Favorite steel for kitchen knives

E

ELarson

Joined
Dec 3, 1999
Messages
41
In the spirit of the best of/worst of threads, what is anyones favorite steel in kitchen knives. Do you like high carbon tool steels, like A2, or are you a stainless fan. How about the powdered metal CPM's? Do some discolor when used on acidic foods or with blood. And how 'bout that Talonite stuff?



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E. Larson
Edmonds, WA


 
My choice is 440C which has been Cryo treated. Response from my customers has entirely favourable, no problems at all with the steel or edge holding.

Consumers generally sharpen once per year and professional chefs about once per week.
I have used this steel at home for several years without noticing any staining at all.
At one time I was short of inventory for a show so I took some models from home for display only and they looked as nice as brand new models also in the case.


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george
www.tichbourneknives.com
sales@tichbourneknives.com


 
"Best" depends a lot on your (or your spouse's) attitudes towards blade staining and sharpening. If you don't care about blades discoloring you might want a non-stainless steel as easier to sharpen. I like a really sharp edge and particularly like the Sabatier Au Carbon knives which take a really aggressive edge (it feels a little softer than 1095, maybe 1084?). A classic serious cutting knife steel is O1 which has vanadium. I really like A2 and would love to have a kitchen knife that used it. A2 would probably last longer between sharpenings. Be aware that the blades can also dull from corrosion and you want to clean them immediately after use.

Generally many housewives and househusbands get distressed by the "dirty" appearance of nonstainless blades. There are many great stainless steels out there. I prefer Sandvic 12C27 or AUS-8 (aka 8A) or AUS-10 or VG-10 alloys since they contain vanadium and are fine-grained and easily take super-sharp edges. Spyderco's MBS-26 is up there with the best of the above. The powder steels seem kind of expensive for knives that will be worn down somewhat rapidly by repeated sharpening. With a kitchen knife you are usually close to sharpening equipment and don't really need a knife that will stay sharp while you debone 4 elk. Even as a gift to someone who doesn't sharpen knives I would go for something a little tougher and harder like BG42 rather than 440V. I would think of BG42 as sort of the ultimate for everything but looks. The high vanadium seems to impare getting a mirror finish.


[This message has been edited by Jeff Clark (edited 01-03-2000).]
 
I don't have any custom or handmade kitchen cutlery, but if price is not a factor, then that is probably the way to go. They can be made to the most discriminating or idiosyncratic specs, with excellent heat treat of excellent materials. No doubt they will deliver greater performance and better comfort than factory blades.

After researching factory kitchen cutlery for about 4-5 months, in Nov and Dec of the "last century" I purchased two Kyocera ceramic blades (no, not steel) and a discontinued Spyderco 9.5" chef's knife w/AUS-10 (57-58 RC) and micarta scales. All three vastly outperform all other kitchen knives I've used in the past, for less than the retail price of equivalent Henckels or Wusthof models. (After researching them, IMO, their performance does not nearly justify their prices.)

Two final notes: 1) the ceramics do indeed keep an edge far beyond any stell, and are not nearly as fragile as most folks imagine them to be. 2) The discontinued Spydercos are still available through their outlet at less than 40% retail. When they're gone, they're gone for good -- one of the best kept secrets around right now, IMO!

Glen
 
I got a pair of kitchen knives fron Chuck Hallberg for my wife this Christmas. Cryo treated 440C with mirror polish. One a 6" blade veggie chopper and the other a smaller paring knife. They haven't been used enough to judge edge holding yet, but they both cut like wild and with minimal care rust and stains shouldn't be an issue. I'm very pleased with both of them and with 440C as the choice in steel.

Jack

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Two degrees in be-bop, a Ph.D in swing, he's a master of rhythm, he's a rock and roll king.
 
Does anyone else use the Spyderco chef knive that storyville was talking about?

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If I tell you that a rooster can pull a boxcar, then just hook him up.
 
I'll give a favorable nod to BG-42. My Rinaldi TTKK has been a real pleasure to use in the kitchen. Can't compare it to other high quality knives as it is the only one with serious kitchen duty.

440C certainly has a good reputation in the kitchen but, I would be hard pressed to pass up a BG-42 knife in the right configuration.

Lately though, I have been considering Doc Gunderson's O1 knives though so, I should have a frame for comparison sometime in the future.

Stay Sharp,
Sid
 
I made My Aunt a Paring Knife about 5 or 6 yrs ago using a Sawblade /Sweedish I believe with a tungston edge on it and it has never been sharpend to this day and probably never will ,but I like 440-C for Butcher Knives and cleaver's

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TbarK Custom Knives
I am Opposed to Millionair's but it would be Dangerous to Offer Me The Job,Mark Twain
 
Big Tex and others interested -- there's a little more info on the Spyderco I'm referring to at:

www.bladeforums.com/ubb/Forum20/HTML/001708.html


It's a recent thread titled "discontinued kitchen knives," started by baja311 on 12/10/99. (btw, baja311's measurements for the blades are correct, not Sal's!).

You can see the actual blades by visiting the closeout section of Spyderco's site:

www.spyderco.com/closeout.cfm?Categoryid=888

FYI--
Glen

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Y2K complacent

[This message has been edited by storyville (edited 01-04-2000).]
 
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