# Help - Toledo Chef's Knife



## knivesmike (Mar 3, 2013)

Who is the maker of this 10" knife? I bought it in Toledo, Spain, 9-10 years ago. The mark on the bade "TOLEDO molibdeno vanadio". It is a very good knife.

Thank you for your help,

knivesmike





  








Toledo knife.JPG




__
knivesmike


__
Mar 3, 2013


----------



## boar_d_laze (Feb 13, 2008)

Based on the marque, the maker could be just about anyone or several anyones located in Toledo. Toledo is still a center for European knife making, but more as a hub of OEM makers rather than as a place which is home to famous name brands. Someone who really knows Spanish knife making could undoubtedly nail it down more precisely, but... oh well.

The styles of the handle, ferrule and finger guard as well as the blade profile of your knife are patterned after modern Sabatiers, for instance the K-Sab _Authentique_; although the finger guard on your knife is heavier and not as graceful. That may or may not indicate that the knife is of lesser quality than the Sab in other ways as well. At any rate, the style is so distinct that the similarity is obviously intended to create the association with Sabatier in the buyer's mind.

Molibdeo Vanadio translates as _Molybdenum Vanadium_ (I know. What are the odds?). That indicates a particular class of alloys commonly used in European knives with good toughness, grain and stain resistance characteristics, but low strength, mediocre hardening capacities, and mediocre edge characteristics. The words are intended to create a similar association in a European's mind as "High Carbon German Steel" might in an American.

*IF* your _Toledo_ uses the same alloy as the better stainless Sabs, it's 1.4116 (aka X50CrMoV15, etc.), which, FWIW is the same alloy -- allowing for variations from different steel mills -- used in Wusthof, Victorinox, and many of the other "better" German knives. But it might also be the less expensive X45CrMoV15 or any one of a number of other alloys which have a lower carbon content and are in many other ways not as good.

In any case, the blade is probably hardened to the European standard for those steels, ~56RCH. At a guess the edge wears slowly, needs frequent steeling, and will not benefit from anything approaching a high polish. Without knowing more and still guessing, my suggestion would be to finish with a hard, black or translucent Arkansas stone.

How are you sharpening now?

BDL


----------



## knivesmike (Mar 3, 2013)

Thank you very much for your reply.

The profile of this knife, as you pointed out, is French which fits me well. The blade starts very thick in the back ~3.8mm at the finger guard. Despite that, the knife is not too heavy ~9oz. It is my main go-to knife (even though I also have a couple of Shun Premier and a couple of Wusthof Ikon). This knife is both, nimble and sturdy (up to easily splitting squash and chicken).   

I steel it lightly with the Shun Premier Steel. Infrequently, I sharpen it using an apex edgepro knockoff with #1200 oil stones at ~18 degrees per side, then strop on leather w/ diamond slurry.  It holds the edge well.

knivesmike


----------



## kansas1 (May 16, 2015)

I recently purchased a knife in Toledo that looks like yours.  I was told the maker is San Jorge.  I looked at the same knife in several shops and was always told the same info about the maker.  It's a great knife.


----------

