Bead blasting blade #bsab
The blade finish is sandblasted (gray) and cold coated with food teflon. Sandblasted blades are more delicate than shiny or satin and more subject to oxidation. See image
Boxwood handle #hbosso
This is very slow growing kind of wood which has always been used to make the simplest country knives, although one sometimes finds some knives with carved or sculpted handles. Today, it is used for sophisticated production for people looking for a knife of their own which is poetic, humble, yet very beautiful in its elegant simplicity, with an ancient look, yet incredibly useful in modern contexts. An extra touch which makes this material fascinating is how it changes colour naturally through time, going from an early yellow-orange to an ever more intense and warmer hazel. Due to the scarcity of available material and the small size of box trees, only a very small amount of small-handled knives can be made.
Blade with anchored tang whole handle #bci
Coltellerie Berti “invented” and adopted the full, hand-made handle, in this shape, for the first time in 1997. It is a single block of material, suitably shaped and drilled to host the tang (extension of the blade) of the knife. It is fastened in place using a special glue. Knives with full handles are more delicate than those with a full tang (riveted).
Buffalo horn handle #hbufalo
The buffalo horn that we use is always a fallout of slaughter of animals that reach the end of their lives working in the fields (8-10 years), that allows the complete development of the horns with a solid tip from 20 to 50 cm. enabling us to achieve the best quality of horn without further direct animal sacrifice. We use only the solid tip that guarantees the best aesthetic quality and stability over time. In any case, the horn is a live material that is subject to variation over time. The buffalo horn must be purchased in India because the quality of Indian water buffalo horn is unsurpassed.
Cornotech handle #hcorno
Cornotech handles are made by hand from sticks of acetal resin which perfectly simulate ox horn colours.
Each handle is stabilised to permit washing in a washing machine.
Ebony handle #hebano
Ebony is a hard and dense wood that is made from more than 250 different species of trees of the genus Diospyros,of the family of Ebenacee. The Diospyros are also appreciated fruit trees, such as persimmons and plums. Ebony most appreciated for cabinetry, solid black and very fine-grained, because it combines a high aesthetic and the value physical characteristics that make it suitable for creating multiple artifacts: statues, furniture, keys piano, flutes, clarinets, keyboards and guitar bridges, knife handles. At Coltellerie Berti using the Gabon ebony (Diospyros Crassiflora) that comes from the rain forests of Africa surrounding the Gulf of Guinea: Nigeria, Cameroon and Gabon.
It is a timber with considerable physical properties, hard, difficult to work, but is resistant to shocks and at bending.
Frosted blade #bsat
The blade finish is frosted (bright gloss not mirrored) see image..
Forged blade #bfo
These blades are made by hot forging (hot plastic processing) with a mallet, which was once the only way to ensure good cutting quality (blows by the mallet break and reorder steel molecules). Today this is highly appreciated because of its beautiful and elegant appearance, and also ensures good cutting power. Every blade has been tempered at 1055 °C and sub-frozen at -80 °C.
Full tang blade #bci
The blade runs the full length of the handle and is fastened in place by three rivets. The handle is made with two cheeks anchored to the blade shank (extension of the blade itself) with rivets.
Half tang blade #bmc
The blade fits sticks into the handle for several centimetres and is fastened in place by two rivets. The handle is made from a single piece with a special notch that accommodates the blade shank (extension of the blade itself).
Knife without spring #hsm
It is a type of knife developed in Italy at the beginning of 1900 for a legal obligation that, in addition to limiting the size of the blades considered legal, also banned knives that, once opened, had a fixed blade. It is a knife that requires skill in use since the blade is free to close.
Laser cut blade #btl
Laser-cut blade with special steel plate, with a high carbon grade, offers great cutting power. Every blade has been tempered at 1055 °C and sub-frozen at -80 °C.
Monolithic handle #hmono
It is a handle made in one piece, in which a groove is made to house the spring.
Olive handle #hulivo
The olive wood is characterized by the beautiful veins that range from light brown to dark brown.
Ox horn handle #hcbue
The horn we use is always scrap from the slaughter of animals who have reached the end of their field working life (8 to 10 years). This allows full growth of the horns (1.2 to 1.8 m altogether with a full tip measuring 20 to 30 cm), and allows us to get the best horn quality without any direct or further sacrifice of animals. We only use the full tip which affords the best quality in terms of beauty and stability through time. However it should be remembered that horn is living matter, which undergoes changes through time and natural aging.
Polished blade #blu
Blades with mirror finish handmade, see image.
Plastic handle #hpla
Our plastic handles are not moulded: they are hand made from a sheet of cold-cast plexiglass (polymethyl methacrylate). The only way to achieve long lasting high quality. Each handle is stabilised to permit washing in a washing machine.
Ram Horn #hmont
The Ram is the adult male of the sheep.
The horn we use is always a slaughter of animals that reach the end of their life and are intended for human consumption, which allows the complete development of the horns.
Allowing us to get the best horn quality without direct and further animal sacrifice.
We use only the full tip that guarantees the best aesthetic quality and stability over time.
In any case, the horn is a living material that is subject to variations over time and natural aging.
The ram's horn is particularly difficult to work because of its well-known spiral shape.
Serrated blade #bseg
At the table or in the kitchen the only foods that can be cut with serrated blades are dry-baked bakery products such as bread, pies, panettone, pizza, etc. In this case there is no risk of ripping when cutting and losing the juices in the food, instead you get it a clean and good-looking cut.
Smooth blade #bli
Very sharp blade, not serrated, avoids cutting meat and vegetable fibres. A smooth blade avoids ripping when cutting, and hence loss of juices in the food with their flavour and nourishment. Hand sharpened in three steps.
Steel handle #hia
Full-round AISI 304 stainless steel handle, bead blast finish.
Simple spring, Italian style #sose
This is a spring that makes the blade opening and closing position stable, but not fixed. To open or close the knife, the resistance of the spring must be overcome, but there is no locking device.
