santoku

karlo ban

karlo ban

Joined
Jun 26, 2009
Messages
127
Hi guys! 99% of my work was kurouchi but after this one I think that may change :D

Chainsaw chain damascus/W2, differentially quenched, 60 HRC, 18 cm, curly cherry.

Hope you like it.










Comments most welcome.
 
Interesting decision not to have a bolster of any kind at the transition from blade to handle material. Any issues with food getting into that gap?

Looks great though.
 
I like the blade, it's almost a low point gyuto than santoku. Nice octagon wood handle, except sharp edges in the front - making it uncomfortable for pinch grip. I also wonder about the gap, the notch - could be that you decided to use different handle type. Could use a longer neck...

Damascus transitioning to harmon down toward the edge flow beautifully.
 
Great looking santoku! Stunning blade and beautiful handle with interesting shape. Great work!
 
Nice job on the damascus and blade shape! I love figured cherry and think it should be used more. I have some burl that I've been using for years that I love and am unfortunately getting low on. The handle/blade transition is a combination of styles that would be better served using the logic of one or the other. To leave the "gap" like many Japanese makers do the neck needs to be quite a bit longer to accommodate a comfortable pinch grip and to keep it from getting anything in it. Honestly I don't know why many Japanese makers leave the gap, to me it seems like it is a style that started from good makers having sloppy handle fit and it becoming "cool". Handles are often seen as replaceable/expendable and often cheap attachments on a lot of Japanese kitchen knives.Your beautiful piece of wood was not an afterthought and I think it would be really sexy with a flush fit. Rounding of the shoulder of the handle would also make the knife more comfortable to use, as has been mentioned. The handle being right up on the blade like it is instead of having a neck is more like a Western knife and is just a different way to do it, but would look more natural with a Western handle. The width of the blade at the handle joint is also much more Western. The rest of your blade and handle are very Eastern and flow very nicely together. I like the live-edge handle butt and its interaction with the damascus- really makes the piece an artistic statement in addition to a utilitarian tool. Best,

~Luke
 
Thank you for the comments!

bluncut, yes it is gyuto.

Design is mishmash of few types of blades. It is actually just experiment for one chef who ordered set of five pieces so that we have something on the table when we are designing them.
 
I really like how the front of the blade isn't on a strong upsweep and instead it keeps the entire edge relatively even...I find both using and sharpening a lot easier through this method and from what I have read, the santokus are hugely popular. The wood and blade go together beautifully...do you have a logo/mark you use on the knives to brand them?

Is the handle slightly thicker than most of the gyutos you see? If so, I imagine the thicker handle is a lot more comfortable as I sometimes find it difficult (even painful) to grasp thinner handles.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top