# Modern Chef's knife



## james tan (Feb 25, 2016)

Just wanted to show you guys a knife I made. I hope you like it.





  








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## nicko (Oct 5, 2001)

Looks cool tell us more about it. Type of steel, wood etc.


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## millionsknives (Apr 25, 2014)

Too modern for me. 

1)It has a lot of belly and not enough useful flat spot. 

2) The handle is cool but I hate ones that come into the blade diagonally like that.  When you sharpen the left side of the knife on a stone, you have to point the tip at yourself and the handle way far away.    This is a hindrance when it comes time to sharpen


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## james tan (Feb 25, 2016)

Nicko said:


> Looks cool tell us more about it. Type of steel, wood etc.


The steel is aeb-l, it's a high carbon stainless steel that was originally designed for razors. The handle is stabilized figured walnut, with inset hidden pins. 


MillionsKnives said:


> Too modern for me.
> 
> 1)It has a lot of belly and not enough useful flat spot.
> 2) The handle is cool but I hate ones that come into the blade diagonally like that. When you sharpen the left side of the knife on a stone, you have to point the tip at yourself and the handle way far away. This is a hindrance when it comes time to sharpen


It's not really a full chopper, hence the full belly, but it's got enough chop in it for day to day tasks. I have a santoku as well that is more suited for chopping.

As for sharpening I strop my knives myself and although I got a sharpening system for the actual sharpening. The angle isn't too shallow that you can't hold the knife while you take it to the stone. It also tapers forward for pinch gripping, so it shouldn't be in the way unless you're sharpening at the 5 to 10 degree range.


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## millionsknives (Apr 25, 2014)

You will have to sharpen under 5 degrees to thin behind the edge at some point.


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## brianshaw (Dec 18, 2010)

I like it.  Blade length??


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## james tan (Feb 25, 2016)

MillionsKnives said:


> You will have to sharpen under 5 degrees to thin behind the edge at some point.


The edge before sharpening is already below .010in. I usually shoot for .007 before sharpening. The knife is designed more like a Japanese slicer than a French style chefs knife. 


BrianShaw said:


> I like it. Blade length??


Blade length is 9in 13.5in overall.


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## foody518 (Aug 6, 2015)

Seems like it's made to angle very tip down for usage? As a short person with a moderate counter height it'd be a no-go.


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## james tan (Feb 25, 2016)

foody518 said:


> Seems like it's made to angle very tip down for usage? As a short person with a moderate counter height it'd be a no-go.


Not really unless you're prepping small vegetables. When pinch gripped, as I'm accustomed to, most of the cutting happens about 3inches from the tip. I myself live in an apartment with an apartment kitchen and barely 15in of usable counter space. Had no problems swinging swinging this knife around.


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## rick alan (Nov 15, 2012)

Doesn't the bulbous front of the handle force your pinch way forward?

I'd actually find the handle more agreeable if it were installed backwards.  I don't mind the asthetic, but the function part in general would not do it for me personally, and I am very adaptable.  This is not a knife for everybody.

Well now that we've given all our criticisms, it certainly looks like a nicely made piece.  I'd be curious where you sent it for the HT, and if there were any straightening issues.

Rick


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## phatch (Mar 29, 2002)

I think it's a pretty blade, but not one I'd fancy for the kitchen.

Trace Rinaldi worked with Joe Talmadge many years back to create a small kitchen oriented utility knife. When I say kitchen oriented, I mean within the limits of outdoorsman or EDC use. Very german in profile and too much belly for serious kitchen work but still pretty blade. This particular one is in Talonite, not steel.





  








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## james tan (Feb 25, 2016)

Rick Alan said:


> Doesn't the bulbous front of the handle force your pinch way forward?
> 
> I'd actually find the handle more agreeable if it were installed backwards. I don't mind the asthetic, but the function part in general would not do it for me personally, and I am very adaptable. This is not a knife for everybody.
> 
> ...


I didn't think the design of the knife would get this much criticism, seeing as I thought it wasn't too far from traditional kitchen knives. But to your point the tapered part of the handle sits right on the Border of where you pinch. I just wish you guys can grab it and use it yourself so you can know it's not that different in your hand.

I send all my knives to Paul Bos for ht. 90 percent of the grinds are done after ht.


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## james tan (Feb 25, 2016)

phatch said:


> I think it's a pretty blade, but not one I'd fancy for the kitchen.
> 
> Trace Rinaldi worked with Joe Talmadge many years back to create a small kitchen oriented utility knife. When I say kitchen oriented, I mean within the limits of outdoorsman or EDC use. Very german in profile and too much belly for serious kitchen work but still pretty blade. This particular one is in Talonite, not steel.
> 
> ...


Why not? I think you would like the knife if you used it.


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## chefchrisr (Nov 24, 2015)

Super cool, unique design. Well done, what kind of steel is it?


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## foody518 (Aug 6, 2015)

There may be some angling that I'm not seeing between the blade and the handle, but when I gripped my knife this evening, the spine was pretty much parallel to the board. I can angle just slightly tip down, which is probably why I've trended to flatter profiled knives. With a large curve and a high tip it seems like it would create some unusable blade length.

Do you have any pictures of that cool looking knife with a theoretical blade contact angle to flat surface (e.g. angling of the hand when held and how the blade angles on a board)?


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## phatch (Mar 29, 2002)

James Tan said:


> Why not? I think you would like the knife if you used it.


Too short, too curved, tip design is too fragile. This typeof knife doesn't work so well with that acute of a point.


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## rick alan (Nov 15, 2012)

James Tan said:


> I didn't think the design of the knife would get this much criticism, seeing as I thought it wasn't too far from traditional kitchen knives. But to your point the tapered part of the handle sits right on the Border of where you pinch. I just wish you guys can grab it and use it yourself so you can know it's not that different in your hand.
> 
> I send all my knives to Paul Bos for ht. 90 percent of the grinds are done after ht.


Actually your handle would intrude on the pinch such as most people use it with more traditional designs that allow you to pinch with index align perfectly vertical right at the heel. I'm not saying it doesn't work for you, it just wouldn't work for me and a lot of others. As example I had to grind a considerable amount of material from this Vic, and that handle was not nearly so radical as yours.

http://www.cheftalk.com/t/81804/victorinox-forschner-as-starter-knives

As for the blade itself I can understand that you made it to suite particular product and way of cutting, though again for myself, and those who use a typical French/Japanese profile, it wouldn't be well suited with the high point and all the belly.

You mentioned slicing, and here I especially like to make full use of the blade by finishing the cut with the tip. This often done to keep the bulk of the edge from contacting the board, so as not to damage an acute/delicate edge. But with your design I'd have to raise the handle considerably to accomplish that.

Anyway so don't take it all as criticism, just different needs and philosophy of knife usage.

Rick


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## james tan (Feb 25, 2016)

ChefChrisR said:


> Super cool, unique design. Well done, what kind of steel is it?


Thanks man I appreciate it. The steel is aeb-l a high carbon stainless steel.


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## james tan (Feb 25, 2016)

foody518 said:


> There may be some angling that I'm not seeing between the blade and the handle, but when I gripped my knife this evening, the spine was pretty much parallel to the board. I can angle just slightly tip down, which is probably why I've trended to flatter profiled knives. With a large curve and a high tip it seems like it would create some unusable blade length.
> 
> Do you have any pictures of that cool looking knife with a theoretical blade contact angle to flat surface (e.g. angling of the hand when held and how the blade angles on a board)?


I have a Gyuto I'm finishing up the prototype on that I think would be more suited to how you cut. I'll post it here when I finish it.

I'll try and take a pic of it in use tomorrow, the top of the handle is parallel to the cutting surface when use and the tip angled further down. theres a good 2 to 3in of flat edge that the knife sits on.


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## james tan (Feb 25, 2016)

Rick Alan said:


> Actually your handle would intrude on the pinch such as most people use it with more traditional designs that allow you to pinch with index align perfectly vertical right at the heel. I'm not saying it doesn't work for you, it just wouldn't work for me and a lot of others. As example I had to grind a considerable amount of material from this Vic, and that handle was not nearly so radical as yours.
> http://www.cheftalk.com/t/81804/victorinox-forschner-as-starter-knives
> 
> As for the blade itself I can understand that you made it to suite particular product and way of cutting, though again for myself, and those who use a typical French/Japanese profile, it wouldn't be well suited with the high point and all the belly.
> ...


I guess its just a bit hard to convey the ergonomics of the knife when you don't have it in your hands. In use its tip is angles a bit further down with the top of the handle parallel to the cutting surface. I actually prefer to do my slicing the same as yours finishing with the cut on the tip.



phatch said:


> Too short, too curved, tip design is too fragile. This typeof knife doesn't work so well with that acute of a point.


full length of the knife is 13.5in, I don't think that's too short, its not a 12 in chefs knife mind you.

The tip is more fragile, but the knife was designed to be a fine tuned cutting machine and less of a work horse you use to pry open tin cans.


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## foody518 (Aug 6, 2015)

James Tan said:


> I have a Gyuto I'm finishing up the prototype on that I think would be more suited to how you cut. I'll post it here when I finish it.
> 
> I'll try and take a pic of it in use tomorrow, the top of the handle is parallel to the cutting surface when use and the tip angled further down. theres a good 2 to 3in of flat edge that the knife sits on.


Got it. That's what didn't come through so well from the angles in the pictures.

I'll look forward to seeing the Gyuto!


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## alaminute (Aug 22, 2013)

I think it looks great! Unique style of handle that seems pretty reasonable. I'm really impressed.


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## ordo (Mar 19, 2009)

Looks very similar to a Don Nguyen knife i recall. Even the handle.


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## mike9 (Jul 13, 2012)

ordo said:


> Looks very similar to a Don Nguyen knife i recall. Even the handle.


I was thinking the same thing Ordo.


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