The kitchen is your warzone, and the knife is your weapon. Winning the everyday battles will need more than just enduring all the challenges making a delicious meal brings. To take the heat in the kitchen you have to tough it out with grace.
Your weapon of choice should be just as tough and graceful as you. Something like Damascus steel will do. In this article, we will explore the backstory behind the material and a knife brand that adds to the strength of the steel with artful grace.
Damascus steel is a highly-valued blade material in the world of knives. So it's only fitting to get to know the backstory behind this coveted material that every experienced chef wants to have a piece of.
Forging Damascus steel started in the country of the same name. The merging of two or more metals to create beautiful wave-like patterns started in 750 C.E. Today, it is being forged for excellence in other countries. Even though Damascus has changed its name to Syria, the former name stuck.
Damascus steel wasn't mined in the lands of Damascus. Instead, the metals used came from their neighbor country, India. Once the materials were shipped, the people of Damascus used a special method to turn Indian-sourced metals into a thing of strength and beauty.
We often think Damascus blades are only composed of two different metals combined to create a stronger material. In fact, Damascus steel is more than just a combination of base metal and a protective metal layer. It can be made of several different alloys, which makes it near unbreakable.
During ancient times, when the famed steel creation was still unrefined, people called it Wootz. It was seen as impure material back then due to combinations of steel, iron, and carbide.
Present-day Damascus steel is merged using a welding process called a billet. Multiple layers of metal alloys are then joined together to form the desired shape. In this case, a knife blade.
The billet method makes it convenient to put the ripple patterns on the face of the blade. Then, the blade is hammered to make sure the metal layers are strongly bonded.
Soldiers going to war use Damascus steel as weapons. They admired the steel for its toughness, making up stories that became legends. This contributed to the steel's reputation and carried on until today.
When we see a Damascus knife, most of the time, the face of the blade has a ripple pattern. That's why we often think Damascus knives are designed to look this way. But there are at least 15 patterns available at present. So if a bladesmith crafts a Damascus steel pocket knife and wants their product to be distinguished from the rest, it can adopt a circular or a wave pattern, or a combination of several patterns as an option.
Zelite Infinity is a series of Damascus steel chef knives that are stunning to look at and have a quality that's above par. Among the many Zelite knife models under the Infinity line, we sampled the 8-inch chef knife to see how it can stand up to the rest of the beautiful knife collection where it belongs.
Zelite blade's cheek has an artisan tsunami pattern that brings high artistic quality to the blade. The meticulous details of each pattern line are a testament to its beauty and quality that is true to its Persian water blade artistic style. Anyone who sets their eyes on this Damascus blade will think it's a premium knife.
Most Damascus chefs and kitchen knives have adapted a drop point as their tip profile. The broad-angled tip serves a purpose: the belly's curved design aids in the rocking motion of the blade, making it efficient to mince food ingredients like onions, garlic, basil, and other spices. Chefs and cooks can do the rolling technique gracefully in the kitchen.
The flat grind matches the Zelite's blade. It brings the full beauty of the tsunami pattern on the blade's cheek. But more than supporting the blade's beauty, it also serves a practical function for both the chef and the serious cook: The thin and compact blades make slicing and chopping seamless and efficient. It is a wonder how something so thinly compressed can bring something sharp and tough to the chopping block.
Full tang blades extend down to the handle's heel, making it doubly tough and unbreakable. It's a fitting blade profile for Zelite's 8-inch chef knife—an artisan blade worthy of all the hustle and bustle in the chef's kitchen. A heel guard also covers the metal sticking out between the scales, making the handle sturdy against accidental drops.
Zelite's scales on both sides are pierced with three rivets to keep them firmly held on the tang and make the knife durable. The middle rivet's intricate mosaic design adds an artisanal touch to the handle. A miniature pattern carved out of stainless steel, brass, and copper layers. It's a treat to think about how this mosaic is crafted on a small surface area.
Handling the Zelite infinity knife is comfortable beyond expectations. The rounded handle scale lets you ergonomically wrap your palms. It gives your wrist the relief it needs from the tension of holding heavier knives and other cooking equipment. In addition, the knife's blade-to-handle weight distribution makes chopping and mincing effortless. Zelite's handle makes cooking therapeutic, even in the busiest kitchen.
Flat grinds have sharp edges. But Zelite brings it up a level higher by adapting a double-bevel edge profile. It has an angle within an angle that compounds the slicing power of a knife, and its sharpness is retained twice as long compared to a single-bevel edge. So it's double the challenge for Zelite to make. Fortunately, it's something they're willing to take on for quality's sake.
Zelite gave its chef knife a mirror polish touch to complete the look of quality and beauty. The chef knife's blade and heel cover are all polished so well that it reflects light into your eyes. Its sparkle endures after several uses. Just make sure to gently wash it and wipe it down, so it stays mint.
Zelite is graceful. The intricate patterns of the rivet instantly convey the premium quality. Sending a message of calm under a pressured situation—a common occurrence in your kitchen. The beautiful wave patterns convey a smooth, unhindered flow. Somehow, it resonates with the graceful cook within you.
It's strong. The Damascus blade takes on anything you place on the chopping board. It never backs down from mincing small spices to cutting thick chunks of meat. The blade retains its edge while it keeps the tang in one piece. A Zelite knife's strength reflects your strength.
Getting a Zelite Damascus knife is equally a symbol as it is a useful tool. You need it in your kitchen as a companion for the everyday pressures you face. The Zelite is a badge that conveys the kind cook you are: strong and graceful despite the chaos of your kitchen.
Zelite's Damascus blade is worth getting to know. And if you want to dig for more information about the product or its equivalent, browse more of our website. Comprehensive product reviews, comparisons, and helpful buying guides are just a click away.
