This Wooden Knife Claims to be One of the Sharpest in the World

Wooden knives seem almost like an oxymoron, and yet this Japanese craftsman makes them appear more dangerous than most traditional knives. 

The trick is using Lignum Vitae which, according to YouTube channel kiwami japan, is believed to be the heaviest and hardest wood in the world. In fact, they even broke another piece of ordinary wood against a slab of Lignum Vitae to prove the point. Lignum vitae is wood indigenous to the Caribbean area and the northern coast of South America. It's also the national tree of the Bahamas as well as Jamaica's national flower. Its name means "wood of life" and not only has it been used for its supreme strength but also to treat a number of medical conditions ranging from coughs to arthritis. 

Not only does this video show you the impressive strength of this particular type of wood. It also gives anyone looking to make their own step by step instructions with the specific tools used to shape Lignum Vitae into a kitchen knife of their own. After much cutting, refining, sanding, and using the whetstone for sculpting, the resulting knife isn't just beautiful. It's incredibly functional. The knife can cut through a cucumber with ease. But it can do much more than chop up vegetables; it can also thinly shave off peels.