Questions about French chef's knives

Nice, thanks! The flat section I was referring to, if any, seems indeed very attenuated and much shorter. Anyway, it's a great example of the traditional French profile.
 
So I've got a new shop and it's getting set up the way I want it. On sunday I profiled a 10" french chef's knife out of 1/8" 52100. I had originally planned on doing it in 5/32" steel, but the stuff I got was much closer to 3/16". I don't have a picture of it yet but I will post some as soon as I am able.

- Chris
 
Yea 1/8th is about as thick as I'd go for just about any culinary knife anymore. Traditional french culinary knives are more rudimentary than the revival Sabatiers, thin, flat, and no frills. Thinner than what you see post turn of the century 1900's. Great knives that last a lifetime, I still use one I got over a decade ago. The steel does "feel" soft on the newer models and with the thicker blade geo, just asks to be rolled or chipped. I'm curious to see how yours is coming! Sounds like a great project!
 
I finally got around to taking a picture of this in progress:
10805674_770123039724081_4028381663415955382_n.jpg

Just needs some holes in the tang and then it will be ready for HT. I'll have Peter's take this to RC62.
Thanks for looking.
Chris
 
Back from heat treating. Each at RC62 by Peter's heat treat. Top one is 10", bottom one is 8.25".

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Funny how the blade profile look like a lot of the modern Japanese western style blades when you knock off the big bolster, no? There is a reason for that. :)
 
Yes - the French style more so than the German style. In addition to these knives, I have some gyutos, santokus, and nakiri in progress. When they are finished I want to do some photos comparing the shapes of the blades. I find it really fascinating how there is a continuum of blade curvature that goes from the dead-flat nakiri and chukabocho to the mostly flat santoku, all the way to the big-bellied Germans. Everyone has a favorite point along this continuum.

Chris
 
Drowning in knives right now, but I've had some time to work on these. Grinding is finished, and they just need handles now:
12105775_943981732338210_278238876808804928_n.jpg


Chris
 
Thanks! I was thinking of keeping the aesthetics of a traditional sabatier and using "walnut" dymondwood.

Chris
 
I do believe that a very common wood on a Sabatier would have been olive wood like many other French knives.
Hesparus said:
Thanks! I was thinking of keeping the aesthetics of a traditional sabatier and using "walnut" dymondwood.

Chris
Click to expand...
 
Thanks for the tip. I just meant that I wanted to use a wood-looking material to evoke the real wood of traditional sabatiers, rather than micarta or something.
 
Finished!!

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Both are 52100 steel at RC62 (HT done by Peter's Heat Treat) and dymondwood handles. The big one has a 10" blade, 1/8" thick at the base of the spine, stainless steel bolts. The smaller one has a 8.25" blade, 3/32" thick, copper and steel hardware.

They actually ended up having a little bit more Japanese influence than I had originally planned, with the wide ricassos, but I think that's okay.

Going to sharpen them up and see how they go.

Thanks for looking everyone!

Chris
 
They look good Chris. Don't forget to give us a performance report and more pics once they get a bit of patina on them.
 
Came out great!! Really like the 8.25's hardware placement and the tapering on the handles toward the blade. Can't wait to see it in action!
 
Thanks guys! I have only sharpened the big one so far, and I have had a chance to play with it a little bit. My primary kitchen knife for the past couple of years has been a 7" gyuto with a pretty shallow belly. Needless to say, the 10" French knife is pretty different, but it's been real fun so far. Rock chopping feels really nice. Still getting used to how high the tip is. I will post a more detailed report later on, and after I have played with both of them.

Chris
 
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