Sabatier ★★★★ Elephant
About the Idéal series in olive wood
Every knife in this series is fully forged in Thiers: blade, bolster and tang are hot-forged from one thick piece of steel. This idéal construction, devised in the Thiers valley around 1920, became the standard for French professional kitchen knives.
The handles are olive wood, one of the densest European woods, with a lively grain from honey to dark brown, so no two knives look alike. Most sizes come in stainless X50CrMoV15 or carbon C60 steel, sharpened by hand by Thiers-Issard.
See the whole series · About Sabatier Elephant
Care
- Wash by hand and dry straight away. Never put it in the dishwasher: it dulls the edge, harms the handle and voids the Thiers-Issard warranty.
- Hone on a steel regularly; sharpen on a whetstone when honing no longer brings the edge back.
- Cut on a wooden or plastic board, never on glass, stone or a plate.
- Rub a little food-safe oil, such as mineral or board oil, into the olive wood every few months to keep the grain rich.
- Carbon steel version: wipe the blade dry after cutting, especially acidic foods, and expect it to darken. That gray patina protects the steel.