Hand-Forged All-Purpose Kitchen Knife – Master Shin’s Anvil

All-Purpose Kitchen Knife by Master Shin’s Anvil: If you only reach for one knife, this is the size that handles a whole dinner: garlic, onions, herbs and the stubborn root vegetables.

Forged by hand in Anseong, South Korea, and shipped new from our US stock partner.

The Design Story

Nothing about this medium kitchen knife is styled; it is shaped. Master Shin In-Young apprenticed at 13, became a master at 17 and works in the Anseong forge founded in 1845, known as South Korea’s oldest; his ironwork has gone into restoring Seoul’s Sungnyemun gate. The workshop has used recycled railroad rail for over a century and quenches with water only. The steel band where blade meets wood, the daenggi, is shaped as an ornament in its own right.

Why You’ll Love It

The forge marks stay on the steel and the pale wood handle carries nothing but the workshop’s burned-in X, so it looks exactly like what it is. The blade is water-quenched to a hardness of about 57–62, a level the maker chose for a balance of strength and flexibility rather than chasing the hardest possible edge. And every year of use adds to the patina.

Made for Real Life

Treat it like a cast-iron pan: rinse, dry right away, a drop of oil now and then, and never the dishwasher. Over time the steel darkens into a patina that is unique to your kitchen. A whetstone every couple of years keeps the edge, and a baking-soda paste lifts any rust spot.

Product Details

Sizes are the specifications. Each piece is hand-forged, so sizes vary slightly: IC Design lists 30 cm (11.8 in) overall with an 18 cm (7.1 in) blade.

Where It Shines

On a wall-mounted magnetic rail or an end-grain board, where people can see it, and in the hands of the person who cooks most in your home. Pair it with: heavy chef's knife, small kitchen knife, straight-edge vegetable knife, slim sashimi knife.

Questions We Hear Most

Who forges the Master Shin Kitchen Knife (#62)?

Master Shin In-Young, in his workshop in Anseong, South Korea. The workshop, founded in 1845, is known as the country’s oldest blacksmith shop, and in 2016 Master Shin was designated Gyeonggi Province Intangible Cultural Heritage No. 60.

What size is the Master Shin Kitchen Knife (#62)?

11.5 in overall; blade 6.5 in × 2 in; handle 4.75 in.

Will the Master Shin Kitchen Knife (#62) change color over time?

Yes, and that is part of the appeal. Carbon steel builds a dark patina with use; one of the gallery photos shows how it looks after years of use.

Does the Master Shin Kitchen Knife (#62) need special treatment?

Only a little: hand wash, dry, the occasional drop of oil, and a whetstone every few years.

Is the Master Shin Kitchen Knife (#62) a good gift?

For anyone who cooks, yes: it is a working tool made by one master blacksmith and meant to last for decades with simple care.

How quickly does the Master Shin Kitchen Knife (#62) go out?

Usually within 2–3 business days of your order.

Why We Love It

In a world of stamped stainless steel, this is one person’s work, made the way it has been made in Anseong for generations.

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