Mesquite Santoku SOLD

[samuraistuart]

Up next is another installment of my own personal take on the "Tosagata" Santoku. What I really like about their design is the sharp corner on the spine where the tip drops. I prefer that look over the more common rounded junction. One of the things I really try to concentrate on is the edge geometry, and thinning the steel near the edge. This allow for effortless push cuts. Before I established the sharpened edge, the width of the edge was around .004", give or take a thou. Really hard to say exactly how thin it was at that pre-sharpened "apex", but to give you an idea, 0.010" is a full 1/8" above the edge. Notice edge bevel is super tiny! It also gave my wife a cut, before it was even sharpened, while I was still working on the blade polish! So blood has been shed already with this one. For the sharpening gurus, the progression used was 400 Naniwa Superstone, 1000 Shapton Pro, Spyerdco Fine, Spyderco Ultra Fine, stropped on .1 micron film. It was splitting hairs at 400...sharp AND refined! (all post heat treat "grinding" was done by hand, wet. yes, sir that is very time consuming). Heat treat was done in house, with a digitally controlled oven. This 52100 bearing steel came from Chuck at Alpha Knife Supply, and has seen a full normalization, thermal cycling, subcritical annealing, proper hardening temperature and soak, fast oil quench to 0°F, and three one hour tempers, for a final Rockwell C hardness of 62-63. When I try to take a pic of this style of knife, the blade looks a little larger than in real life (proportions look much better in person). We use one in our home kitchen, and has quickly become the "go to" knife. I enjoy the chef's knife, but the Santoku is special.

I am moving the 16th from our apartment into a house, with a proper shop set up in the garage. Kiss the files good-bye, it's TW90 time. I need the funds, so this knife is on sale, asking only SOLD.

OAL: 10.5" / 267mm
Blade: 5.6" / 142mm (52100 @ 62-63HRC)
Handle: 4.9" / 125mm (Slight "D" profile, Mesquite wood with very nice grain structure, Watco Danish oil with TruOil, pores filled, and final wax coats)
Edge: 5.3" / 135mm
Blade Height: 1.5" / 38mm
Thickness: .103" / 2.6mm at handle, .08" / 2mm where tip drops on spine
Edge: 15° per side

I would be ecstatic to send this to YOUR home. I'm only asking SOLD for this one, a steal of a steel! This includes free shipping to any location in the USA, as well as a felt lined edge guard. Live somewhere else? No prob....just contact me and I will calculate shipping to your destination and get it to you. If you are a serious buyer, and need additional pictures, please don't be bashful. Just email me or PM me, call me, text me, come rattle my cage somehow or another, and I'll be more than happy to take the required photos. And at this time, I feel like I should thank a good friend or two who has helped me along the knife making journey. Matthew Gregory, who is quite possibly the sixth most talented knife maker in Glenwood New York....maybe. He has been a VERY kind gent for helping me improve my work. And Kevin Cashen, who has so graciously and humbly helped me learn how to heat treat blade steels to the best of my ability. ALL of the makers here at Bladeforums....a big SALUTE to YOU ALL. I am very proud to be part of this club! THANK YOU!!!

Stuart Davenport Knives
San Antonio TX
samuraistuart@yahoo.com
Facebook: Stuart Davenport Knives
512.618.3285
Paypal (preferred): samuraistuart@yahoo.com

 

[mycough]

Glad to see you pushing the rc of 52100. It really comes into its own for the kitchen at higher hardness. Nice knife.
Russ

 

[samuraistuart]

Hey Russ! Thank you. 52100, and many of the high carbon steels, work very well at high hardness, if it's heat treated properly. If you're interested in that idea "pressed", take a look at what Bluntcut (Luong) is doing with 3V, W2, and other steels at 65+, over at the knife reviews and testing subforum. Very interesting.

 

[mycough]

Hey Russ! Thank you. 52100, and many of the high carbon steels, work very well at high hardness, if it's heat treated properly. If you're interested in that idea "pressed", take a look at what Bluntcut (Luong) is doing with 3V, W2, and other steels at 65+, over at the knife reviews and testing subforum. Very interesting.

Luong is a friend of mine, I have some of his work that I use in my kitchen. He has taught me a lot about steel and how to sharpen it.
He is a really smart, patient and generous guy. A true pillar of BF.
Russ

 

[stubshaft]

Very well done. I also like the dropped tip design.

 

[BFS]

I'll take it. I'll put her to good use.

Eta-PayPal sent. Text heading in.

 

[samuraistuart]

Knife is sold. Thanks BFS!