what happened
THE STEEL
Four of the six blades Milan forged for this edition came from a different bar of 135Cr3 than the one he normally uses. That bar did not quench properly. The steel never reached the hardness a kitchen knife needs, and under the stones it won’t burnish or reach a clean white polish. We still don’t know what is wrong with the bar. The other two blades come from Milan’s usual steel and are sound.
WHY IT WASN’T CAUGHT
Milan normally polishes each blade on fine stones before it leaves the workshop, which would have shown the problem straight away. The Cup’s blades are sent rough on purpose, so that check never happened, and nothing felt wrong while grinding on the belt. The problem only showed once the finalists started working the steel. Milan is very sorry, and he will add a check before any blade ships.
WHAT HAPPENS NOW
The four affected finalists are sending their knives back to Milan, handles included, so he only has to redo the steel. He forges four new blades in the meantime. The two finalists with sound blades keep them and wait. We restart together, once all six hold a properly hardened blade, and everyone gets the full two months. We’re aiming to cover return shipping from the Cup’s funding pot.
I’m sorry about the work that’s been lost. Milan forged those four blades in the heat of summer, and four finalists had already put in dozens of hours. Thank you to all six for their patience.
THE NEW SCHEDULE
The pause will be as long as needed and as short as possible. Milan’s targets: new blades with the finalists in early December, finished knives back to me at the end of February, and the jury decision and live final on YouTube at the end of March 2027. These are targets, and firm dates will be posted as soon as the new blades are ready to ship. The free draw of the finished knives still takes place live at the final.
So no Kasumi Cup under the Christmas tree, and no mulled wine at the final this year. But in March, when we’re looking at six finishes, we’ll be glad we started clean.