TDG: The Way Of The Knife

[Fat Guy]

A chef's knife is an extension of his hands. It is his paintbrush, his assault weapon. A chef has got to have a good knife. And the ultimate in chef chic is a custom made knife . . .

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[slkinsey]

Custom made kitchen knives are indeed cool. I hace a number of custom made cast dendridic steel knives in my kitchen. Wouldn't trade them for anything. Haven't done any "at home modifications" though... yet.

[MichaelB]

I have a William Kramer that I will not part with. I forget what he calls his Japanese inspired shape, 8 inch blade. I have never had to do a thing to it except sharpen it. I have, however, rounded off the spine on several "store bought" knives.

I may be the person who waited longest for one of his knives. I recall that it was over two years! Apparently, he lost my order and one day it just popped up on his desk. For my part, I kept reminding myself to get the old Saveur issue for his phone number and call him -- yet never did so. One day, he called and asked if I still wanted the knife; he shipped it later that week.

[Mayhaw Man]

I have a couple of those old carbon steel Sabatiers mentioned in your excellent essay. They are worn, have been rehoned a couple of times and the 10 inch (my favorite) was sent back to the factory a couple of years ago for a rehandling job (dishwasher damage, wrong I know, but it happens). I love those knives. They have been through numerous kitchen jobs and since I quit working commercially years ago have served me well at home.

A friend of mine brought me a right handed fish blade a few years ago from Japan. It is dangerously sharp and handy for a few jobs, but I still find myself going back to the tried and true Sabatiers again and again. The first (8 inch) was recieved as a wedding gift twenty years ago and I purchased another not long after. I recently saw the person who gave me these knives at another wedding, this one for my brother in Austin and I thinked her again for a useful and thoughtful (and not cheap) gift given long ago. Of course, she had no memory of it, but actually seemed touched that I remembered, after twenty years, who it had come from. After I thought about it I am pretty sure that, excepting the swell vintage cuisinart (it wasn't then, but it is now) that is still operating like the day it was born (with no annoying safety features to get in the way of cooking operations), I cannot tell you what a single other person gave us for our wedding. They are great knives and have a good deal to do with my cooking style at this point. I like to cut.

[schneich]

i live in cologne, which is only 30 km from solingen.

i know a lot of small knifemakers around solingen, and

a few nice knife shops in the area...

i own several globals, wüsthofs and some handforge debas

(not to forget my chinese cleaver ;-)

i know a manufacturer that folds your name in damascene

technique into a unique knife designed and balanced just for you..

so if you are in the cologne area, gimme a ring and we do a knife tour

to solingen !

cheers

t.

Edited December 19, 2003 by schneich (log)

[jogoode]

At that level of sharpness you don't even feel it when you cut yourself. You simply notice a sudden pool of blood on the cutting board. Slice yourself too deeply and there is only a buzzy tingle to let you know you've got potential nerve damage.

I'm light headed. When my aim gets a little better, maybe I'll try one this sharp. Great article, Chad.

[rgruby]

If anyone knows of websites for some of these custom knife makers and would care to post them that would be great.

Thanks,

Geoff Ruby

[CRUZMISL]

Great write up Chad....as usual. Actually it's now you're fault I'm obsessing over knives :-) that's a good thing though.

I do have a question. How much of an angle to you think my Hattori's could handle with the VG10 core? Also what grit stone should I use on them? I have an Edgepro if that helps. I think 220 may be a bit toothy.

Thoughts?

Joe

[MichaelB]

If anyone knows of websites for some of these custom knife makers and would care to post them that would be great.

Thanks,

Geoff Ruby

Kramer's is Bob Kramer Knives.

Edited December 20, 2003 by MichaelB (log)

[Chad]

Custom made kitchen knives are indeed cool. I hace a number of custom made cast dendridic steel knives in my kitchen. Wouldn't trade them for anything. Haven't done any "at home modifications" though... yet.

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

[Chad]

I have a William Kramer that I will not part with. I forget what he calls his Japanese inspired shape, 8 inch blade. I have never had to do a thing to it except sharpen it. I have, however, rounded off the spine on several "store bought" knives.

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

[Chad]

At that level of sharpness you don't even feel it when you cut yourself. You simply notice a sudden pool of blood on the cutting board. Slice yourself too deeply and there is only a buzzy tingle to let you know you've got potential nerve damage.

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

[Chad]

Great write up Chad....as usual. Actually it's now you're fault I'm obsessing over knives :-) that's a good thing though.

I do have a question. How much of an angle to you think my Hattori's could handle with the VG10 core? Also what grit stone should I use on them? I have an Edgepro if that helps. I think 220 may be a bit toothy.

Thoughts?

Joe

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

[Chad]

If anyone knows of websites for some of these custom knife makers and would care to post them that would be great.

Thanks,

Geoff Ruby

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

[CRUZMISL]

I don't think I'll need to sharpen mine for a while either. How do you like the knife anyway? How does it compare to your Mullin? Probably a lot lighter anyway.

Joe

[slkinsey]

Custom made kitchen knives are indeed cool.  I hace a number of custom made cast dendridic steel knives in my kitchen.  Wouldn't trade them for anything.  Haven't done any "at home modifications" though... yet.

Sam, I'd love to see photos of your knives. Any way you could post a couple?

Hopefully Santa will be bringing me a digital camera. Then I'll see what I can do.

Here's a picture I already had (the picture was folded, so that explains the crease in the image):

[Chad]

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

Chad

[slkinsey]

Brazilian ironwood burl.

[oraklet]

"a friend broke the tip"

[Chad]

I have a couple of those old carbon steel Sabatiers mentioned in your excellent essay. They are worn, have been rehoned a couple of times and the 10 inch (my favorite) was sent back to the factory a couple of years ago for a rehandling job (dishwasher damage, wrong I know, but it happens). I love those knives.

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

Chad

[Mayhaw Man]

I have a couple of those old carbon steel Sabatiers mentioned in your excellent essay. They are worn, have been rehoned a couple of times and the 10 inch (my favorite) was sent back to the factory a couple of years ago for a rehandling job (dishwasher damage, wrong I know, but it happens). I love those knives.

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

Chad

Either that, or I am really cheap and have convinced myself that I like old stuff. I also have a 1967 Chrysler New Yorker with every electrical convenience known to man in 1967 and while it is hardly a classic, I have convinced myself that it is a great car, much like I have convinced myself that carbon Sabatiers are great knives.

However, the car has never had to be rehoned.

[pjs]

Nice piece Chad, I enjoyed it. Especially the idea of chamfering the spine of my big fat Whustof for a more comfortable hold. I should of thought of this fix long ago. Guess I'm oblivious to the obvious.

At that level of sharpness you don't even feel it when you cut yourself. You simply notice a sudden pool of blood on the cutting board. Slice yourself too deeply and there is only a buzzy tingle to let you know you've got potential nerve damage.

Yup. Been there, done that. Most likely will do it again at some point in the future.

Here's a caveat about reshaping exotic hardwood handles. The dust created by machining or sanding some of these woods can produce severe allergic respiratory symptoms--so be careful. Cocobolo has a particularly notorious reputation.

PJ

[Chad]

Either that, or I am really cheap and have convinced myself that I like old stuff. I also have a 1967 Chrysler New Yorker with every electrical convenience known to man in 1967 and while it is hardly a classic, I have convinced myself that it is a great car, much like I have convinced myself that carbon Sabatiers are great knives. 

However, the car has never had to be rehoned.

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

[Chad]

"a friend broke the tip"

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

[Chad]

Article updated with contact information for several custom knife makers.

Chad