I've been making kitchen knives from the day I started forging. Friends and familiy wants mostly kitchenware :barf: . I am novice but I have a few words about this.
First 1095: I made one from 5160 and one from 1075 but I couldnt satisfy the customer as they tend to rust. I would love to continue with these steels but they require maintenance and most people are not used to keep the knives clean and dry. The first thing U have to do is to educate your wife. Recently I prepare some texts about using kitchen knives and give these texts with the knives. Print out something like :
http://www.zvis.com/knives/kitchen/kitknmntc.shtml
Epoxy: Try to use high temp and long cure time epoxies, as the knife will be cleaned in dishwasher, no matter what you suggest.
Finish: Mirror. It does protect the knife from rust, acid, chemical etc. The kitchen knives are the most likely types of cutlery that will contact with the harsh chemical and physical conditions and material. If you leave some grit scratch you can notice the rust begins from that location.
Weight: May be most of us like to handle heavy and sturdy knives but women dont. Keep the weight minimum, I'm sure she will be more satisfied with the feel.
Thickness: Somewhat related to the previous topic. Also, thinner the sharper and flexibler.
These are the experience I have gathered about this topic. I will be glad if I could help...
Best wishes
Emre KIPMEN
