Couple new parers- Thoughts please

NickWheeler

NickWheeler

Joined
Dec 3, 1999
Messages
9,437
Hi Guys-


I'm a bit embarrassed to say I didn't even realize this sub-forum was here. :o

I posted a couple paring knives not too long ago, (not first ones made, but first ones sold) and asked for some feed-back which I got from the customers as well as some other folks around here. Bill Burke and Butch Harner made a couple points that I took to heart and ran with on these.

Both blades are 1080+ from Alpha Knives Supply (also called 80CRV2) heat treated to 61/62 Rockwell and ground very thin. The edges have surprisingly good flex for being so hard.


Any thoughts? Likes, dislikes, etc.?


Blue knife- blue dyed & stabilized Box Elder burl with black Micarta pins
OAL- ~8-1/4"
Blade- 4-1/16"L x ~13/16"W x 0.076" thick at ricasso
I think that number looks kind'a thick in print... but it's about "3 sheets of paper" thicker than 1/16" so it is pretty thin. And it is flat ground to damn near zero, with just a little convexity down to sharp and a bit of convex geometry going into the tip for strength.


Black knife- black G10 scales with black Micarta pins (it's a stealth kitchen slicer ;) ).
OAL- 7-1/16"
Blade- 3-3/8"L x 3/4"W x 0.070" thick at the ricasso


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Both are pretty sweet Nick. :thumbup:
I find myself drawn to making kitchen knives more and more lately. I would love to see a bigger gyuto or santoku form you. :)
 
Nick,
Those are really nice looking Paring knives in design flow looks and furniture. One little suggestion specially for the longer bladed design is that you raise the rear of the handle a few degrees so people like me with Ape paws could work in the middle of the board without knuckle contact.
 
BenR.T. said:
Both are pretty sweet Nick. :thumbup:
I find myself drawn to making kitchen knives more and more lately. I would love to see a bigger gyuto or santoku form you. :)
Click to expand...
I agree with Ben. Maybe an integral with a ladder pattern and curly koa.
 
Thanks guys. :)

I'm finding myself drawn to the kitchen knives because I like how wicked the thin stuff cuts, and even more so, because I like the idea of a knife getting used everyday.

Laurence- thank you for the advice! :) See, that is the kind of thing that makes me realize I should find a cooking class, or at least a chef's food prep class, to get a better understanding of this stuff. Until I saw a video the other day of a chef using a paring knife on a cutting board, I thought they were pretty much always used "in hand."


BTW- I do have a couple of Gyutos and Santokus in the works... but it's gonna be awhile before I can get them done. No doubt part of the delay is me being nervous about putting them out in front of the world. :foot:


Thanks guys! :)
 
Those look like amazing cutters. Isn't it funny, the knives we use the most are the thinnest lightest cutting tools we own.
Hmmm, I wonder if there is a reason for that.
 
NickWheeler said:
Thanks guys. :)

I'm finding myself drawn to the kitchen knives because I like how wicked the thin stuff cuts, and even more so, because I like the idea of a knife getting used everyday.

Laurence- thank you for the advice! :) See, that is the kind of thing that makes me realize I should find a cooking class, or at least a chef's food prep class, to get a better understanding of this stuff. Until I saw a video the other day of a chef using a paring knife on a cutting board, I thought they were pretty much always used "in hand."


BTW- I do have a couple of Gyutos and Santokus in the works... but it's gonna be awhile before I can get them done. No doubt part of the delay is me being nervous about putting them out in front of the world. :foot:


Thanks guys! :)
Click to expand...

Nick,
I have found over the years from sizing the handles for my custom knives for men & women & sharpening work that most women LOVE paring knives.
Many hardly use anything else on the board. A 3-6" Paring/Petty Utility and thats about all they will ever use.

Many paring chores like peeling, veining shrimp, etc are done in hand but I have found that I want most paring knives I make to be able to work on a board too.
 
Everything came together on the knives. Excellent examples of custom kitchen knives.
 
Aesthetically, I like the smaller stealth model better. Blue wood just doesn't do much for me. I also like the handle angle better on the black handled one.

After my first kitchen knife purchase which included a 150 or 180 petty(don't remember which), I find that I don't use a small knife much on the cutting board, and it was a bit big for in hand work. So, my preference for a parer is something in the 2.5-3 inch range.Of course, that's for my personal use, and I'm not trying to sell them. So i guess it just depends on intended use and preference of the user.
I agree with Laurence that if its going to be used on the board, you don't want the handle tipped down.
 
Thanks for the feedback guys! :)

Laurence, I appreciate your input buddy. I'm learning the the kitchen prep I learned from Mom and Gramma is the stuff that makes professionals cringe. :eek: :D

Reed- Thanks for taking the time to post. :) For how I do things in the kitchen, the one you got from me is a nice all around size--- in fact I have its twin in the drawer here. But like you mentioned, trying to learn the needs/wants of other folks is the challenge.... it's way harder than actually grinding, fitting, finishing, and such.

You guys are gonna force me to start using the Metric system if I keep making these aren't you???? LMFAO :D


Thanks guys! :)
 
They look fantastic! Finest looking custom kitchen knives I have seen so far after joining this forum. I have worked in food service for many years and it is my opinion that if you are able to make a cut with a knife and not have your knuckles hit the cutting board, its not a pairing knife.
Great design and craftsmanship!
 
looks great! i like the handles a lot and those are so thin. how do you like the 80CRV2? I have been thinking of getting some.
 
Thanks guys. :)


I like the steel. What's odd/interesting, is that if you look closely at the specs, it should probably be treated like 5160. However, just for my own curiosity, I have treated it more like W2, and it has worked very well for me. I'd be interested in what the fellas who bought these think.

I have only made blades with the 80CRV2 that I left at an awfully high hardness, but they have all been relatively small slicers. :)
 
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