Seemed to me this was the right spot to talk KNIVES...
I was raised to love a good edge for the work at hand. Dad always loved his pocket knife razor sharp. Our hunting and fishing sheath knives would cut to the bone with little effort.
So, I kind of look at the metallurgy as well as the manufacturer when considering a blade.
Most recently I was interested in a bigger knife to use for cutting meats in particular. Something more specialized as I wasn't quite happy with the JA Hinkles set I got the wife a couple of decades ago. They are great blades, and work extremely well, don't get me wrong. And an outstanding lifetime warranty. When a BIL managed to break the meat fork in the set on the BBQ doing Tri-Tip, Hinkles replaced the fork immediately. And it matches the set.
Which I bought a block, a starter set, then added knives specific to needs. Including a vegetable clever I like for many uses.
But I felt the large chef's knife wasn't my shot of whiskey for meat work. Just longed for something better tuned to butchering.
So, I set my sights on a Cimeter shape, and large, but still block or drawer sized. Not so big it needed stored in the armory. I don't butcher game, pigs, or steers anymore. ;)
But large knives make tasks light, with consideration to the hand and frame size of the one using it. I wouldn't expect our 105 pound DIL to handle a broad sword...o_O
I read up on what folks here seemed to like and Victorinox came up a lot. And Cimeter shape seemed to surface in threads.
Once you get around the stigma of the Cimeter shape, and its more recent rise as the choice of beheading in the Middle East, you realize it makes a good meat cutting knife. So I gravitated toward the style.
Next was How Big is Too Big? So I set about the size dilemma. I looked at 12" and even 14" monsters and realized it would require storing it in my over sized gun safe, or hanging high out of reach in the kitchen because swords don't fit in drawers to well. I measured the knife block and found a 10", which is common for large knives, would fit the existing block. I decided I could probably do well with a 10" blade. Big enough, yet small enough.
I got to try out a Sister-In-Laws Cimeter shaped kitchen knives when up at their home, and found I liked the style and how it worked for me.
Branded, or Off-Brand? That is often a matter of choice and comfort for the purchaser. Here, I like to dig into the specifics, to take a look at the metallurgy* that although is not my field, I can learn some while scratching around in.
Ah! Now we are getting to the Meat and Potatoes. And in picking around, I found some familiar names. Wusthof, Victorinox and others... :cool:
I chose in the "OTHERS" category in the end. I think I got a Cadillac, but at a Chevy or GMC price.
Named "Update", it has a right composition, sanitary and Large handle, and took a fine sharp edge right away with an old heirloom sharpening steel passed down to me through generations. I got the chance to give the new blade a good trial run with my ribs, and with some chicken. And it is still razor sharp and not needing touched up yet.
The Cimeter shape did not disappoint me either. The rocking with a slight push cleanly separated pieces raw or cooked.
I've come to like what a curved sharp blade has to offer after learning to use an Ulu knife so popular in Alaska. Mine is in use every day dicing food for my old toothless little buddy.
And I often use the JA Hinkles Vegetable cleaver for cheese cutting of 5 pound blocks, down to serving sizes, or prepossessing into grated. I think that if it had a detachable knob handle on the front corner it could be a more perfect tool
(Humm, I haven't tried the Cimeter on cheese yet, but the leverage might be welcomed to the task.) o_O
Comments are welcomed!
Feel free to share your favorites so I and others can learn the what's and where-hows of your edgy friends.
*=
X50CrMoV15
- German steel. Very stain resistant. Other than that not much to speak of. The cryptic X50CrMoV15 stands for 0.5% carbon, the other 15% is composed of 14% or 14.5% of Cr, some Mo and V. X in the name is a an indicator for high alloy steel, 0.5% C content means, by definition X50CrMoV15 isn't a high carbon steel, despite of some marketing claims. In fact it has less C content compared to 440C steel. However, it's plenty tough and resists corrosion well and it is a high alloy steel. If you don't want to bother maintaining your knives this is a good choice. Except for the low edge holding ability of course. In the end, you end up sharpening it a lot more often, so low maintenance statement is really arguable. Used by Wusthof, Victorinox and others in their high end knives. Ref - X50CrMoV15 Steel Composition. If you are interested, you can also read up on DIN And EN Steel Standards Naming Conventions.
I was raised to love a good edge for the work at hand. Dad always loved his pocket knife razor sharp. Our hunting and fishing sheath knives would cut to the bone with little effort.
So, I kind of look at the metallurgy as well as the manufacturer when considering a blade.
Most recently I was interested in a bigger knife to use for cutting meats in particular. Something more specialized as I wasn't quite happy with the JA Hinkles set I got the wife a couple of decades ago. They are great blades, and work extremely well, don't get me wrong. And an outstanding lifetime warranty. When a BIL managed to break the meat fork in the set on the BBQ doing Tri-Tip, Hinkles replaced the fork immediately. And it matches the set.
Which I bought a block, a starter set, then added knives specific to needs. Including a vegetable clever I like for many uses.
But I felt the large chef's knife wasn't my shot of whiskey for meat work. Just longed for something better tuned to butchering.
So, I set my sights on a Cimeter shape, and large, but still block or drawer sized. Not so big it needed stored in the armory. I don't butcher game, pigs, or steers anymore. ;)
But large knives make tasks light, with consideration to the hand and frame size of the one using it. I wouldn't expect our 105 pound DIL to handle a broad sword...o_O
I read up on what folks here seemed to like and Victorinox came up a lot. And Cimeter shape seemed to surface in threads.
Once you get around the stigma of the Cimeter shape, and its more recent rise as the choice of beheading in the Middle East, you realize it makes a good meat cutting knife. So I gravitated toward the style.
Next was How Big is Too Big? So I set about the size dilemma. I looked at 12" and even 14" monsters and realized it would require storing it in my over sized gun safe, or hanging high out of reach in the kitchen because swords don't fit in drawers to well. I measured the knife block and found a 10", which is common for large knives, would fit the existing block. I decided I could probably do well with a 10" blade. Big enough, yet small enough.
I got to try out a Sister-In-Laws Cimeter shaped kitchen knives when up at their home, and found I liked the style and how it worked for me.
Branded, or Off-Brand? That is often a matter of choice and comfort for the purchaser. Here, I like to dig into the specifics, to take a look at the metallurgy* that although is not my field, I can learn some while scratching around in.
Ah! Now we are getting to the Meat and Potatoes. And in picking around, I found some familiar names. Wusthof, Victorinox and others... :cool:
I chose in the "OTHERS" category in the end. I think I got a Cadillac, but at a Chevy or GMC price.
Named "Update", it has a right composition, sanitary and Large handle, and took a fine sharp edge right away with an old heirloom sharpening steel passed down to me through generations. I got the chance to give the new blade a good trial run with my ribs, and with some chicken. And it is still razor sharp and not needing touched up yet.
The Cimeter shape did not disappoint me either. The rocking with a slight push cleanly separated pieces raw or cooked.
I've come to like what a curved sharp blade has to offer after learning to use an Ulu knife so popular in Alaska. Mine is in use every day dicing food for my old toothless little buddy.
And I often use the JA Hinkles Vegetable cleaver for cheese cutting of 5 pound blocks, down to serving sizes, or prepossessing into grated. I think that if it had a detachable knob handle on the front corner it could be a more perfect tool
(Humm, I haven't tried the Cimeter on cheese yet, but the leverage might be welcomed to the task.) o_O
Comments are welcomed!
Feel free to share your favorites so I and others can learn the what's and where-hows of your edgy friends.
*=
X50CrMoV15
- German steel. Very stain resistant. Other than that not much to speak of. The cryptic X50CrMoV15 stands for 0.5% carbon, the other 15% is composed of 14% or 14.5% of Cr, some Mo and V. X in the name is a an indicator for high alloy steel, 0.5% C content means, by definition X50CrMoV15 isn't a high carbon steel, despite of some marketing claims. In fact it has less C content compared to 440C steel. However, it's plenty tough and resists corrosion well and it is a high alloy steel. If you don't want to bother maintaining your knives this is a good choice. Except for the low edge holding ability of course. In the end, you end up sharpening it a lot more often, so low maintenance statement is really arguable. Used by Wusthof, Victorinox and others in their high end knives. Ref - X50CrMoV15 Steel Composition. If you are interested, you can also read up on DIN And EN Steel Standards Naming Conventions.
