Faber Knives 

About Faber Knives

 

I strive to produce high-qualitiy cutting tools by focusing on quality of design, quality of materials and quality of execution. Faber knives are sole authorship - I do all the design and fabrication myself*. 

 

Faber knives are first designed for functionality. While the first impression of a knife is most often of the aesthetics, and though I feel that aesthetics are important - they add to the value and appeal - I only address aesthetic considerations after all of the fuctionality requirements of the knife have been met. 

 

Faber knives are designed for extended use. The handle and bolster fit and finish, as well as the careful rounding of all hand-contacting corners and edges, minimize the possibility of raw spots, blisters and bruising with extended use. The handle shape and blade presentation give a comfortable, relaxed and stable grip that minimizes fatigue in the finger, hand, wrist and arm during a long work session. A few Faber knife models offer thick or thin handle options to better suit your utilization style. A thick rounded handle gives more grip stability with high-force applications, while a thin flat handle gives more precise control for delicate applications.

 

Most Faber knives have a positive finger stop to prevent fingers from running out onto the cutting edge. The handles are designed to provide a firm, stable grip that allows control of the blade under a variety of circumstances. The high finish and rounded corners provide excellent cleanability, and nooks and crannies are minimized to further reduce the potential of material accumulation and risk of bacterial contamination.

 

Most of the cost of a hand-made knife is in the labor involved, not the materials, so I use high-quality materials throughout. The blade steel primarily used in Faber knives is CPM - 154, a stainless tool steel originally developed for bearings because of its high hardness and toughness combined with corrosion resistance. The blades are heat treated to a final hardness of 60.5 - 61.5 HRC, giving the optimum balance of hardness and toughness for this steel. Because of this relatively high hardness, the blades have exceptional edge retention.

 

The bolsters on Faber knives are 416 stainless steel for corrosion resistance.

 

The handle scales on Faber knives are made from wood, bone or a polymer composite material. All wood and bone used in Faber knives are stabilized by methyl methacrylate polymerized in situ, resulting in minimal shrinkage and expansion due to changes in temperature and moisture, as well as improved durability. The polymeric material used in Faber knife handles is Micarta (TM), a phenolic resin with embedded layers of linen or canvas that has exceptional stability and durability.

 

* Note: I purchase the mosaic pins used in Faber knives, and I send handle materials out for stabilization.