-
The BladeForums.com 2024 Traditional Knife is available! Price is $250 ea (shipped within CONUS).
Order here: https://www.bladeforums.com/help/2024-traditional/
Ontario Old Hickory Knives
- Thread starter melt
- Start date
nevertoomany
Gold Member
- Joined
- Jan 19, 2005
- Messages
- 69
Yes. Yes. Very.
Seriously, I have about 6 in my kitchen block and really like them. They'll take a good edge; don't keep edges spectacularly well but are well worth the price (each <$10). Do sand the handles and use mineral oil on them and the blades.
I have applied patinas to mine using various acids (vinegar, mustard, lemon, etc.) Like the looks and helps w/rust problem. Edges will rust if not maintained.
Overall, excellent value and good designs. I have everything up to a butcher shape.
Buy and enjoy!
Bob
Seriously, I have about 6 in my kitchen block and really like them. They'll take a good edge; don't keep edges spectacularly well but are well worth the price (each <$10). Do sand the handles and use mineral oil on them and the blades.
I have applied patinas to mine using various acids (vinegar, mustard, lemon, etc.) Like the looks and helps w/rust problem. Edges will rust if not maintained.
Overall, excellent value and good designs. I have everything up to a butcher shape.
Buy and enjoy!
Bob
Codger_64
Moderator
- Joined
- Oct 8, 2004
- Messages
- 62,324
Oh, just make a livercheese and onion sandwich with mustard, dill pickle and tomato and you are most of the way there. Or peel a batch of potatos.
I've used these knives since Hector was a pup and love them for what they are. Good solid kitchen cutlery with excellent "bang-for-the-buck" ratio. Yes, you want to keep them dry and lightly oiled, sharpen briefly when you hand wash them. Or abuse the hell out of them. They really don't care.
The carbon steel is not real hard (ask Ontario about the Rockwell), so they do dull faster than the fancier stainless knives (sharpen faster too), and some folks are addicted to shine in the kitchen. Now days, shine is equated to clean. You should see my cast iron cookware!
Codger
I've used these knives since Hector was a pup and love them for what they are. Good solid kitchen cutlery with excellent "bang-for-the-buck" ratio. Yes, you want to keep them dry and lightly oiled, sharpen briefly when you hand wash them. Or abuse the hell out of them. They really don't care.
The carbon steel is not real hard (ask Ontario about the Rockwell), so they do dull faster than the fancier stainless knives (sharpen faster too), and some folks are addicted to shine in the kitchen. Now days, shine is equated to clean. You should see my cast iron cookware!
Codger
- Joined
- Dec 15, 2003
- Messages
- 3,154
My wife and I use them basically every day. You just have to remember to wash them by hand and wipe them dry. When neglected, they will rust, but small rust spots are easy to remove with polish like Flitz or Maas.
I agree with Codger that for 1095, they're on the soft side -- I'd guess low 50s Rc. They hold an edge better than cheap no-name stainless, but decent forged stainless like Wusthof holds an edge longer (for a much higher price). They're very easy to sharpen.
For the money, they can't be beat.
I agree with Codger that for 1095, they're on the soft side -- I'd guess low 50s Rc. They hold an edge better than cheap no-name stainless, but decent forged stainless like Wusthof holds an edge longer (for a much higher price). They're very easy to sharpen.
For the money, they can't be beat.
- Joined
- Mar 23, 2000
- Messages
- 1,730
I agree.
Over time they will aquire a natural patina which will help protect from rust. Rust is a non issue if you hand wash and dry.
Here are mine along with the sharpener I use.
Sharpener is a "Smith's" I picked it up at lowes. Easy to use and works great.
I did some cardboard cutting tests with an O.H. 6" boning knife and a couple of other kitchen knives. The O.H. was about halfway between the RADA knife and an unknown stainless from the local Kroger grocery store. All 3 were sharpened using my 800 grit waterstone and the flat sides of the Spyderco Sharpmaker medium rods, with a final bevel of 15 degrees. The Kroger was slightly ahead of the Old Hickory, and the RADA was last. I still need to test my Faberware knife in with the rest, but havent done it yet.
Overall, I think they're great knives for the typical kitchen. They sharpen easily and get razor-sharp, but they do require regular touch-ups. They won't rust with minimal care. And I really like the solid natural handles.
My negative comments are insignificant considering the price. Primarily, not all of the models are the same thickness; some are too thin for my taste, and none that I have are as thick as the older USA-made Chicago Cutlery knives that I prefer. It's also notable that not all of the Old Hickory models are full-tang, which isn't always evident from catalog/internet photos.
My negative comments are insignificant considering the price. Primarily, not all of the models are the same thickness; some are too thin for my taste, and none that I have are as thick as the older USA-made Chicago Cutlery knives that I prefer. It's also notable that not all of the Old Hickory models are full-tang, which isn't always evident from catalog/internet photos.
My Old Hickory looks like the one in the middle. Mine accidentaly came so hard out of the box, that it almost skates over my coarse Sharpmaker stones. A trifle to hard for my tastes. A hot vinegar soak put a nice patina on the blade, which I protect with mineral oil. The handle looks like walnut, so I gave it the "gunstock" treatment-- linseed oil.
They're nice.
They're nice.
Mine are easy to sharpen but are a little soft. They do not rust so fast if they are patinated. the part just before the handle seems to rust a lot.
Ebbtide
Gold Member
- Joined
- Aug 20, 1999
- Messages
- 7,970
I reach for mine more often than not.
It only rusted once when left in a plate of water over night.
I don't oil mine.
Only wash it in hot soapy water, dry and store in wooden barrel on counter top.
Hint: Rinse the knife in the hottest water you have coming out of the tap. Let it stay under that hot water for a good 15-30 seconds to warm the blade. Dry with a towel.
The heat that the blade soaks up will help evaporate any moisture left by the towel.
Oh, and the spiffy bumps in the blade keep the stuff you are slicing from sticking to the blade
Like that other old codger said, I've used Old Hickory knives since Christ was a corporal. I think they are one of the great American bargains ... IF you have enough sense to respect them for what they are and not abuse them. Perhaps the worst abuse would be to leave one soaking in dish water. Ignorant women are bad about this! (Not that you are either ignorant or a woman, of course.) Other abuse would include chopping bone or other hard materials with them, unless you had the foresight to buy an Old Hickory cleaver for such use. I've had one for years, and it's a darned handy tool. It's kind of a back pocket hatchet in a way. Several months ago I was prowling in a thrift shop and took a look at their old crummy knives. The gem among the junk was an Old Hickory with an 8 inch slicing blade. It's seen a lot of use, but it still has more live left in it than I do. The blade was and is totally brown, but without any pitting, chips, or over sharpening. It was still sharp, too! The wood handle, surprisingly, was bleached nearly white, I guess from however it had been routinely cleaned for years by the old person whose stupid offspring cleaned out his or her kitchen when they died or went to a nursing home to die there. I have lightly cleaned the blade with fine (0000, or four-ought) steel wool and oil, and I rounded the corners on the handle just a little with a file and sanded it lightly. I recently finished the handle with some Kiwi (paste type) shoe polish, and it is beautiful to my eye now! I rubbed in a good coat of the polish, let it sit for 24 hours or so, then buffed it out with a cloth. Now it has a soft, really pretty gleam to it, and the color of the polish really brought out the grain, too.
said, I've used Old Hickory knives since Christ was a corporal. I think they are one of the great American bargains ... IF you have enough sense to respect them for what they are and not abuse them. Perhaps the worst abuse would be to leave one soaking in dish water. Ignorant women are bad about this! (Not that you are either ignorant or a woman, of course.) Other abuse would include chopping bone or other hard materials with them, unless you had the foresight to buy an Old Hickory cleaver for such use. I've had one for years, and it's a darned handy tool. It's kind of a back pocket hatchet in a way. Several months ago I was prowling in a thrift shop and took a look at their old crummy knives. The gem among the junk was an Old Hickory with an 8 inch slicing blade. It's seen a lot of use, but it still has more live left in it than I do. The blade was and is totally brown, but without any pitting, chips, or over sharpening. It was still sharp, too! The wood handle, surprisingly, was bleached nearly white, I guess from however it had been routinely cleaned for years by the old person whose stupid offspring cleaned out his or her kitchen when they died or went to a nursing home to die there. I have lightly cleaned the blade with fine (0000, or four-ought) steel wool and oil, and I rounded the corners on the handle just a little with a file and sanded it lightly. I recently finished the handle with some Kiwi (paste type) shoe polish, and it is beautiful to my eye now! I rubbed in a good coat of the polish, let it sit for 24 hours or so, then buffed it out with a cloth. Now it has a soft, really pretty gleam to it, and the color of the polish really brought out the grain, too.The 8" chef's Knife is one that has a very thin and flexible blade. It also does not have a full tang. And of the four I bought, that's the only one I wouldn't buy again.
The boning/utility knife and the butcher knife have blades about the same length, but the steel stock is thicker. They have a bit of flex, but not a lot. The 3" paring knife is made from the same thin stock as the chef's knife, but because it's a short blade it doesn't flex much either.
I can maybe look up the particular model numbers if you're interested.
I think a comparison scan of the tangs might be helpful for shoppers, so I'll try to rig something up in a bit.
Here is a comparison scan showing some Old Hickory knives next to competitors' products.
From top to bottom:
* Old Hickory 8" chef's knife. Note the thin blade and partial tang.
* Old Hickory 8" butcher knife
* Chicago Cutlery #61S, 6" utility knife, USA-made, Walnut Traditions series
* Prefered Stock Cutlery from Camillus, 8" chef's knife
From top to bottom:
* Old Hickory 8" chef's knife. Note the thin blade and partial tang.
* Old Hickory 8" butcher knife
* Chicago Cutlery #61S, 6" utility knife, USA-made, Walnut Traditions series
* Prefered Stock Cutlery from Camillus, 8" chef's knife