Sur La Table makes history by being the only national premium retailer to carry an American cutlery brand, STEELPORT Knife Co.. STEELPORT, a small team handcrafting American-forged Carbon Steel cutlery in Portland, Oregon, will have their full line of five essential kitchen knives and select accessories available for purchase at 21 Sur La Table retail locations nationwide and online as of May 3, 2022.
“American-made cutlery will now have more visibility than ever before, finally able to broadly present American premium craftsmanship to those customers who value a modern heirloom,” says STEELPORT Founder and CEO Ron Khormaei. “We created STEELPORT with the mission of reintroducing American-forged cutlery on a national, accessible scale, and our partnership with the well-respected Sur La Table is a monumental step towards accomplishing that goal.”
“We are thrilled to be the first national retailer to bring STEELPORT to market. As two Pacific NW companies, dedicated to best-in-class products, SLT and STEELPORT couldn’t be a better partnership,” says Kelly Smith, Senior Cutlery Buyer. “We love the STEELPORT teams’ dedication to a 100% made in America knife, a rare find indeed! This heirloom quality cutlery is sure to delight our customers with its beauty and performance. Each knife will be as unique as the burlwood used for the handles and the hand forged blades.”
“Everything from our choice of steel, Oregon Big Leaf Maple handles, proprietary heat treatment, and use of coffee for the patina all comes back to our ‘craftsmanship without compromise’ drive,” says STEELPORT Co-founder and Bladesmith Eytan Zias. “This is the knife we’ve always wanted for ourselves but was not available in the market.”
Until this partnership, there were no American-made knives available at any premium national kitchenware retailers. While there are many talented custom knife makers in the US, their knives have not been accessible to general consumers due to limited availability and price. The STEELPORT team has developed their processes to deliver a highest-quality American handcrafted knife in large enough consistent volumes for a national retailer to carry it.
In 2021, STEELPORT launched their brand and flagship product, the 8” Chef Knife, to great acclaim. In 2022, they expanded their line with a 6″ Chef Knife, 4” Paring Knife, 10″ Bread Knife, and 10″ Slicing Knife, plus custom fitted wooden sheaths and a carbon steel care kit to deliver a comprehensive solution for kitchens.
All STEELPORT knives use the same U.S.-sourced materials, locally handcrafted methods, and rigorous attention to detail. The core differentiating features of STEELPORT knives include:
Drop Forged One-Piece construction: Solid one-piece traditional drop forged construction from blade tip to end cap for a well-balanced and long-lasting knife.
65 HRC Carbon Steel: Through proprietary differential heat treatment, American 52100 Carbon Steel achieves unmatched 65 HRC hardness at the blade and a softer spine at less than 30 HRC, creating exceptional sharpness and durability.
Contoured Bolster with Hand Polished Edges: Smooth transition from bolster to handle for comfort, and encourages proper pinch grip hold.
Oregon Big Leaf Maple Burl Handle: Locally sourced, naturally unique burl wood, stabilized with resin to meet tough kitchen requirements and won’t shrink or swell.
Made-In-America: American-forged blade, all US-sourced materials, handcrafted in Portland, Oregon for the only broadly available, entirely USA-made cutlery option.