Custom blade from Taiwan?

T

twoblink

Joined
Apr 26, 2001
Messages
30
I just bought a cleaver from ShihLin knives in taiwan. They make it themselves and they guarantee it's sharper then anything else you can buy. Well, compared to my german knives (I've owned both Hankels and currently have Wusthof) it is SHARP.. It puts all my german knives to shame.

They sell pocket knives as well;so when I have the $$$, I'll buy one. But the guy was explaining to me what metal they used, in chinese; I don't know what it translates to in english... So I'm hoping someone here can help me. It's a hard steel, but doesn't stain..

Their pocket knives are done the traditional metal folding method, and man are they sharp. Slices anything like butter, he says holds it's edge very well, and doesn't rust. He does that hair shaving test, and puts my Bic razor to shame.

So whatever help you all can give me, I'd appreciate it.

I was under the impression that stainless (higher chrome??) makes it a bit softer then high carbon... but this seems to have both; stainless and hard...
 
Do they have a website ? Now I'm curious. Hard steel, doesn't stain... talonite ?
 
Check out Bladeforum's Knife FAQ's. This will give you some helpful background, for example, on types of steel.

Stainless steel can be very hard, also (therefore) very brittle, and hard to resharpen when it does eventually become dull.
 
Talonite is a cobalt alloy, unlike steel, which is an iron alloy. Talonite is relatively soft compared to steel. The carbides suspended in the soft cobalt act like microscopic saw teeth, enabling a talonite blade to continue cutting even after the edge has dulled.
 
Thanks E.B. I counldn't understand why you would use talonite over steel, now I do.
 
They don't have a website :-(

The knife I bought was the "less expensive" one, they had a more expensive one, where he said it was "close to the ceramics" as far as hardness of cutting edge..

He said sharpen once every 6 months to a year; that's it. So I'm curious... I might go back and ask. He said the type of metal used, in chinese; I wonder; is there a "metal chart" I can print and bring, and have him point out the metal??

It is SERIOUSLY sharp. I mean I've owned and used everything from all the major brands, Spyderco, Columbia River, Emerson, Cold Steele, etc... These put all of them to shame... It's driving me nuts...
 
twoblink -- by the way, welcome to Bladeforums! -- it's hard to say without more solid information. But ... sharpness depends on a few factors, not just the steel. Critical to the ability to take and maintain a good edge is the heat treatment. Also very important is the geometry, in other words, the thinner the blade and the edge, the sharper.

We've seen a lot of good knives from Taiwan. There is no reason to doubt some company's ability to make an excellent knife there. Play with the one you've got, and let us know how it holds up.

Remember, though, hardness isn't everything. Ceramics are a case in point. They are extremely hard, but extremely brittle, and can't take much lateral force, either. They are difficult to sharpen when they do get dull, with ordinary sharpeners simply shredding the edge.

I can't help ID the steel though. That would take a metallurgist, I think. There are just too many variations.
 
twoblink, please supply more details:confused: :confused: :confused:
where did you buy the blade? how much? where can I find it? the name of the company is unfamiliar....

sharpness beating that of spyderco, cold steel ):eek: :eek: :eek: (they both have shaving sharp edges out of the box)! I want one too - maybe not a cleaver, but a nice chef's knife or pocket blade....

wow....
 
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