EX-ANIMO III

What is included in the EX-ANIMO III set?

Six knives: CARBON I (15 cm petty utility knife), YOLO III (16.8 cm santoku vegetable knife), TIGRITUDE III (20.8 cm kiritsuke), AMOR II (23 cm gyuto chef’s knife), VALKYRIE III (23.7 cm gyuto chef’s knife) and SHARK II (17.2 cm compact Chinese cleaver). All measurements are blade lengths. Six knives, six motifs, six numbered certificates.

Does every knife in the set have its own numbered certificate?

Yes. Each of the six designs is made in a first release of 200, and each knife in the set comes with its own numbered certificate. The number stays with the knife.

Are all six knives made from the same steel?

Yes. Every blade has 73 layers in total, including a cobalt-bearing VG10 cutting core that comes with a mill certificate; the Damascus layers on both sides are 316L stainless steel. All six are oil quenched and tempered to 62 HRC, and every edge is ground by hand by Jacob and his team in the workshop.

Why are three of the knives forged and three pressed or etched?

Each of the six has its own finish; that is by design. YOLO III, TIGRITUDE III and SHARK II are hand-forged on a power hammer and carry hammer marks in the steel. CARBON I has small triangles pressed into the blade with a tool made by EDM, AMOR II has a heart pattern pressed into the hot steel with a die of our own making, and VALKYRIE III has long Damascus lines. Deep acid etching then brings out a relief you can feel on all six. All six are finished by hand, and Jacob examines every knife before it is approved.

Which knife is for what?

CARBON I, the petty, is for herbs, fruit and the small jobs between meals. YOLO III, the santoku, is the vegetable knife, with a tall blade for knuckle clearance. TIGRITUDE III, the kiritsuke, is for vegetables, fish and boneless meat. AMOR II and VALKYRIE III are gyuto chef’s knives for the same tasks, one heavier and one longer. SHARK II, the compact Chinese cleaver, is for vegetables and boneless meat, not for bones. Together the set covers vegetables, fruit, herbs, fish and boneless meat; it does not include a bread knife.

Is the EX-ANIMO III set a good gift?

Yes, for the big occasions: a wedding, Christmas for the whole family, a 50th birthday, a retirement, a house that has finally been built, or a partner or colleague you want to thank properly. Couples put it on the wedding list; companies give it to the person who made the year. Six Damascus knives designed in Denmark, each with its own motif and numbered certificate, each with a cobalt-bearing VG10 core at 62 HRC.

Which single knife should I give if the set is too much?

AMOR II for someone you love. VALKYRIE III for someone in a hard year. YOLO III for a birthday. TIGRITUDE III for a father or a mentor. CARBON I for a new home or a smaller budget. SHARK II for a promotion or for someone who cooks Chinese food.

Can the knives be engraved or gift wrapped?

Yes. We can engrave a name, a date or a short line, and we can gift wrap the set. Message Jacob on WhatsApp (+45 20 46 46 90) or Instagram (@riceknife_denmark), or email [email protected], when you order, to agree the text and the wrapping. He will tell you what can be engraved and how long it adds to dispatch.

Is the knife stand in the photo included?

No. The knife stand is sold separately; the one in the photo is our 6-slot oak knife stand. The set is the six knives and their six numbered certificates.

Why does the set cost more than six ordinary VG10 Damascus knives?

The steel: not every steel sold as VG10 is the same, and ours is a cobalt-bearing VG10 that comes with a mill certificate, and we publish the figures on it. It is oil quenched and tempered to 62 HRC, and every edge is still ground by hand. The surfaces: three blades are hand-forged on a power hammer, two carry a pattern pressed into the steel with a die we make ourselves, one carries long Damascus lines, and all six are deep etched, so you feel a real relief under your fingertips, not a printed or lasered pattern. The finish: six motifs and the name are engraved by EDM, every edge is ground by hand, and every knife is examined before it is approved.

Are the motifs laser engraved?

No. On all six knives, the motif and the RICEKNIFE name are engraved directly into the right side of the blade by EDM, not laser. The RICEKNIFE and LINBECH logos on the left side are stamped into the steel. The surface patterns come from the power hammer, from dies we make ourselves, or from the Damascus layers, and are brought out by deep acid etching.

Is the VG10 in EX-ANIMO III standard VG10?

It is a cobalt-bearing VG10 steel, and it comes with a mill certificate that we keep. The certificate lists the core steel as C 1.10 %, Cr 14.56 %, Mo 0.84 %, Co 1.54 %, V 0.25 % and W 0.11 %. We publish these figures so you can compare them with any other knife yourself; we do not claim they are better than the standard.

Looking for Japanese knives as a complete set?

EX-ANIMO III is an alternative from Riceknife’s own design collection: two gyuto chef’s knives, a kiritsuke, a santoku vegetable knife, a petty and a Chinese cleaver, all with a cobalt-bearing VG10 core at 62 HRC, 73-layer Damascus and a hand-ground edge. It is designed in Denmark by RICEKNIFE, not made in Japan. Compare the knives by blade length and the tasks you do at the chopping board, from fruit and herbs to vegetables, fish and boneless meat.

Is the EX-ANIMO III set collectible?

A first release of 200 of each design, a numbered certificate with every knife, six motifs engraved into the steel by EDM rather than printed on it, six different surfaces you can feel, hand-ground edges and a documented cobalt-bearing VG10 core. Six original Danish designs, made as functional art for the kitchen.

Would you prefer a quieter Scandinavian knife set?

For a more affordable set with a quieter Scandinavian expression, see the Raw Oak six-knife set.

How do I sharpen it?

On diamond stones, following Jacob’s videos. We sell three sharpening sets, each with its own video: Beginner, Chef and Professional. Start with the set that matches how often you cook, not how good you think you are.

How do I care for six knives with six different handles?

The same way for all six. Wash by hand and dry the blade and handle after use. No soaking, no dishwasher. Wood or suitable plastic board. No bones, frozen food or twisting. The wooden handles of YOLO III, TIGRITUDE III, VALKYRIE III and SHARK II are already hand-finished with a wood wax Jacob Bech makes from organic beeswax and food-grade mineral oil, so routine oiling is not required; wipe the handle dry with the blade. The G10 of AMOR II and the carbon fiber of CARBON I absorb very little moisture and need no oiling either; wipe them dry with the blade. Protect the edges in storage. Sharpen as needed on diamond stones; see Jacob’s videos.