Foil Knife...

T

Thingus995

Joined
Oct 1, 2009
Messages
243
Not sure if this is the right forum for this, but I was wondering if anyone knew of a decent foil knife for wine bottles??? I work at a winery on the weekends, and I seem to burn through a foil cutter or knife in a few solid days of work... If no other options are available, a SMALL (sub 1" blade) regular folding knife would suffice, but I am just looking for something a little better than the usual hack foil knife or cutter... Classy is definitely a plus (I love g10, but definitely wouldn't be right in this setting) as is affordability...

Any input, or thoughts you guys have would be most appreciated!!

- Jack
 
If G-10 is no good, does this mean you want dressy? A stainless-handled Spyderco Ladybug is small and would do the job. Do you want a small blade in a large handle, or is a small handle okay? Foil removal does not need a lot of force, so I'm thinking a small handle will work for you.

Small Opinel would sort of fit with the wine theme, being from France, and the wood handle is traditional.

Bill
 
I have an Opinel #2, I just never thought to bring that, as it is a sentimental blade (my parents brought it back for me from France a long time ago) but that is EXACTLY along the lines I am thinking of... Maybe one of those specifically for work would be a good idea... You are certainly in the right frame of mind Bill, excellent suggestion!! I'm thinking the more formal the better (less intimidating to patrons that way) and a smaller handle is also a good idea, though certainly not a necessity... I'll have to check out the Ladybug as well for sure!

- Jack
 
I'd probably start with something like this:

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Then have it customized. Have about 1" removed from the tip but have it ground to keep the wharnecliffe/hook shape (if that makes any sense).
 
spyderco bug should do the trick, or a cricket and if you really want a nicer look IMO then ss handles/carbon fiber, check out Sante Fe Stoneworks
 
Do you think something serrated might work better and hold the edge longer than a plain edge? I'd probably try one of the Spyderco crickets personally.
 
Hoopster: I was looking at the Cricket, and as far as the serrated edge is concerned, I don't believe that would be of benefit in this particular situation since as the blade cuts through the foil, the next medium is glass... So the points on the serrations would see a lot of wear, since the foil is so thin, and as a result would end up dull rather quickly and be a major hassle to sharpen... Just my thoughts, I am certainly up for other input however!!

brets-ftw: Sante Fe Stoneworks was a very elegant suggestion, however the blades on most of those (exception being the Waiter's knife, which is very similar what I keep destroying) are too long...

Chris: that blade looks interesting, only problem I can see is that its a fixed blade and in the work environment, I can't see any way to carry that or have that behind the counter without being "menacing" or "scary" to sheeple coming into the winery...


Really enjoying the conversation and suggestions guys, I sincerely appreciate it!!

-Jack
 
If you don't mind me asking, what do you use for a corkscrew?

I recently got the Screwwpull Pocket model and so far-so good. It does have a foil cutter on it but the ergonomics are less than stellar when it comes to cutting foil.

Screwpull does offer some nice foil cutters.

http://mydeco.com/p/screwpull-metal-foil-cutter/GB0000C5RLBXXYID46SZYT2V2KEIE5H46JHSQ5OF/

My second choice, and sheeple friendly, would be (And this goes against what I would usually recommend) a Rough Rider Congress.

RR780.bmp



Four blades to wear out before a replacement is needed.
Its very Sheeple friendly, looking like something grandpa carried.
Less than $10.
Available in several handle materials.

Good luck and send me a nice Pinot Noir when you get the chance ;)
 
I typically use one of these numbers: (NOT RECOMMENDED!) http://www.thisnext.com/item/C07E452B/580A5EF7/Barracuda-Corkscrew and its not so good... The pull is short, the step is just goofy, not quite deep enough and kinda at a weird angle, and since the ones everyone else uses are these weird plastic, hokey lookin things (which I break regularly) that have either a garbage foil cutter built in (rollers that dull after a case or so of wine) or a knife that falls off after a few opens (so realistically I'm in the market for a nice one of them too)... I'll have to think about that Screwpull cutter, I prefer a knife over a regular cutter but that is certainly an interesting idea...

The Rough Rider is much closer to what I've got in my mind... Looks easy enough to sharpen as well...

Regretfully, it is far too warm here (Southern California) to grow a decent Pinot Noir, but if I get all this settled and happily ever after maybe I can send a bottle of somethin else your way!!

-Jack
 
..Well, look for a blade material that has little problem with soft metals and can handle some contact with glass without too much trouble. Possibly a small blade made in some kind of ultra-hard "supersteel"? ZDP-189 pen knife (though I've never heard of one)? That might chip though. S30V pen knife would provide better toughness- you get the picture.

Anyways, it's pretty clear to me at least that you need a hard and tough steel to handle the job. Good luck.
 
I would suggest a chip carving knife from a woodworking supply house, it's a short (1"-1 1/2") blade on a full sized handle, usually made from a decent quality high carbon steel. I've seen a couple folding versions, but there's a bigger selection of fixed blade patterns available. Look at websites like "Japan Woodworker", "Woodworkers Supply", "Lee Valley". In southern California, Westwood Power Tools carries some carving knives, and there are a few Rockler stores around. Wine House in west LA has a bunch of nice, fancy, and expensive, corkscrews if you are looking for a source of those.
 
Thingus995 said:
Regretfully, it is far too warm here (Southern California) to grow a decent Pinot Noir, but if I get all this settled and happily ever after maybe I can send a bottle of somethin else your way!!

-Jack
Click to expand...

Thanks Jack.

Oddly enough, I recently had a Pinot Noir from Byron out of Santa Barbara that was pretty good for its price. I'll repeat that. For its price (~$20) Not exactly SoCal but not Napa Valley either.

If you ever get up to Napa, go to the Rutheford Grill. Order the veal. Pair it up with a Napa Valley Merlot. Heaven on a stick!

As for the screwwpull, it takes little effort. The only other problem I have is that the screw comes all the way through the cork and has to be "unscrewed" off the thing. I imagine it would be awkward if the patron wanted to see the cork after opening. I've seen some people look for crystallizing on the cork. Do they still smell 'em? :confused:
 
BladeChemist: my first thought was an S30V blade, in a knife such as Tim Wright's takedown folder, however shrunk down a bit but that is so far outta my price range, its sad... I am glad however, that my initial thoughts of overkill regarding a higher end steel are now void :D

Mahoney: After googling the folding ones you mentioned I found there is a Rockler by my girlfriends place... I'll have to check one out next time I'm down there because that could certainly be a solution... Wine House has also been added to my Must Visit list, thanks for the heads up!!

Chris: I will certainly check out Rutherford Grill, that sounds EXCELLENT! Regarding your remarks "for the price," a very interesting observation I made after reading this years Wine Spectator top 100 list... Only 1(!) bottle was over 200 dollars... The vast majority (95%) were in the $60-80 range... That surprised me quite a bit, the wine of the year this year, was a bottle from Paso Robles (about 2 hours away from Santa Barbara) its made by a 29 year old guy, and costs $65!! (That bottle is Saxum from James Berry Vineyard 2007 vintage) The most expensive wine on the list was $500 something and was somewhere in the middle as far as ratings!! Still an exceptional wine for sure, but price has little to do with the equation anymore in my opinion, and it seems like there are superb wines coming out of the woodwork at all price points... We rarely see people take a genuine interest in the wines anymore (and nobody smells the cork for some reason... Times in the wine biz are changing drastically) unfortunately, for the most part wine tasting turns into wine drinking as people visit, 5,6,7 wineries in a day (at that point, they all taste red) but on the rare occasion that someone does come in to genuinely taste and enjoy the experience, it makes my day.

EDIT: after Googling the cost of the Saxum 2007, I have found that this award has driven the price of this wine through the roof (I expected it would double, perhaps triple, but as it turns out it has gone up 7-8X the original price!)
 
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I alternate between my Laguiole wine opener and my Rough Rider small whittler for foils. I don't work at a winery, but I have been known to hit the vineyards pretty hard here in N. CA.

If you are opening dozens to hundreds of bottles a week, I think that a small hawkbill knife would work best for high volume slicing. They cut on the draw, which is optimal for your needs. As to the sharp points on most of them, you can always grind it away, or let it get dull naturally. Hawkbills are easy to touch-up on a sharpening steel.

A Boker Subclaw would be the right size blade, though I don't know how comfortable it would be with repeated use.

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Or something less expensive like a Rigid workman's hawkbill

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I would suggest that seeing as how it is a work tool, it is probably worth having one of the fine Custom makers on BF make you a knife to your specs, say out of M4. Quality costs a bit up front, but in the long run it is the greatest value.
 
That Subclaw looks killer!! Wonder how much it would cost to get a nice redwood or flamed maple scale made for that...
 
what about a quick-change utility knife, when the tip is dull, just chane the blade and it's as sharp as new again, don't need to sharpen them.
 
A.P.F.; I was worried someone would say that, do you have any ideas about where something like that would fall price wise? I have no issues spending the coin for a dedicated tool that will last, I definitely have a budgetary concern right now unfortunately...
 
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