S90V Cheff

M

mav17

Joined
Oct 7, 2018
Messages
29
Finally my steel arrived!!!!!!

And after 20 or so sheets of paper tossed to the garbage I found a shape I’m completely satisfied...

hte9m0.jpg


For the handle I will use dessert ironwood and tzalam, I still don’t know what to use for the transition insert. For the front pins i will use a solid steel pin in the front and a mosaic copper pin with a steel star in the back.

I hope you like it, i’ll keep posting the progress :)
 
I would increase the size of the tang where the pinky finger will ride. Other than that, it looks good! For the handle transition I recommend you use Tuff Coat or another Synthetic that’s not a hazard ...
 
I don't know why every new maker tries to re-invent the wheel.

Have you ever seen a chef knife with a handle like that? With millions of chef knives in existence, I wonder why they don't use that shape?

It may look good on paper, but will not work well in the hand.

The blade shape is fine ... sort of a deba shape. Put a standard handle with a slight belly and a small bird's head butt on it and it will be your favorite knife.

As to the fancy handle in multi-piece construction, again, it may look great, but it may not hold up well if the knfe is used. Try black linen Micarta and Corby bolts, and it will still be cutting twenty years from now.

BTW, S90V is a tough steel to work without aq good grinder and serious belt supply.
I would suggest S35VN. It cuts very well, takes a wcked edge, is tough as heck, and a much better steel for the task of a kitchen knife.
 
Just curious what your heat treat plan would be. Crucible says 2100-2150 F for 20 min with a 400 F min temper. Is that what you're doing?
 
I like the blade shape. I'd definitely take the above advice about making a wooden template first. Try it with a pinch grip and a standard grip and see how it feels. The handle, while certainly unique, looks like it may not be as comfortable or practical during use, as it could be.

Is there a particular reason you chose s90v? Have you made any knives using this steel before? Are you sending out for heat treat? Do you have a belt grinder? Not trying to discourage you, but s90v is not the easiest steel to work with, especially after heat treat.
 
S90v chef’s knife? Wow. I would hate to be the guy putting on the hand rubbed finish! Not an ideal chef’s knife steel, as you really need diamonds or CBN to sharpen it, especially in the finer grits. And I’m thinking about how you would do touch up maintenance. Diamond paste strop, or a fine diamond plate. Good luck! (Yeah....change the handle).
 
I have been making my chefs knives of S35VN hardened to Rc 60, and everyone seems to like them very well except for a few complaints that they seem to lose the razor sharp edge fairly quickly but keep the sharp edge for quite a while. I am not sure if that is a complaint that a few people read about and imagined it was happening on their knives. I haven't noticed it on the knives I made for myself.

My next batch of knives are Nitro V hardened to Rc 63. Will see if those edges last longer than the S35VN
 
Thanks everyone for the great advice!!!

I wil take Stacy’s advice and make a couple of prototypes with pine wood first to get the handle properly.

I decided to try S90V because for what I’ve read it is the very best steel to work with. I do have the appropriate machines to work with, I will do all the cuts with PCD mills on an Enshu CNC.

And for the heat tratment I will have it sent to a specialized company, I have no idea of heat tratment and I don’t want to mess it up.
 
What I liked the most was the handle, and everyone seem to hate it.

I’ve learned to take advice specially by people who know their business, so I will go for something more conservative. Despite my best wishes.
 
Where did you read that it is good to work with? Good kitchen knives are less than .005 behind the edge. S90V probably isn't the best for that.
If you are doing a swell or coke bottle shapein the handle you want a flat that will easily fit 2 to 3 fingers. Before it curves.
 
oJyTN9d.jpg

Here is a bad sketch. I numbered the lines to show you can have a different angle but you still have to have room. That area is the contact point with your knife. You hold with a conventional grip or a pinch grip where you pinch the blade but your middle and ring fingers still contact there. Your pinky more or less rest and locks in the grip. Maybe that will help. Once you figure that out the rest is style and that's subjective. Although once you have a foundation built on function the style will tend to follow.
 
skillgannon said:
oJyTN9d.jpg

Here is a bad sketch. I numbered the lines to show you can have a different angle but you still have to have room. That area is the contact point with your knife. You hold with a conventional grip or a pinch grip where you pinch the blade but your middle and ring fingers still contact there. Your pinky more or less rest and locks in the grip. Maybe that will help. Once you figure that out the rest is style and that's subjective. Although once you have a foundation built on function the style will tend to follow.
Click to expand...

Thanks!!!!! I really appreciate this, I’ll study it thoroughly. Thank you.
 
i4Marc said:
Speaking as a maker who recently finished a 10" chef knife and a paring knife in S90V, I would urge you to reconsider. :D
Click to expand...

Well I got it now, what else should I do with this instead? I was really excited to do a cheff knife with this kind of steel.
 
How thick are you making the knife. Remember that chef knives aren't cleavers. anything over 3mm is too thick for a chef knife in my opinion. Also what kind of grind are you going to use?
 
i4Marc said:
Speaking as a maker who recently finished a 10" chef knife and a paring knife in S90V, I would urge you to reconsider. :D
Click to expand...
Well , if Marc can make knife from S90V ...I will do that in S125V ;) Who cares how hard it is to finish , the harder, the greater the satisfaction at the end :D
 
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