Blade Shapes

[marchone]

I'm a chef and so work with knives. Aside from a 10-inch Chef's knife, a 4-inch parer or utility slicer is my most useful tool. They've all been fixed blades to date.

I've gotten interested in a quality folder but have been stymied by what I see. It seems all of the American makers produce designs for self-defense and "tactical" purposes. They're almost always short and thick with a lot of tanto shapes and hollow ground blades. The European makers make more flat ground and longer slicers.

So far that's led me to LionSteel and Shirogorov. Shiro particularly seems to have found the sweet spot of 95mm to 110mm.

What's your favorite blade shape and from what makers?

I hope to find more great sources here.

 

[sechip]

Sent you a vm brother.

 

[RevDevil]

I don't know that all American makers are solely focused on self defense blades. I've actually found quite the opposite. Spyderco, Kershaw, Benchmade, and at least a dozen other companies make all around utility knives. Now, what you consider to be a utility knife vs a "tactical self defense" knife will vary from what others think. What makes the Shirogorov or Lion Steel knife less SD style than what you have seen?

 

[marchone]

Don't know how to retrieve a VM here. Reading on TapaTalk. I'd love to buy your F3 but no money now. Cheers!

 

[marchone]

RevDevil,

Straight point flat ground slicer blades. Like LS TiSpine or Shiro 110, Hati or F3.

 

[RevDevil]

RevDevil,

Straight point flat ground slicer blades. Like LS TiSpine or Shiro 110, Hati or F3.

For utility in full flat grind, look at the Spyderco Delica, Endura, and Stretch. All three offer great slicing ability if various blade shapes, I've owned and used all 3 and I can say from experience that they are priced right and offer a light weight versatile package that works for a nice price. :thumbup:

 

[marchone]

Thanks . I've seen all of those . I guess it's personal choice in the end. But I want a good knife I can use without raising eyebrows. It's sad but true.

 

[marchone]

I'm probably going to get a Shirogorov F3 when I can.
I don't need one to open boxes and the like. My Swiss Army knife does that quite well. I need a folding slicer at work that won't freak people out. I butcher and break down baby lambs and pigs with some regularity.

 

[BladeCommander]

I know its not the same idea, but why would a 3-4" folding knife "freak out" people you work with when you regularly walk around with a 10" chef knife for regular duties? I assume there are a multitude of knives lying around a kitchen, and people jump at the sight of one that comes out of a pocket and not a block?

I'm probably wrong, but I was just curious. Seems to me a med. sized pocket knife would be more docile than a good sized butcher/boning knife that one would normally cut up meat with.

To add something to the topic. I used a spyderco endrua ZDP-189 extensively in the kitchen this past weekend on my vacation and it performed wonderfully. Awesome slicer with a good amount of blade and handle.

 

[marchone]

I've even done it with an SAK. Not the best tool for the job IMO. Spydercos, BMs and ZTs will all do it well. But even my butcher reels when I whip out a pry bar knife.

 

[2 shot]

So there actually people that work around butchering and breaking down baby lambs that get freaked out by certain kinds of knives? Seems odd.

 

[marchone]

Odd but true .

 

[Bob6794]

I prefer blades 2.5-2.75in (3in max) for my preferred blades with about a 1/16th blade thickness from there it's not as set in stone for what I like it just has to have a point and do a good job at slicing up cardboard. Than it goes into handles, grip, quality, etc. I have no preference in terms that my knife has to be from X manufacturer or anything of that nature there are just some companies I prefer to deal with when given the option due to past experience or customer service and some companies I won't ever buy a product they put out (MTech).

My current favorite knife is a Rough Rider canoe, and I have a Colt carbon steel Canoe/Trapper, Wenger Patriot, Rough Rider Copperhead that should be here tomorrow or the day after and I will most likely add some type of Sodbuster knife to the collection before the year is over along with a Victorinox Cadet in red alox. That should give you an idea of the type of knives I like, I buy budget knives typically to get a feel for what I like than I plan to move to higher end knives for the knife pattern I love.

 

[tiguy7]

A.G. Russell makes a folding kitchen knife. The blade steel is VG-10.
I like all Titanium folding knives with open backs for kitchen work (top and bottom). They are easy to clean and can't rust.
View attachment 409465 The butterfly has a Titanium handle and a stainless 154-CM blade. It is also easy to clean.

 

[Cynic2701]

Take a look at a Sebenza 21.

I've made a beef roulade - stuffed with roasted red peppers, and feta and mahon cheese - along with a wine reduction sauce and lemon dill couscous with only a FFG G-10 Spyderco Endura (long story, but the short of it is that I wasn't able to bring my kitchen knives). Everybody loved it, and, after several bottles of wine, three girls licked the pan clean of the remaining sauce together.

It would have been much easier and faster to make with my Konosuke gyuto though...

 

[goodeyesniper]

I've even done it with an SAK. Not the best tool for the job IMO. Spydercos, BMs and ZTs will all do it well. But even my butcher reels when I whip out a pry bar knife.

lol you are calling spyderco knives "pry bar knives" while they are thinner, with more acute edges than the lion steel knife you were defending... doesn't make much sense.

a flat ground, distal tapered spyderco is a thing of beauty. and the Delica is 1/3 less thick than the tispine. some pry bar that one is.

 

[marchone]

Thanks. Good to know.