South African knifemaker David Hoehler lives in Salt Rock on the KZN North Coast. He specializes in high performance chef’s knives, both in European and Japanese styles. His knives are incredibly affordable and yet exceptional quality. He aims to keep his knives functional and well-priced – intended to be used every day. Whether a professional chef or home cook, his knives will excel.
Growing up, David would spend countless hours making knives and axes from all sorts of materials he could get his hands on. One of the motivating factors was that Hoehler’s late father, Carl, was an avid knife collector himself, exposing David to the world of knives from an early age. Carl had several books on knifemaking which David took the opportunity to study - with the hope to one day be an accomplished knifemaker himself. As reality set in that he lacked the means to acquire the necessary knifemaking equipment, he pursued his other passion of cooking.
David attended Fern Hill Hotel Training College located in the KZN Midlands. A prestigious institution, Fern Hill Hotel Training College offers internationally accredited courses in cookery and hospitality management. In 2005, David started his career as a chef. He joined Work Away International which had him travel to Florida to work for Wycliffe Golf and Country Club as a line chef until 2006. After returning home, he worked for a few various restaurants such as Granny Mouse Country House, The Junction Restaurant, and Umami Restaurant. He held various positions in these restaurants until 2009, ranging from line cook to executive chef.
After becoming engaged to his wife Karin, David decided to leave his intensive career as a chef. The long, arduous hours were preventing him from spending time with his family. He left working in kitchens to sell advertising and write restaurant reviews for the North Coast Courier – one of the largest sources of local news in the area.
David visited the workshop of a local knifemaker he got to know through a friend. The knifemaker used simple equipment to make his knives, which invigorated David’s feeling that creating a knife workshop might be possible. David gradually bought tools and set up his workshop. Soon, each night when he came home from work, he would make knives late into the night.
Through friendships he made in the restaurant industry, orders started coming in for his handmade chef’s knives. He showed some of his knife templates to Brett Michielin of Mozambik restaurant who ordered several, but because David still needed more equipment, Brett paid him in advance. David continued as a part time knifemaker building his career locally in South Africa.
In 2019, BladeGallery’s Epicurean Edge started working directly with Hoehler in order to market his exceptional work on an international level. It was shortly after this that David quit his job and became a full time knifemaker. Today Hoehler’s knives are coveted by professional chefs and home cook alike.
Every knife David makes is unique and completely handmade. He works in a lot of exotic hardwoods and unique synthetic materials. He prefers to use high end knife steels such as Bohler N690, Sandvik 14C28N, and Takefu VG-10.
David starts by tracing a shape around a wooden template placed on a flat bar of raw steel, then cutting out the pattern with a bandsaw. Next, he puts the knife into a kiln at 1060 degrees Celsius for 7 to 15 minutes. Afterwards, the knife is quenched by heating it at 200 degrees Celsius for two hours and letting it cool. This process is repeated twice to ensure the blade reaches the desired hardness. The blade is then ground by hand and marked with his logo. Each handle is shaped completely by hand, providing a comfortable grip, whether using the knife in a pinch grip or standard grip. His knives are typically ground around 15 degrees. This means even his Western chef’s knives utilize the higher hardness and thinner geometry of high-end Japanese cutlery.
David Hoehler’s knives are the perfect companion in the kitchen and are designed to last a lifetime, regardless if you are a kitchen connoisseur or looking to purchase your first high-end kitchen knife.
