Madison, WI, USA. December 2017. Jill is a home cook. She just graduated from UW-Madison with a degree in Communications while interning alongside Sarah Artz at One-OneThousand, a new maker space on the East side of Madison where I've set up shop.
Before being surrounded by many beautiful pieces created by the members at OxO, Jill had an established appreciation in the value of high-quality handmade goods. So when she approached me about making an heirloom piece for her boyfriend Andrew, I knew this one had to be incredible.
Her request? Source a fine Japanese blade that featured damascus (but wouldn't break the bank) and incorporate Andrew's three favorite colors: purple, blue, and red. But more importantly, she mentioned "I need the funk; I gotta have that funk!" From that statement, I knew exactly what she was after. So I paired a funkadelic 18-layer octagonal wa handle with a Makoto Sumi Santoku. The contrast of the rich kurouchi finish against the damascus edge really made this one pop!
Materials include: hybrid sparkle funk resin maple burl ferrule, flame box elder + red spalted birch + black and white fiberboard spacers, purple-urple poplar burl, snow white acrylic + black n’ gold onyx + rust fiberboard spacers, and a double-dyed purple and green maple burl endcap.
I did not give him an easy task incorporating all of the details I wished for, but he nodded his head and said, "I got this." He was able to see the idea through my eyes and artfully develop it into a tasteful masterpiece, without forgetting a single detail. He not only executed, he exceeded my expectations in a way I will never be able to thank him enough for.