Chef knife design

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Sharpe5097

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Mar 2, 2017
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What do u think. Tell me what to tweak. Please
 
I did a similar design with a hard recurve that ran under the finger and it turned out to be impractical, I would make a drop a 90 degrees to the vertical 3 1/2 square forward of the back of the edge under the finger notch myself--strongly advise that. Also, that very curved belly is not very liked by chefs, I would make my edge more close to the bottom line for a longer run--I highly recommend looking at Dan Comeau's site where he has put together a lot of designs all people can use--this is a good place to look at design features to incorporate into your own designs--if not using them totally!! http://dcknives.blogspot.com/p/knife-profiles.html
Here is a good basic Chefs Knife design to use as a basic outline that works and is appreciated by Chefs: http://dcknives.com/public/downloads/KN5 Template - DanCom 2014.pdf

In closing I would say that I like your curves and symmetry you are going after with that design, just some real life tweaks and experience I am sharing here.
 
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The edge under the finger choil is not useful and can actually get in the way. Since there is a lot of belly and the tip rises so far above the centerline of the blade, having the handle angle down so aggressively makes it difficult to cut on the board. The user will have to angle their wrist at an uncomfortable angle to slice with the tip or they will have no knuckle clearance to use the rest of the knife.

The link to Dan Comeau's templates is a great resource. Also Murray Carter's 100 Knife Designs book is great, he also explains the rationale behind design to make your own.

Any design you make, cut a cardboard version of it and use it like a knife. If you did this, you would've found that this design is not practical right away.
 
Fish30114 said:
I did a similar design with a hard recurve that ran under the finger and it turned out to be impractical, I would make a drop a 90 degrees to the vertical 3 1/2 square forward of the back of the edge under the finger notch myself--strongly advise that. Also, that very curved belly is not very liked by chefs, I would make my edge more close to the bottom line for a longer run--I highly recommend looking at Dan Comeau's site where he has put together a lot of designs all people can use--this is a good place to look at design features to incorporate into your own designs--if not using them totally!! http://dcknives.blogspot.com/p/knife-profiles.html
Here is a good basic Chefs Knife design to use as a basic outline that works and is appreciated by Chefs: http://dcknives.com/public/downloads/KN5 Template - DanCom 2014.pdf

In closing I would say that I like your curves and symmetry you are going after with that design, just some real life tweaks and experience I am sharing here.
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Awesome thank you
 
I think that is better, but yes to what you said--the handle blade lengths need to be redone.

Good for you for sketching it out first, and as another person stated it is really helpful to make a real material template and see how it handles if used as a knife it is intended to be. I make all my new designs out of 1/4" plastic first and then if they handle properly I take em to steel. On your blade shape I like this better, but take a look at the chefs knife blades from Dan Comeau and try and shape it closer to them as well. Look at the shape of this Chefs knife and think of that as the forward from the rear edge shape: http://dcknives.com/public/downloads/KN5 Template - DanCom 2014.pdf
 
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I like where you're going from a design perspective, but from a practical standpoint two problems stand out: 1. The cutting edge on your re-draw is a poor design for a chef's knife. It's ok to have a slicer be a little flat and then taper up, but a knife with this much width to it is really meant to rock and chop. I'd suggest going for more of bit of flat near the heel and taper it up in a curve to the tip, but re-positioning the tip a little lower. No angles. And 2. The way the handle curves down is going to be an issue for people who hold the knife by the handle while cutting since there isn't much knuckle clearance. On the other hand, if a person likes to choke up on the blade and hold it between their thumb and pointer finger, the handle material you have going forward past the heel of the knife will likely get in the way. Food for thought. Cheers.
 
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The way your knife is drawn now anybody who uses this must have fingers skinnier than half an inch to use the flat part of the knife on a cutting board. If you simply made a cardboard prototype and tested it like I suggested, you would've realized this immediately.

The design should follow from the purpose rather than being a slave to looks. Something that looks cool but doesn't do it's job isn't a good tool.
 
It's my firm belief that chef's knives are some of the most used knives out there. The overall design and features of an average chef's knife is nearest to optimal design, so going off the beaten path is ill-advised. If you want to be unique with a chef's knife, use different handle materials, finishes, or grinds. Again, the overall profile has been refined through history, so make something close to traditional designs and the potential user will be pleased.
 
That is well said by Warren, and Warren--that is a way cool knife holding rack--Maybe not in this thread but would you share some intel on it!?
 
Fish30114 said:
That is well said by Warren, and Warren--that is a way cool knife holding rack--Maybe not in this thread but would you share some intel on it!?
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I had a bunch of cutoffs from my uncles cabinet shop when he made tables with round ends. I just slotted the wood to fit the blades and glued it to a piece of 1” matching wood. I’ve done a few in walnut, one in Wenge, a few in oak, and a couple in maple. They’re really simple to make. The most time consuming part is the custom fit for each blade.
 
looks better. 3/16 is way too thick. 3/32 or 1/16 will work fine, esp with a full flat grind. make the bottom of the handle flat, don't tell me where to put my hand. where the back of the handle rounds then goes forward 45*, cut straight to blade at the break. where bottom of the handle and blade meet is where my middle or ring finger will be, i want to feel steel under my thumb and fore finger, not the front edge of the handle.
 
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