commissioning a custom kitchen knife

B

biogon

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Jan 2, 2002
Messages
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I'm looking to have a custom/handmade kitchen knife made for a birthday gift in late February.

I'm looking for a Santoku style with simple double full flat grinds, 6" long blade, 0.125" (thanks, guys for the advice! :) ) thickness 440C. Machine high or satin polish. Contoured handles, exposed tang.

Handles will be some kind of stabilized wood with colored micarta spacers/liners and mosaic pins.

Fit and finish is important. I'd like to cap the price around the $150 range.

Can it be done? Any makers here interested, or want to suggest a maker?

Thankee,

-jon
 
well i have good new's and bad . first i have a santuko on my workbench right now , dimension's are 1 3/4 wide , 1/8 thick full flat grind. bad new's the blade steel is M-2. bad new's part 2 is i can't offer this knife in the price range your hoping . check out the gallery in a couple of day's for pictures
 
Even though it is on one of the "other forums" ;) there is kitchen bladeware specific info at:
http://www.knifeforums.com//ubbthre...Board=Kitchen&page=0&view=collapsed&sb=5&o=31

There are commercial santuko's from Spyderco and Fallkniven that will cost a lot less than your $150 limit. Their fit & finish may not be to your standards and I'm not sure about their tangs being exposed. I do know that some of the German knife companies make exposed-tang, usually rosewood handled, stainless santuko knives.

In the custom world, George Tichbourne's work has a strong reputation for high quality & super edges out of the box. Another interesting kitchen bladeware maker who works in stainless is Ray Rogers: http://www.rayrogers.com/

If your search isn't strictly limited to 440C, I got a Hitachi white steel & wrought iron san-mai santuko for my Japanese wife from Sinichi Watanabe at an extremely reasonable price that is just crazy sharp. The bugger will just about cut you from looking at it. :eek: You could contact him to see if he works in stainless steels too or could recommend someone who does. After all, for a santuko, going to the Japanese is going to the source.
http://www.watanabeblade.com/english/
 
jon,

If you want Santoku ideas, I have a couple pics on my website. Do you want them for Veggies? Beg the maker to take the edge as thin as possible. Like less than .010". That acute bevel and a thin edge they are awsome slicers.

One other suggestion, ask that the edge isn't perfectly flat. You want an ever so slight curve. Not that you can see, just slight.

Steve
 
Steve,

Just visited your site. Beautiful knives! I know you're not taking orders right now but how much for the Santoku shown in your gallery?

You mentioned about the slight curve in the edge. What do you mean? I'm trying to picture it.
 
John,

I'll email you pricing. Don't know why I, but I don't feel comfortable posting that here.

The curve? The edge on the Santuko is flat or straight, right? The first one I made was that way. When you slice all the way to the cutting board the edge has to make contact to complete the cut. Well that first knife had a spot that wasn't EXACTLY straight. The veggie wouldn't get cleanly cut thru in that one spot.

That's when I realized that even if it was perfectly straight over time it might develop a dip and not perform. So the next one has a very slight convex curve to it. Since you rock and cut normally it will always complete the cut. However, to the eye it still looks straight.

Make sense?

Steve
 
John,

Your email address is unavailable. Why don't you email me first.

Thanks,

Steve
 
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