What do you look for in a knife? Is it steel quality, aesthetics of the blade or handle, balance, and ergonomics? Whatever it is you’re looking for in your next knife, New West Knifeworks has you covered with their gorgeously impressive G-Fusion knives. Made with high-performance powder steel and a beautiful yet comfortable handle, these knives deserve the highest praise.
New West Knifeworks was nice enough to send me a sample of their 2pc Teton Samurai Starter Set (retailing at $518), which includes a 7” Teton Edge Santoku and a 6” Petty Knife; two great knives that belong in every kitchen. Based out of Jackson Hole, Wyoming, New West takes inspiration from their surroundings, using Jackson Hole’s remarkable scenery to inform the color palettes for their handles. New West takes pride in their craft and it shows; they also back up their work by committing to a lifetime guarantee. If at any point, you are not 100% satisfied with your knife, New West will replace it for free.
The Japanese-style 7” Teton Edge Santoku knife is an all-purpose chef knife that can do almost any kitchen task you throw at it. The santoku is named after the “three virtues” of slicing, dicing, and mincing. It has a wide blade for scooping, while the moderate length makes it more agile than a standard western-style 8” chef knife.
One of the things that sets New West’s Santoku apart from all the others is their revolutionary Teton Edge, which is designed to resemble the Teton Mountain range. New West’s Teton Edge replaces the traditional dimples found in some santoku knives that help the blade slice through food smoothly without sticking to the blade.
In use, I loved the way the Teton Edge santoku felt in my hands. It feels light and agile, yet powerful and extremely sharp. It has become my everyday, all-purpose knife. I use it for almost everything in my kitchen, besides opening jars. The handle feels smooth and extremely comfortable in the hand, almost like it was designed just for me. I’ve used it for chopping up vegetables (my kids eat like 1 cucumber per day), mincing garlic, slicing steak and brisket, and so much more. The fact that each knife came with a supple leather sheath was the cherry on the top for me, since we don’t love keeping our knives in the countertop. The sheath is a great way to protect the blades, and your fingers, while they’re safely stored in the drawer.
The 6” Petty knife strikes the perfect balance between a paring knife, usually 3-4”, and a chef’s knife, usually 8”. Its length makes it more agile than a larger knife while allowing the chef to put more muscle behind it than you could a paring knife. It’s great at peeling, carving, boning, paring, and other gentle tasks for vegetables and fruit. Thanks to its larger size, you can also go from carving a watermelon in the shape of a butterfly to slicing up a porterhouse steak with the same knife.
The G-Fusion Petty knife has become my go-to smaller knife when I feel like the 7” santoku is overkill. The size is perfect for everything from slicing up apples for my kids, to prepping veggies or even slicing up chicken breast. The blade is sharp and the knife is extremely well balanced and feels amazing to use.
All of New West Knifeworks knives are made with CPM S35VN steel, which is world-renowned as a premium grade knife steel. Thanks to the incredible hardness of this metal, New West Knifeworks’ knives hold their edge for much longer and are more stain resistant than other knives. This steel is made in the USA at the Crucible Steel Company in Syracuse, NY and is designed to last a lifetime.
The beautifully crafted, distinct G-Fusion knife handles are made out of a glass-woven fabric impregnated with epoxy resin. What New West Knifeworks has done is to design the handles to remind us that cooking is a form of play and we shouldn’t take ourselves or the art of cooking too seriously. As the layers of fiberglass and cloth-epoxy are hand-shaped and polished around the knife tang, the layers of color reveal themselves in beautiful and playful patterns. New West even describes the combination of materials that make up the handles as “bomb-proof.”
I’m done buying new knives. I can honestly use only two knives for the rest of my life, the 7” Teton Edge santoku and the 6” Petty knife. They’re made with the best materials available and they’re completely made in the USA. Another fantastic feature is that New West offers free knife sharpening for all of their knives. You can drop them off at any of their retail locations in Helena, CA, Jackson, WY, and coming soon to Park City, UT; or you can ship them to their Victor, ID headquarters, though you’ll have to pay for the outbound shipping.
New West Knifeworks is an amazing company who backs their American-made products 100%. I can’t wait to see how they grow in the future, but for now, I’ll be enjoying their knives on a daily basis in our kitchen.
You can purchase your knives directly from the manufacturer at NewWestKnifeworks.com.
Source: The 2pc Teton Edge Samurai Starter Set was a manufacturer supplied review sample
What I Like: Breathtakingly beautiful design; Sharp, lifetime warrantied blades; Perfectly balanced and feel great in the hand; Bomb-proof
What Needs Improvement: I can’t find a single fault, since even the high-end cost is justified
