BBQ Knife build

[Technohedge]

Hi all, I have been gearing up my shop for more knifemaking, have a new grinder and bigger motor!.

I have a commission to make a BBQ knife for a friend who does competitions etc. Its to replace his current chefs knife (23cm blade Global i think)

Ive gone with N690 3.5mm thick and will be flat grinding. My question is about edge geometry for this type of knife.

I'm thinking I don't want it too thin at the edge as this thing will regularly meet bone (although its not to be a cleaver) but not too thick as it wont slice as nicely.

Any tips on terminal (behind the bevel) thickness and sharpening angle?

Steel is 58 HRC

 

[Stacy E. Apelt - Bladesmith]

I would have gone to Rc60.
TBE about .003 to .005.
Edge at 12DPS.

 

[Horsewright]

I've made three of these. I call them the Competition Carver because thats who ordered them, competition BBQ guys:

This one is elk handled with an ironwood spacer, the other two were stabilized woods. 18 inches oal with a 12 inch blade. AEB-L @ 63RC, don't remember the specs but I go thin. JT has two more of these at HT right now for me. The wife and the daughter in law each want one. This one went to our ranch cook (he cuts up some meat):

The wife tried it out some before we gave it to him and she wants one as I mentioned:

Kinda my version of an old Green River butcher knife.

 

[Randydb]

I've made three of these. I call them the Competition Carver because thats who ordered them, competition BBQ guys:

This one is elk handled with an ironwood spacer, the other two were stabilized woods. 18 inches oal with a 12 inch blade. AEB-L @ 63RC, don't remember the specs but I go thin. JT has two more of these at HT right now for me. The wife and the daughter in law each want one. This one went to our ranch cook (he cuts up some meat):

The wife tried it out some before we gave it to him and she wants one as I mentioned:

Kinda my version of an old Green River butcher knife.

Thats a great DIY BBQ wagon there!

 

[Rhinoknives1]

9 3/4” BBQ Slicer, AEB-L RC 60-61. Having your blade tall at the allows a less tall point. I made this with Turkey & other bird in mind. I used One like it on leg of Lamb Last week.. Sunburst Kirinite handle. It’s NSF rated if your customer has state Health inspectors around? Some States are getting Very picky about it. Bone, Horn, can harbor bacteria. Stay safe & have fun!

 

[Technohedge]

Great blades guys! Ill postmine when it gets closer to completion.

One question on grinding a heat treated blade (its n690). Im a little paranoid about losing temper. This is not the first hardened blade I have done but it is the largest I have made from stainless that's been pre hardened. Stuff conducts heat well so I feel it getting warm quickly. I always grind with water and dip every pass but in general how hot before its too risky? (if there is a good answer to this). Im trying to gauge how much pressure to grind the main bevels with as it will take forever if im over cautious. (40 grit sharp belt). Obv the finer grits will be much slower speed.

I allowed the tang (its a hidden tang) to get fairly hot during profiling (hotter than i would when bevelling the blade) and a file seems to still skate over it fine. Would that say its safe in that range?

 

[Stacy E. Apelt - Bladesmith]

If you tempered at 450°F then 451° would be too hot. The issue is that the edge can get much hotter than the blade body in grinding. A Kool-Mist system is a very good addition to your grinder if you grind post-HT.

 

[Greenberg Woods]

I've made three of these. I call them the Competition Carver because thats who ordered them, competition BBQ guys:

This one is elk handled with an ironwood spacer, the other two were stabilized woods. 18 inches oal with a 12 inch blade. AEB-L @ 63RC, don't remember the specs but I go thin. JT has two more of these at HT right now for me. The wife and the daughter in law each want one. This one went to our ranch cook (he cuts up some meat):

The wife tried it out some before we gave it to him and she wants one as I mentioned:

Kinda my version of an old Green River butcher knife.

I SERIOUSLY have to come up and visit some time

 

[Horsewright]

Thats a great DIY BBQ wagon there!

Besides being "Cookie', he has a metal fabrication business too.

I SERIOUSLY have to come up and visit some time

The world begins where the LA county line ends!

 

[Technohedge]

If you tempered at 450°F then 451° would be too hot. The issue is that the edge can get much hotter than the blade body in grinding. A Kool-Mist system is a very good addition to your grinder if you grind post-HT.

Ok thats interesting. Is there no time element to this at all?

Ill be going much slower when i get thinner

Am i about right in thinking if a file still skates over it she will be all good? (im trying to gauge touch wise whats too hot as i know how hot the tang felt and it still appeared to be hard)

 

[Rhinoknives1]

Ok thats interesting. Is there no time element to this at all?

Ill be going much slower when i get thinner

Am i about right in thinking if a file still skates over it she will be all good? (im trying to gauge touch wise whats too hot as i know how hot the tang felt and it still appeared to be hard)

I do all of my bevel grinding after my blades are HTed By Paul Bos co, at Buck Knives
For a temp reading while grinding I dip the blade in the water bucket, a little dish soap breaks the surface the tension & the Swartz falls to the bottom. I run about 1/3 speed........,,When I start the grinding I Watch for steam rising off of the side of the blade I’m seeing, water boils at 220ish and the finally temper runs 350-400 degrees on air hardening steels so when I see steam it’s back in the water bucket. Also FRESH Belts are very important when doing that finally thinning of the bevel. Stay safe & Have Fun!