A couple of years ago, I got an email from the folks at New West KnifeWorks, asking if I’d be interested in trying out a couple of their knives. Because I’m always on the look-out for the perfect kitchen knife, I said yes. They sent me a chef’s knife and a paring knife from their original Fusionwood line.
Over time, I found that while I really liked the paring knife, the chef’s knife felt a little clunky in my hand. That had, in large part, to do with the blade. It was really heavy and thick. I found that while it was great for whacking through dense things, but it was just too darn hefty for daily chopping.
Isn’t Scott a good hand model?
Recently, I heard from New West KnifeWorks again. They were writing to say that they’ve redesigned their knives to use a “super steel*” that allows the blades to be both thinner and stronger than the previous version and would I be interested in trying one out. I said yes again (I can’t resist kitchenware).
The Fusionwood 2.0 eight-inch chef’s knife arrived a couple weeks back now and it has rapidly become one of my favorite things in my kitchen. That gorgeous grip feels quite natural in my hand, the blade is much lighter and appears to be holding its edge quite well. I’ve been using it everyday and I’m not noticing a diminishment in performance as of yet.
I also really like the shape of the blade. It’s a little narrower than traditional for a chef’s knife and I’m find that to be a positive feature. When chopping dense vegetables like carrots and potatoes, the pieces fall off the blade easily instead of clinging to its surface. A very useful thing as we head into the season of root vegetables and holiday cooking.
I also like the fact that New West KnifeWorks strives to be a conscientious company. Their knives are made in Wyoming and the factory is run on power generated by their own hydropower plant. What’s more, all the knives have a lifetime guarantee for non-commercial use. If you’re unhappy with it, they will replace it. And, if you break a knife through mistreatment (though I can’t imagine any of you responsible Food in Jars readers doing such a thing), they will replace it at half price. In these days disposal everything, it’s truly lovely to see a company making good stuff and standing by.
New West KnifeWorks has given me a second Fusionwood 2.0 eight-inch chef’s knife to giveaway to one of my readers. Here’s what to do to enter:
- Leave a comment on this post. Tell me one thing you’re doing this week to get ready for Thanksgiving (getting your knives sharpened is always good in preparation for a days of cooking).
- Comments will close at 11:59 pm east coast time on Friday, November 16, 2012. Winner will be chosen at random and will be posted to the blog over the weekend.
- Giveaway open to US residents only.
- One comment per person, please. Entries must be left via the comment form on the blog at the bottom of this post. I do not accept submissions via email.
But wait, there’s more! New West is also giving away a four-piece set of their knives on Facebook. Click here to visit the entry page and throw your hat into the ring for that contest as well!
*The official name is S35VN Powderized Steel.
To get ready for thanksgiving? I’m having a grateful dinner with friends that I’m grateful for!
We’re actually just now thinking about the *what* of what we’re doing for thanksgiving. Previous years were big family get togethers, but this year we will only be hosting two other people. We’re thinking of cornish hens and some other non-traditional but close to Thanksgiving style dishes. The big goal is to have everything but the meat cooked the day before!
I am planning the menu this week!
I’m getting ready for Thanksgiving by looking up recipes for the various vegetarian sides I’ll be making
I’m making turkey stock this week and freshening up the house!
I’m scouring recipes for pumpkin bread pudding with salted caramel sauce. And eating brussels sprouts like its going out of style!
We are getting ready for thanksgiven we are cooking turkey and ham and a lots and lots af desserts and giving thanks for be reunited with the family
Trying out new and interesting recipes!
getting ready for Thanksgiving is long over here in Canada – I have been getting ready vegetables to roast for dinner though, sweet potato, brussel sprouts and carrots – a better knife would have helped for sure!
Making up a dish to take to the in-laws. And looking forward to spending some time with friends and family.
I just ordered a turkey! And that knife is beautiful.
Buying pecans.
This knife is so beautiful! I’m going apple picking and berry picking tomorrow for Thanksgiving pies! Have I said how beautiful this knife is?? !
Hello! I LOVE this knife- it matches the colors for my wedding next July! I would love to win this for my fiance (he’s a big time knife collector/enthusiast).
To prepare for my mom and sister visiting for Thanksgiving, I am making vegan side dishes, and teaching myself to make gnocchi, one of my my mom’s favorite dishes. I have a pasta maker at home that I’m becoming familiar with. So much fun!
Wow- gorgeous knife! I actually just completed sent an email to my local co-op asking about when the knife sharpening guy will be there so I can stop by and get my knife collection in working order for the upcoming week! I’ve also got plans to order a pie today from the farm stand up the road since I refuse to bake. 🙂
I’m cleaning out the pantry…all outdated, not wanted goods are out…& making a list of what is needed for the Holidays & Winterfoods.
Last year we invited a lot of folks over, the best way to have T-Day. This year we may go to a friend’s house, but I’m kinda keen on going up to the mountains for an outing. Our preperation is to consider a new T-Day paradigm,
Getting the house a little more spiffy and menu planning!
This week, to prepare for both the Thanksgiving dinner I will be attending on that day, and the one that I am hosting myself over the weekend, I am roasting pumpkins, to puree & for pumpkin bread, pie, and butter…. mmmm
I’ll be cleaning the house in preparation for Thanksgiving! Oh and ordering the pies.
I’m sitting down with a friend this week to plan the menu for Thanksgiving. Dinner is at her house this year but I told her I’d make pies and macaroni and cheese.
to get ready for Thanksgiving, I am researching recipes with sweet potato to bring to family on the big day. 🙂
Hi Georgetti
We make a light and fluffy Sweet Potato Souffle and has a crunchy streusel topping similar to this recipe (less the milk and vanilla) http://allrecipes.com/recipe/gourmet-sweet-potato-souffle/. Top with a mixture of crushed cornflakes, brown sugar, butter, and chopped pecans the last 10 minutes of baking. Hope this helps your research.
Wow, that knife is stunning and I like the review you gave for it. This year I don’t know what I’ll be making but I would love to try my hand at sweet potatoes or homemade stuffing. However, every year I always make my homemade apple pie! That knife would slice through those pounds of apples like butter!
I’m taking this Friday off to prepare lists and shop.
Other than cleaning and shopping for my own festivities next week, I am actually cooking 3 turkeys this week for preschool Thanksgiving. This knife is absolutely stunning!
This week I am testing recipes! A turnip casserole from my grandmother’s recipe file and a new kind of stuffing. One of those beautiful knives would make my work so much easier.
I actually am getting my knives sharpened to cut into some duck and goose breast given to me, but more importantly preparing for the arrival of my son (due the day before Thanksgiving!) and for that I’m most grateful! Thanks.
I am stocking up on whole cranberries so I can make homemade sauce, which I would happily eat on toast year round.
What a great opportunity. My chef’s knife I’ve had over 20 years, and I managed to nick the tip off a few weeks ago. A new chef’s knife is on my Christmas wishlist!
I ordered our pumpkin pie Saturday, and in the next couple days I’ll talk to my mother to finish planning the meal. I know we’ll bring mashed potatoes but I want to create something else as well.
I’m making shopping lists this week, and inventorying the pantry.
I am house sitting for a friend. Well actually, the dog sitting is the more important part. I am gathering recipies I want to can while at his much nicer kitchen. Yea, counter space.
Baby bother sharpened my knives two weeks ago. This week, I’m searching for the perfect pork roast, collecting ingredients for the 5 generation bread recipe, and finalizing the menu and head count.
Getting ready for thanksgiving means planning how late I will sleep in on my days off 🙂
I could use another knife, at it is so pretty to boot. I love kitchen knives.
I am also cleaning out the pantry, checking to make sure I have enough on-hand supplies for any guests and cleaning all my linens/house. I don’t host thanksgiving, but this time of year there are so many family members and friends around that it’s good to be prepared for anything. 🙂
We’ll be traveling, so I’m getting that ready. I also making a list of last minute things to pick up at the store for my family’s Thanksgiving feast at my destination. It is so strange to not be cooking!
Today I am making cranberry sauce for the first time! I absolutely love the canned stuff (I have been known to eat it straight out of the can with a spoon) but its time give the good stuff a try!
Our house just voted for Ham…. I need to put in our order this week.
Just ordered my turkey…a little bit late! Also making the list of what everyone is responsible for bringing.
I am seriously in need of new knives! I’m learning a lot about nutrition and whole/real foods and feeding my family is top priority – a sharp (and beautiful!) knife would make that process so much easier!
Planning the menu and making a very detailed shopping list. I only get one shot at the grocery store so I have to make it count lol!
These knives are gorgeous! I’m gathering up recipes I want to make when I have some time to be in the kitchen. I have a couple different dessert recipes I want to try out this year at Thanksgiving!
Making my shopping lists. I have a variety of dietary requests, so there will be some traditional items as well as plenty of vegetarian options. I hate those last minute runs to the grocery store (with about a billion other people all doing the same thing!).
BEAUTIFUL KNIFE!
We’re having Thanksgiving on Saturday with my parents as that’s the only day we all have off this week (the bro’s gf is a new-ish nurse so she’s getting stuck with the wonky Turkey Day shift). So to prep for it I’m convincing my mother to try brining the turkey (we always have issues with the turkey… it’s so painful). I’m also hitting the farmers market as it’s my responsibility to bring a soup (cream of ‘shroom) and a slaw (bnut squash+apple+cranberry) and the rolls.
I pre-ordered my turkey a few weeks ago..and yesterday I started filling in the rest of the shopping list.
Digging through recipes and deciding what I will serve so I can make my shopping list!
Well I have Thanksgiving with a very large group of friends. I’ve been trying to figure out what to make. So yesterday I decided to make some pickled veggies for an appetizer plate. Pickled turnips and radishes, beets, carrots, and kohlrabi.
Love that knife!
Usually, I do the holiday cooking but this year the MIL wants to do it so I’m getting ready by not getting ready. Not sure I like it though. 🙂
I’m getting ready for Thanksgiving by exercising a lot and getting ahead on my “take-home” work in order to be able to relax for the maximum amount of time over the holiday weekend.
I am going to some cooking classes to hopefully find some new and different sides to serve. That knife is so pretty!
Because we’re traveling this year, instead of prepping food, I’m getting ready by packing my bags!
We are collecting pecans and making apple butter for our guests!
I am trying to perfect a recipe for honey bourbon apple pie for thanksgiving!
To get ready for Thanksgiving this week I am writing the final daft of the menu and making the grocery list.
My wife and I are having our first stuffing cook-off this year. She’s going for something gluten free and I’m doing something traditional. I’ll be researching recipes all week to find the perfect ingredients for a great stuffing.
Just deciding what to cook for a small party of 3! We’re thinking of brining a small turkey breast.
Planning my menu and locating coupons for the Thanksgiving Holiday.
This week I’m cooking a collection of pies to bring to work for our weekly tea. It’s not quite Thanksgiving yet, but it’s close enough.
I am looking up ideas for appetizers! I think I’ll do something with puff pastry….
To get ready for thanksgiving, this week I’m visiting a friend to pick up the turkey she raised for me. That knife sure would come in handy for the rest of the prep!
I am searching pages like yours for something new, creative, and unusual to bring to the family Thanksgiving Supper. Love to surprise them with something new to try at an old tradition. Love that knife!
All I’ll be doing to get ready for Thanksgiving is possibly packing my bags…I’m off to visit relatives this year, and will be flying in Thursday morning and not checking a bag, so no prep for me! 🙂
Thanksgiving is about getting our family together, so I’m cleaning out a room for my brother and his new wife to stay in while they visit.
Looking for bargains at the grocery store!
I actually just bought a new knife sharpener and have been planning out a menu so I’ll be ready for all the shopping. These knives are gorgeous!
Thanksgiving? Honestly, I’m just trying to get through this week. But one thing I’m doing is finalizing the guest list so I know who to ask to bring what! 🙂
Wow, could sure use that knife in my kitchen. I just hate the way my current chef’s knives hold tight to the veggies and onions rather than releasing them when chopping! This week I’ll be hacking into the 21 pound blue pumpkin from our garden and making the first of (probably many) loaves of pumpkin bread and pumpkin pie from it. There are two baby sister pumpkins as well, weighing in at 15 and about 12 pounds! Good thing we love pumpkin!
Cleaning house , and getting Christmas lights ready for the out side!
I’m grocery shopping like mad. Everyone is travelling to our house for Thanksgiving for the third year in a row. Keeping my fingers crossed that once again the weather is beautiful and we can eat outside (quite the novelty for my family from the mid-west).
I am trying to put things away in our new house to host Thanksgiving. Also looking up dessert recipes.
i need to order our fresh turkey from the butcher… glad you reminded me! that knife is dreamy!
I’m working on finding the BEST Brussels sprouts recipe!
I’m not hosting Thanksgiving this year, so we’ll be travelling. So, I’ll prepare something to take with me and then pack and get the car ready for the trip!
Beautiful knife! My Mom is doing Thanksgiving this year so I’m not cooking unless I make a dessert but today, I’m roasting sweet potatoes. I love roasted veggies just as a side dish.
I have been making fresh pumpkin puree for pumpkin pies or bread or soup or muffins or……. and storing it away in the freezer! Can’t wait for Thanksgiving!
Thank you for the give-away!
Honestly, other than planning a very basic menu – not much. Hubby works on Thanksgiving, so we probably won’t celebrate until the next day, and we don’t have anyone come over, so for us it’s about being thankful and just relaxing together for the day 🙂
Gutting, quartering, steaming and processing the pumpkin for pies! Yum yum. That knife is beautiful.
I’m flying back home for Thanksgiving this year so my planning consists of booking flights and figuring out how to see all my family and friends in a short period of time. I would LOVE to win this knife. I just roasted my first pumpkin and had the hardest time cutting the sucker in half. This knife would make the task 100x easier.
Going to make pumpkin puree for pumpkin pies!
In preparation for thanksgiving I am baking! Trying all sorts of new dessert recipes 🙂
I’m spending the week packing to go visit family, freezing pies, and canning cranberry jelly!
Since I’m traveling from one coast to another and am lucky enough to be a guest at someone else’s home for Thanksgiving dinner, I’m just trying to plan what clothes I want to pack!
I’m getting my recipes ready. Checking which cranberry sauces I’m making. Cranberry sauces, sweet potatoes and the stuffing is my favorite part of Thanksgiving.
Larissa
Oh man, the holiday’s really snuck up on me this year. I don’t even know if we’re doing anything for it…but I’ll have to pick up a few bags of cranberries, for sure.
To get ready for Thanksgiving I am making lists, cleaning things I should have three months ago and begging the children to stay healthy so I don’t spend the whole break at the doctors this year! LOL! I’m also drooling at that knife, because it’s amazing!
I’m in charge of stuffing this year. Should be tasty! Thanks for the chance to win this amazing knife!
I am canning pomegranate jelly with my neighbors using fruit from their pomegranate tree. Will serve it with brie and crackers for Thanksgiving appetizer.
I’m just waiting to hear what I am assigned to bring this year. Lucky me I got invited to a friend’s house for dinner!
I’m making all my pie crusts ahead of time and freezing them in pie plates so they’re ready to fill and bake.
I will be forming my menu for Thanksgiving. I feel a little behind this year. 🙂
I’m planning on creating a homemade pumpkin latte with real pumpkin. That and drinking lots of ginger tea so my digestion is up to the task come Thanksgiving day!
Putting together a Pinterest board of my recipes, to help schedule oven time and make my shopping list.
Thanksgiving is about appreciation. Appreciate of family, friends, and food. I am preparing for Thanksgiving by making sure I appreciate where the food is coming from. We are getting local Oysters from our local oyster farmer. The turkey is coming from a local cage free farm. Veggies from the farmers market. I am preparing by respecting the food that feeds the people I am thankful for.
Making pie crust and putting it in the freezer. I have to make 4 pies this year!
This week I’m getting the house together for having the family home the next, and gathering foodstuffs for the Main Event next week.
I am making some decorations since we are going out to a restaurant becasue the house is still uninhabitable from Sandy. I will try to make the restaurant feel like home!
In preparation for Thanksgiving, I will be ordering our turkey from Mile High Organics.
So far, my only prep for Thanksgiving is making a shopping list. Got to start somewhere!
For Thanksgiving this year, I’m just sitting around and waiting for my mom to tell me what she needs me to make, while also cutting veggies with a dull knife.
I’m going to finish roasting my sweet pumpkins from my crop so I can make puree for a homemade pumpkin pie – for the first time. Cross fingers it works out!