finest knife blank, money no object

G

gem carver

Joined
Aug 7, 2023
Messages
11
Hello,
I was wondering if anyone on this forum could point me toward the finest knife blanks at any cost. I am interested in obtaining blanks for 3 knives (chefs, bread, pairing). I don't want them to rust or require special care beyond what "normal" everyday people outside the knife collecting world would do meaning oiling them would be out of the question if thats required for some knives. I want very high quality knife blanks and don't mind paying 1000+ for the blanks if thats what they cost. The handles are going to be made out of extremely expensive materials so the cost of top quality blanks is not going to affect the overall cost by much at all. Is there a particular material or region of the world that is well known? Japan comes to mind but I've read their knives rust easily at least for the famous shop I went to in Kyoto on vacation.
 
Extremely expensive knives aren't expensive because of their materials......

They are expensive because of their history, sacristy, and the brand they wear.....
 
If price is not an issue I would suggest asking a maker to produce the three blanks you want in whatever steel you prefer. Probably the best/easiest way to get what you want in a quality piece.
 
Crag the Brewer said:
Extremely expensive knives aren't expensive because of their materials......

They are expensive because of their history, sacristy, and the brand they wear.....
Click to expand...
I understand this is true for 99.9999% of knives. The handles on these will be made from materials that cost several thousand each just for the raw material.
 
BP_ said:
If price is not an issue I would suggest asking a maker to produce the three blanks you want in whatever steel you prefer. Probably the best/easiest way to get what you want in a quality piece.
Click to expand...
Is there a maker you can suggest that is very well known or from a particular region that is highly desirable?
 
gem carver said:
Is there a maker you can suggest that is very well known or from a particular region that is highly desirable?
Click to expand...

I would head over to the makers section and just contact the folks that have designs you like and ask them. Most everyone here is very friendly and helpful, so that should lead you down a decent path.
 
gem carver said:
Is there a maker you can suggest that is very well known or from a particular region that is highly desirable?
Click to expand...

On bladeforums here Carothers is a Hot name that sells knives out instantly for nice dollars. (They sell out in seconds, literally)

Lorien Lorien is one of their main design contributors. He is also a knife maker here who does one offs and customs on his own....

He might be willing to make you blanks with a prominent name for a thousand a piece? Or might have an idea who could/would.
 
Hit up Hoss or BBB. I don't know if they do this sort of thing, but both are very well respected and helpful here on BF.

There are some other custom makers that care deeply about the steel they use as well. Samurai Stuart, Paul, Robert, Navman, Deerrock, to only name a few (my apologies in advance to the many I didn't name specifically). Troopah and Bindinger Knives are great. Roman Case is another legend. Deep Cuts Cutlery. Nordquist does some interesting grinds.
 
I am assuming by 'finest' we are talking about appearance, since you're in the realm far past where any performance would change, and the handle materials are clearly going to be gonzo expensive?

My recommendation would be either to have the blades made from Damacore Damasteel or your choice of high-end custom san mai from one of the boutique custom steel makers.
 
Well if you don't want any rust worries then you want a stainless steel or full stainless (no carbon steel) Damascus.

I'd suggest looking here

For Sale: Kitchen Knives

www.bladeforums.com www.bladeforums.com
And see if there's any maker's work that catches your eye, then contact them about exactly what you need.

But these folks all make knives for performance so they need to be treated with respect, not tossed in a sink/drawer/dishwasher!
 
Last edited:
I'm a little confused by the request. Retail blanks are typically sold to people who are learning the craft. Some knife makers outsource blank cutting, too, but that's typically a bulk operation.

In any case if I had a particular material I wanted made into handles, I'd be choosing the maker next. If the material is difficult or unusual in some way, I'd want a maker who'd worked with it before, and in any case I'd want to see past work that I liked. You will absolutely see the maker's choices and skill in the result.

Once you've picked them, I'd talk to the maker about the steel. Knife steel performance is at least as much about geometry and heat treatment as the material; the maker's experience and skill really matter here. And if you want decorative metals like san mai, damascus or something more exotic, that's an additional dimension of things to figure out.

Really, for the amount of money you're considering, I'd start talking to makers. I think it would help the process of getting to the end-product you're happy with. There are a bunch of great ones over in that section of this site, and they don't bite. Much.
 
snuffle said:
I'm a little confused by the request. Retail blanks are typically sold to people who are learning the craft. Some knife makers outsource blank cutting, too, but that's typically a bulk operation.

In any case if I had a particular material I wanted made into handles, I'd be choosing the maker next. If the material is difficult or unusual in some way, I'd want a maker who'd worked with it before, and in any case I'd want to see past work that I liked. You will absolutely see the maker's choices and skill in the result.

Once you've picked them, I'd talk to the maker about the steel. Knife steel performance is at least as much about geometry and heat treatment as the material; the maker's experience and skill really matter here. And if you want decorative metals like san mai, damascus or something more exotic, that's an additional dimension of things to figure out.

Really, for the amount of money you're considering, I'd start talking to makers. I think it would help the process of getting to the end-product you're happy with. There are a bunch of great ones over in that section of this site, and they don't bite. Much.
Click to expand...
I'm thinking the OP is a jeweler or artist of some sort and not a smith, so the handles are what he is making.
 
Check out Paul Lusk knives. He makes the patterns you desire in AEB-L stainless which are finished in a mirror polish.
 
In my opinion disconnecting the construction of the blades and the handles will not have an ideal outcome. I suggest working with a top level maker and going over what you have in mind overall from the outset.
 
Richard338 said:
In my opinion disconnecting the construction of the blades and the handles will not have an ideal outcome. I suggest working with a top level maker and going over what you have in mind overall from the outset.
Click to expand...

This is the way to go. Look at various makers, find some that you like the style of, and then call or email them and see if they're interested in a collaboration. That's the best way to work this. Most knife makers aren't interested in being blank makers, and if the flow isn't right, it just looks like a kit knife with fancy handles.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top