Sheath: Heavy 9-10 oz. thick leather shoulder, hand-stamped, burgundy, lacquered
Sheath: Locking (Version 2.0) in Black Kydex, Black Anodized Aluminum Alloy, Blackened Stainless Steel, 6AL4V Titanium
Knife: The name Sonoma means "valley of the
moon," where the author Jack London, who had a ranch there,
popularized the Native American word Sonoma. In the heart of wine country of
California, Sonoma the knife envisions the beauty, elegance, grace, and function of a fine
cutting instrument. The Sonoma pattern was designed with direct input from professional
chefs for use in the kitchen as well as being designed as a working
knife and tool. This is a true "dual duty" knife.;
Blade steel: I made the Sonoma blade
in hypereutectoid, high alloy stainless tool steel,
440C. This is my most
requested steel for a reason, and that reason is—when
properly treated and finished—this steel has the
highest corrosion resistance possible, while being tough and
wear-resistant. It's a proven performer suited for the
kitchen, and in the field, and it's clean, slick, smooth, and dependable. 440C is
extremely high in chromium, and that contributes to the
other elements that make it a great steel. First, the carbon in this steel
is extremely high at 1.25 percent, allowing significant development of
martensite and forming of essential iron carbides. The second element is chromium, and at 18
percent, this is a highly corrosion-resistant stainless steel. High chromium also creates extremely
hard and durable chromium carbides adding to the wear
resistance and overall strength and stability of the
steel alloy. The third transformational element is
molybdenum. 440C has 0.5% molybdenum, which doesn't seem
like a lot, but in this case the molybdenum provides
significant nucleation sites for the formation of all
carbides in the steel: iron carbide, three types of chromium
carbides, molybdenum carbide, and combination carbides of
all three elements. Molybdenum helps
precipitate these carbides at critical dislocation and
grain boundary areas of the crystalline structure,
stabilizing the structure against fracture, toughening it.
Toughness is resistance to breakage, and this allows a very thin cutting
edge and blade geometry with high corrosion resistance. This means a
thin, sharper, tough, corrosion-resistant blade.
Consider that a chef's knife can dull by exposure to acidic,
chemically aggressive foodstuffs, dulling lesser blades, and
the importance of corrosion resistance is clear. Add to this
that because 440C can be kept critically clean, it is ideal
in the kitchen.
Heat Treatment: This Sonoma has my
New T3 heat treatment, yielding an astounding blade in incredible
condition through advanced processing protocols. How advanced is
this treatment? It's a multi-stage cryogenic treatment,
involving temperatures ranging in over 2000°F (1090°C)
to -320°F (-196°C). The process is an evolution of my
advanced heat treating processes, and consists of 33 dedicated
and specific steps and takes 172 hours! This means that just to
heat treat this blade takes over a week! The reason for this is
scientific and critical, but yields the most stable, most
wear-resistant, most durable and long-lived structure of this
steel, profuse with fine multi-element carbides and a uniform
and unbelievably robust structure. This is a testament to my
determination to make the very best knives, steels, treatments
and kits in the modern world. I know of no one else who has
advanced the treatment to this level; it's unheard of in the
metals and knifemaking field.
Blade Design and Geometry: Most people would consider a chef's knife a large,
wide, and lengthy blade, typical of European concepts of the
French "Sabatier" design. However, nearly all of the tasks of
the skilled chef are accomplished with a more pointed, thin and
sharp knife. Unlike Japanese designs which are delicate and
weak, the Sonoma has a considerable spine, and just enough
thickness to support the hollow grind. A hollow grind can offer
the lowest sharpening angle and greatest longevity of a knife
that has to have a stiff, strong spine, detailed on my "Blades"
page at this
bookmark. The curve of the blade at the cutting edge had
to be just right: thin enough for piercing, curved enough for
strength. The blade is aggressive, not too wide to limit sideways-curved
cuts, and long enough for nearly every task, with as low of a weight as possible while
offering a rigid, tough design to support the cutting edge. The
edge itself is incredibly sharp, with a low angle single-bevel
cutting edge and razor-keen performance.
Blade Finish: The blade and bolsters are
mirror polished. This is critical in the kitchen; too many
knives are rough, unfinished, and unable to be cleaned in the
knife field. There is no filework to trap foodstuffs, no
hiding place for bacteria in the polished blade. The chromium
oxide surface nature of this stainless steel easily releases all types
of food and is sterile and smooth.
Bolsters: I bolstered the
Sonoma with my signature zero-care, high nickel, high chromium 304 austenitic stainless steel bolsters,
contoured and rounded for comfort of the hands, and shaped and
radiused in the front face for easy cleaning. They are attached
with multiple through-tang pins of 304 stainless steel, and
the mounting is permanent, as well as extremely corrosion-resistant. This is the
same steel used for stainless steel nuts, bolts, and fasteners,
and the same steel that is used in nearly every NSF kitchen
appliance and exposed surface. I bolstered the Phact with zero-care 304 high chromium, high
nickel stainless steel bolsters, and they are contoured, rounded and
polished for a comfortable feel. The bolsters are secured
with zero-clearance peened pins and dovetailed to bed the
scales. The front bolster has a wide, flat top even with
the spine for applying pressure, and a bit of curve to
support the forefinger and prevent it from moving toward the
blade in a forward grip. The rear bolster is wide and flat,
aiding in balance and filling the palm of the hand for
control. It also aids in easy unsheathing.
Handle: The handle scales I chose for
this knife are striking Pilbara Picasso Jasper gemstone.
This is a beautiful, tough, and entirely hard and smooth gem
from Western Australia. It's a cryptocrystalline quartz with
minor inclusions of hematite. It's extremely dense and
solid, perfectly easy to keep clean and will positively
outlast the entire knife! The play of color and light is
intense in bright sunlight, and under magnification, it's
even more beautiful (see the enlarged photos below). It's
polished absolutely smooth and is rounded, contoured and
blends seamlessly with the handle.
Balance and Feel:
The center of balance of the knife is at the
location of the first finger, so the blade is neutral
and light in the hand. The handle shape, the thumb rise on the
top of the spine, and the drop in front of the blade prevent the
hand from advancing on the cutting edge. Plenty of pressure can
be applied to the spine via the thumb at the thumb rise, or the
forefinger on top of the smooth spine for control. The small
notch in the thumb rise that engages the sheath lock is smoothed
and polished and hardly noticed. The handle is lightweight and is surrounded
in the palm. This is not a big, fat rounded plastic handle found
in the novice kitchen knife. The combination of handle and blade
creates a cutting instrument, light, elegant, and effective.
Leather Sheath: I've included a heavy, tough,
and solid leather sheath for the Sonoma in 9-10 oz. leather, hand-stamped and tooled. The leather is shoulder, from
mature cows, and is twice as thick as most other knifemakers use.
The stamp-tooling is a tri-basketweave pattern, and I've dyed
the leather a deep burgundy to match the gemstone handle. The sheath has a belt
loop that is double-row stitched throughout with the tough nylon thread. The knife fits deep and secure into
the sheath, with the handle exposed and the high back of the sheath
protecting the wearer. The sheath edges are dressed and smoothed for
comfort; the entire sheath is sealed with lacquer for water
resistance, permanence, and longevity. The leather sheath is
great in a more casual setting when a
knife simply needs to be a tool.
Locking Sheath: The locking sheath (Version
2.0) I've made for this kit is a professional
assembly, and frankly, the best tactical sheath and accessory
package made in the world. It's also an example of my commitment to making the finest combat tactical, and rescue knives
and sheaths on the planet. It starts with double thickness (.125")
kydex (methyl acrylate and polyvinylchloride), hot-formed over an aluminum
welt frame of 5052 high strength corrosion resistant aluminum
alloy in H32 hardness. The high alloy aluminum I've anodized and
permanently dyed black, creating an near-ceramic hard coating 1 mil
thick on the surface of all of the aluminum, inside and outside of
the metal, whether exposed or not. This brings the aluminum to its
highest, most durable condition. Even my dying procedure for the
anodizing uses sunlight-stabilizing surface sealing for the greatest
colorfastness of the hardened surface. The body and welts are
secured with media-blasted
and slotted 304 stainless steel Chicago
screws for the ultimate in durability with no care and no glare,
all blackened to match with a passive oxide surface.
An excellent knife for the kitchen, for carry and wear, for
working chores, elegant in function, premium in materials, beautiful
in finish.
Thanks S. H. and B. W.!
Please click on thumbnail knife photos of this Sonoma!
Copyright 1996-2024 by The Jay Fisher Company. All rights reserved. Federal copyright law prohibits unauthorized reproduction by any means and imposes fines up to $25,000 for each violation.
Learn more.
