WICKWILLOW 8 Inch Bread Knife, Swedish Steel 14C28N with Italian Olive Wood Handle, Double Serrated, Jarniva Series Review (2026)

Who This Knife Suits

WICKWILLOW markets this as part of its Jarniva Series, a gift boxed line aimed at home bakers who treat bread as a craft rather than a chore. The double serrated edge is built specifically for sourdough crusts, boules, brioche, and baguettes, so it fits a baker who slices fresh loaves regularly rather than someone who only needs a knife for the occasional store bought bread. The gift box presentation also makes it a reasonable choice for gifting to a bread-baking friend or family member. Bakers who need a knife for large 10 to 12 inch rounds may find the 8 inch blade slightly short for a single clean pass, since a longer blade generally makes fewer, smoother strokes on a wide loaf.

Steel and Edge Performance

The blade is forged from 14C28N Swedish stainless steel, a steel commonly used in premium kitchen and pocket knives for its balance of edge retention and corrosion resistance. Listings for the knife cite a hardness around 60 HRC, which is on the harder end for kitchen cutlery and supports holding a keen edge across repeated use without frequent sharpening. The double serrated pattern is designed to bite into a firm sourdough crust while gliding through the softer crumb underneath, reducing the tearing and compression that a straight edge can cause on a fresh loaf. Reviewers and the manufacturer both describe smoother slicing with less crumbing than a standard single-serration bread knife, which matters most on crusty, high-hydration sourdough.

Handle Material and Comfort

Each handle is shaped from Italian olive wood, a dense hardwood valued in kitchen tools for its warmth to the touch and secure grip even with slightly damp hands. Because olive wood is a natural material, color and grain vary from knife to knife, so no two handles look identical, which some buyers consider part of the appeal rather than a flaw. The wood is finished to resist everyday kitchen moisture, but like any wood handle it is not designed for prolonged soaking or dishwasher exposure. WICKWILLOW packages the knife in a gift box, which also functions as reasonably protective storage when the knife is not in daily use.

Care and Maintenance

The manufacturer specifies hand wash only for this knife, which is standard guidance for a wood-handled kitchen knife regardless of blade steel. Dishwasher heat and prolonged water exposure can dry out or crack wood handles over time, so hand washing and drying immediately after use protects the handle's finish and the wood-to-tang joint. The 14C28N steel itself resists rust well compared to carbon steel blades, but it still benefits from being dried rather than left wet in a sink. Occasional light oiling of the olive wood handle, as is common with wood-handled cutlery, helps maintain its appearance and prevents the wood from drying out and splitting with age.

Where It Falls Short

The main limitation is length: an 8 inch blade works well for sandwich loaves, batards, and baguettes, but on a large round boule it typically requires repositioning the knife partway through the cut rather than slicing in one smooth stroke. Bakers who bake primarily oversized rounds may prefer a 9 or 10 inch bread knife instead. The wood handle also demands more care than an all-metal or synthetic handle, ruling out dishwasher convenience for anyone who wants a fully low-maintenance tool. These are tradeoffs common to wood-handled bread knives generally, rather than issues unique to this particular model, and the steel quality and edge geometry remain strong for the size class.

Frequently asked questions