Four woods, under the same moon
YIN, QING, YUAN and QUE take their names from 陰晴圓缺 in Su Shi’s poem Shuidiao Getou. The poem places parting and reunion beside the moon’s changing appearance, and closes with a wish that people separated by distance may share its light.
Give each guest a different moon, or let them choose their own. Natural colour and grain give every handle its own expression.
- 陰YIN
- 晴QING
- 圓YUAN
- 缺QUE
蘇軾《水調歌頭》 · Our rendering人有悲歡離合，We know sorrow and joy, parting and reunion.
月有陰晴圓缺，The moon is clouded or clear, full or waning.
此事古難全。Perfection has always been hard to find.
但願人長久，May we live long,
千里共嬋娟。and share the moon’s beauty, though far apart.
YIN
Bocote
The clouded moon. Bocote has a golden tone and pronounced grain.
QING
European Boxwood
The clear moon. European Boxwood adds a lighter tone, in keeping with clarity and harmony.
YUAN
Cocobolo
The full moon. Cocobolo brings warm, reddish-brown tones and depth to the handle.
QUE
Ebony
The waning moon. Dark Ebony gives the set its strongest contrast, with a name that connects endings and new beginnings.
“Very thin. Very sharp. But with real substance.”
A fine edge with substance in the hand
In the ECLIPSES III knife certificate, Jacob Bech explains why the knives were made: he had struggled to find good steak knives that were both thin and solid. He wanted a steak knife that could cut cleanly without serrations and still feel substantial. ECLIPSES III has a finely ground blade and a plain edge that receives its final sharpening by hand. The substantial wooden handle and thick stainless-steel pommel give each knife its weight and presence in the hand.
These are steak knives and kitchen utility knives. Use them on a suitable wooden cutting board for vegetables, sausage and boneless meat. Wash and dry them before moving to the table for steak or grilled food. A controlled drawing stroke lets the continuous edge do its work.
Keep the fine edges clear of bones and frozen ingredients. Avoid twisting a blade in a cut or pressing and scraping its edge against a plate.
Layered steel, a plain edge
Each blade is 67-layer Damascus steel with a VG10 core. The Damascus layers create the visible pattern, while the thin grind and final hand sharpening shape the cutting edge. Layer count alone does not determine cutting performance.
RICEKNIFE specifies 62 ± 2 HRC for the knives. The edges can be sharpened again as they wear. There is no fixed schedule: sharpen when clean slicing starts to need extra pressure.
The work behind the knives
The four woods were chosen for their density as well as their appearance, giving each knife a distinct balance and character within the same design. The selected hardwoods cost more and are harder than commonly used, lower-cost handle woods. The stainless-steel pommel adds weight at the end of the handle, counterbalancing the thin blade.
Preparing the wooden handles takes two months, including vacuum stabilisation. Each is then waxed and polished by hand with Danish beeswax blended with food-grade mineral oil. The finish brings out the grain and can be renewed over time.
The knives are made in small batches. They are the same model and specification as the knives in the eight-piece ECLIPSES III set.
What arrives
One YIN, one QING, one YUAN and one QUE, presented together in one black gift box. Each knife has a plain, non-serrated edge, a wooden handle and a stainless-steel pommel. Forks are not included.
ECLIPSES III is a RICEKNIFE design by Scandinavian chef Jacob Bech and Creative Director Shanru Lin.
- Four steak and utility knives: YIN, QING, YUAN and QUE
- Four handle woods: Bocote, European Boxwood, Cocobolo and Ebony
- One black gift box holding all four knives
- A RICEKNIFE knife certificate
Give it a place at the table
Whether given for a wedding, an anniversary or a new home, these four knives suit a host who enjoys preparing a meal as much as sharing it. Each has its own wood, name and character, with a role in food preparation as well as at the dinner table.
The four-knife set lets you keep the forks you already enjoy. For four matching knife-and-fork place settings, choose the ECLIPSES III eight-piece set. The matching ECLIPSES four-fork set is also available separately.
Choose ECLIPSES for someone who enjoys the feel of natural wood and is happy to care for it by hand.
1.503,00 kr. incl. taxLegg i handlekurv
Dimensions and weight
Each knife is 228 mm long overall, with a 135 mm blade section and a 93 mm handle.
Net weights exclude packaging. Together, the four knives weigh 424 g net; natural wood means individual knives can vary.
| Name · wood | Net weight |
|---|---|
| YIN 陰Bocote | 105 g |
| QING 晴European Boxwood | 102 g |
| YUAN 圓Cocobolo | 106 g |
| QUE 缺Ebony | 111 g |
| Total net weight, four knives | 424 g |
Care for the edge and the wood
- Hand wash
- Dry promptly
- No dishwasher
- Renew with wax
Wash each knife by hand with mild detergent and a soft sponge, then dry it straight away. Keep the wooden handles out of the dishwasher and do not leave them soaking. Vacuum stabilisation does not replace this care.
Store the knives dry, with the edges protected from other utensils. Renew the wooden handles with suitable handle-care wax when needed, and sharpen the edges as they wear. Keep these very sharp knives safely out of children’s reach. Read the knife-care guide for further guidance.
Specifications
- Contents
- 4 steak and utility knives: one YIN, one QING, one YUAN and one QUE
- Edges
- Plain, non-serrated; final edge sharpening done by hand
- Steel
- 67-layer Damascus with a VG10 core
- RICEKNIFE hardness specification
- 62 ± 2 HRC
- Dimensions
- Blade section 135 mm; handle 93 mm; overall 228 mm
- Net weights
- YIN 105 g; QING 102 g; YUAN 106 g; QUE 111 g
- Total net weight
- 424 g for the four knives, excluding packaging
- Woods
- YIN: Bocote; QING: European Boxwood; YUAN: Cocobolo; QUE: Ebony
- Handles
- Two-month preparation including vacuum stabilisation; waxed and polished by hand with Danish beeswax and food-grade mineral oil
- Pommels
- Stainless steel
- Packaging
- One black gift box and a RICEKNIFE knife certificate
- Design
- Jacob Bech and Shanru Lin
For the curiousAbout the steel: VG10, element by element
ABOUT THE STEEL
VG10, element by element
The supplier’s mill certificate lists the composition of one steel heat. RICEKNIFE identifies this as the material used for the VG10 cores in ECLIPSES knives. The figures do not describe the outer Damascus layers.
For a thin, working edge
One reason to choose a high-carbon knife steel is its potential for a hard, wear-resistant edge with suitable heat treatment. On ECLIPSES, the thin grind and sharpening also shape the edge.
How long the edge lasts also depends on the cutting surface and how you use the knife; the certificate does not cover edge life. Use a suitable cutting board for preparation, and avoid twisting or prying.
A comparison with X50CrMoV15 knife steel
X50CrMoV15 (1.4116) is a conventional stainless knife steel. The table compares the supplied VG10 heat with Lucefin’s published reference ranges for that grade.
| Element | Supplied VG10 heat (%) | X50CrMoV15 reference (%) |
|---|---|---|
| Carbon · C | 1.1 | 0.45–0.55 |
| Chromium · Cr | 14.56 | 14.0–15.0 |
| Molybdenum · Mo | 0.836 | 0.50–0.80 |
| Vanadium · V | 0.254 | 0.10–0.20 |
The clear compositional difference is carbon: this reported heat contains more than the reference range for X50CrMoV15. With suitable heat treatment, higher carbon content can support hardness and wear-resistant carbides. Chromium is in a similar range, so this table does not establish better corrosion resistance.
This compares one reported heat with a grade reference range. Lucefin’s published datasheet lists permitted deviations for product analysis. The small molybdenum and vanadium differences do not establish a performance advantage. An element missing from the reference table is not necessarily absent from the steel.
The complete reported composition · Material references
| Element | Content (%) |
|---|---|
| Carbon · C | 1.1 |
| Silicon · Si | 0.409 |
| Manganese · Mn | 0.428 |
| Phosphorus · P | 0.03 |
| Sulfur · S | 0.0013 |
| Tungsten · W | 0.108 |
| Molybdenum · Mo | 0.836 |
| Chromium · Cr | 14.56 |
| Vanadium · V | 0.254 |
| Copper · Cu | 0.127 |
| Nickel · Ni | 0.224 |
| Cobalt · Co | 1.544 |
| Aluminium · Al | 0.003 |
Supplier mill certificate TGB00091853 · heat 2551785B · 24 September 2025. Values retain the precision printed on the document.
The certificate covers annealed flat bar and states 236 HB; its quenched-and-tempered HRC field is blank. The separately stated 62 ± 2 HRC is RICEKNIFE’s product specification. The certificate does not identify finished ECLIPSES batches or test their performance. No separate benefit is claimed for the reported cobalt or tungsten content.
Questions
Does this set include forks?
No. This set contains four steak and utility knives in one black gift box. The eight-piece ECLIPSES III set adds four matching Damascus forks, and the four-fork set is also sold separately.
What makes these knives worth their price?
Each knife has a thin, 67-layer Damascus blade with a VG10 core and a plain edge whose final sharpening is done by hand. The wooden handles go through a two-month preparation process, including vacuum stabilisation, before they are waxed and polished by hand. Four distinct woods, stainless-steel pommels and one black gift box complete the set. It suits someone who values those materials and is happy to care for them by hand.
Are the knives serrated, and how are their edges maintained?
No. They have continuous, non-serrated edges for controlled slicing, and the edges can be sharpened again as they wear. Use a cutting board for preparation and avoid scraping the edge against hard dinner plates.
Will I use them if I do not eat steak often?
Yes. ECLIPSES III knives also work as kitchen utility knives for vegetables, sausage and boneless meat on a suitable cutting board. Wash and dry them before bringing them to the table.
Can the stabilised handles go in a dishwasher?
No. Wash each knife by hand and dry it straight away. Vacuum stabilisation does not make the handles dishwasher-safe.
How are the knives balanced, and how much do they weigh?
Each knife is 228 mm long, with a 135 mm blade section and a 93 mm handle. Net weights run from 102 g for QING to 111 g for QUE. The thin blade is balanced by a substantial wooden handle and a stainless-steel pommel, and the four woods were chosen partly for density, giving each knife its own character.
Does “Made to last a lifetime” mean a lifetime warranty?
It expresses our design intention for long use with proper care and maintenance. It is not a separate lifetime warranty. For a fault or return, contact [email protected] and read our Refund and Returns Policy.
What should I check before ordering this knife set as an international gift?
Check the full order total, delivery arrangements and return conditions for the destination. If you need help confirming shipping costs, import charges or a deadline, contact us with the country and postcode before ordering.
