HI Chefs Set

I don't think I would be asking the kamis for an alien production here...

Some of HIs current models, scaled down to 8-10" would make a pretty great 3-5 butcher block knife set already.
The karda though, scale some of them up.

Uddha Sword - Practically a chef's knife already.
Farmcata - The cleaver
karda - Many paring knife possibilities both curved and straight.
Sirupate (or Hanshe) - Would make a unique de-boning knife

Just a quick straw poll for fun... who else would be interested?

+1 GoodStuff
 
Last edited:
If it came with a knife block thing like most other kitchen sets, it would be a very interesting novelty to have. Since the sheaths are already made of wood, maybe that would be easy to make too. In fact, I think the knife forms could be quickly burned into a block of wood for fast production. Imagine sticking that on your countertop and then having a guest pull one of the knives out to find something very different from what they were expecting.
 
kronckew said:
a khukuri makes a fine chef's knife:
Click to expand...
I love that video of the Kukri in action with food. That guy clearly knows what he's doing. I guess the Kukri in the right hands can do many things well.
Happy Holloween
Halloween Kukri 0.jpgHalloween Kuk.jpg
Pictures from Kendo in Maine, USA
 
GoodStuff said:
Some of HIs current models, scaled down to 8-10" would make a pretty great 3-5 butcher block knife set already....

Uddha Sword - Practically a chef's knife already.
Farmcata - The cleaver
karda - Many paring knife possibilities both curved and straight.
Sirupate (or Hanshe) - Would make a unique de-boning knife...
Click to expand...

Some of the proportions would have to be changed. For example, if a 23" Uddha Sword is scaled down to 8-10" the handle might end up 2-3" long. Once you start changing the proportions a design becomes totally nonstandard and what appeals to you might not appeal to others.

Best thing is to experiment with cardboard cutouts until you get the size and shape that suits you, then exchange emails with Yangdu to see if a custom order is feasible. I understand some people have shipped wooden cutouts to HI to make sure there is no misunderstanding by the kamis about the size and shape that they want for a custom order.

It's like one of the mantras of MMA fighters: Don't leave it in the hands of the judges!

-- Dave
 
Kamis in Nepal make all kinds of metal tools, so I am sure they have some experience with kitchen knives.

Although, I've encountered chicken in Nepal that was obviously sectioned with little thought to where the joints or bones were. Probably with a khukuri.

So another alternative is to rethink our cooking style.

Standard cutting boards may not last too long with a khukuri-weilding cook around though.
 
Howard Wallace said:
Kamis in Nepal make all kinds of metal tools, so I am sure they have some experience with kitchen knives.

Although, I've encountered chicken in Nepal that was obviously sectioned with little thought to where the joints or bones were. Probably with a khukuri.

So another alternative is to rethink our cooking style.

Standard cutting boards may not last too long with a khukuri-weilding cook around though.
Click to expand...

Truth. My Chinese cleaver and heavy cleaver both already stick into the boards when I chop. Put a kitchen edge on a curved blade, and you'll chew those poly boards to hell.
 
Howard Wallace said:
Standard cutting boards may not last too long with a khukuri-weilding cook around though.
Click to expand...
I agree with you Howard 100%. Another thing I feel (never been to Nepal) is I'll bet you that people in Nepal today use western style cutlery in the kitchen if they can afford it. So it seems funny to me that a foreigner would have a Nepali Kami forge a Chef Knife to send overseas when that Kami's wife is using the same knife that the foreigner's wife is using :confused:. Unless it's for novelty I don't see it.
 
Last edited:
sweetcostarica said:
I agree with you Howard 100%. Another thing I feel (never been to Nepal) is I'll bet you that people in Nepal today use western style cutlery in the kitchen if they can afford it. So it seems funny to me that a foreigner would have a Nepali Kami forge a Chef Knife to send overseas when that Kami's wife is using the same knife that the foreigner's wife is using :confused:. Unless it's for novelty I do see it.
Click to expand...

I wasn't thinking of home use.

Most knives marketed to people who cook for a living are made of junk steel that's improperly treated. The Gowa I bought here was not even an HI knife, but one made by the son of one of the smiths if I recall, and it holds an edge that puts nearly any other blade to shame. The weight is too much for general purpose though.

I'm looking for edge retention here, and a heftier than average knife.
 
abdelhazred said:
I wasn't thinking of home use.
Click to expand...
Sorry abdelhazred I wasn't replying to your comment. In the field people should use whatever they feel necessary to get the job done.

(General answer to the thread) Again for novelty maybe but serious production I don't know about that. There's too many great kitchen knives and sets out there to be competitive (IMO). Both forged and regular production.

But Karda always shows his understanding by offering a possible special order of the kitchen items in question. I forgot about that option and it's a good solution to this idea.
 
Last edited:
Special order seems to be the way to go. HI isn't exactly known for thin and slicy. I sure as heck wouldn't want to use one of the usual HI products as a line chef, not because of quality, but because of weight. Although, 5160 isn't really my favorite steel for kitchen work either. An HI cleaver, sure. Anything else? I have my doubts.

I doubt there would be that much of a market. I mean, the makers on here rarely make kitchen knives because there is a very low demand on here for those. There was a great thread about kitchen knives in Shop Talk, in which it was pointed out that BF, for whatever reasons, doesn't seem to have much of a demand for hand-crafted kitchen knives. Most people seem to be happy with their cheapo knives, for whatever reason, or already have a decent set. Kitchen knives aren't easy to make either. I think you're likely to get something that looks cool, but it will be debatable whether it will actually be as good or better than a comparably priced production set. I wouldn't put it past the HI Kamis, but it does seem like a high risk product for them to make.

That being said, I'd be all in favor of someone getting a special order and field testing it.
 
Heck - in my opinion the Farm Knife/Farmcata is a kitchen knife. That's what I use mine for exclusively (except for the pine tree I chopped up awhile back). Sometimes as a novelty (steak, onions, birthday cake) sometimes because it's the best tool for the job (chicken, melons, ribs, large pieces of meat). Only problem with my farmcata opposed to a farm knife is the downturned hanle - it works best when I use it at the edge of the counter. Cheap cutting boards aren't meant to last forever and I don't swing with the force to chop wood so I haven't had a problem with cutting boards any more so than with other kitchen knives I use.
 
I think a set of HI kitchen knives would be cool, but with two sets of store bought forged knives at home already I don't think its something I'd order up. I don't see a custom set of kitchen knives to be a very cost effective way of spending my extra money. I look to HI to fill my "awe inspiring" big utilitarian knife cravings. I'm perfectly happy carving up my veggies and meats with my Calphalon knives. They were cheap(TJ MAX had them on sale...) and I can keep them sharped with my standard kitchen knife sharpeners. They don't need a convex edge, and they don't require oil. When I go for a hike in the woods, I grab my HI knives(often a backpack full of them for comparisons...) and go enjoy myself. I enjoy sitting and maintaining the blades and handles. I don't want to do that with my kitchen knives. They are simply part of the kitchen, and as long as I put them away clean and dry they don't require anything else from me on a per use basis. My HI khukuri probably don't either, but I enjoy cleaning them, running a steel over them, and then oiling them up before I put them to bed.

I would love to see a set of custom made HI kitchen knives, and would drool over how cool they are. But I'll stick to buying those things that make HI stand out in the crowd. Big, beautiful knives that are durable and effective in the field.
 
bric said:
Heck - in my opinion the Farm Knife/Farmcata is a kitchen knife. That's what I use mine for exclusively (except for the pine tree I chopped up awhile back). Sometimes as a novelty (steak, onions, birthday cake) sometimes because it's the best tool for the job (chicken, melons, ribs, large pieces of meat). Only problem with my farmcata opposed to a farm knife is the downturned hanle - it works best when I use it at the edge of the counter. Cheap cutting boards aren't meant to last forever and I don't swing with the force to chop wood so I haven't had a problem with cutting boards any more so than with other kitchen knives I use.
Click to expand...

I have a Farmcata too and love it. In fact it was *your* photos of slicing, dicing and cutting down a tree that was my inspiration for a more dedicated HI Chef's set... My farmcata @ 18" is just too big for the kitchen.
 
bric said:
Heck - in my opinion the Farm Knife/Farmcata is a kitchen knife. That's what I use mine for exclusively (except for the pine tree I chopped up awhile back). Sometimes as a novelty (steak, onions, birthday cake) sometimes because it's the best tool for the job (chicken, melons, ribs, large pieces of meat). Only problem with my farmcata opposed to a farm knife is the downturned hanle - it works best when I use it at the edge of the counter. Cheap cutting boards aren't meant to last forever and I don't swing with the force to chop wood so I haven't had a problem with cutting boards any more so than with other kitchen knives I use.
Click to expand...

I thought about getting a Farm Knife as a gift for my wife, since she does most of the heavy cutting in the kitchen. However, I don't think she'd like the weight. More important, I would worry about visitors and their children hurting themselves or others with such a sharp, heavy knife. I wouldn't leave a khukuri in the kitchen for the same reason. People tend to be more cautious around a workshop or tool shed, but in the kitchen I don't think people have their guard up as much.

Everyone's situation is different, of course, and what works for one might not work for another.

-- Dave
 
bric said:
Heck - in my opinion the Farm Knife/Farmcata is a kitchen knife. That's what I use mine for exclusively (except for the pine tree I chopped up awhile back). Sometimes as a novelty (steak, onions, birthday cake) sometimes because it's the best tool for the job (chicken, melons, ribs, large pieces of meat). Only problem with my farmcata opposed to a farm knife is the downturned hanle - it works best when I use it at the edge of the counter...
Click to expand...
Interesting bric. I looked up the Himalaya Imports Farm Knife and Farmcata and found these pictures:
farmknife2k.jpgFarmcata1zynnk.jpgFarmcatavsMelon.jpg
The excellent photos on the left and middle are bgz101 (posted on another site by Steve Tall)
For the weight it's a clever basically but it looks fine cutting the "small stuff". The capabilities of the Farmcata are pretty good. Might get one myself.

+1 to those out there who recommend the Farmcata knife (slimmer and lighter) for the kitchen .

Edit: Thanks to Karda's clarification.
 
Last edited:
It should be noted that the Farm Knife is a different animal than the Farmcata. The Farmcata is slimmer and lighter.
 
Karda said:
It should be noted that the Farm Knife is a different animal than the Farmcata. The Farmcata is slimmer and lighter.
Click to expand...

I am telling you guys.... the farmcata i have is plenty thin enough for good food prep work. Just too long. The kamis can do delicate work like that just fine, thank you very much... A 10" Farmcata cleaver, a mini-Urdah sword for a chef's knife and a couple of karda and you are in business. Still think a mini siru would make a sweet deboning knife also.

Yea i could buy something else as has been suggested... but it would still be pretty cool to have a HI set like that..and with a nice patina carbon steel looks great. One of the prettiest knives i ever had was a carbon steel butchers knife with an oak handle, about 100 years old.
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top