Chad

Are you sure they're not forged? Or are you trying to say that they're not specially forged like Japanese knives? AFAIK, 99.999% of knife steel is forged. Isn't cast steel the only alternative to forged? Well, there are bangers and there are grinders. Forged, in this instance, means that the knife maker has taken a chunk of steel, heated it in a forge and hammered the knife into shape -- a process that takes several heatings, beatings & quenchings. Only knife makers who forge their blades are eligible for membership in the American Bladesmith Society -- the organization that certifies master knife makers. Many other knife makers buy steel in billets or sheets and grind it to shape -- called the stock removal method of knife making. Almost invariably, any stainless knife (other than your cast dendritic) is made using the stock removal method. Stainless is too hard to forge. Henckels, Wusthofs, et al, are drop forged -- a several ton press drops down on steel blanks and pounds them into shape in one fell swoop. From a custom knife maker's point of view, that ain't forging. Chad

Scroll up a little ways. Sam has posted a shot of his Boye-cast chef's knife. As I understand it, David Boye supplied the cast blank and another knife maker finish-ground the knife and added the handle slab. I hope I have that right. Sam can add the details. It is a f*ing gorgeous knife. From Sam's reports and the intel I have from other knife nuts, cast dendritic is indeed the shiznit. Boye's stuff has increased in value exponentially the last couple of years. There is a serious aftermarket trading scene centered around his knives. Go to Boye Knives Gallery to take a look. Chad

Mottmott, thanks for the kind words! I appreciate it. The nomenclature for steel designations can be bizarre and Byzantine. The best reference (outside of a metallurgy text) is Joe Talmadge's Steel FAQ. This authorotative FAQ was recently updated and should answer any questions you might have. In short, though, no; ATS-34 is not carbon steel. It is a high-tensile-strength stainless steel. It has recently been surpassed by newer super steels such as BG-42 and CPM S30V, both of which are tougher, stronger and generally much hipper. However, since ATS-34 (CPM 154 in the American version) has fallen slightly out of favor it can be found at much lower prices than the super-steel du jour. The general rule of thumb is that if a steel contains more than 12-13% chromium, it is "stainless." This is not necessarily true. For example, D2 steel has about 12% chromium, but I'd never think of it as stainless steel. It is a hell of a steel, however. Likewise, ATS-34 has many wonderful properties. Absolute stainlessness isn't one of them. It'll take a patina. I just don't worry about it too much. The other attributes of the steel -- strength, toughness, wear resistance, etc. -- far outweigh any aesthetic considerations. You might take at look at the eGullet Knife Maintenance & Sharpening Tutorial for more information about steels, their properties and how to keep your knives in top shape. I've modified my Mullin/Pack River chef's knife heavily. I've hot-rodded the edge, rounded the spine and reshaped the handle -- all of the mods mentioned in "The Way of the Knife" were done to the Mullin knife. All done in my garage with high-grit sandpaper, a Dremel tool and a basic sharpening rig. Of course I started with an exceptional knife, so it wasn't hard to customize it to my particular needs. The mods are not particularly noticeable, however, so any difference between what's on Steve's website and the pictures in my article are probably due more to camera angle than they are to actual differences in blade width. As for "cast dendtritic" steel, that's something that knifemaker David Boye came up with. It is a way of pouring molten steel so that the carbides form "dendrites," tendrils or links between one another, reinforcing the strength of the steel and seriously increasing its cutting ability. I have to admit, I'm not up on the science of how it works. I do know, however, that many knife nuts I respect are blown away by the cutting ability of cast dendritic knives. You might ask slkinsey about his dendritic knives. Sam is very knowledgeable about materials science and might be able to give you a more complete answer. Chad

Cool! I can be a bovo-porco vegetarian . Baco-vegetarian? Damn, this gets complicated. Chad

Tommy, I do both. I put the pan in a 500 degree oven to preheat while I prep everything else. Then I crank my biggest burner as high as it will go and let the pan get NASA hot on the burner. I've developed this method after some trial and error. Here's my reasoning: 1) I found that having a 20lb chunk of glowing iron within range of my prep area just scared the bejeezus out of me. Too many visions of branding irons dancing in my head. 2) If you leave the pan on the burner the whole time you can actually burn off the cure, even a deep one. Pulling the pan from the oven and letting it get even hotter on the burner gives me a little more control over the process. The pan heats without burning in the oven while I do all my prep work. Then when I'm ready to put the steaks on I can watch it on the burner. 3) Sometimes the steaks need a little more even heating after the lovely sear. If the oven is already on, I can just pop them in to finish up rather than risk burning them on the stove. That happened last week. Rather than my usual three 8-oz KC strips, I seared off an amazingly thick 2-1/2lb sirloin steak -- it was a big sucker. I got a great crust but the interior was still 120 or so. Into the oven it went, preserving the crust and evenly heating the interior to medium rare (135-140). I probably could do all of this with the burner alone, but I find the oven to be a great security blanket. Chad edit: clarity

Welcom to eGullet! What radio show mentioned us? That's just cool. Anyway, Sam's Turkey Two ways has indeed gotten rave reviews. As someone else mentioned, do a search on "Thompsons Turkey" or "Turducken" for more turkey weirdness than you can grasp. Take care, Chad

Article updated with contact information for several custom knife makers. Chad

Robyn, you make some excellent points. And you obviously have a lot of experience with the system. There are millions of other things that attorneys (wherever they may fall on the political spectrum) could be doing to influence prison systems. However, Adam (adrober) has chosen this topic to write about. He's decided to combine his interest in food with his love of the law for a particular paper for a particular class. And he raises some interesting questions. There have been myriad ways in which politicians, prison administrators and social welfare people have tried to influence prisoner behavior. For example, the original Stairmaster was designed in the 1800s as a way of keeping prisoners occupied (and worn out, one presumes) as a way of punishment. Others have tried faith, education, harsh discipline, isolation, et al -- all in the name of modifying prisoner behavior. Some of it has worked. Most has not. But has anyone ever really examined the role of food in prisons? I'm not saying that a good meal or two is going to change the heart of a serial rapist. There are some people beyond redemption. But I think the role of food in such a restricted environment is worth exploring. With so many other variables of human interaction restricted, food grows to inordinate imporance (much as it does on eGullet ). Just read Cell Block Cuisine, part 1 and Cell Block Cuisine, part 2 to see how food is elevated even in (I presume) a minimum security prison. There is a lot to be explored here. Is food the be-all and end-all of prison life? No. Will the quality of food change the life of a prisoner? Probably not. Can the quality of the food in a prison affect prisoner behavior? Probably. Can food be used as reward and punishment? Yep. But should it? All questions worth trying to answer. Chad

Yes, this was extremely painful. I was at a friends house for a dinner party one night. Her knives were extremely dull, so I offered to loan her my Mullin custom knife. Bad idea. I learned why her knives were in such bad shape when I got mine back. I don't know exactly what she did with it, but when I got my knife back the tip was broken and there were several chips -- some of significant size -- out of the edge. No apologies. No acknowledgement that she'd damaged my knife. Nothing. It took a lot of work to get the chips out of the edge, and the tip still isn't quite right. The Mullin is ATS-34, which is a hard, resilient steel. You'd have to work very hard to damage it. The weird thing is that she's an excellent cook and generally knows what she's doing in the kitchen. There are some folks who don't realize that a knife is more than a tool. Chad

OT story: At UGA I had a 1969 Buick Wildcat convertible, one of the biggest Buicks ever made. I measured it one day -- more than nineteen feet long and seven and half feet wide, bigger than my dorm room. I'd bought it from a guy who'd only driven it in Shriner's parades for the last decade or so. It needed a lot of work. The Wildcat had every electrical doodad available in 1969 -- power top, power windows, power door locks, the works. What I didn't realize was that it had a map light. Who thinks of map lights on a convertible? Anyway, I was headed home from Athens to Chattanooga a little after 2:30 one morning, hitting the big loop around Atlanta during a torrential downpour. I had a towel in my lap to catch the running water that came from the leaky seal between the mouldering top and the windshield. That's when I discovered the map light. The rivulets of water coming in hit the exposed wiring behind the rearview mirror -- where the map light lived -- and started an electrical fire. I don't know if you've driven 'round Atlanta, but even in monsoon weather if you're not doing 85mph or so you're in grave danger of being run off the road. So I was barreling along just on the south side of 90mph when my rearview mirror burst into flames! I ended up whacking at it with my damp towel trying to put out the fire, steering with the other hand to stay on the road. I eventually put the fire out (roasted the top, but it needed to be replaced anyway), but every time I go through Atlanta there is a stretch of road where I snicker and then glance fearfully at my rearview mirror. On topic: I ate at the Dixie Barbeque on the way out of Athens -- goat barbeque, two sides plus cornbread & sweet tea for $3.95. Damn. Chad

Damn, Joe, that looks great! Can we come hang out at your house? Chad

Jack, I'm really enjoying your Christmas blog. Keep up the great work. I've just gotta say, though, those are some damn fat squirrels. Chad

Brooks, you are obviously a man of taste and distinction. Chad

Walt, thanks for your kind words. I'm glad you found the tutorial helpful. Yep, if you clamp a 10" blade in the middle with a Lansky system you're going to have some pretty serious angle variation over the length of the blade. When using a Lansky I generally clamp the blade right at the bolster to begin with, do 20-25 passes per side (or until it's sharp enough), reclamp a couple of inches up and repeat the process, reclamping as need be. I try not to let the arc of the stone get too wide -- maybe two inches or so. I'm guessing here, so bear with me. I didn't reclamp while using the Lansky on my paring knives, for example, and their tips are quite rounded. Yes, you never really know if you're sharpening one section of the blade more than another, but if you allow for some overlap it evens out. Same thing with the EdgePro, which I infinitely prefer. The blade isn't clamped, so you don't have to worry about angle variation. You just slide the blade along the blade table as you progress. I overlap quite a bit when I slide the blade down, e.g. I'll do a couple of inches near the handle, slide the blade about an inch or two and hit about half of the previous area while progressing into a new section of edge. That way all of the edge gets about the same amount of attention. There isn't really any "sawing," but I do use the stone in both directions with a little more force on the foreward stroke and lighter on the back stroke. Both systems take some practice to use well. If you don't mind spending the money, the EdgePro is definitely a better sharpening rig. Ben Dale is a great guy to deal with. Get the video and the ceramic "steel" too. The video, as bad as the quality is, shows how to keep the angle consistent so you don't round the tip. Hope this helps. If you've got any more questions (or if I didn't answer this one well ), just ask. Chad

Wow, that is really nice. Amboyna burl handle slabs? Chad

Let's see: Chef Thomas Haslinger Haslinger Knives. George Tichbourne Tichbourne Knives. Phil Wilson Review & e-mail link here. Laurence Segal Rhino Knives Neil Blackwood at Blackwood Knives doesn't do kitchen knives per se, but his "Henchman" is one of the slickest designs I've seen in a while. When I get a chance I also want Trace Rinaldi at THR Blades to make me a 10" chef's knife in S30V. In the meantime, his Tactical Kitchen Knife is just about the coolest indoor/outdoor knife ever made. Murray Carter's stuff can be found at Kellam Knives. And always check with Blade Art and Knife Art to see what they have in stock. They can also put you in touch with a custom knife maker to create your ultimate design. Chad

It works both ways. After seeing pictures of your Hattoris I had to have one. My wife, though she doesn't know it yet, got me a 240mm for Christmas . I haven't had to sharpen it yet, and probably won't for a while, so I don't know exactly what angle they come with. I'd just use the Magic Marker Trick from the Knife Maintenance & Sharpening clinic. Dunno how thin you can go with the Hattori. When I need to sharpen it I'll probably take it down to 15 degrees or so with a 600 grit finish on the EdgePro. VG10 has an inate toothiness that lets you go to a higher level of polish without losing slicing ability. I don't know why, but that's been my experience. Chad edited to actually answer the question

I'm light headed. When my aim gets a little better, maybe I'll try one this sharp. Great article, Chad. Thanks, JJ. This piece was the most fun writing I've done in several years. I'm very proud of how it turned out. Chad

Kramer makes some amazing knives. I've only handled them, though. Never got the chance to put one through its paces in the kitchen. But, damn, they were nice. And to those reading along -- round the spines of your Henckels and Wusthofs! It's easy, and it makes a huge difference in the comfort of the knife. Chad

Sam, I'd love to see photos of your knives. Any way you could post a couple? The home modifications are startlingly easy. I was telling the truth -- I'm not good with power tools or anything requiring their use. But knocking the corners off the spine was a breeze. It makes a world of difference in the comfort of the knife. Chad

Well, dinner went spectacularly well. The andouille in puff pastry was a big hit. The fat is a problem, but I suspect that if I'd simply pricked the skin in a couple of places enough would have rendered out that it wouldn't have made the puff too moist in the middle. Of course one guest was picking the fat-laden middles out of his wife's hor d'oeurves, so I suppose that it wasn't too big a problem . The brioche idea comes from "Jacques & Julia Cooking at Home." Jacques does a homemade sausage in brioche that looks pretty damn yummy. The only drawback was discovering that he wants you to let the dough rise overnight. Not good when guests will hit the front door in two hours . Next time, though. I think the brioche dough will be a better fit in this particular application. Your Cajun Danish, on the other hand, will probably find its way into my stove some time this week. Chad

Yup. After poaching I slit and peeled off the casing and let the sausage rest until it was just lukewarm, which gave my wife and I a chance to sneak off and have a cigarette . I couldn't let them cool too much more because I was running out of time to get them in the oven. Chad

Thanks for all your help, folks! My hors d'oeurves turned out great. I poached the sausage, peeled the casing and rolled in puff pastry. Dave was right about rendering the fat. I didn't think to prick the skin of the sausage before poaching, so the andouille didn't render off as much fat as it could have, which made the puff pastries a tiny bit soft in the middle. No biggie. Once sliced and served to hungry guests on their second glass of wine, a little sogginess was easily overlooked . They tasted absolutely wonderful. Things I'd do differently: - prick the sausage skin before poaching - use Jacques Pepin's heavy brioche dough rather than puff pastry Next time I'm definitely making Dave's Cajun Danish. That sounds wonderful. As a matter o' fact I have another pound of andouille and could pick up some more puff pastry. I really appreciate the last minute help. Dunno why I didn't think the recipe through thoroughly beforehand. Duh. Buy y'all really bailed me out. Chad

Damn, you folks are great. I really appreciate the help. I'll let you know how it turns out. Off to par-cook some French beans & get my rissotto started. Chad

Yup, that was the plan. Remove casing from sausage, roll in puff, bake until GB&D, let it rest a bit then slicing into bite-sized hors d'oeurves. Chad edited to add "bake in puff," but y'all guessed that part, didn't you?