Massdrop x Apogee Vital Super Slicer Kitchen Knife

Our third collaboration with Apogee Culinary, and the second knife in the Vital series, the Super Slicer is designed to slice bread and pastries without excess crumbs, and to slice meats without releasing their juices—in other words, everything you can’t do effectively with the original Vital 8-inch chef’s knife. When paired with the original, this formidable duo can tackle 90 percent of kitchen cuts. The key to the Super Slicer’s design is the reverse-scalloped edge. Compared to a traditional serrated edge, it allows you to effectively push and pull through bread, cakes, roasts, and more without tearing or applying too much pressure. Like the Vital chef’s knife, the blade is made from premium BD1N: a nitrogen-enriched stainless steel known for its edge retention and wear resistance. The handle, crafted from a solid block of G-10 (used in many folding knives), offers a comfy and secure grip, which you’ll need when your hands get wet.

Serrated blades are designed to tear through tough materials, so they act more like saw blades than knife edges. On top of that, the small points are prone to chipping and dulling. With the Vital Super Slicer, the reverse-scalloped edge increases the effective cutting-edge length that comes into contact with your bread or protein. The result is easier slicing, less frequent sharpening (if any), and a more natural cutting motion. Of course, just like the original Vital, this knife features an ergonomic handle with a broad, tapered bolster to eliminate hotspots. You can also get it with a dimples to reduce friction and prevent food from sticking as you slice.

A high-carbon nitrogen-enriched stainless steel, BD1N outperforms other steels at the same price. An improvement over its predecessor, Carpenter CTS-BD1 steel, it’s capable of reaching a greater hardness (up to 63 HRC) and can be sharpened to a finer edge. Whereas most steels with 1 percent carbon are not stainless, and most steels with 17 percent chromium are too soft to hold their edge, the addition of nitrogen results in BD1N being capable of low-angle sharpening—which makes for a finer edge to slice through any type of food with ease. It also has all the properties you’d want in a kitchen knife, like resistance to corrosion, edge retention, and strength. But, if your knife does get dull, Apogee will sharpen it at no charge and send it back as part of its lifetime warranty.

Frequently used in high-end folding knives, G-10 is known for durability in extreme conditions. A fiberglass-based laminate, it’s made by compressing and baking layers of fiberglass that are soaked in resin. The result is a rugged heat- and water-resistant material that won't warp over time like wood or plastic. Made with a single piece of G-10, this knife features a smooth yet grippy handle that will hold up in hot, wet, and slippery conditions. Its six-sided shape is contoured for comfort, which you'll need when preparing food for a banquet or just a quick dinner.