Kitchen Knife balance help

ColeKiraKnives

ColeKiraKnives

Joined
Mar 27, 2017
Messages
118
I'm about to attempt my first kitchen knife (10") for a life long friend. He's a chef in the LA area and very particular about balance. How do you guys achieve balance in a knife (chef's)? I know, silly question. Do you guys use a formula? I have some ideas about what to try but any help/ideas is appreciated. And pictures, I like pictures .....and turtles.
 
i try to put the ballance point right in front of the handle so that in a pinch grip the knife is quick and easy to point
 
Balance on a kitchen knife is really personal. Some people like the balance point really far back to give better tip control, and others like it more forward to give the cuts more authority. Distal taper and a full flat grind will move the balance point back, and a skeletonized handle and convex grind will bring it forward. Handle height and thickness can move it either way. Kitchen knives are tricky in this way, and you may not get it right on your first try if your friend has a really specific preference. Equally important are the knife geometry and ergonomics, which can also be tricky and exacting. I would recommend making several with different combinations of features, and have him pick the one he likes best.

Chris
 
One advantage that a wa handle has is that the length can be adjusted depending on the blade dimensions without having to bulk it up while still looking okay. That is not quite so easy with a western handled knife.
 
jdm61 said:
One advantage that a wa handle has is that the length can be adjusted depending on the blade dimensions without having to bulk it up while still looking okay. That is not quite so easy with a western handled knife.
Click to expand...
That's what I was considering. It's seems very tricky to me. I had a long conversation with him and he prefers a pinch point just in front of the bolster. My thought was to make a short hidden tang with a longer handle and trim when balanced at that pinch point.
 
butcher_block said:
i try to put the ballance point right in front of the handle so that in a pinch grip the knife is quick and easy to point
Click to expand...
Sorry, I missed this but this is what he prefers. I use a smaller knife in the kitchen. Mostly a 7" and a 3" pairing knife. He uses his 10" for 90% of his work he says.
 
Hesparus said:
Balance on a kitchen knife is really personal.
Click to expand...

I'm in agreement with this. Everyone is different.
I believe Murray Carter talks about this and doesn't promote the concept of balance. And I would consider him a kitchen knife expert

Balance can change with the handle material used, stabilized redwood burl is much less dense than ironwood and thus the whole knife feels different.
 
i would try a metal (stainless?) pommel, you could make it too long and shorten it until it balances at his preferred spot.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top