Ironclad 8.7" Hand Forged Chef Knife, Large High Carbon Steel Blade, Hand Hammered Spine, 13.7" Overall

The Ironclad is a large hand forged chef knife for cooks who prep in volume. An 8.7" high carbon steel blade and 13.7" of total length give you reach that a standard 8 inch knife does not. Big onions, whole cabbages, a rack of pork on cook day. This is the knife you pull when the board is full and dinner is for twelve.

Where It Earns Its Keep

Long, straight push cuts are where the Ironclad shines. It slices a pork shoulder into steaks, halves a watermelon in one pass and chews through a pile of peppers without you resetting your grip. It also pulls duty at the grill for trimming and portioning cooked meat. It is too long for fine work like peeling or tiny garnish cuts, and it is not meant for bone. If you want something smaller and quicker, the Orca 7" chef knife is the better pick. The full lineup lives in our chef knives collection.

A Gift That Gets Used

The Ironclad is the one for the guy who runs the smoker every weekend and cooks for the whole street. It lands well for Father's Day, a retirement, or a birthday for anyone who takes cooking seriously. A knife this size makes a statement in the box, and it will be on the board the next time he cooks. Browse more ideas in our knife gifts collection.

Every Xcutlery blade is high carbon steel, hand forged one at a time in the Serbian style: thick stock, a lot of hammer work, and the forge finish left on the flats.

Every Ironclad is hand forged in the Serbian style. That means heat, a hammer and a smith who shapes the blade by eye instead of cutting it from a stamped blank. On this knife the hammer work is left on the spine on purpose, so you can see and feel how it was made. Below that, the edge is polished clean. A full tang runs through the handle with steel pins, so the weight sits where your hand is rather than out at the tip.

Why high carbon steel

It takes a very fine edge and comes back quickly on a whetstone. The price of that edge is a little care. This steel is not a rust resistant alloy, so water left on the blade will mark it. Wash it, dry it, wipe on a light coat of oil, and it will be cutting long after the cutting board has given up.

Patina

With use the steel darkens to a grey or blue patina. That is normal for high carbon steel and it helps protect the blade. Red rust is a different thing, and it comes from a knife left wet.

• 8.7" hand forged blade, 13.7" overall
• High carbon steel
• Hand hammered spine with a polished edge
• Full tang with steel pins
• Built for heavy daily prep, slicing, dicing and BBQ

Specifications

• Blade: 8.7" hand forged
• Overall length: 13.7"
• Steel: High carbon steel
• Finish: Hand hammered spine with a polished edge
• Construction: Full tang with steel pins
• Best for: Heavy daily prep, slicing, dicing and BBQ

• Ironclad 8.7" hand forged chef knife
• Lifetime warranty against defects in materials and craftsmanship

Each blade is forged by hand, so the forge texture, hammer marks and wood grain on yours will be its own.

Wash it by hand and dry it right away. Wipe a light coat of food safe oil on the blade before storing. Keep it out of the dishwasher and never leave it soaking.

Every time you use it

• Hand wash it right after use and dry it straight away
• Wipe on a light coat of food safe oil before it goes away
• Cut on wood or plastic boards
• Touch up the edge on a whetstone when it starts to drag

Keep it away from

• The dishwasher, and a sink full of water overnight
• Glass, stone or metal cutting surfaces
• Prying, twisting or throwing

The full routine is in our high carbon steel knife care guide, and the edge work is in how to sharpen a meat cleaver.

Every Xcutlery knife is covered for life against defects in materials and craftsmanship. If a handle works loose from the tang, a pin comes free, or there is a flaw in the steel or the build that came from us, we repair or replace it free of charge.

It does not cover normal wear such as a dull edge, damage from misuse, or rust from the dishwasher or soaking. Slight differences in forge texture, hammer marks and wood grain are part of a handmade knife, not defects.

To make a claim, email sales@xcutlery.com (Australia: sales@xcutlery.com.au) with your order number and photos. Separately, you have 30 days from delivery to return an unused knife. Engraved and custom knives cannot be returned for a change of mind. Full terms are on the warranty page.

Is 8.7 inches too big for a home kitchen?
Not if you have a decent sized board. The extra length pays off on big produce and roasts. If your counter space is tight, the 7" Orca is easier to live with.

Is it good for brisket?
It can portion cooked meat well. For long, clean brisket slices, a dedicated slicer like the 11" Mamba does a better job.

Why is the spine hammered and not polished?
The hammer marks are left from forging on purpose. The spine shows the work, and the edge is where the polish matters.

Is there a warranty?
Yes. A lifetime warranty against defects in materials and craftsmanship, plus 30 day returns on unused knives.

Slicing a pork shoulder into steaks or halving a watermelon in one pass is what the extra length buys you. For the rest of the jobs a chef knife covers, and the ones it should leave alone, read what a big chef knife is good for.