Blade for Golf course kitchen worker.

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klphoto

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May 8, 2015
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Hi all. Im new to knives and need some direction please. For the last few seasons i have worked 8 months out of the year at a city Golf Course snack bar/kitchen. (prior to that 34 yrs selling camera gear before the company went under.) We work alone prepping, making, cooking and selling food and snacks in addition to beer. Im looking for a good knife to perform some fairly routine things but I have certain criteria. It has to be a folder. It gets hot and I can sweat at times so it needs to be rust proof. It can be very greasy also. For sanitation we use a wickedly powerful industrial bleach that is highly diluted but still the blade will at time be wiped clean with a cloth soaked with it. It can get pretty hectic working alone and inevitably at times we will be having to boil and cook dogs and brats straight from the freezer. The tip of the knife needs to be strong enough to pry apart frozen dogs and brats so they can be put in boiling water. I am constantly cutting and braking down cardboard boxes of food and beer etc. Also the plastic ribbons that hold some pop/water together. The kitchen has a couple of decent knives for food prep but if they are dirty from slicing a sandwich etc i want to be able to pull out mine and slice tomatoes, onions etc. The boss buys really good quality and sometimes very large tomatoes and onions so for this reason i think i want a blade length of 4 inches or very close.
For reference I own a Kershaw Needs Work and have been generally satisfied with its box cutting. Im a bit hesitant to use it on the frozen meat. Its too short to cut our tomatoes. After some research i decided to purchase a Spyderco Sharpmaker (which I love btw)sharpening system as i know i will need to keep this puppy sharp. Since loosing my career job I am relatively poor but do realize more money will get me a better knife that i won't have to replace. I figure as i have a Spyderco sharpener i might as well stick with the brand for the knife. I have 4 in mind and i would like some direction as am pretty clueless on steel type. They are the Manix G2 XL. The Endura 4 VG-10 lightweight. Endure 4 Wave and the Military G10. I know that there is quite a bit of price variance from the cheapest to the priciest. I will wait an extra pay check if the extra money gets me a better/durable tool.
Thanks much.
I'll leave you with this fun fact that when i tell people they shake their heads. Our facility employees about 22 staff between the Pro shop, rangers, starters, kitchen and range people. I am literally the only person working that has never played a round of golf despite being 56. Oh. Its totally free for me! :eek: There is just something about starting such a difficult game at such late age that is intimidating to me. Ive used the range a few times and maybe by November when no one is looking Ill start trying to get the ball over the lake on the par 3 outside my kitchen door!!:)https://www.flickr.com/photos/133087643@N02/17441393185/in/dateposted-public/
 
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All the Spydercos that you listed have great blades but the Manix and Military have tips are relatively thin, so prying frozen foods might not be possible for very long since the tip could snap (not likely but prying with a blade is the best way to break it). The Endura has a strong blade if you get the saber grind, and it's also long and relatively affordable so a good choice. I would recommend checking out the Ontario RAT 1 for a cheap, sturdy simple stainless folder with a full flat grind that can slice almost as good as the Spydercos and has a strong tip. Another suggestion for a stronger-tipped long-bladed folder is the Kershaw Thermite, it's got a much stronger tip design and should be long enough to cut tomatoes, plus it's also quite inexpensive.
 
For prying those frozen doggies I'd suggest something with a solid spine and tanto tip. Be a breeze popping em apart.
3.25" or bigger to slice them 'maters.
Not too aggressive styling as to scare the golf course yuppies. (Not they are all yuppies, I golf, but all it takes is that one).

Cold Steel code4; under $100
Kershaw (Emerson) cqc-7k or 8k; under $50

Budget blades;
Schrade tanto framelock or Kabar G10 mule
If your budget is real tight, either one should do the job while you save up for something nice.
 
Since you mention cleaning with bleach, I'd take a look at the Pacific Salt as well. The edge holding won't be as good as any of your other choices, but they are literally rust proof. Given the fairly frantic pace and the need for sheeple-friendliness, a bright colored handle may be helpful as well. The Salts are available in yellow and the Enduras are available in a variety of colors of which orange is probably the brightest.

The tanto tip is a great idea for breaking frozen food apart, but the grinds on most tantos wouldn't be the greatest for slicing veggies, etc. I'd recommend a full flat grind for that. My favorite folder for food prep is, by far, my FFG Endura. The Manix 2XL is pretty decent as well. I don't own a Millie of waved Endura, so I really can't comment there.

When it comes to using pocket knives for food prep, most come up short in the blade length department for me. Your plan to stick close to a 4" blade seems like a good idea. I've been thinking of trying a Police 3 in G10 for the purpose. The 4.25" FFG blade seems like it would be an excellent choice.
 
Spyderco resilience is affordable, ffg, and large enough to slice tomatoes. The pacific salt suggestion is a good one as well.

And although its not a one hand opener, id look for a stainless Opinel #10. Its a slicing machine, easily long enough blade for what you need, and wont get anything but good comments from your clientele :).

Good luck :).
 
From your choices, I'd suggest the Endura.... and I'm not much of a Spyderco guy.

VG-10 really takes a sharpening. I don't really know why, I'm no metallurgist. But the Sharpmaker gets it laser-ish.

If you clean your knives, there's no need to panic about possible corrosion. Hell, I have 1095 blades that still sparkle. Just keep 'em clean.

Separating hot dogs is really not a "prying" task that would task the Endura's tip.

From others's suggestions, I gotta go with the Kershaw Emerson CQC7.

I suck at golf as well, but I thoroughly enjoy it. My son is on the golf team, and my brother lives on the local course, so I'm routinely tagged to fill out a 4-man scramble roster. Don't feel intimidated by the course, my friend. Embrace it, own it, rule it like a persimmon scepter wielding diety. I have hit balls so far out into the shiggy that Lewis and Clark wouldn't be able to find them. Farmers have asked if they can plant potatoes in the divots I've created.

But if you can keep the focus on being with friends outside, and not on the score, I think you'll have a blast.
 
From reading your post I'd recommend the Spyderco Pacific Salt. Same size as the Endura but in H1 steel so you won't have to worry about rust. Not too pricey - should be able to find one around $70-$80. The tip of the blade is a bit more blunt than the Endura so that should be of benefit if you have to pry with it.
 
It is probably not a good idea to be slicing tomatoes for a sandwhich with a folder you are storing in your pocket. I would hate piece of pocket lint in a sandwhich. Also, IMO, keeping a folder clean enough for commercial food service is going to be time consuming.
IMO, Your boss needs to buy a few more good kitchen blades for the rotation.
The one in your pocket should be utility only, ie boxes and such.
Does it HAVE to be a folder ? The CRKT No Bother may be a good fit.
The Kershaw Shuffle folder has a bottle opener on it.
 
Ok so you have 2 types of needs from your knife: general EDC stuff including some prying, and exposure to sweat, then some food prep and slicing.

I'm going to suggest 2 knives.
X2 on ocnLogan's suggestion of an Opinel 10 stainless. Keep it sitting in the kitchen as your clean blade for slicing veggies etc. Don't mix it into the other general use that dirties up the other kitchen knives. Best part is its literally $15 bucks.

Then just choose something with a sturdy tip for your main EDC! Of the suggestions above, I would pick either a spyderco salt for a great stainless, never rust option, or for a budget option look at Kershaw or Cold Steel.
For tip strength, you'll be better off going with a saber grind or tanto grind, stay away from needle-like, or delicate tips. Honestly, any of the stainless steels available for these knives will hold up fine to sweat exposure. VG10, AUS8, or Kershaws 8CR13MOV are all good stainless steels that aren't super hard and will be easier for you to sharpen.
 
One more thing....have you considered simply not using your knife to pry frozen meat apart? Not a fun suggestion, but I can't just leave it alone. I'm not one to preach against prying with a knife, sometimes it happens. I use my work EDC knives for all types of things...I used my spyderco endura last week to dig around an irrigation pipe, clean mud out of irrigation heads, then trim irrigation flex pipe full of mud.
However, from a safety perspective, frozen meat is tough, and knives are not inherently designed for sideways prying action. They're also very sharp, and if a knife slips when prying, it can cut things like fingers. Add to that the fact that you're handling frozen materials, the cold reduces sensitivity and sensation in your hands, and that makes a slip even more possible. I had one of my guys (landscaping, I manage maintenance crews) cut his hand very badly last year while cutting tough zipties in the cold. I encourage all of my guys to keep and use knives as well as other tools they need. I also tell them NOT to use knives for tasks like that where accidents are very likely. Knives are simply tools. Sometimes a task will be better served with something OTHER than a knife.

I can't help but suggest keeping a screwdriver or meat hook or something not sharpened to pry apart frozen meat. I'm a huge proponent of using knives, but some tasks arent the safest for a knife. Just my .02
 
I would suggest you have a different knife for food and "other" regardless of the cooking killing bacteria. Get a fixed blade for the food.
 
RJ80 said:
The tanto tip is a great idea for breaking frozen food apart, but the grinds on most tantos wouldn't be the greatest for slicing veggies, etc. I'
Click to expand...

That's actually a really great point I hadn't thought of...

That said, I'd go for the manix2 in cts-bds1; its a solid kitchen cutlery grade stainless for rust resistance, great this blade for slicing AND ironically it's the cheapest version of the manix...

Then pick up a $20 Buck Bones or Boker magnum tanto in 440 (again, decent corrosion resistance) just for prying your wienies...

You get 2 job specific knives to do their job for under $100
You get a manix2 you already liked/wanted, plus a cheap "chisel" insurance policy to protect your manix' blade from breaking while prying.

That's the route I would take.
 
I also work in a kitchen as a cook, and just a thought, but using a pocket knife as a chefs knife and then to break down cardboard boxes wouldn't be too foodsafe I would think. I've been yelled at a couple of times for using my knife to open a bag of veggies. In the kitchen I use a Victorinox chefs knife for everything and we have several so one is always in reach, and I use my pocket knife as a boxcutter/for non food related things. Just a thought.
 
Agree with those above suggesting a dedicated kitchen knife. Check out the Victorinox Fibrox kitchen knives. I got my wife one of the 3.25" paring knives and she loves the thing. They also make a 4" version. Check out the Opinel kitchen knives too. I've not gotten one yet, but I'm planning on it.
 
Thanks for all the feedback. I appreciate the suggestion and the different perspectives. It has caused me to question whether a single knife will do everything I want it to. We all think we are super careful with regards to safety until that stupid hectic moment when we aren't. :eek: Probably best to stick with the butter knife when prying apart those dogs and brats. That Opinel stainless looks like a good way to go for cutting the veggies. I'll stash it in the cutlery rack and grab it if needed.
One last question. What type of steel should I definitely avoid? In terms of corrosion( pretty sure Ive got that part figured out) and also for the ability of my Spyderco Sharpmaker to actually get it sharp? Its the set with the 2 pairs of stones (not the diamond) that you use a downward stroke as the stones are set at the correct angle. There are a couple of reviews I think on the Pacific Salt that say its very hard to sharpen. I definitely don't want to run into a situation where i buy a knife and my investment in the sharpener will have been a waste. Thanks again.
 
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Most steels mentioned in the thread sharpen up pretty easily, I'd be wary of not-fully-stainless steels for sure (D2, O1, M4, 3V, ZDP-189) But it doesn't seem like you're looking into any knives using those steels. VG-10 is a great all-around stainless that can get really sharp and won't corrode, but really all the steels mentioned in this thread would be fine in resisting corrosion. Certainly don't get a carbon steel like 1095 or 52100, but again I don't think you're looking at knives with those steels.
 
lol. Thanks for the encouragement. Previously to this job my exposure to golf has been limited to the sports highlights where every shot seems to be almost magical. I can walk out of my kitchen and see play on the 18th green and the majority of shots would have to fall into the NOT magical department.lol. I have witnesses a few great ones however. Those are usually followed by the group coming in and downing ridiculous amounts of beer. Also some pretty good tips can result as well:D
 
Welcome. I don't understand your insistence on using a folder for food prep when there is an entire world of knives designed exactly for what you are doing. Might as well use a katana or machete.

If, for some inexplicable reason the food service job you work at doesn't supply with a knife, then get you own Vic Fibrox chefs knife or a F Dick Offset Serrated knife, and you can use the right toll for the job. For about 30-40 busks.
 
Thanks for the comment marcinek. Getting a folder is my personal preference for a knife I am going to own but use at work. They have some crappy utility knives for box cutting and one decent chef knife and a smaller general purpose food knife. Since buying this Kershaw I am starting to really appreciate what a quality knife is (all be it a bit late in life lol). I was hoping my next blade could, if needed be brought into service cutting some vegetables and a few other tasks but as I mentioned I think I have decided that I maybe looking at getting two blades. I am definitely new to blades but I hope to one day have a small collection albeit one that will have to be obtained on a tight budget. Thanks.
 
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