- Joined
- Oct 20, 2008
- Messages
- 5,547
This is the prototype for the 8 chef in my new group of line chef knives.
It's built stripped down and simple, in terms of design and materials, yet it compromises nothing in performance. I think of it as the naked bike or street fighter of the kitchen knife world, all business in a primer paint job. I built it in an effort to offer a relatively affordable working knife for pros and home cooks alike, with an eye to low maintenance.
The spine and heel are fully rounded for comfort. The blade has a long distal taper, terminating in a fine point, and the heel is very tall for ample knuckle clearance as well as the ability to pick a lot of food up from the cutting board. The ricasso is very minimal, serving merely as a visual terminus for the grind; I'm not big on ricassi in general and I don't see the function on a kitchen knife.
The edge profile follows more of a French style, with less belly, and with the majority of that curve being concentrated near the tip.
The blade steel is AEB-L, a steel formulated specifically for razors and sold by Sandvik of Sweden. For a stainless steel, it behaves remarkably like a carbon steel in regards to fine edge stability. I've never liked working with extremely abrasion resistant steels, and I don't like a chippy edge on a stainless knife. This steel, at 62 rockwell with cryo, offers a nice balance of edge holding and ease of sharpening.
The handle is fairly thin and light, yet not anorexically so- it features as well a light palm swell to hug the hand in a hammer grip. The warwood handle material is made entirely out of processed corn fiber and natural resins, and so is completely non-toxic and even pretty green.' It's a tough product and as impervious to moisture as anything; it feels rather warm in the hand, especially with the 400 grit hand sanded non-slip finish I brought it to.
The blade features a 400 grit hand sanded satin finish. Many of my chef knives are finished to 600, which is quite a bit more shiny- but much easier to visibly mar. This finish, while it looks nice enough, can be scrubbed lengthwise with green scotchbrite (as many knives are often cleaned) and still comes out looking fine. A slightly rougher finish is also of benefit regarding food release; the idea being that suction cannot develop as well between the blade and food. Not to mention- not finishing at 600 grit allows me to spend an hour less sanding, which lets me make the knife more affordably.
Specs are as follows.
Blade length, 7-3/4.
Handle length, 5 spine side.
Overall length, 12-1/4.
Blade width at heel, 2-1/4.
Spine thickness at ricasso, .095.
Edge thickness before sharpening, .005.
Total weight, 5-1/4 oz.
Balance is at pinch grip point.
Full flat grind mildly convexed into the edge.
Asking price is $250 shipped insured in the United States. NOW SOLD.
[video=youtube;eG-fwYoXkbM]https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=eG-fwYoXkbM[/video]
I make knives to the best of my ability, in terms of performance, aesthetics, and value. If you feel my knife that you've bought to be lacking in workmanship or serviceability, please return it for your money back in full. Or, visit my website for a look at my Lifetime Warranty and for my contact info.
I am not taking orders at this moment, except for under select circumstances and for some kitchen knives. Feel free to contact me to talk about it if you wish.
Thanks for looking,
Salem S.
It's built stripped down and simple, in terms of design and materials, yet it compromises nothing in performance. I think of it as the naked bike or street fighter of the kitchen knife world, all business in a primer paint job. I built it in an effort to offer a relatively affordable working knife for pros and home cooks alike, with an eye to low maintenance.
The spine and heel are fully rounded for comfort. The blade has a long distal taper, terminating in a fine point, and the heel is very tall for ample knuckle clearance as well as the ability to pick a lot of food up from the cutting board. The ricasso is very minimal, serving merely as a visual terminus for the grind; I'm not big on ricassi in general and I don't see the function on a kitchen knife.
The edge profile follows more of a French style, with less belly, and with the majority of that curve being concentrated near the tip.
The blade steel is AEB-L, a steel formulated specifically for razors and sold by Sandvik of Sweden. For a stainless steel, it behaves remarkably like a carbon steel in regards to fine edge stability. I've never liked working with extremely abrasion resistant steels, and I don't like a chippy edge on a stainless knife. This steel, at 62 rockwell with cryo, offers a nice balance of edge holding and ease of sharpening.
The handle is fairly thin and light, yet not anorexically so- it features as well a light palm swell to hug the hand in a hammer grip. The warwood handle material is made entirely out of processed corn fiber and natural resins, and so is completely non-toxic and even pretty green.' It's a tough product and as impervious to moisture as anything; it feels rather warm in the hand, especially with the 400 grit hand sanded non-slip finish I brought it to.
The blade features a 400 grit hand sanded satin finish. Many of my chef knives are finished to 600, which is quite a bit more shiny- but much easier to visibly mar. This finish, while it looks nice enough, can be scrubbed lengthwise with green scotchbrite (as many knives are often cleaned) and still comes out looking fine. A slightly rougher finish is also of benefit regarding food release; the idea being that suction cannot develop as well between the blade and food. Not to mention- not finishing at 600 grit allows me to spend an hour less sanding, which lets me make the knife more affordably.
Specs are as follows.
Blade length, 7-3/4.
Handle length, 5 spine side.
Overall length, 12-1/4.
Blade width at heel, 2-1/4.
Spine thickness at ricasso, .095.
Edge thickness before sharpening, .005.
Total weight, 5-1/4 oz.
Balance is at pinch grip point.
Full flat grind mildly convexed into the edge.
Asking price is $250 shipped insured in the United States. NOW SOLD.
[video=youtube;eG-fwYoXkbM]https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=eG-fwYoXkbM[/video]
I make knives to the best of my ability, in terms of performance, aesthetics, and value. If you feel my knife that you've bought to be lacking in workmanship or serviceability, please return it for your money back in full. Or, visit my website for a look at my Lifetime Warranty and for my contact info.
I am not taking orders at this moment, except for under select circumstances and for some kitchen knives. Feel free to contact me to talk about it if you wish.
Thanks for looking,
Salem S.
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