Need input for a kitchen knife

[Gossman Knives]

A lady at work would like me to make a small all purpose kitchen knife. I will be using D2 with a full flat grind but I'm not sure about the style blade that would be best suited for this knife. I was thinking of a wharncliffe style blade and micarta scales. she wants the blade about 3 1/2" long. Does this sound like a good plan or does anybody have some other suggestions? Thanks
Scott

 

[mete]

You should ask her.There are paring knives with spear point, wharncliffe and other styles .Show her the options and let her pick one.

 

[paintfool]

this is just my opinion, but I really like the blade on japanese style kithen knives, I just have some junkie one and I still use it more than any other knife in the kitchen.
Steve

 

[RokJok]

I really like the blade on japanese style kithen knives

Which particular style of Japanese kitchen knife are you referring to - santuko, usuba/nakiri, gyuto/deba, or ????

Some of the Japanese blades, as well as some of the Euro-American blades, are pretty specialized and copying one for someone looking for a general purpose knife would probably be disappointing to them. For a pretty generic small kitchen knife, how about using the design (not the materials ) of the small Victorinox spear-point paring knife available cheaply at any kitchen store.

 

[Steve Hayden]

For kitchen knives, use ther thinnest stock you can. I like 1/16". You will be amazed how much better they slice than knives with thicker blades.

I have made everything from paring to large (7" X 2" blade) santoku knives in 1/16" from both D2 and A2. Optimally hardened (both peak in toughness at HRC 60) knives made from both steels chop and slice much longer than any commercial knife I have ever used. With this thin stock, a convex saber grind works very well.

 

[Chiro75]

For paring knives I'd go with the traditional drop point/spear point style or a really thin wharncliffe. The whole purpose of a paring knife is to have a fine point to get into things with, so if you go Wharncliffe just make sure it's very pointy, rather than more of a blunt sailimg knife type of Wharncliffe, if that makes sense.

Can't wait to see pics of it. Kitchen knives are very cool!

 

[John Andrews]

I had a big run on kitchen knives, and still get some orders. What the folks want in this neck of the woods are display kitchen knives with good looking wood handles and a good looking wood stand to display the knife in their kitchen. It makes the knife a conversation piece and is displayed where company sitting in the kitchen drinking (coffee?) can see the knife on the small stand. I have one order that has fossilized coral for a handle and a paring knife blade. I am going to use a slab of coral for the stand. It's just a suggestion when you get an order for a kitchen knife. The knives sit in two cradles of wood, one small support for the handle and another to support the blade, both supports matching the wood of the slab support. The knife is held in a horizontal position.

 

[Gossman Knives]

Mete, I asked her and she wasn't sure exactly what type of blade she wanted. She was talking about something similar to a paring knife but left it up to me so I figured I'd ask here what would be best.
shgeo, thanks for that suggestion about the grind. I wasn't sure what type would be best for a kitchen knife. I just assumed a flat grind was best.
Thanks for the responses. I'll see how this develops and keep you posted.
Scott

 

[paintfool]

Which particular style of Japanese kitchen knife are you referring to - santuko, usuba/nakiri, gyuto/deba, or ????

Some of the Japanese blades, as well as some of the Euro-American blades, are pretty specialized and copying one for someone looking for a general purpose knife would probably be disappointing to them. For a pretty generic small kitchen knife, how about using the design (not the materials ) of the small Victorinox spear-point paring knife available cheaply at any kitchen store.

honestly I have no idea what the style is called, but it's about 5-6" of blade with a tip that kind of drops off. it's just a POS but I like to use it for almost anything and have been using it for the last few years.

Sorry Scott I guess 6" would be a little too big.
Steve

 

[ddavelarsen]

If I were going to do this given the limited input you have, I'd make a narrow spear point - that is, tapering more narrowly to the point than shaping the point beginning nearer the tip. Does this make any sense? Like Chiro said, the point is important for a parer. A bit of belly is a more effective cutter and easier to control. Just my 2c.

Let us see what you come up with Scott.

 

[blgoode]

Scott - Go for middle of the road. Instead of Wharncliff - go sheepsfoot.
Slightly drop the top to get a sort of drop point effect.
Keep the blade around 4.25" it will be much handier. You could also shape the top to make a choke up peeling motion sort of LOCK in to your first 2 fingers. I have seen this somewhere and thought it was a good idea.

 

[Gossman Knives]

From what I'm hearing, I'll be doing some sketches and see if I can combine some of the suggestions. Then I'll run it by her to see what she thinks. I remember now it was a 4" blade she wanted not 3 1/2". I'm going to order some 1/16" D2 from tool and die .com They are fast on delivery. I ordered some other D2 I needed on Mon and got it Weds. Thanks for the help, now I've got some sketching to do.
Scott

 

[Chiro75]

You could also do a couple of mockups of different blade shapes using some Micarta or Concealex or something like that to shape them out and give her an idea of the options. With Kydex/Concealex it takes no time at all to grind them out and it's cheap to do, and actually holding something that at least resembles the finished product could make a big difference to her (if it's practical to do).

 

[Matt Shade]

Most of the women I've talked to about kitchen knives seem more interested in the handle. Seems the majority of them hold the knife in their palm (kind of like a baseball bat ), rather than with their fingers. I started out making thin handles you could grip with your fingers and have alot of control, they prefered the larger handles on my hunting/utility knives.
so now I try to go kind of middle of the road. I make a tapered shape with a big palm swell so they can hold it either way pretty well. Seems to have gone over pretty well so far.