JK Custom Kitchen Knife

[NoahL]

Hello everyone,

I commissioned John (Stomper) of JK Handmade Knives to make a kitchen knife that I drew up based on a combination of chefs' knives, santoku, and deba. My main use for this is going to be processing fruits and veggies, with a little meat processing in there somewhere. Without further adieu, here it is in all its glory:

Up Next: Carrot Test

 

[NoahL]

I decided to give the knife a little workout straight out of the box--I haven't sharpened it at all, nor have I played with the geometry at all. My first test for it was a carrot, and I wanted to feel how comfortable it was and how well it cut, and I wanted it to lay over carrot slices instead of popping them.

The carrot slices didn't pop, but they did move slightly so I may bring the convex bevel back further to thin out the blade profile. Did a great job overall, though, and I was able to make paper thin slices with the edge that came on it, no problem.

Up Next: Fruit Salad

 

[NoahL]

My mom and brother are coming to visit tomorrow and they aren't used to the dry air out here, being from Illinois, so why not make some refreshing fruit salad? First up, the pineapple:

No problems there. How about watermelon?

Easy as can be, even cutting the rinds off. Canteloupe?

Continuing on the next post...

 

[NoahL]

...Continued

Sure thing. How about apples though? Yeah, that's right, apples.

Not too bad, although they were pretty crisp and tended to crack while I cut. It probably didn't help that I've never cut apples with anything but a paring knife before though . Anyway, let's move on. Strawberries, anyone?

Lopping off strawberry tops and quartering them was a pleasure, and actually had the most patinating effect on the O1 tool steel blade. I have to say that I think I'm really going to love this one! The handle fits well to use as a chopper (which I do when I split melons) and locks your hand in place for a pinch grip, as well as hooking a finger on the choil and gripping high on the spine for point work like cutting off rinds. The handle scales are wenge wood that I sent in and I love their character, as well as the fact that they are pretty durable. If nothing else, it does a darn good job at making fruit salad

 

[C-9]

Hi, not sure what you mean by a cross with a deba. If you mean it is extra thick, considering all the fruit, vegetables and boneless meats, I think you'll be pleasantly surprised cutting through melon, apples, and the other produce with an extra thin blade.

 

[NoahL]

Hi, not sure what you mean by a cross with a deba. If you mean it is extra thick, considering all the fruit, vegetables and boneless meats, I think you'll be pleasantly surprised cutting through melon, apples, and the other produce with an extra thin blade.

Deba only in the point, and that was only because someone mentioned that the point looked like a deba--I thought it was more santoku-ish. The blade is 3/32" thick, so it isn't super thin, but it did a great job in comparison to the knife I was using before.

 

[C-9]

Sorry, I more meant thin at the edge, it sounds like the edge could be thinned a little more with a very acute back bevel ~3-5 degrees, and then put on your normal 15 degree or whatever bevel. That should solve your problem with the apples or anything else that seems to crack.

 

[NoahL]

Sorry, I more meant thin at the edge, it sounds like the edge could be thinned a little more with a very acute back bevel ~3-5 degrees, and then put on your normal 15 degree or whatever bevel. That should solve your problem with the apples or anything else that seems to crack.

Ah, that. Yes, I actually did mention somewhere in there that I thought the blade would benefit from bringing the grind higher, which would have that effect. I'll probably be doing that myself on stones eventually, so that's not a big deal

 

[Bhamster]

This is sort of a knife porn-fruit snuff pictorial.

 

[NoahL]

This is sort of a knife porn-fruit snuff pictorial.

Yep, and I have a video camera now so you can hear the pineapple scream next time