In a joint creative partnership, Alleima and renowned American bladesmith John Phillips are proud to announce the launch of Beyond the Blade — a visually stunning, documentary-style film that takes viewers on a personal journey into the making of Damax™, a stainless damascus steel crafted for the next generation of knife makers.
Damax™ is a steel with a story. Through this film, I wanted to explore what makes it exceptional — not just its beauty or performance, but the ethics, the people, and the process behind it
In the documentary the audience follow the story through the eyes and voice of John Phillips. “Beyond the Blade” begins in the woods of Knoxville, Tennessee, and travels all the way to the heart of Sweden’s steel heritage in Sandviken. He captures the transformation of raw, recycled materials into a single, heirloom-quality chef’s knife. The film is a celebration of sustainable craftsmanship, metallurgical innovation, and the powerful connection between maker, material, and purpose.
“Damax™ is a steel with a story. Through this film, I wanted to explore what makes it exceptional — not just its beauty or performance, but the ethics, the people, and the process behind it,” says John Phillips.
“Beyond the Blade” gives viewers a rare behind-the-scenes look at Alleima’s steel production process — from the raw material yard to remelting and finishing — and features expert insights from engineers, metallurgists, and product specialists. It also highlights the exceptional properties of Alleima® 7C27Mo2 and Alleima® 19C27 — the key steel grades that form the 135 exquisite layers of Damax™.
Back in Tennessee, the film follows John in his home workshop as he brings the steel to life, crafting a chef’s knife using traditional forging and finishing techniques. From cutting and shaping to heat treating, belt grinding, etching, and assembly, viewers witness the full process — culminating in a final scene in John’s kitchen, where the Damax™ knife is used to prepare a dish inspired by his journey to Sweden.
Beyond the Blade is now available for streaming on YouTube, and offers a powerful reflection on legacy, sustainability, and what it means to create something that lasts.
For media inquiries, interviews, or access to imagery and video assets, please contact: Yvonne Edenholm, Press and Media Relations Manager, yvonne.edenholm@alleima.com, +46 (0) 72 145 23 42
About Alleima
Alleima, is a global manufacturer of high value-added products in advanced stainless steels and special alloys as well as solutions for industrial heating. Based on long-term customer partnerships and leading materials technology, we develop products for the most demanding applications and industries. Our offering includes products like seamless steel tubes for the energy, chemical and aerospace industries, precision strip steel for white goods compressors, air conditioners and knife applications, based on more than 900 active alloy recipes. It also includes ultra-fine wires for medical and micro-electronic devices, industrial electric heating technology and coated strip steel for fuel cell technology for cars, trucks, and hydrogen production. Our fully integrated value chain, from R&D to end-product, ensures industry-leading technology, quality, sustainability, and circularity. Alleima, with headquarter in Sandviken, Sweden, had approximately 6,500 employees and revenues of about 20 billion SEK in about 80 countries in 2024. The Alleima share was listed on Nasdaq Stockholm’s Large Cap list on August 31, 2022 under the ticker ‘ALLEI’. Learn more at www.alleima.com.