Knife porn thread

Had the impression the knives and tool site sold decent stuff

This is only my opinion of some of the kitchen knives they sell. Overall they have some nice things on the site! I just find some of the kitchen knives are more style over substance.

This is my knife. We have others but this one is mine. £10 from nesbits a few Christmas’s ago

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I remember (so probably made up to tell people) that the reason that folded blade was to increase the strength from variable carbon content raw material and recycled steel. It is amazing to me that the technique has been lost and cannot be matched with modern technology

This was my understanding too. Logically it makes sense. You're talking about a time where people were digging lumps of rock and cooking them.

As far as I understand it's not a question of modern tech not being capable. It's that there is absolutely no need to fold pieces of impure steel with highly varying structure (air, sand, other metals, etc.) loads and loads of time to make each layers impurities negligible.

I believe layering the steel gives it the flex more brittle steels lack. Nothing to do with impurities within the metal. This allows you to produce a tougher thinner blade that wont shatter rather than making the same profile non damascus blade with softer steel that has too much flex and poor edge retention.

This improves the blade, not the metal properties and allows for a sharper knife when using harder steel as the core. I believe this is only relevant when the Smith uses the right quality materials to begin with.

Now that the small knife (very small knife) requirement has been met, I am turning my attention back to big knife requirement.

Bear in mind that the main objectives here are to spend as long as possible looking at shiny things on the internet, and putting off making an actual purchase for as long as possible.

Items currently under consideration:

"Burrfection"AUS8 stainless steel 240mm Gyuto (made by Sakai Takayuki):

https://store.burrfection.com/collections/ryky-tran/products/sakai-takayuki-by-ryky-aus8-gyuto?variant=31852041175136

Shigeki Tanaka VG10 stainless steel 210mm Gyuto:

https://www.chefslocker.co.uk/store/p195/SHIGVG10210.html

Shigeki Tanaka Silver Steel No.3 210mm Gyuto:

https://thesharpchef.co.uk/collections/gyuto/products/shigeki-tanaka-vg10-210mm-gyuto-knife-with-nashiji-finish

https://store.burrfection.com/collections/b-stock-sale/products/b-stock-sale-burrfection-knife-sakai-takayuki-by-ryky-blue-2-240mm-gyuto-with-ebony-handle

B stock - VG10 steel version

Highly functional approach :)

What do you sharpen with?

Ah, nice.

That's the more expensive blue steel version which is showing as out of stock in the main shop.

https://japanesechefsknife.com/collections/new-arrivals

I really think this site will help you. You wont get import fees from them too. They are based in seki city and deal directly with the Smith's there. Their own brand knives are very good value.

Thank you.

Another one joins the list:

https://japanesechefsknife.com/collections/wa-gyuto/products/jck-natures-haru-sakura-series-wa-gyuto-210mm-8-2-inch?variant=18553901678689

I guess the main thing to decide is whether to go for a stainless or carbon steel knife.

My limited understanding is that carbon / blue steel is easier to sharpen and maintain a very good edge. But it will stain from acidic foods etc and needs more looking after than stainless.

As this isn't wholly about functionality, I think I could live with carbon steel.

Yeah it's a good option. Just keep it dry and wrapped in newspaper when not being used.

Plus the patina/stains look nice over time.

Hi,
I'm not 'picking on you',
but you seem to have made the most recent posting on this concept.

Repeated folding and hammering reduces the number of grain boundaries in a piece of steel. The alloying process of iron principally with carbon, and other metal atoms, some as impurities, some deliberately added to improve physical properties, gives rise to micro crystals. Each boundary between these crystals reduces the density of the steel and the strength. All iron-working civillisations deduced that repeated hammering of raw steel gave better more durable implements.

I think this is where I'll be getting my next kitchen knife, much less silly fashion stuff going on... Lovely stuff in there... I'm gonna need an even bigger knife block, I only just got this one!!

Cheers. That's interesting and makes sense.

Although at it's root, it doesn't seem to contradict my layman's reading around. In that the origin of this is was necessitated by the quality of metal.

True damascus steel or wootz is amazingly sharp and flexible. The technique for forging it was lost to time sometime around 1800. Modern Damascus steel is more accurately called pattern welded steel. Smiths layer different types of high carbon steel and then forge weld it into a billet of steel which is then shaped into its desired form. Once the blade is formed it is etched in ferric chloride (and sometimes instant coffe too) to reveal the Damascus pattern. I've always been tought that with modern steel the normalising / heat treat / tempering processes make more difference to the overall properties of the blade than what it is made from (within reason).

Recent scientific research suggests that carbon nanotubes are present in wootz which may account for some of their flexibility not too sure about sharpness though. The process for making it was always a very jealously guarded secret, I guess the last bladesmith who knew how to make it forgot to pass it on.

Reminds me of that poem by Tony Harrison:

"Uncle Joe came here to die. His gaping jaws
once plugged in to the power of his stammer
patterned the stuck plosive without pause
like a d-d-damascener's hammer."

The technique for forging it was lost to time sometime around 1800.

I guess the last bladesmith who knew how to make it forgot to pass it on.

Typical end-user development, works well but goes undocumented then the person who creates it is made redundant or retires or worse and everything goes to shit at some point in the future.

I just bought that. I've got enough stainless knives.

:)

Good choice! It’s clad in stainless, so best of both? Gorgeous looking thing.

First lesson learned: pay a bit more attention to what @3c70 was saying and do some research on import duties.

Just received a payment demand from DHL for £45. Ouch.

Being able to rapidly sharpen knives is a wonderful thing. Everything in the knife block is razor sharp and the moment they lose their edge can be redone. My family and some friends now send me their knives for sharpening.

For a while I had weird bare patches on my arms but have recovered from the cutlery alopecia. It’s awesome to be able to make shit knives sharp but even better to see how good steel holds its edge for longer.

did you make mdf and leather discs as per the video?

Just made mdf discs

One has silicon carbide glued to it. The other just has white jeweller’s rouge