Help is this kitchen knife steel good

D

Dani Girl

Joined
Sep 16, 2015
Messages
48
I kinda have my eye on this knife set that's in town. Does anyone know this knife steel and if it's really good or not. Set is five knives in a cool glass block for 126

Thanks.
 

Attachments

  • 20160307_132431-resized-2048.jpg
    20160307_132431-resized-2048.jpg
    22 KB · Views: 138
It's roughly equal to 440A, fairly common in inexpensive kitchen knives. It's not terrible, but there are a laundry list of steels I'd prefer in my kitchen cutlery.
 
I would prefer this alloy over 440A as it contains vanadium. It should take a relatively keen edge, but is softer than most of the premium stainless. Get a decent V-rod ceramic sharpener and you can maintain the set at a high level of sharpness easily.
 
That is a tough steel that has been left relatively soft (55 Hrc). That would be desirable for field knife or heavy butcher knife, but I don't know why you'd need toughness in the kitchen. I'd rather have a hard steel that keeps an edge for slicing and chopping.
 
Dani Girl said:
So you mean like chip resistant. Harder to sharpen and will blunted fairly quickly. ?
Click to expand...

That's reasonable way to look at it. If you were chopping a thick bone, you wouldn't want the blade to chip or shatter, while softer more "rubbery" steel will just deform slightly instead. The harder stuff could chip if really wacked at, but harder also means stronger and more likely to keep an edge longer. For everything I do in a kitchen, I just need the knife to stay sharp. Celery and crab shells aren't obstacles that a really hard blade is going to struggle with.

Some of the hardest, least tough knives anyone uses are high end kitchen knives.
 
For the blades - VG-10, N690 I have used and they are a good combination of wear resistence and easy to sharpen.Both are stainless steel .
 
I like the way some Shun knives use VG10 at the edge and cheaper (yet tough) stainless for the made body of the blade. It yields a nice premium edge at an affordable price. For my needs as someone who requires a sharp kitchen knife yet doesn't want to drop over 200 dollars on something my wife or brother in law may misuse, it works well.

In short, VG10 has performed really well for my fairly pedestrian needs.
 
Dani Girl said:
Set is five knives in a cool glass block

Thanks.
Click to expand...

The glass knife block is what Really had me worried. Glass contact is Horrible for a knife edge, especially one that has been left that soft...

For decent budget friendly knives, look to Shun and their vg10 cored knives.
 
One quick recommendation I would make is to look at the Tojiro DP line before Shun. They use the same steel and have comparable quality, but tend to be less expensive. They don't look as spiffy as the Shun models, but if you're looking for good users they fit the bill.
 
Dani Girl said:
So what kitchen knives would you recommend? Thanks all
Click to expand...

I really like my 6" Shun chef's knife. Great balance and sharpness. I've got two Fallkniven kitchen knives in VG-10 that are also outstanding.

I've also accumulated a collection of Henckels 4-star series over the years. Not too expensive and they work great.
 
I have one kitchen knife in German 1.4116. It is a cheapo Henckels slicer/carver and although purported to be 55 RC I personally feel that it is more like 53 RC.
Basically I have to run it on a steel every 2-3 times I use it. Fortunately with it's dedicated use it doesn't need to be more edge retentive. However for more general use knives I would stay away from that steel. My Tojiro and Hattori VG10s are my most used and they hold edge very well. So does my Hiromoto A2 petty, Even my super cheap Kai Aus8 petty holds better than the 4116. What others have mentioned is true, there are better steels out there, block type holders aren't very good particularly if it's "glass". Although I haven't seen the product I quickly imagine trapped moisture living there for a week. In fact, "block sets" while making it easy for those new to kitchen knives, after a while you may discover that choosing each individual knife for it's purpose, often spanning brands, will produce a set that works best with you.
 
Steely_Gunz said:
I like the way some Shun knives use VG10 at the edge and cheaper (yet tough) stainless for the made body of the blade. It yields a nice premium edge at an affordable price. For my needs as someone who requires a sharp kitchen knife yet doesn't want to drop over 200 dollars on something my wife or brother in law may misuse, it works well.

In short, VG10 has performed really well for my fairly pedestrian needs.
Click to expand...

^^This. 440A needs a lot of attention in my experience. VG10 in the kitchen is perhaps my favorite. I highly recommend the screaming deal that is the Tojiro DP Gyutou.
 
I have been using for some years two Cold Steel knives as only kitchen knives (Eastern Hunter and Long Hunter, made of Krupp 4116). I believe this is the steel otherwise named 1.4116. They have performed astonishingly well : once I corrected the factory bevel and got them shaving sharp, only a quick strop was needed from time to time. Of course they are no match for my set of Tojiro Shirogami (Hitachi white steel) knives (but boy, are these sensitive to oxydation !) or my latest kick, the Shun Classic chinese vegetable cleaver (VG10 core hardened to 62 HRC clad in softer stainless Damascus). That's an absolute hit. It's a beauty to look at, sits perfect in hand, light but powerful, is insanely sharp (insanely really ! I'm very cautious while using it !) and is a "no worry to clean" knife. It is also rather expensive, but I don't regret one cent ! Sorry for getting off... To your question : yes, 4116 is a good steel for kitchen knives (doesn't rust, stays sharp reasonably long but is easy to sharpen back on a fine stone or kitchen steel). Go for it but please throw away the silly glass block...
 
Last edited:
Very basic Steel used in many production knives coming out of Germany... Same as Krupp 4116.

Not a "bad" steel, just as Buck 420hc is not a "bad" knife Steel: it's better then most of your unlabeled "stainless" varieties out of bargain box stores, but certainly not the cream of the crop of what's put tbere... Heat treat is left soft to be more forgiving to novice kitchen users, but that's not uncommon for budget friendly production knives. Basically, it's a pretty good beginners/novice knife. The very top of the bottom of the barrel.
 
Haven't fully read all replies yet but one note so you won't think I am a nutter.

Wood bit knives slip into leaving blades showing between. Two sheets of glass that stand it up. Cute and practical. Knives don't touch the glass.
 
Is there a kind of steel that stands up well to your parents slicing everything on China plates and levering pumpkins in half etc
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top