Full Bolster or Half Bolster for German Chef Knives?

A

albo17

Joined
Jun 27, 2016
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Hi,

I am looking to purchase a German chef knife. I have looked at all the biggest players in the market and they all seem to have both the full bolster and half bolster options (see image below). I know the pro's and cons of each type of knife. I feel that the half bolster has more upside but people are purchasing the full bolster more because it is more traditional. I am wondering if I am right that the full bolster is more popular. Please share your thoughts.

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The full bolster is handy for doing things you should not do with the fine edge of a chef's knife. If you need to crack a chicken bone or something similar you don't need to go find the cleaver you just use the thick bolster section and keep on working. I have found also that forged full bolster blades are thicker overall and not the best for delicate slicing duties. If you are matchsticking a 50# bag of carrots or mincing a bag of onions a thin cold rolled blade is much less fatiguing. I believe the half bolster was popularized to eliminate the bowl that is common on well used chef's knives because of the difficulty in grinding away the bolster when re-profiling the edge geometry, most folk don't have a belt grinder to remove the large amount of steel on the bolster
 
Personally I would prefer the half bolster, even though a full might be traditional and therefore perhaps more culturally accurate. Personally I've probably seen an equal share of both styles, though when they become a bit more pricey I have noticed (with respect to the ones I've seen in person) that generally they have a full bolster. Of course that may have just been the choice of the individuals that I know who bought. I would agree with you that a half bolster has more to offer than a full bolster, because though it could be useful "as stated above" ^^^ I think the extra weight as well as the elimination of the ability to slice completely from front to back would out weigh the benefits. Conversely I can argue that I do like the look of a full bolster regardless of whether it may have a "negative" impact on performance. Either way... Just my thoughts. :)

Matt.
 
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