Small Chef Knife, 135mm Carbon Steel, Curly Birch Handle

The Roselli R700 is a small chef knife with a 135 mm (5.3 in) carbon steel blade, 2 mm thick and hardened to around 60 HRC, set in a curly birch handle and sold with a handmade vegetable-tanned leather sheath. Roselli makes it by hand in Harmoinen, Finland, and the design is inspired by Japanese tradition.

Specifications

• Steel: carbon steel (Roselli lists it as 1075-class)
• Hardness: around 60 HRC
• Blade length: 135 mm (5.3 in)
• Total length: 250 mm (9.8 in)
• Blade thickness: 2 mm
• Weight: 175 g (6.2 oz)
• Handle: curly birch, finished with linseed oil
• Ferrule: stainless steel
• Sheath: light vegetable-tanned Finnish leather

Best for

Roselli gave this knife some weight on purpose. It's meant for chopping vegetables, slicing meat, and working around smaller bones. The 135 mm blade is shorter than a standard 8 inch chef knife, so it's quick on a small board and packs easily for an outdoor or camp kitchen. Deciding between shapes? See Santoku vs Chef Knife.

Care

This is carbon steel, not stainless. Wash it by hand, dry it right away, and keep it out of the dishwasher, which Roselli specifically warns against. The blade will darken to a gray patina with use, and that's normal for carbon steel. Keep the edge up with the method in How to Sharpen a Kitchen Knife.

Questions

Will the R700 rust? It can if it's left wet, because it's carbon steel. Dry it after every wash and store it dry.

Can it handle bones? Roselli rates it for working around smaller bones. It isn't a cleaver, so leave heavy bones to a cleaver or saw.

What changed from the older R700? Roselli thinned the blade from 3 mm to 2 mm in the current design and paired it with a new leather sheath.