Father & Son Traditional Sharpening
Knifemaker / Craftsman / Service Provider
- Joined
- Jun 11, 2012
- Messages
- 6,973
I am managing a passaround of a collection of (4) Blunt Cut Metal Works knives right now.
Here is a link to the passaround thread, which I will post part of here with a preview of the knives being offered in the bundle.
https://www.bladeforums.com/threads...iolox-69rc-10v-66rc-s90v-67-rc-zwear.1526175/
5” petty – Niolox 65.5+rc red mallee burl bolster, African blackwood. Sharpened edge: freehand 2K WS and refined with 8K shapton glass
I have used this knife quite extensively in the kitchen so far, the handle is probably my favorite part of the entire knife... the blackwood just feels great in use. It is quite smooth so as to not allow any sort of problems with irritating the skin, yet is secure enough to where I've had no issues with slipping.
I can also really appreciate the fact that it is a hidden tang, on a knife like this you really do not NEED a full tang... as it isn't expected to pry at all. One thing the hidden tang allows for is a decrease in weight in the right places (the handle), extra weight here will only decrease handling qualities of the knife and leave you with something less than nimble.
The blade itself is not only ground very thin (both at spine which is full distal tapered) and also behind the edge. While I don't have measurements behind the edge, it is thin enough to just sail through any foods you might want to use in the kitchen. I have resharpened the blade several times in the time I've had it, resharpening is always quick and straight forward (as in takes only a minute or so depending on my own ability to focus properly) as the edge is not taking gross damage in any significant way. This allows you to remove less metal in order to restore any given apex thickness you are using.
The finish on the blade is left with a 60 grit finish that has had the tops of the grind lines polished down. Luong informs me that this is the best he has tried for reducing sticking of cut vegetables, without resorting to convex grinds which will decrease cutting ability. I have to say that while there is still a bit of sticking with certain vegetables (mainly potatoes), it does an excellent job of releasing the stuck vegetables without much force applied at all. There is a slightly higher polish immediately behind the edge bevel, which is also intended to provide some reduced sticking.
Luong has told me that he has come to really appreciate Niolox steel combined with his 2.5 heat treat protocol when it comes to making a kitchen knife. It's combination of ability to take and hold a shaving sharp edge while having high levels of abrasion resitance means you can cut with low force for a very long time with reduced fatigue and sharpening requirements. I have managed to cause the edge (near the tip, while doing light chopping on acacia wood cutting board) to appear to roll slightly, again it was quickly remedied as it did not chip out.
It is also worth noting that Niolox used in this knife with BCMW HT 2.5 can be resharpened/reshaped edge without needing to resort to diamond abrasives. Standard silicon carbide benchstones should be all that is required to reshape the edge before apexing, which I believe would still be preferably done on a diamond plate just do to the fact there is no loose abrasives to contend with which could damage the apex. Most higher carbide/hardness steels do not behave this way typically from what I can tell.
All in all this has been the favorite knife I have used in the kitchen to date. Another point worth noting is the size of the blade at 5" makes for a sort of goldilocks effect for me in the kitchen. I generally have little to no need for a larger knife with how I prepare foods. Any smaller than 5" blade however and I am really slowed down because I cannot make as long of sections as I would like and be able to process it down. Yet I do not really find the additional length at 5" to be particularly unwieldy for tasks that do not really require the extra length. This knife is something I could truly see using as a one knife only option in the kitchen.
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Hunter 10V 69+rc – stabilized spalted tamarind, partial tang
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Hunter S90V ~66rc – stabilized (either afzelia or laurel burl), full tang
I always find it interesting to note what types of blade profiles (shapes) are being used and offered as hunting knives. This one especially caught my eye, due to the fact that most hunting knives have a rather large amount of belly or curve in the edge profile. Honestly, while I have not done a large amount of field dressing wild animals, perhaps not enough to appreciate a ton of belly... I always tend to NOT appreciate a large amount of belly when it comes to using that knife for almost anything else.
That being said, this knife has almost no belly... so much so in fact it is closer to being a wharncliffe, although there is a bit of curvature to the edge which will allow for rocking cuts on a cutting board and the like. One thing I did notice while using this knife on a cutting board is there is not enough clearance to be used with a cutting board to avoid having your knuckles contact the board. This can be overcome by just using the edge of the cutting board of course, but worth noting none the less despite it not really being geared for kitchen use it can still be done well enough.
The handle is also a bit different on this knife compared to the other two hunter knives in this pass-around, both of which are virtually identical. I consider this knife more suited to general utility IMO, which the full tang is better suited to me as it pushed back the balance point a bit to make it sit in your hand better.
________________________________________________________
Hunter Zwear ~67rc – stabilized buckeyes burl, partial tang
Any questions may be either posted to this thread. If I cannot answer the question, Luong (maker) will be monitoring this thread to be of service. Thanks for looking!
Here is a link to the passaround thread, which I will post part of here with a preview of the knives being offered in the bundle.
https://www.bladeforums.com/threads...iolox-69rc-10v-66rc-s90v-67-rc-zwear.1526175/
5” petty – Niolox 65.5+rc red mallee burl bolster, African blackwood. Sharpened edge: freehand 2K WS and refined with 8K shapton glass
I have used this knife quite extensively in the kitchen so far, the handle is probably my favorite part of the entire knife... the blackwood just feels great in use. It is quite smooth so as to not allow any sort of problems with irritating the skin, yet is secure enough to where I've had no issues with slipping.
I can also really appreciate the fact that it is a hidden tang, on a knife like this you really do not NEED a full tang... as it isn't expected to pry at all. One thing the hidden tang allows for is a decrease in weight in the right places (the handle), extra weight here will only decrease handling qualities of the knife and leave you with something less than nimble.
The blade itself is not only ground very thin (both at spine which is full distal tapered) and also behind the edge. While I don't have measurements behind the edge, it is thin enough to just sail through any foods you might want to use in the kitchen. I have resharpened the blade several times in the time I've had it, resharpening is always quick and straight forward (as in takes only a minute or so depending on my own ability to focus properly) as the edge is not taking gross damage in any significant way. This allows you to remove less metal in order to restore any given apex thickness you are using.
The finish on the blade is left with a 60 grit finish that has had the tops of the grind lines polished down. Luong informs me that this is the best he has tried for reducing sticking of cut vegetables, without resorting to convex grinds which will decrease cutting ability. I have to say that while there is still a bit of sticking with certain vegetables (mainly potatoes), it does an excellent job of releasing the stuck vegetables without much force applied at all. There is a slightly higher polish immediately behind the edge bevel, which is also intended to provide some reduced sticking.
Luong has told me that he has come to really appreciate Niolox steel combined with his 2.5 heat treat protocol when it comes to making a kitchen knife. It's combination of ability to take and hold a shaving sharp edge while having high levels of abrasion resitance means you can cut with low force for a very long time with reduced fatigue and sharpening requirements. I have managed to cause the edge (near the tip, while doing light chopping on acacia wood cutting board) to appear to roll slightly, again it was quickly remedied as it did not chip out.
It is also worth noting that Niolox used in this knife with BCMW HT 2.5 can be resharpened/reshaped edge without needing to resort to diamond abrasives. Standard silicon carbide benchstones should be all that is required to reshape the edge before apexing, which I believe would still be preferably done on a diamond plate just do to the fact there is no loose abrasives to contend with which could damage the apex. Most higher carbide/hardness steels do not behave this way typically from what I can tell.
All in all this has been the favorite knife I have used in the kitchen to date. Another point worth noting is the size of the blade at 5" makes for a sort of goldilocks effect for me in the kitchen. I generally have little to no need for a larger knife with how I prepare foods. Any smaller than 5" blade however and I am really slowed down because I cannot make as long of sections as I would like and be able to process it down. Yet I do not really find the additional length at 5" to be particularly unwieldy for tasks that do not really require the extra length. This knife is something I could truly see using as a one knife only option in the kitchen.
________________________________________________________________
Hunter 10V 69+rc – stabilized spalted tamarind, partial tang
________________________________________________________________________
Hunter S90V ~66rc – stabilized (either afzelia or laurel burl), full tang
I always find it interesting to note what types of blade profiles (shapes) are being used and offered as hunting knives. This one especially caught my eye, due to the fact that most hunting knives have a rather large amount of belly or curve in the edge profile. Honestly, while I have not done a large amount of field dressing wild animals, perhaps not enough to appreciate a ton of belly... I always tend to NOT appreciate a large amount of belly when it comes to using that knife for almost anything else.
That being said, this knife has almost no belly... so much so in fact it is closer to being a wharncliffe, although there is a bit of curvature to the edge which will allow for rocking cuts on a cutting board and the like. One thing I did notice while using this knife on a cutting board is there is not enough clearance to be used with a cutting board to avoid having your knuckles contact the board. This can be overcome by just using the edge of the cutting board of course, but worth noting none the less despite it not really being geared for kitchen use it can still be done well enough.
The handle is also a bit different on this knife compared to the other two hunter knives in this pass-around, both of which are virtually identical. I consider this knife more suited to general utility IMO, which the full tang is better suited to me as it pushed back the balance point a bit to make it sit in your hand better.
________________________________________________________
Hunter Zwear ~67rc – stabilized buckeyes burl, partial tang
Any questions may be either posted to this thread. If I cannot answer the question, Luong (maker) will be monitoring this thread to be of service. Thanks for looking!
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