Knives .

Petrol & Powder

Well-Known Member
Winelover wrote, “….Switched to German manufactured J.A. Henckles Professional "S" ICE HARDENED no stain.”

About 20 years ago I purchased several Wṻsthof kitchen knives with the classic handles. I would put them on par with J.A. Henckles. Wished I had purchased them 20 years earlier. I keep some cheap kitchen knives on hand for tasks that would be considered abuse of a good knife, but I reach for the German steel most of the time. The difference between good steel and cheap steel isn’t how sharp you can make the knife; you can make the cheapest steel sharp as a razor. The difference is how long the knife will stay sharp. This is where good steel makes all the difference.

Now for everyday carry, that’s where knives come to meet their death. I carried the same Spyderco for about 25 years before I broke the tip of the blade (I almost cried). That Spyderco was so old that it didn’t even have a model name. It was compact, handy and all stainless-steel. The blade is marked AUS-6 and it took a lot of abuse. When I killed it, (and YES, it was entirely my fault) I immediately obtained a replacement Spyderco. The new one is a Delica 4 and the steel is now VC-10. It is a tad bigger than the old one. This was the closest substitute I could find for my old beloved EDC. It was about 4x what the first one cost me and I gladly paid it.
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Snakeoil

Well-Known Member
I keep some cheap kitchen knives on hand for tasks that would be considered abuse of a good knife,
I should do that, but unfortunately, I don't. Not sure what the wife cuts with our knives, I'm thinking firewood or maybe old bumpers. She did buy this serrated Japanese knife that she loves. I love it too, cuz she stays away from the good knifes. But there is still a small paring knife she uses a lot and I swear there are times when I pick it up and the back side is sharper than the edge.

Years ago, I went thru all the knives, put them on the oilstones (another A&P hand-me-down) and had them all like razors. First time I used one, I was drying it off after washing and was not paying attention and went thru the towel and two of my fingers. Will never make that mistake again.
 

Snakeoil

Well-Known Member
Only serrated type knives I use are actual bread knives.
That's kinda my sentiments as well. But I have to admit that the little serrated Japanese knife she bought does a great job on tomatoes. And since the wife is Sicillian, she be slicing lots of tomatoes.
 

Winelover

North Central Arkansas
Now that you mention tomatoes, we do have a (made in USA) CUTCO serrated knife, from mom's estate. It's only used for slicing tomatoes. Almost looks like a slim bladed steak knife.
 

Snakeoil

Well-Known Member
Now that you mention tomatoes, we do have a (made in USA) CUTCO serrated knife, from mom's estate. It's only used for slicing tomatoes. Almost looks like a slim bladed steak knife.
My wife had a set of CUTCO knives when I met her. Wedding present from her first marriage. When I introduced her to real knives she gave the CUTCOs to her sister. They are actually a good product. I think they are designed for women in the kitchen. They are kinda indestructible.
 

Petrol & Powder

Well-Known Member
There's a lot to be said about inexpensive utility knives in a kitchen. They have a place and serve a function.
I do have to sharpen the cheap knives more often but it's a small price to pay.

I am constantly removing the good knives from the dishwasher after my better half puts them in there. I have given up on trying to educate her and just save the good knives from that fate. It's easier and it maintains domestic peace.
 

Jeff H

NW Ohio
There's a lot to be said about inexpensive utility knives in a kitchen. They have a place and serve a function.
I do have to sharpen the cheap knives more often but it's a small price to pay.

I am constantly removing the good knives from the dishwasher after my better half puts them in there. I have given up on trying to educate her and just save the good knives from that fate. It's easier and it maintains domestic peace.

My wife has HER knife (40-some year-old Old Hickory paring knife) and I have MY knives.

She plugs along with that little antique and does well with it. She does not like using MY knives, because I keep them SHARP and some are large.

I had to rehandle that Old Hickory twenty or more years ago, because it would get left in dishwater too long. I re-hafted it with a piece of ebony, and now she washes and dries it. I have to wash and dry my own knives (I'm OK with that) and do so immediately after use.

Funny thing,... I occasionally find one of my little stainless Opinels in the silverware cup of the dish-drainer.:mad: I don't complain though, because it was the carbon v. stainless argument which finally made the point not to leave knives in dishwater and that would just backfire on me.
 

smokeywolf

Well-Known Member
Mrs. smokeywolf knows the difference between a $30 knife and a $150 knife. She knows not to put the "good knives" in the dishwasher. She loves her Shun kitchen knives. I still have to replace a $150 5-1/2" Santoku that was lost during the move.

We keep a couple of cheap knives in the kitchen. They don't hold an edge well, but I can put an edge on one in two minutes. I keep a 600 grit Atoma diamond plate and about 1200 grit Japanese water stone on the back of the sink.

The good knives rarely, if ever, get used on a plastic cutting board. We have a large end grain butcher block that is dedicated to vegetable chopping/dicing and edge grain hardwood boards for meats.
The good knives get stroked against the steel more often than against the stones.
 

L Ross

Well-Known Member
I've got lots of knives like a lot of you guys. I carried a pocket knife since lower grade school, a lot of us rural kids did. Back then teachers were just folks, and smart too. Imagine a teacher today calling on a boy to come up with his pocket knife and open her mail!

Anyway, there's been a pocket knife in my right front pocket ever since. An old farmer that I dearly loved like an Uncle was standing in the milking parlor one evening when we went to get milk outa the bulk tank. Ol' Del says to me, "Trade ya pocket knives without looking." As a bright youngster of about 10 I knew that an adult had to have a better knife than the Gamble's Store model in my grubby jeans pocket. So I says,"Sure!"
I pull out my cheap two blade little knife and Del pulls out this scrofulous little piece of junk. You remember when super cheap junk pocket knives had a applique of colored plastic veneer over the chrome scales? Even worse the smaller of two blades was busted off about 1/4" ahead of the hinge. My face fell faster than a falling star as Del smoothly pocketed my now wonderful Gambles Skogmo treasure. When he got to the milk house from the parlor he turned around and called me over to return my little knife and ask for his junker back. He said, "Let that be a lesson to you, and always carry a trading knife on you."

I carried a Buck folder of some variety or another, (the Duke being a favorite), for all of my uniform years at the P.D. and Sheriff's Dept. Only in plain clothes did I rely on just a pocket knife. Cut seat belts, unlocked doors, pry bar, hammer, etc. A-buse was the order of the day.

I'll cut this shorter than my typically epic tomes and just mention one knife, a Friederich Dick chef's knife my in-laws bought for each of their 3 kids on a trip to Germany. It is our most used knife in the house. We laughingly call it Loreena from time to time. We do not have a dish washer and about every other time I wash or dry it, (dish washing is a social event for Sue and I), I pull out one of two Buck Steel Master #137 diamond hones and touch up the blade. I would rather part with most of my knives than lose those Steel Masters. I filet fish, Steel Master at my side, cut venison, Steel Master right there. My BIL law Doug hunts with us and we all cut meat together. As we bone and cut Sue and Doug will simply hand me their knives once in a while for a few licks on the Steel Master. I go on a trip duck hunting or fishing, one of the Steel Masters goes in my duffle. I'd happily buy another were I to find one reasonably priced.

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Ian

Notorious member
Victorinox Fisherman. On my third one in 30 years, wore out the first two. I've tried liking other knives, really really tried liking the Leatherman, but at the end of the day I keep going back to what works for me.
 

CWLONGSHOT

Well-Known Member
For us it was always "Rapala" fillet knives. I had a Shrade for a while. Today I like the Bubba Blade. But for ever before itvwas thise wood handles leather sheath Rapala fillet knives for my fish cleaning needs.

I still have about every size. I use one (plastic handle) in the kitchen every day. My big one 12"+ blade just had its handle refinished and sheath rubbed with neats foot for another decade of service. (Salt water)

They havd a "high grade" version with blk leather sheath too I have at least one of those. But steel was same just handle and sheath changed.
They also had some hunting knives. Hard plastic blades I have two one a '67 and '71 marked. 6" ish blade. Close profile to fillet but stiffer. That also had that "dangler" style of sheath.

CW
 
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Winelover

North Central Arkansas
I'm using four different sized Rapala/Normark filleting knives. All black handled are Normark except for the most recent one "12" blade with wood handle. Needed that one for overly large Stripers. The smallest (6 1/4" blade) Cindy uses for every day meat prep.
 
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david s

Well-Known Member
Quite a few of the highly regarded kitchen knives like Wusthof and J. A. Henckles are actually made out of fairly mild steels similar too 440A. They aren't hardened as much either being around 56-57 on the Rockwell scale. This is done deliberately to make them easier to sharpen on a steel, the sharpening steel being basically a fine file. And being soft they don't blade chip as easily. In a professional kitchen the knife will see a steel 3 or more times a day. They don't see a stone except to reestablish a proper angled edge. Kitchen knives get used on a cutting board and only occasionally see bone. One of the super steels that's hard to sharpen once dull would take too long to properly resharpen on a kitchen tri stone. Only inexpensive hunting knives get made out of something like 440A as it doesn't have a good reputation for hard use edge retention. Most halfway decent hunting knives get made out of better steels and heat treatment than good kitchen knives. The old Buck 300 series knives (1970's to mid 80's) were made by Camililus with the earliest being made by Scharde. The Buck 110-112 and 500 series (Prince, Duke, Ect.) were Buck made. I've pocket carried a Buck 321 bird knife since the late 1970's. Had to have both the blade and hook replaced at different times. Accidently caught the hook on something and snapped it and fried the blade cutting out various truck wiring when the electrical system went into red hot melt down. Being a Buck, they cleaned the knife up and replaced the blade on both occasions.
 

Snakeoil

Well-Known Member
For us it was always "Rapala" fillet knives. I had a Shrade for a while. Today I like the Bubba Blade. But for ever before itvwas thise wood handles leather sheath Rapala fillet knives for my fish cleaning needs.

I still have about every size. I use one (plastic handle) in the kitchen every day. My big one 12"+ blade just had its handle refinished and sheath rubbed with neats foot for another decade of service. (Salt water)

They havd a "high grade" version with blk leather sheath too I have at least one of those. But steel was same just handle and sheath changed.
They also had some hunting knives. Hard plastic blades I have two one a '67 and '71 marked. 6" ish blade. Close profile to fillet but stiffer. That also had that "dangler" style of sheath.

CW
Yup, have several fishing knives including one my wife bought me from LL Bean. My favorites are still my old Rapala, wood handed filet knives. Hold an edge forever. I think you could probably use them for surgery.
 

Jeff H

NW Ohio
A small fixed blade (3 3/8" blade) my nephew made, along with one of my sheaths. This is an exquisite little knife of plain ol' 1095, takes and holds an edge very well and is a perfect size - sort of like a really classy Mora 510. Super handy, compact, light and VERY functional and capable field knife. Made in PA. Wissahickon Knives. He hasn't made knives in a couple years, but he should. His work is first-rate.WISSAHICKON-001 (Copy).jpg

From the days of Normark and Rapala fame, the EKA Swede 92 (whatever it was called back then), was always on my want list as a kid. It was such a beefy-looking folder and I just really wanted one. Finally got one a few years ago, just before the discontinued them. One think I dislike about folders is getting "stuff" in the nooks and crannies. Wanna skin something ro clean a fish? You can take this one apart using a dime and clean out all the blood, guts, scales,... Obviously, from Sweden, but ordered from a place in Finland (Lamnia) and arrived in THREE DAYS.
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My new EDC, a RUIKE, somehow related to Fenix flashlights, was a real surprise at $28. Perfect size for a pocket knife, love the blade shape, takes and holds an edge very well, just a little hard to open with the tiny thumb-stud. Simple liner-lock, very nicely made. I will likely buy another. Made in China. I believe this is the only knife I have from China, but it's a good knife.
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Ian

Notorious member
I bought one of those Cold Steel Kukri on sale a few years ago, it lives in my "get home" bag in the truck. Fearsome things to wield. A previous employer had a couple of the larger Nepalese Kukri made from Mercedes-Benz truck springs, also fearsome things. Clean your fingernails, slice cheese, chop salad, split firewood, clear brush, bone out an elephant, or lop off heads, a Kukri is the tool for the job.