Kitchen Cutlery

This is an excellent thread!

I agree with crimson, I think most of the denizens of BF are non-cooking males. I am an occasional cooking male, but even I don't consider the kitchen knives in my home (just Henckels Twin Signature) as "mine". They're communal knives. I didn't buy them. I just use them. And so far I find no cooking reason to replace them.

I also agree with Don, there are excellent looking knives coming out of Japan at a low price point. In another recent post, someone bought this for under $150:

Ryu-Santoku.jpg



That VG-10 damascus, Tsuchime patterned blade is worth displaying.
 
calvinw said:
This is an excellent thread!

I agree with crimson, I think most of the denizens of BF are non-cooking males. I am an occasional cooking male, but even I don't consider the kitchen knives in my home (just Henckels Twin Signature) as "mine". They're communal knives. I didn't buy them. I just use them. And so far I find no cooking reason to replace them.

I also agree with Don, there are excellent looking knives coming out of Japan at a low price point. In another recent post, someone bought this for under $150:

Ryu-Santoku.jpg



That VG-10 damascus, Tsuchime patterned blade is worth displaying.
Click to expand...

Nice knife. However, you could spend all day sorting through variety of VG-10 production kitchen cutlery coming out of Japan. I'm more interested in seeing what the many talented makers present on this site can offer the membership. For example, this one just arrived today from Big Chris. I'm excited to get home and try it out.

DSCN1795.jpg
 
The blanks are not profiled with automated grinders, I contour machine the blanks in my shop. The blade grind – what you would do by hand with a belt grinder, you know, so that you have a cutting edge – is done with automated machinery, just like it's done with almost all the cutlery on the market today. I don't know how I can put it any clearer than that.

elementfe has it correct!
 
calvinw said:
I also agree with Don, there are excellent looking knives coming out of Japan at a low price point.
Click to expand...

If we use this line of thought, then we can say that there are some really inexpensive and good looking Bowie, hunter and fighter knives coming out of Pakistan. I think if the price point is the most important thing to a person, then they're not that interested in (or educated about) performance of the total package. There will always be people who want quality and are willing to pay for it. The problem most makers have, is finding that niche. Hopefully a forum just for Kitchen Knives will help these two groups of people meet!
 
Kevin Wilkins said:
I make the blanks and then have an outside vendor grind the blades on a cnc grinding machine designed for that purpose. I'd love to have one myself but the setup costs about $250,000+ and the machines are pretty high maintenance to boot... The results are excellent and I finish the blades, make the grips etc etc... not like there's nothing left to do!
Click to expand...

Got it. Thanks.
 
Kevin Wilkins said:
The blanks are not profiled with automated grinders, I contour machine the blanks in my shop. The blade grind – what you would do by hand with a belt grinder, you know, so that you have a cutting edge – is done with automated machinery, just like it's done with almost all the cutlery on the market today. I don't know how I can put it any clearer than that.

elementfe has it correct!
Click to expand...

Apologies. " The only part that is ground are the bevels... that's the way knives are manufactured. " threw me off, I thought you were implying ground on a belt after profiling. Sounds like an efficient way to do things..
 
I can give you the name of a couple of companies that do that here in the US, but you had better be ready to drop enough cash to get 100-200 blades ground. Kevin is right about those big CNC grinders from companies like Berger being VERY expensive.;)
TooQuiet said:
Kevin, can you pm me the grinding company info?
Click to expand...
 
crimsonfalcon07 said:
I wouldn't be surprised if people were willing to pay 200-500 for a good monosteel kitchen knife, or maybe 1000-1500 for a set of 3-5 knives. My comment was just that most people aren't accustomed to spending that much for kitchen knives.

Might be interesting to put up a poll in the general section or something to ask if people would be interested in seeing a kitchen knife forum with more affordable kitchen knives.
Click to expand...
I agree. It always surprises me that people willing to spend $400 or so on a knife with the latest, greatest steel which probably will never do anything more 'hard use' than open an envelop, buy awful kitchen knives. Maybe a forum like this could create some interest.
 
I have about a half dozen chef knives that have been ground and heat treated and just need finishing touches and handles. I am going to have to finish some to be ready for this new for sale forum.
I find that using a nice chef for cutting and processing makes the entire process more enjoyable.
 
I live on an island off the Atlantic coast of Canada. I cook in a small white table cloth restaurant that caters pretty much exclusively to the tourist trade during the all too brief tourist season. I have a few custom made chefs knives but really only need one. I treat them like tools and excessive ornamentation does not improve their performance. I have come to prefer 52100, it sharpens easily holds an edge and is plenty tough. I bought my last knife three years ago from Stephen Fowler and really do not need another. If i had wads of extra cash I am sure I would buy some fancier knives for special home use but since I don't I am very happy to look at everyones excellent work. The really fancy knives I see here are really to me much like guy jewelry and if I was to buy a really fancy knife I think it would be a small folder for pocket carry. Pattern welded steel is nice to look at but doesnt provide any advantage in the kitchen. I want my knife that I use at work to be something that does not require a lot of thought or admiration but simply works so well that I forget I am using it and focus on the cut not the rare exotic bulabula burl handle etc. It should be like the plane a fine furniture maker uses. Precise, flawless reliable performance that becomes a taken for granted part of the intention to cut something a specific way. But I do love those pretty pics I see on here and admire the workmanship especially when I see it happen on sub 300 dollar knives.
 
This is my version of a 8" chefs knife. 12c27 stainless,3/32"spine flat ground to about 015" before sharpening,bead blasted matte finish. I went with the maroon linen micarta,pink G10 liners and pink G10 ribbon inlay because I donated it as a raffle item for an American Cancer Society fundraising effort. I would make more of these if I could get $450.00 - $500.00 for them.
 
Here's one I recently did!
16" OAL 1095 with hamon.

It was purchased by a professional chef's wife as a gift.

I agree with some others...these are deceptively hard to pull off. Super thin grinds...fighting warping with clay on something this thin was fun, too.

13.jpg
 
Im a home chef!

Here is my list of makers worth buying:

Bill Burke

Knowing the amount of time and skills put down in each knife, I truly love his knives.
I don't know about you guys, but Im not truly happy before I have 5 pieces of BB in my house.
My experience with BB: A true gentleman, hardworking prototype american. A man of few words, and won't sell a knife is not 100% satisfied with.
Since he already posted a piece made for me, I won't post a picture from him. For me he is the master of 52100, so therefor 3 pieces will be his famous sanmai.
Im eager to see them done, and I will let him take em on a tour like the set he already made me :)

Devin Thomas
The master of Damscus and different steels. His kitchen knives are outstanding, and I have handled 4 of them. In my possession now is however only 3 pieces, as I gave my best friend one for his 40th birthday. I love everything about them: the geometry, the profile and so on. Here are one I own:
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7261/7132958749_48f2c72fe6_b.jpg
My Experience with Devin: Honest hardworking american. Makes a hell of a knife. Like Bill a man of few words :)


BB and DT is my dream team

Murray Carter:
Makes a hell of a kitchen knife. I love the one I have, however he believes in white and blue, and those steels are not my fans. Geometry and profile are however insane. Never spoken to him, did get mine from a trademarked on the net. Love it! He makes knives made to abuse. Not good-looking but preforms like a pro! :)
Here is mine:
http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6062/6030019465_76847138e5_b.jpg

Marko Tsourkan
Mark my words: He will become one of the best kitchen knife makers. He is already beyond most other makers, and will in time be on par with DT and BB.
A true gentleman, man of his words and atm most bang for the bucks! Insane knives. I have tried 3 of them. I tip my hat! :)
 
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