The Hungry Dane by Jacob Bech
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The knives I stand behind

Three blades, three jobs.

There’s only one kind of kitchen knife I recommend on this site: RiceKnife Damascus knives. I know these three inside out, from the steel to the handle.

I founded RiceKnife (Linbech ApS), so I’m not neutral. Every link goes straight to riceknife.com. No affiliate links.

米刀 RiceKnife in Chinese: rice knife.

Spec sheet: EX-ANIMO III series, 2026Blade lengths drawn to scale. Handles indicative.

Valkyrie III, Tigritude III and Yolo III compared
Valkyrie III Tigritude III Yolo III
Type Gyuto-style chef’s knife Kiritsuke K-tip santoku
Blade length 23.7 cm 20.8 cm 16.8 cm
Weight 204 g 185 g 183 g
What it’s for Vegetables, fish and boneless meat. One knife for almost everything. Long, clean, controlled cuts. A nearly straight edge and an angled tip. Vegetables, and anyone who prefers a shorter knife.
Handle Stabilised red oak, blue accents, brass butt Snakewood and dark rosewood Three sections of bocote
On the blade Runes. Theme: standing by who you are A tiger’s head. Theme: quiet strength Calligraphy: life is short, so enjoy it
Steel All three73-layer Damascus: a cobalt-bearing VG10 core with stainless cladding
Comes with All threeA numbered certificate
Product page View Valkyrie III View Tigritude III View Yolo III

All three are made from 73-layer Damascus steel and come with a numbered certificate. Visit riceknife.com for full specifications, prices and availability.

Visit riceknife.com

Inside the blade

73 layers. One edge.

Cross-section of a RiceKnife Damascus blade A tapered blade cut crosswise. A VG10 core runs from spine to edge, with 36 stainless layers on each side. The flat grind cuts across the outer layers, and only the core reaches the edge, where the sharpening stone meets it. 36136 stone A–A 1 2 3 4 5
Section A–A, across the bladeThickness exaggerated about ten times

  1. Spine

    The thick back of the blade. Every layer is still here.

  2. Cladding

    36 stainless layers on each side, protecting the core.

  3. Core

    Hard, cobalt-bearing VG10. This is the steel that actually cuts.

  4. Pattern

    The grind cuts across the layers. Where they surface, you see the Damascus pattern.

  5. Edge

    Only the core reaches it, so the stone only ever meets the core.

  6. 36 + 1 + 3673 layers in Valkyrie III, Tigritude III and Yolo III.
A rough, layered block of Damascus steel resting in an open hand, the stacked layers visible along its side.
Layered steel, before it becomes a blade.

How I keep an edge

Three steps. No soaking.

After two decades of trying other methods, I spent about five years developing my own diamond sharpening system. No soaking, no flattening.

My sharpening method Knife care guide
  1. A hand holding four RiceKnife diamond sharpening stones, each marked with the 米刀 logo.
    1

    Set

    Set the edge on a plated diamond stone. #250 / #1150

  2. A RiceKnife sharpening stone on a bamboo holder, the 米刀 logo printed on its side.
    2

    Refine

    Refine it on resin-bonded diamond stones. #1000 up to #12000

  3. A RiceKnife sharpening kit laid out flat: stone holder, a row of diamond stones, a leather strop, compound and an angle guide.
    3

    Finish

    Finish on a leather strop with diamond compound. 1.5 micron

Strop
Weekly
Stones, if you cook daily
About monthly
Test
Tomato or paper

“Hard steel holds a keen edge for a long time, but it asks to be treated kindly.”