balance for me, was perfect.

The Dream

Now many years pass and I get introduced to I.O.Shen by a fellow chef and bingo my dreams come true!! A Japanese edge with the weight of a German handle.

Now, skip on a year and I finally meet Natalie from I.O.Shen and she gave me a sample of the Khay Dee Deba and asked me to test it for a while and report back. I used this knife for about 2 months and loved it but the only thought going through my mind was that this would be an incredible multi-purpose blade if there were modifications made to it.
We discussed length and weight of the knife, how the handle weight should be, the depth to the heel and the accent to the tip.

Now, the next thing I know, I’m receiving drawings of what we had discussed and to be honest I thought I was having my leg pulled!! But then came the question of the heel; round or square? I had my view and the good people of Twitter had theirs but I had a good reason for how the knife looks and what its purpose in life would be.

So skip on a few months and the knife is in my hand! It’s real and my God it looks, feels and handles like the knife I always wanted and needed. Perfect!

The Result

When the samples arrived, they were given to Daniel Clifford, Wayne Sullivan, Alvin Harris AKA DrSweetsmoke, Mark Poynton, Ernst Van Zyl, Alan Paton, Tim Allen to name a few, for their opinion. To be honest, I was beyond scared of their response. This was make or break.

The feedback simply blew me away. I can say no more.

Then came designing the box and the work that Natalie and Julie from Jamtastic Design have done is simply amazing. I was asked for my thoughts but everything was just bang on. The only issue for me was my image being used as no one needs to see Jabba the hut staring back at them! I can only sum this whole project up in one word: SURREAL.

Buy this award winning knife from us here.