01 for kitchen use?

blgoode

blgoode

Knifemaker / Craftsman / Service Provider
Joined
Oct 3, 2003
Messages
7,145
Someone told me that 01 shouldn't be used for food prep. Is this true? It doesn't make since to me but just thought I'd ask.....
Thanks
 
Why not? Carbon steel has been used for kitchen knives since there was kitchens.

It'll just stain, but as long as it's cared for should never rust.
 
There is no reason not to use 01--or any other good carbon steel for that matter--in the kitchen. Unless, of course, one enjoys dull knives of 420 stainless, or overpriced (and not much sharper) German knives with drop forged bolsters that get in the way of both sharpening and using ;)

John

p.s. on a more serious note, I have ground bottom portion of the ugly and useless drop forged bolster from a couple of knives for friends and they are always very happy with how much more user friendly it makes the typical Henkel's or Wustoff knife.
 
One of my favorite knives in the kitchen is an 01 beater that was one of my dad's first knives when he started making them. It holds up quite well and takes a nice edge. It gets some stains on it, but they kinda add to it's character, and aren't that hard to remove if they really bother you.
 
If you read the stainless knife maintenance that a good chef would recommend, it's pretty much fine for carbon steel also. For instance most would say not to put the knife in a dishwasher, since the experience is hard on the edge and knife in general, to wipe blade after every use, and not to allow it to sit around wet, or with acidic materials on it. That's for stainless with relatively invincible handle material, and a carbon knife treated that way should do fine.

Also on dishwashers, a chef isn't using a knife for 3 minutes, whereupon it is "dirty" and needs to be placed in a machine to make it "clean" again. He is using the knife possibly all day long, and can't cycle it through the clean machine everytime he cuts a sandwich in half. Ongoing maintenance is what they do, and it is fine for carbon knives also.

On the other hand if your asking this question before launching off into a new career in O1 kitchen knives; be aware non-stainless, and even non-plastic or integral stainless handles, are banned from some kitchens, and by certain cooking orgs.

Also a chef is rarely far from his stone or steel, this isn't a survival knife, and the ultimate edge holding of low chromium carbon steel like O1 isn't a big deal.

Knifemakers like forging, temper lines, and interesting steels, most users don't care.
 
You must be young . Quality stainless steel knives haven't been around more than about 25 years. For hundreds of years before that we used carbon steel. As for maintenance all my knives are cleaned and dried immediately after I use them. As for regulations some of them are nonsense such as rubber gloves . All you have to do is wipe the glove on your nose and it is contaminated .Yet many think that if rubber gloves are used everything is sanitary.
 
I believe also that the ss knives
will turn your veggies brown faster
where it comes in contact with them
why I don't know:confused:

I know about the glove thing I think Hospitals use them to protect
themselves more than the customer now.:(
watch some of the real ER shows and
watch where the gloves go..:eek: and I've seen some of that
sparkly stuff on nurses when they play around funning.
you can't tell me some of it doesn't fall off into
open wounds. antibiotics shouldn't be taken for granted.

Opps sorry..try out both but IMHO Carbon is all around better
for the money,ease of making,and control in the heat treat.
I like the 154CM mainly for the less
maintenance and it will hold an edge longer.
but over all,,O1 is the one..:)
 
Originally posted by blgoode
Someone told me that 01 shouldn't be used for food prep. Is this true? It doesn't make since to me but just thought I'd ask.....
Thanks
Click to expand...

They're liars, vicious liars. Okay, probably not, they are wrong. I don't use anything but carbon steel blades in my kitchen, and I've never had a problem. I just wipe off everything unsanitary, and wash them if I've been cutting meat. No worries, no problems, and I have much sharper knives than anyone else I know.
Of course, my darling bride won't use any of my knives for fear of amputating a fingertip. So I keep a cheap little OXO chef's knife for her use.

James
 
ha ha! Thats funny........I like a good sharp kitchen blade. Thats why I think I'll have to make one for the kitchen next.:D
 
Looking at the question more narrowly, without all the guessing/interpretation, I can't think of any reason why "O1" shouldn't be used.

Also:

Most of the Knives we have in our kitchen are either plain carbon, or have carbon edges, with SS cheeks. We like them.

If this is a selling issue, SS dominates by a wide margin, what one does relative to that fact is an open question.
 
yes! you can make a good chef blade out of o1. and yes most s.s. kitchen knives are pretty bad, inculding henkels! i use cryo treated 440c, ATS/154, bg-42,s30v. and get a fine working culinary blade that i will match against any carbon steel!!!!!! it may be a tad harder to sharpen, but requires much less matanace.culinary knives are about 70% of my biz. five star chefs and many home gourmets. no Dan s.s. doesn't turn veggies brown faster than carbon;)and if you plan on selling these knives in any volume. trust me on this! most people WON'T take good care of carbon steel blades these days.also boys and girls it doesn't matter if you think the laws in some states about s.s. in resturant kitchens are B.S. if you take a look at the monkeys some have back there. you want every sanitary advantage you can! :eek:
 
Originally posted by RHINOKNIVES
no Dan s.s. doesn't turn veggies brown faster than carbon;)
Click to expand...

Rhino a TV clebrtiy Chief said it did,
so I can't argue the point with either of you:)

I geuse I'm going to have to do some vegie cuting to see ;) :)
 
Originally posted by Graymaker
Rhino a TV clebrtiy Chief said it did,
so I can't argue the point with either of you:)

I geuse I'm going to have to do some vegie cuting to see ;) :)
Click to expand...

Dan,

I think I might've seen that, or heard something similar, but I can't remember who it was. However, in my experience, if you chop lettuce with a steel blade of either variety and hold it (like in a restaurant, for instance), the cut edges will turn brown after a while. That's why you can buy those silly plastic 'lettuce knives'.

James
 
James
I'm taking about the SS turning the veggies brown faster than
Carbon steel knives would..
I think it was Sara Moulton that said it on Food TV..

Yes amino acids
like in meats will turn a carbon blade,, very fast,, if not protected, as well as the water in most anything.
and good SS knives but a lot slower depending on the Hi carbon SS.
 
I like Carbon steel kitchen knives. I have been making butcher and chef's knives from A2 for a while now and prefer it over 440C and lesser SS that is used in commercial cutlery.

I haven't noticed lettuce turning brown from cutting, mine usually does it in the fridge.
 
Originally posted by Graymaker
Rhino a TV clebrtiy Chief said it did,
so I can't argue the point with either of you:)

I geuse I'm going to have to do some vegie cuting to see ;) :)
Click to expand...
please do! :) maybe we can get you a T.V. chef show! we'll call it DAN THE MAN cuts veggies! yes all foods acids tarnish steel.also there is as much salt in blood as there is in salt water!
 
I use o-1 blades, and other carbon steel blades for food preparation, etc; and have had no problems. Forged blades rule, however, stainless has it's place also. Just my two cents.
 
I still have but no longer use knives I bought in the 60s. I think they were made of 1095. They are excellent and gave me years of service until something better came along in SS. I use Henckels which are good though understand that company went through a period where quality slipped. In my experience over the years I find most people don't want to maintain things like washing knives immediately after use ,want things bright and shiny, and certainly don't know how to sharpen the knives. So Rhino's advice is good. BTW when I watch the cooking shows about knives I do so only for laughs, it's total nonsense. Even when they have a guest "expert". They never explain what the steel does , just go through the motions. In the old days (pre WWII and pre ME ) butchers knives were often very soft, easy to sharpen with a steel but that had to be done very often. S30V , now that sounds interesting.
 
Originally posted by RHINOKNIVES
please do! :) maybe we can get you a T.V. chef show! we'll call it DAN THE MAN cuts veggies! yes all foods acids tarnish steel.also there is as much salt in blood as there is in salt water!
Click to expand...

as long as I can have Sara on the show with me :D :D

Mete this was on a food show and the Cheff was just talking Knives
and did not mention brand names so it wasn't promoting them.

the knife shows as you say are a joke they just want to sell.
 
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