The X1 Series 5" utility knife fills the gap between paring and chef. Too big jobs the paring knife can't reach, too small for the chef's knife — sandwich builds, sausages, citrus, a block of cheese, trimming meat. A 73-layer Damascus blade over a 14Cr14MoVNb powder-steel core, ground to 15 degrees per side and seated in an olive wood handle. Hardened to 62 HRC for an edge that holds.
15° Per Side
The Golden Angle
62 HRC
Damascus Powder Steel
Olive Wood
Full Tang
The 5 inch utility knife fills the gap between your chef knife and paring knife — perfect for slicing sandwiches, trimming meat, sectioning fruit and the dozens of small jobs in between. The Xinzuo X1 Series makes it a flagship workhorse.
The 14Cr14MoVNb high-carbon powder-steel core hardened to HRC 62-64 keeps this utility knife sharp through constant everyday use, while 73 layers of Damascus wrap each blade in a unique flowing pattern.
The full-tang construction and signature curved Italian olive wood handle give you precise, agile control for detailed work.
Discover the full Xinzuo X1 Series and build out your flagship knife collection.
All our knives arrive in a beautiful, premium gift box that's ready to impress. (Whether it's for a very lucky cook, or just for you.)
X1 Flagship Series
Most kitchen work isn't fine paring or heavy chopping — it's the everyday middle. A 5-inch blade is the right length for it. Long enough to slice a tomato, sausage or block of cheese in one pass, short enough to stay nimble for trimming and detail work. The X1 is Xinzuo's Flagship line, designed by Steve Cheng and awarded Gold at the London Design Awards 2024. This is the utility knife from that range.
In stock. Ships from Australia. Hand-wash only.
Why 5 inches
A utility knife earns its place because it covers what the paring knife can't reach and the chef's knife is too big for. The 135mm blade is 2.1mm thick at the spine — thin enough to glide, with enough body behind it to stay stable through firm produce and cooked meats. Reach for it for citrus, tomatoes, cured sausage, sandwiches and trimming.
The steel
The cutting core is 14Cr14MoVNb — a Chinese powder steel in the SG2/R2 class, regarded for a sharper, longer-lasting edge than VG10 while staying easy to sharpen. It's clad in 72 layers of 316/316L stainless, bringing the total to 73 layers of Damascus. Vacuum heat treatment with a deep-freeze cycle brings it to 62 HRC (62±2), the balance point where the edge holds without turning brittle.
Specification
Hand-wash only — not dishwasher safe.
In the hand
The handle is olive wood, set on a full tang with stainless mosaic rivets, so the weight sits where you grip it. The Damascus surface is polished and sandblasted, with a rounded spine and S-curve heel that keep a pinch grip comfortable through longer prep. Net weight is 124g — light enough for control, with enough presence to feel deliberate.
The difference
Xinzuo X1 Utility
Generic stainless utility knife
In the box
Arrives ready to gift.
Flagship Series
X1 Flagship Series
Add to cart — $104.35FAQs
The everyday jobs between a paring knife and a chef's knife — tomatoes, citrus, sausage, cheese, sandwiches and trimming meat. The 5-inch blade slices in one pass yet stays nimble.
A 14Cr14MoVNb powder-steel core, a Chinese SG2/R2-class steel, clad in 72 layers of 316/316L stainless for a total of 73 Damascus layers.
62 HRC (62±2), reached through vacuum heat treatment and a deep-freeze cycle — hard enough to hold an edge, not so hard it turns brittle.
15 degrees per side, a double bevel Xinzuo calls the Golden Angle.
No. Hand wash and dry after each use, and avoid cutting very dense materials like bone, ice or coconut shells.
Olive wood on a full tang, secured with stainless mosaic rivets.
One utility knife in a gift box, backed by a lifetime guarantee.
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