French knives manufacturing
Handcrafted cutlery
By fixed knife we mean a knife with no mechanical articulation. The stem of the blade inside the handle is called the ‘tang’. Several techniques are used to join the two parts: embedding, gluing, injected material, screws or rivets. If the handle and blade form one piece, it is known as an integral knife. A model very popular for the art of cooking because it is very hygienic. As a safety measure, a fixed blade knife is placed in a leather case or sheath for easy transport and use.
Born some 25,000 years ago, the ancestor of the knife was made of bone, obsidian or flint. The famous hand axe or biface was already used as a tool and weapon. The Bronze Age marked the arrival of the metal knife. Iron rapidly replaced bronze, which was not solid enough for users’ needs at that time. In the 14th century, the knife was used as a fork. Oh yes ! It wasn’t until the 20th century with the development of metallurgy that stainless steel joined the party.
Your knife never leaves your worktop ? The fixed blade will save you time and handling. The kitchen knife comes in different formats to peel vegetables, slice meat or bone large pieces of beef. Yet the fixed knife is not necessarily an indoor object. It is suitable for strong cuts, in the forest for trimming branches or on hunting trips. The blade is all the stronger because the force is transmitted directly onto the handle.
Chosen for camping, bushcrafting, camouflage, fishing or simply to have pride of place in your collector’s display case, knives can also be classified according to their blade. 3 main parts comprise the blade: the spine (generally non-cutting side), the tip and the cutting edge. The grind represents the narrowest part of the cutting edge.
The blade with a straight cutting edge is the most versatile; it cuts, perforates and pierces.
The drop-point blade pierces and perforates and it is easy to handle.
The tanto blade (similar to the Japanese katana) is recognizable by its very special shape resembling a cutter blade, harder to sharpen.
The needle-point blade (its delicacy makes it comparable to a needle) is found on combat knives, especially for self-defence.
The yatagan blade, from Turkish sabres, is curved and thinner towards the point. Not to be confused with the Turkish blade, where the spine widens above the point.
Clip-point and trailing-point blades pierce and cut in the most cramped quarters. They often equip hunting knives because they can easily butcher and skin game and fish.
The sheepfoot blade (so-named because it resembles a sheep’s foot) makes it easy to position fingers on the spine. These downward curving blades were used by sailors who lived in very close quarters (late 19th and early 20th century). Indeed, in order to avoid dagger stabs, only blades with truncated points were allowed on board ships. Nowadays it is currently classified under work knife blades.
The pruning blade is undoubtedly the most characteristic of downward points.
Have you ever been filled with wonder at your favourite butcher’s or delicatessen counter ? There are as many uses as there are different blades.
The best-known, the so-called butcher’s knife, also bears the name of cleaver or cleaving knife. Its wide thick blade tackles carcasses.
The peeling knife requires a short, pointed blade for greater dexterity.
The steak knife requires a stronger blade that doesn’t bend. Food lovers, on your marks !
It is worth knowing that short, serrated knives are used to skin, while longer blades slice.
Bread requires a serrated blade.
Besides its intended use, there are four fundamental quality criteria to guide you in choosing a blade. Optimize the everyday use of your knives by taking care not to neglect any detail.
This is judged by the hardness of the steel. High-quality Morta knives offer Sandvik, Damascus RWL34/PMC27 or carbon steel (90cmv8). Their hardness ranges between 59 and 61 Rockwell HRC. Hardness is calculated by a process that consists in smashing a steel ball. 53/54 are considered correct standards and 58 to 60 very high quality.
By this we mean robustness or resistance capacity. In short, will your blade break easily ? Inversely proportional to the steel’s hardness, its resistance also depends on its shape and thickness. Cutting without breaking the blade: an art or just a good choice of materials ? Do you have a clear-cut opinion on the question ?
This refers to the stainless nature of the blade. It is essential in the kitchen and in certain professions like deep-sea fishing where contact with water is virtually unavoidable. Could rust be the cutler’s no. 1 enemy ?
The process used plays on the hardness of the blade.
Very simply. A cloth slightly dampened with soapy water cleans the stainless steel blade. Made from natural wood, the handmade handles of Morta knives are cleaned with a soft, dry cloth. Why ? Because after lying in humid soil for 5,000 years, Morta wood now prefers to remain far from water. That’s understandable. Treated with vegetable oil in the workshop, it is already protected and acquires a patina from your hand over time.
Make your life easy and choose the steel for easy sharpening. Atelier JHP will advise you depending on your need. You won’t cut short a nice conversation between fans of fine, beautiful blades. Come on, we’ll reveal a secret to you anyway. There’s nothing better than a whetstone or a sharpening steel. You’ll find them among the accessories.
For safety, choose a horizontal or vertical leather case to attach to your belt or to place on the work surface.
All these items are available in stock. See our prices and delivery charges.
The chef’s knife, the ‘must’ line for meals worthy of the name. Proud representative of paring knives, it holds first place among kitchen utensils and offers versatility, hygiene and practicality.
Combination of chef’s knife with Damascus blade ! What else ? When culinary art and cutlery encounter the beauty and colour of Damascus steel, the chef slices, cuts and chops up, carves and butchers with elegance and efficiency. Do you prefer the black of marbled Damascus or the black of Morta ?
Its compactness makes this Damascus fixed blade knife a robust dagger, ideal companion for cooking, hunting, camouflage or picking. Game and troublesome branches beware ! Its sharp blade is only equalled by the beauty of its wooden handle. Smaller than its colleagues, it fits into the pocket of any adventurer. Its case hooks onto the belt for an even faster draw technique. Do you want to test it ?
Its large blade proudly responds to the ergonomic handle. Shock between ancestral know-how and regional knives. Brière Morta combined with a Damascus blade. Multifunctional knife ? More like multicultural ! A tactical knife too. Other ideas ?
Its compact shape makes you want to carry it everywhere and guarantees an excellent grip. Also efficient indoors, it tackles vegetables, meats or fish without the slightest hesitation. Don’t underestimate this knife, it also does the job for DIY, camping and all everyday tasks. A knife so compact and practical it almost has the advantages of a pocket knife. Its blade forged in carbon steel gives it a sturdy character.
The length of the cutting edge (12 cm) makes it the eldest of the forged large blade knives from the fixed blade product line (total length: 23.5 cm). As sharp as a razor, it is better for hunting or fishing than for camouflage. Its perfectly designed handle makes it as easy to use and ergonomic as a small folding knife.
Our artisan cutler presents you with the fixed or folding knife product lines. And while he doesn’t make diving knives, Morta knives are genuine combat knives in the eyes of any wild dry sausages that cross their path.
But above all, he makes an extraordinary ancestral object, enhanced with mammoth ivory inlays or a blue border in vulcanized fibre, for a customized top-of-the-line gift.
Do you want more? You’re right! Opt for an engraving of your choosing.
To stow with survival equipment. That’s right : in the picnic basket, between the dry sausage, good wine and chopping board. The price ? Visit the store !
