Tichbourne or Mullin kitchen knives?

C

CRUZMISL

Joined
Sep 24, 2003
Messages
18
Hi All,
I am trying to decide which manufacturer to go with. Both have their advantages and both use different steel (Tichbourne 440 stainless and Mullin ATS34) Aside from feel, aesthetics etc which would be the better choice considering the steels and methods used to manufacture. Mullin forges his blades and Tichbourne uses a removal process.

Any thoughts truly appreciated.

Joe

PS Anyone know what angles each knife is sharpened at?
 
All things being equal I'd take forged ATS34 over stock removal 440 any day. I'm never seen a Tichbourne in person but if the Mullin in question is Steve Mullin of Pack River knives I can vouch for his work as first rate. I've got to assume though, that the forged blades are going to be quite a bit more expensive and given my financial situation that would certainly enter into my decision.

phantom4
 
C'mon George no plugs for the superiority of your knives over others. I need the sales pitch and since I live in Windsor it's only fair I give you the change since your a fellow Ontarian (is that even a word?).

Joe
 
OK a sales pitch..I make a fine knife with a lifetime warrenty..mine.

I can't afford to warrenty knives so I make them to last, cheaper that way.

This forum dislikes makers pitching their product so that is as far as I can go.
 
Maybe George can't brag, but I can do it for him.
I don't know much about Mullins, but I have several Tichbournes and some in the kitchen too. They are OUTSTANDING. With regard to the steel, 440C is nowadays underrated. When done properly, like George's,
it holds a very good edge, is easy to sharpen and has excellent stain resistance. George's 440C outperforms some of the ATS 34 I have from other makers, and I am not kidding. There is absolutely nothing wrong with that 440C, except it isn't trendy or sexy anymore. If it's important to you, the shine on one of my Tichbournes knives can probably be seen from space, it's that bright. One of my favourite knives in the kitchen is a little pearl handled cutter that is put together beautifully and is still super tough. [I think it's called a lady's knife, but I don't care :)] And George has some stellite or talonite work; I think that probably would be great too. The talonite/stellite I use in the kitchen are a Rinaldi and a Blackwood, but if I didn't have those I probably would have asked George to make me one.
For much more money, and if you like to baby your knives, you could try a Hattori damascus [incredible] and there are very good Japanese blades from Murray Carter that are surprisingly affordable. But I wouldn't hesitate to try a Tichbourne.
 
OK George, I wasn't aware of the forum rules. I like both knife makers and each has their pros and cons. Maybe someone can elighten me if they are true or not.

Mullins ATS34 steel can be sharpened very sharp and it's strong but can have a propensity to discolor given the right conditions and in the kitchen environment that is very likely. Frankly, that would bother me. Also I have read he uses a 10/12 angle for his knives which is very low but can be done due to the strength of the steel. Also the handles are cocobolo, good or bad I don't know.

George's knives on the other hand use a very stainless steel but I'm not sure of the edge holding capacity. He uses a 17 degree sharpening angle but again i'm not sure if this truly matters in a kitchen environment. Also I have no idea what a black paper micarta handle is.....

Anyway, I'm trying to find a good alternative to my Henckels Pro S knives I currently own. My current chef's knife has developed a small belly and now the full bolster is bothering me. You get so caugh tup in steel types etc it makes the decision really tough.

What's also important is the ability for me to continue to use my Edgepro sharpening system. I really like it but will it work with such hard knives?

Thanks a ton!

Joe
 
The art of making kitchen knives is quite well advanced. In fact, I think it has advanced to the point where artistry in design and execution are the main thing that marks a great one from an adequate one.

Look. Anyone can get a perfectly adequate kitchen knife from Henkells or the other commercial brands. Anyone can have an adequate hunting knife from Buck or Gerber. But is it a Moran? A Fowler? A Fogg? A Hayes? A Tichbourne? Not even close.

It has much less to do with the chemistry of the blade stock than the artistry and skill of the Master. We all have had those knives that cut unbelievably well and held an edge unnaturally well, Think Cliff can always explain it ?:)
I have had several superb kitchen knives. Knives forged and built in the Japanese tradition are beyond compare to any of the other excellent knives I've tried. But modern custom makers like Haslinger take great care with their selection of material, the heat treat perhaps most of all, and have hit on a first rate design. A few makers of that calibre are affordable. One is George. I do admit I'm partial to forged blades. But it would be an unjustified conceit to think that the bangers necessarily make better knives than the stock removal guys. Ever hear of Loveless?
 
The 17 degree edge bevel is pretty standard, it is a balance between a full tapered edge which can be weak enough to chip or bend in heavy use(if you are using a knife like a cleaver the full tapered edge will not hold up). A 17 degree bevel will take and hold a razor edge. The edge pro will do the job.

There are two theories in making knives

1 make them nice and soft so they can be sharpened easily...the downside is that they go dull easily as well

2 make the blade hard so it will hold an edge but sharpening will be more difficult...diamond stones will sharpen anything quickly.

Paper micarta is an old electrical insulation material going back to the 20's that has found extensive use as knife, pot and appliance handles over the years. It is waterproof, solvent resistant, impact resistant, heat resistant and darn near bulletproof. It's only downfall is that it bleaches when washed in the dishwasher to an ugly grey. Hand washing doesn't seem to affect it because there isn't the high chlorine content in hand dishwashing soap. I have found that black handles sell better because that is what the public is used to in the kitchen...used to make some of the prettiest wood handled kitchen knives but couldn't sell them because they clashed with the decore of too many kitchens, go figure.
 
I am sure that the Mullin knives are very nice, but I have no personal experience with them. I do, however, have quite a bit experience with Mr. Tichbourne’s knives :D. Both the knives and the maker are absolutely first-rate. To my mind, properly treated 440C is a near-perfect steel for culinary applications (it’s pretty damn good for most types of knives and it’s a shame that it doesn’t seem to get the respect it deserves). I have several of George’s knives that I’ve used for several years and I can assure you that their construction, performance and edge retention greatly exceed all of the higher-priced production kitchen knives that I’ve owned (and there have been quite a few). I’ve been impressed enough with George’s knives to give them as gifts to family and close friends.

One of the aspects of Tichbourne knives that hasn’t been mentioned here is the quality of the people involved. George and Carol Tichbourne are some of the nicest people in the business, and their professionalism and integrity make dealing with them a pleasure. I’m sure that there are other makers who offer outstanding culinary cutlery, but I don’t think you can go wrong with Tichbourne knives.
 
Good Morning Gentlemen, Carol here
"Thankyou" for your kind words. It is always nice to hear that our product and efforts are appreciated. HJK, I had no idea you used that "little Beauty" in your kitchen ;) maybe I should take mine out of the safe................

Carol Tichbourne
 
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