A knife for Lukas Nagl – Chef of the Year 2023

As part of the Gault & Millau partnership, Richard Kappeller crafted a knife for Chef of the Year Lukas Nagl based on a hand-drawn sketch. When creating the design, the focus was on the connection to Asian culture, the selection of premium materials, unique craftsmanship, and the knife’s versatility.

Knife specifications:

The knife was crafted using the so-called stick tang construction method. This means that the blade tapers slightly toward the handle. From the back, a ferrule with a very precise slot is fitted, and the handle material is drilled, fitted, and everything is glued together.

This construction is particularly characterized by its light weight, good balance, and high resistance to moisture, as the handle is made as a solid round blank. This prevents any transition between the blade steel and the handle material. 

The blade was crafted from hand-forged Wild Damascus steel. The characteristic pattern is revealed through etching. In a subsequent step, the blade was etched black using a different solution, so that the raised Damascus sections also appear dark. This complements the knife’s style very well and additionally offers protection against rapid patination.

The non-stainless blade is characterized by its extreme sharpness, high hardness, and long-lasting edge retention. We recommend storing it in a dry place and oiling it regularly after use.

A handle made of bog oak:

Since Mr. Nagel has ties to Asia and is involved in Far Eastern fermentation, the choice of bog oak for the handle could not be more ideal.

Bog oak has often aged for several thousand years in the bog and reacts with the tannic acid of the oak and the iron salts of the bog, which darkens the wood. By further stabilizing the wood with synthetic resin, it becomes particularly resistant to moisture.

In Asia as well, bog oak is often used for particularly valuable objects and complements the simple style of Asian culture.

Mokume knife bolsters:

The ferrule between the blade and the handle is made of mokume, a unique material consisting of forged copper and 925 sterling silver. This technique was used in Asian culture, for example, for the ferrules of samurai swords.

The hand-engraved inscription:

At the end of the handle, I fitted a 925 silver plate and engraved the inscription by hand under a microscope. Hand-engraved designs appear significantly more refined than machine-engraved ones, as the edges can be cut much more precisely, the curves are more elegant, and there is no corner radius as seen in machine engraving. Thus, with practice and experience, lettering can be engraved much more finely.

Recognizability & Design Elements

In this beautiful knife project, it was also important to me to reinterpret the recognizability of various design elements that were also used in a similar form on the knife for the 2022 Chef of the Year (Max Natmessnig). Over the years, a series of knives will thus emerge that, while very different from one another, harmonize in terms of construction, materials, techniques, and design language.

We wish Mr. Nagl much joy with this fine knife, which is made for use and will hopefully be used to prepare the finest dishes.

Congratulations on winning the 2023 Chef of the Year award

Richard Kappeller

Knife maker