Custom Knives / Compact Chef

Compact Chef

Nary a wasted centimetre.

From £270.00 - £390.00

Start customising your knife
WEIGHT 100 gms
BLADE LENGTH 6"
OVERALL LENGTH 280
HANDLE SIZE Small
Customise your Knife

Bigger doesn't mean better.

We’re not fans of the catering-school-knife-manufacturer’s industrial complex, and don’t think you need a set of 20 knives as a minimum in order to get cracking in the kitchen. In fact we firmly believe that personal choice and personal preference is paramount. On the other hand, we also believe that it’s possible to make little tweaks that don’t take people out of their comfort zone, but do make them a lot happier.

Our Agile Yeoman is very popular amongst those who like a smaller knife in the kitchen, but as a main knife it has the obvious shortcomings of almost no knuckle clearance and very little ‘rock’ on the blade. The Compact Chef was borne by simply taking the Agile Yeoman, attending to its main-knife-weaknesses, and re-presenting it as a pleasingly small knife that will also functions beautifully as the go-to blade in a kitchen.

As with every Savernake, the Compact Chef features our trademark concave blade, expertly blended into a tapering convex cutting edge. The blade’s concavity allows the knife to have both a sturdy spine and a cutting edge best measured in microns. It also removes excess weight and encumbrance from the side of the blade and is – in short – the business.

Highlights

  • "Outstanding" sharpness and edge durability
  • 60 HRC Sandvik 14c28n
  • Designed for gentle, frequent maintenance on a steel
  • Our smallest chef's knife
  • Rocking, Herbs, All-round

WHY CHOOSE SAVERNAKE

A knife as unique as you

You receive the knife you’ve always wanted. Not the one we have on the shelf. 50+ hours and a 42 step process of expert work, every Savernake knife is created to order in our West Country workshop.

Names not numbers

From the moment it is entered into our ledger, your knife is known by your name. It is deeply engraved on the tang of your blade from the outset, and referred to by that name throughout its journey in to your hands.

Working at the micron scale

Each Savernake blade is precision engineered using the same CNC machine preferred by Formula 1 engineers. This allows us to create our signature concave blade geometry. Beyond even the most skilled artisan and unimaginable to mass manufacturers, our concave blades cut better, weigh less and sharpen more easily. When you pick it up it’s poetry in your hand.

Tradition meets innovation

To achieve perfectly flat handles and crisp chines we use a surface grinder that is over 50 years old. Once perfectly shaped, our knives are hardened in small batches. Rapidly heated to 1080ºC, they are then removed and clamped in under 100 seconds before being cooled to -81ºC and returned to room temperature. Only this diligent process can achieve perfect hardness and longevity, whilst maintaining the crucial internal radius of each blade.

By hand and by eye

Some things can only be achieved by a master-craftsperson. Our expert knifemakers thin the lower inch of the blade by hand; the concave cheek expertly blending into a tapering convex cutting edge of less than 100 microns. Once complete your knife undergoes a half-day of specialist corrosion resistance treatment. This prevents staining and odors, and protects your blade from the effects of salt and acid.

The perfect fit

We have spent years perfecting our handle design. The result is both aesthetically pleasing, whilst adapting to all hand sizes. It is conceived to enable hours of cutting without fatigue, muscle ache or blistering. Our handles feel fabulous in the hand and beg to be picked up and used again and again.

Sharpening

Now we add the knife’s most important quality; its cutting edge. Each blade is painstakingly sharpened to create a 15º bevel. This allows for the perfect balance between cutting efficacy and edge strength. Our high tech Swedish steel is incredibly strong and tough. This means it requires a great deal of scrupulous work to create the optimum cutting edge. But once created it stays razor sharp for a long time.

The final flourish

Finally, your knife leaves the main workshop to come upstairs. Here, in the light afforded by the large windows overlooking the Wiltshire countryside, we add your personal engraving. It’s the final touch to a knife as unique as you. We then spend a final hour or two meticulously removing all signs of manufacture, leaving only your immaculate and deeply individual knife.

Delivery

Ready Made Knives

Gift Cards, Maker’s Choice and Ready Made Knives are all despatched on the same day if ordered before 2pm. Otherwise they are send out the following business day.

Custom Knives

We aim to despatch all orders within 3-4 weeks, depending on the complexity of the design and the materials we use.

All orders will be delivered by Royal Mail Special Delivery Guaranteed in specially-designed tubular Savernake packaging. This delivery method is insured and requires a signature from the recipient.

International Delivery

We charge £40 flat rate delivery for delivery worldwide

Lifetime guarantee

Our products are guaranteed for a lifetime. We also offer a reconditioning service for damaged knives for a small fee.

We’re sure you’ll love your new knife. If there’s something not right with your order, please don’t hesitate to get in touch.

Reviews

  1. Rinie Kristiaan –

    I received my knife in good order on Friday. My Aga, my Savernake and I surely must be the happiest cooking “team” in the Netherlands! Wonderful knife, thanks.

  2. Andrew & Jo Venus –

    Just received, all 3 items, superb. Thank you very much, they look and feel fantastic. Thanks once again, things of beauty, they’ll be used and displayed with pride. 

  3. Alan Benson –

    Thank you very much for the beautiful knife and your prompt delivery. It is a stunning piece of practical art. My niece is delighted with her present and is looking forward to her first-class cooking adventure. Watch out for the tag! 

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Explore other knives

Whether you’re building the perfect knife set – or looking for a specialist knife for a specific kitchen task, explore our other knives here or get in touch with us to commission a bespoke knife.

VIEW ALL CUSTOM KNIVES

Gyuto Ultra

From £350.00 - £470.00

Agile Yeoman

From £265.00 - £385.00

Stout Yeoman

From £250.00 - £370.00

COMPLIMENTARY ENGRAVING

Personalised engraving is included on all knives

LIFETIME GUARANTEE

With proper care, our knives are guaranteed for a lifetime of use

INTERNATIONAL DELIVERY

Delivery to UK included, flat rate shipping worldwide