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Lorien

Lorien

Nose to the Grindstone
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Knifemaker / Craftsman / Service Provider
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Dec 5, 2005
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I just ordered some steel to start work on figuring out a design for a CPK food processing knife, (and DEK3) and since nothing's been firmed up yet I thought it would be a good idea to discuss this type of knife and benefit from everyone's opinions and ideas on the subject.

If you'd like to post photos of your most used and favourite food knifes, feel free, but please tell me WHY it works for you- that's what we need to know!
 
Up until somewhat recently, my kitchen knives consisted of the now battered set I received at my wedding and the plethora of fixed blades and pocket knives I have at my disposal. I favored the latter two options over the former.

However, I recently took the opportunity to have a trio made (actually, I bought one and then ordered the other two to match). The set consists of a Gyuto, a Santoku, and a petty knife. Up until now, I had never given this handle design any thought or consideration, it always appeared uncomfortable. However, after experiencing it in hand, I have to say that I am a fan. I don't usually like my hands to be locked into any sort of grip and the long handles and octagonal shape provide me with a lot of versatility without sacrificing any security.

Also, my wife is a huge fan and that is a big plus.

After hearing Nathan's thoughts on a good steel for a kitchen knife, I kind of regret my steel choice on these but they are ground very thin and maintain a great edge for a good amount of time - I just have to strop them now and then. Tasmanian Blackwood, with African Blackwood bolsters and CPM-20cv steel.

I favor the Santoku and the petty knife - between the two of those, I can process a lot of meat and veggies in a short amount of time. I like the height of the Santoku, it just glides through everything and it definitely suits my style of food prep. I might be able to more scientifically dissect my thoughts after reading some other opinions here but for now, this will do, I guess.

OBHu9f1.jpg
 
jlauffer said:
Hmmm...don't think I've seen that. Well ok, insert another K-named bladed implement. Jeez, can't have any fun😁
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Apologies for the OT, but I have no kitchen knives worth a lick to contribute so let's talk Khanjar ;)

It literally translates to dagger which already exist in the Carothershpere in 4 iterations: The Queen Dagger which there is one of, belonging to NinJo, the 10" Dagger which only a handful exist in the wild plus the one going to BladeShow 2021 and Nathan's own; then there is that 14" special project dagger and a bunch of Boot Daggers. The curved or sweeping daggers which is the type you were probably thinking of, the traditional customary (embellishment) carry among the nomads of the Yemen and Oman regions is something that maybe the wunderkinder Lorien can get into.
 
it's funny, but there is one khanjar in particular that exists in this world which I can only describe as the/my 'grail' knife, and I mean that in the truest sense of the word. A grail is a grail, a windmill is a windmill, right?

Anyway, my close friend Dr. David Darom- who very recently passed away- invited me to the Art Knife Invitational at San Diego in 2011. His passing really hit home, he meant a lot to me and literally changed my life by inviting me to this show. He put me up, which made it possible.

So, at the show, not only did I witness the world's biggest dumbass stab himself in the hand, I also encountered- and handled!- my grail! This Buster Warenski piece with white jade handle and ruby ornamentation. In my mind, it gets no better than this!

mPd6SeA.jpg


terrible kitchen knife, though
 
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What an awesomely-timed thread! I've found that I've been reaching for a Global GF-33 a fair bit lately - (over a Henkels knife that I've had for over two decades). The Global is extremely comfortable by comparison, and works well for most tasks in the kitchen. The biggest reason that I like it is that it's comfortable in the hand for cutting tasks over a prolonged period. The biggest thing that I look for in a general purpose kitchen knife (outside of a good blade) is a natural, balanced feel in the hand, and a handle/blade/ricasso combination that doesn't cause fatigue or hot spots, which is one thing that I really do not like about the Henkels Classic knives (but have put up with for a long time).

I'm excited to see what CPK comes up with regarding kitchen knives, as I've been looking to pick up a few new ones, (and also a DEK 3 eventually)!

gf-33-global-classic-hw-chefs-knife.jpg
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Pàdruig said:
Up until somewhat recently, my kitchen knives consisted of the now battered set I received at my wedding and the plethora of fixed blades and pocket knives I have at my disposal. I favored the latter two options over the former.

However, I recently took the opportunity to have a trio made (actually, I bought one and then ordered the other two to match). The set consists of a Gyuto, a Santoku, and a petty knife. Up until now, I had never given this handle design any thought or consideration, it always appeared uncomfortable. However, after experiencing it in hand, I have to say that I am a fan. I don't usually like my hands to be locked into any sort of grip and the long handles and octagonal shape provide me with a lot of versatility without sacrificing any security.

Also, my wife is a huge fan and that is a big plus.

After hearing Nathan's thoughts on a good steel for a kitchen knife, I kind of regret my steel choice on these but they are ground very thin and maintain a great edge for a good amount of time - I just have to strop them now and then. Tasmanian Blackwood, with African Blackwood bolsters and CPM-20cv steel.

I favor the Santoku and the petty knife - between the two of those, I can process a lot of meat and veggies in a short amount of time. I like the height of the Santoku, it just glides through everything and it definitely suits my style of food prep. I might be able to more scientifically dissect my thoughts after reading some other opinions here but for now, this will do, I guess.

OBHu9f1.jpg
Click to expand...
Another fan of Japanese kitchen knives here. I have several Gyutos and Santokus.

I prefer the shallower curves of Gyutos vs the more pronounced belly on Western Chefs knives, but this will depend on preferred cutting technique. I don't really 'rock' the blade when cutting. I either chop or slice.

My preferred blade lengths for Gyutos are around 250-270mm. I'm comfortable using this size for just about anything (which may be one of the reasons why the MC is my Goldilocks CPK), but I also have a 4" blade Spyderco Phil Wilson bird and trout, and a 6" blade utility knife (the 6" is rarely used).

As for Santokus, my favorite is my Shun Premier Sumo Santoku. I like the tall blade, and this thing is really thin. Great for slicing and dicing onions. It goes through them with no resistance, and by minimizing any 'crush' it results in a lot less onion juice and hence, less vapor and crying.

P.S.

Edited to add one thing about blade profiles:

I tend to prefer Gyutos with a more pronounced downward curve on the top of the blade near the tip. This has a direct influence on the relative angle of the edge in relation to the handle.

Some Gyutos have less of that downward curve on the top profile near the tip, and as a result, the edge tilts upwards from the heel to tip. This means that the handle will have to be tilted downwards more to have the edge (or tip) to the cutting board.

Gyutos with a more pronounced downward curve on the top side of the tip, tend to have the edge closer to parallel to the handle, reducing the amount of downward tilt of the wrist/handle when using the knife.
 

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Slicy gyuto, long (more than 8in blade), thin, hard. Easy to maintain

Tall clearance on the fingers on the handle, tall blade so you can rest it against your fingers as you cut to avoid self harm.

Inert handle material (food safe).

Maybe, some sort of ergonomic pinch grip, it's not needed, but that's the natural hold for a chef knife. I've seen plastic balls on the top of the blade to favor that grip, I don't like them, but probably that's one of the things that could be explored
 
CD257456-7C1E-4EFF-A2A8-1ED19DF94A44.jpegMy photos aren’t the best but I have used the triangular knife at least once daily, usually more, for about five years. I know this is stereotypical but I think it’s important to say that I cook vegetarian recipes. If I was cutting meat I’d want a different knife than this one. Anyway, the triangular knife was advertised as a vegetable knife. It’s great for all the various cuts you need to do to part up a vegetable and it’s just big enough to be useful for everything I need to do in the kitchen. I rarely want more or less knife. I like the pointed tip, what’s left of it, because sometimes I need to core and if I choke up I can basically use it like a paring knife. More recently, like in the last four months, I’ve found the butcher-style straight edge one to be unexpectedly great. The flat edge and the extra bit of weight are very nice for cutting strips, which I have been doing a lot more of recently.
 
I am really partial to a classic European style chef's knife. My favorite is my F. Dick Competition knife. It is good steel, well proportioned (9 inch blade), and the rounded edges on the spine keep it comfortable in longer use.

The other knife that I am surprised to like is the one in the picture below it. It is a no-name cheapo Chinese stainless steel knife that I reprofiled because the original micro-serrated edge had completely dulled, but it was my wife's favorite knife. It is not a good knife, but it does have one of the most comfortable and generous handles I have ever found on a paring knife, and the simple triangular shape that doesn't extend beyond the handle in width is surprisingly ideal in a paring knife.

For 90+% of my kitchen needs, all I use is a Chef's knife an a paring knife. I would love to have a CPK chef's knife, but I would be even more interested in a really good paring knife. I have tried to find others as well shaped (functionally, not aesthetically) as the cheap paring knife, but I have yet to find one really as nice to use (other than the tin-can quality blade steel).


full
 
TRfromMT said:
^^^ guy's been here 10 minutes and already told Lorien Lorien to put balls on a knife 😅

he's gonna get along well here.
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Cheers!
Lorien said:
have you tried using those balls on that Dick?
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Cheers!

Seriously, I can't express it another way. Google "miracle blade" and feast your eyes on the ergonomics.

You know what? I'll save you guys a Google search, I don't really know how to insert an image, but click here


tvtimedirect.com

Miracle Blade III Perfection Series 11-Piece Cutlery Set

The Miracle Blade III 11-pc. Knife Set is a multi-purpose collection of ultra durable kitchen tools. Crafted with revolutionary comfort handles and a unique 3-in-1 blade edge. These durable knives make quick work for meal preparation. The assortment includes 4 steak/utility knives, 1 filet...
tvtimedirect.com tvtimedirect.com
 
If I had to choose only one knife for primary kitchen duty, I'd be in the Santoku camp. 7-8". A taller blade with plenty of finger clearance.

Pàdruig said:
Up until somewhat recently, my kitchen knives consisted of the now battered set I received at my wedding and the plethora of fixed blades and pocket knives I have at my disposal. I favored the latter two options over the former.

However, I recently took the opportunity to have a trio made (actually, I bought one and then ordered the other two to match). The set consists of a Gyuto, a Santoku, and a petty knife. Up until now, I had never given this handle design any thought or consideration, it always appeared uncomfortable. However, after experiencing it in hand, I have to say that I am a fan. I don't usually like my hands to be locked into any sort of grip and the long handles and octagonal shape provide me with a lot of versatility without sacrificing any security.

Also, my wife is a huge fan and that is a big plus.

After hearing Nathan's thoughts on a good steel for a kitchen knife, I kind of regret my steel choice on these but they are ground very thin and maintain a great edge for a good amount of time - I just have to strop them now and then. Tasmanian Blackwood, with African Blackwood bolsters and CPM-20cv steel.

I favor the Santoku and the petty knife - between the two of those, I can process a lot of meat and veggies in a short amount of time. I like the height of the Santoku, it just glides through everything and it definitely suits my style of food prep. I might be able to more scientifically dissect my thoughts after reading some other opinions here but for now, this will do, I guess.

OBHu9f1.jpg
Click to expand...

^^^Just like that one. Perfect Santoku Dylan! :thumbsup: And beautiful to boot!!! :cool: WOW!!! 😍 The Tasmanian Blackwood reminds me a lot of Koa. Va-va-voom! 🌶️ 🔥
 
Until recently I probably had more kitchen knives than other types. (I didn't get rid of any, I just picked up about 30 non-kitchen knives in the past year or so).
I have various commercial knives including Shun, Global, Henckels, but even more that I have made myself.
Putting aside bread knives, I most often reach for one of two knives: 1) a 7" santoku with slight belly to it, 2) a wharncliffe paring knife (made myself out of 0.048" thick 3V).
I have a nice nakiri with a perfectly flat edge. It is great for a limited set of tasks, but not used as often. If you are used to a belly on the edge it takes a little practice to use effectively.

The obvious key aspects for me are: profile, thickness, and handle geometry.
After that are things like the steel, hardness, and the grind.
The grind is perhaps where CPK can do something interesting.
Quoting Old School "maybe it's a thong. Maybe it's something really cool that I don't even know about."...
 
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