Combining heft with scalpel-like precision for Tom Aikens, the youngest chef in the UK to earn two Michelin stars.
Tom Aikens is the youngest chef in the UK to be awarded two Michelin stars. He’s the owner of various restaurants including Tom’s Kitchen in Chelsea, London. He has published several recipe books as well as appearing on television shows such as The Great British Menu. We were lucky enough to work with him create his perfect knife.
Designing the blade
We started with a conversation over a sketch book, gathering ideas and identifying must-have features. Tom singled out our signature Savernake Knife as a place to begin opting to increase both the length and depth of the blade. The nose was dropped to make the blade more of a ‘slicer’, and the bolster end of the handle was altered to allow the hand to slide up into a pinch grip when greater precision is required. After a few prototypes and revisions, an entirely new knife was born – one that’s meticulously designed to combine heft with scalpel-like precision.
Choosing the perfect handle
Tom’s Corian handle is sculpted with an ergonomic palm-swell for unrivalled comfort. Corian is a super-durable material typically used to create kitchen work surfaces, that comes in a wide range of colours.. Tom chose a white marble effect, in striking contrast with a black liner and black epoxy pins.
After a great deal of meticulous craft, Tom’s knife evolved into something between a Japanese-inspired all-rounder and a cleaver, and we absolutely love it. Despite its rather imposing size, our signature hollow grind and hand-tapered blade mean it moves and responds like a knife half its size.
“I have designed a knife exactly how I want it, which is a first. My knife is one of the closest fitting knives I’ve had. It’s more than just bespoke, it’s made-to-measure to the millimetre. I cannot recommend Savernake highly enough.”
– Tom Aiken
You can now make Tom’s knife a part of your own collection, complete with made-to-measure Richlite lock-in magnetic sheath.