Handcrafted 4 Piece Hand Forged Chef Knife and Cleaver Set, Serbian Style High Carbon Steel, Full Tang

This hand forged knife set puts four blades on your board, a mix of chef knives and cleavers, each one shaped by hammer and fire from high carbon steel. It is a chef knife set for the cook who chops a lot, breaks down meat at home and wants knives that feel like they mean it.

At the Board

Four pieces means you stop asking one knife to do everything. The cleavers take the heavy chopping and butchering, and the chef knives take the slicing and everyday prep. A pork shoulder, a whole chicken, a pile of onions and a butternut squash on the same Sunday is the kind of work this set was made for.

It is not a delicate set, so skip it if you want thin paring knives for garnish work. If most of your cooking happens on a smoker, the Meat Lover's Set is the tighter pick. Single blades live in our cleaver collection.

A Gift That Gets Used

A full set is the kind of present people keep for decades. It is a good wedding gift for a couple setting up their first proper kitchen, and just as good for a housewarming. Give it to the dad who takes over the kitchen every Sunday, for Father's Day, Christmas or a birthday. Groomsmen usually get a single knife each, but for the best man or the father of the bride a four piece set says a lot more. More ideas sit in our knife gift collection.

Every Xcutlery blade is high carbon steel, hand forged one at a time in the Serbian style: thick stock, a lot of hammer work, and the forge finish left on the flats.

These blades are forged in the Serbian style. In plain terms that means thick steel with a cleaver shape, flats worked by hand with a hammer, and the dark forge scale left on instead of ground off. The hammer marks on the flats also do a job: they break the suction on dense food, so potato slices and raw meat fall away instead of riding up the blade. Since every piece is hammered on its own, no two knives in the set look quite alike, and no two sets match.

Why high carbon steel

It takes a very fine edge and comes back quickly on a whetstone. The price of that edge is a little care. This steel is not a rust resistant alloy, so water left on the blade will mark it. Wash it, dry it, wipe on a light coat of oil, and it will be cutting long after the cutting board has given up.

Patina

With use the steel darkens to a grey or blue patina. That is normal for high carbon steel and it helps protect the blade. Red rust is a different thing, and it comes from a knife left wet.

• 4 hand forged chef knives and cleavers
• High carbon steel, Serbian style hand forged
• Raw forge scale on the flats, hammer marked
• Full tang with steel pinned handles
• Premium hardwood handles
• Built for heavy chopping, butchering and everyday prep

Specifications

• Set: 4 hand forged chef knives and cleavers
• Steel: High carbon steel, hand forged
• Construction: Full tang, steel pinned
• Handles: Premium hardwood
• Finish: Raw forge scale on the flats, hammer marked
• Style: Serbian style hand forged
• Warranty: Lifetime, against defects in materials and craftsmanship

• 4 hand forged chef knives and cleavers
• Lifetime warranty against defects in materials and craftsmanship

Each blade is forged by hand, so the forge texture, hammer marks and wood grain on yours will be its own.

Hand wash each knife, dry it right away and wipe on a light coat of food safe oil before it goes back in the drawer. No dishwasher and no soaking in the sink. High carbon steel will rust if it is left wet, so that minute of care matters.

Every time you use it

• Hand wash it right after use and dry it straight away
• Wipe on a light coat of food safe oil before it goes away
• Cut on wood or plastic boards
• Touch up the edge on a whetstone when it starts to drag

Keep it away from

• The dishwasher, and a sink full of water overnight
• Glass, stone or metal cutting surfaces
• Prying, twisting or throwing

The full routine is in our high carbon steel knife care guide, and the edge work is in how to sharpen a meat cleaver.

Every Xcutlery knife is covered for life against defects in materials and craftsmanship. If a handle works loose from the tang, a pin comes free, or there is a flaw in the steel or the build that came from us, we repair or replace it free of charge.

It does not cover normal wear such as a dull edge, damage from misuse, or rust from the dishwasher or soaking. Slight differences in forge texture, hammer marks and wood grain are part of a handmade knife, not defects.

To make a claim, email sales@xcutlery.com (Australia: sales@xcutlery.com.au) with your order number and photos. Separately, you have 30 days from delivery to return an unused knife. Engraved and custom knives cannot be returned for a change of mind. Full terms are on the warranty page.

Which knives come in the set?
Four hand forged pieces, a mix of chef knives and cleavers, all in high carbon steel with full tang, steel pinned hardwood handles.

What does Serbian style mean on these knives?
It describes the forging technique and the look it leaves behind: thick cleaver shaped steel, hand hammered flats and a raw forge scale finish.

How do I stop the blades from rusting?
Dry them straight after washing and keep a thin film of food safe oil on the steel. A darker patina builds up over time, which is normal for high carbon steel.

If you are comparing this set with our other three, choosing a chef knife set walks through what is in each one and which cook it suits.