# K. Sabatier Butcher Knives



## jonnyboy369 (Jun 27, 2014)

Can anyone tell my why K. Sabatier does not list their butcher knives on their website? I have developed a real interest in K. Sabatier knives lately and I'm considering getting them to replace the cheap stuff I have been using. I found an 8", a 10", and a 12" "Boucher" listed for sale by Bernal Cutlery. I'm curious if these are the only models they have and are they legit as they are not listed on the main site.


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## rick alan (Nov 15, 2012)

I have never heard anything good about French Stainless in general or K-Sab stainless in particular. I can't explain the anomaly about the website though, perhaps Bernal could clarify that. His Knife sharpening prices are sweet though.

For a butcher knife an Old Hickory carbon works pretty good. I'm really not sure what the upscale version of that might be, F. Dick has some pricier items, likely some Sheffield company also. Couldn't immediately find much on what the Japanese version might be, but MAC might make something, in which case it would likely be very good. Here is a cheftalk post that tells a little about what gets used in the States:

http://www.cheftalk.com/t/59981/butcher-knives-how-to-choose-how-to-use

For slicing brisket and such the Kochi here gets a lot of praise. It says 270 but is closer to a 300

http://www.japaneseknifeimports.com...ives/kochi/kochi-270mm-kurouchi-yanagiba.html

Rick


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## chefedb (Apr 3, 2010)

Try a good German or Swiss product like Forchner  or Gustav emil urn


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## jonnyboy369 (Jun 27, 2014)

Thanks guys, I really mostly just want the K. Sabatier Boucher because it looks really cool. I would end up hanging it up at home mostly. So do I really need it? No... I am well served by the knives I already have. I have just turned into sorta a knife nut lol. I cant see myself honestly taking these expensive blades to work. They will get broken. I work on a busy line, we have numerous expensive blades that just hang on the wall because they got dropped and the tips broke off or the handles rattle. I have a 10" Chicago Cutlery cimeter that we use, and an 8" Chicago filet knife. They cost me $0.85 apiece. I use my Victorinox 10" chef knife all day, and it serves me well. I need to not buy this expensive kit lol I really dont need it...


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## rick alan (Nov 15, 2012)

jonnyboy369 said:


> I use my Victorinox 10" chef knife all day, and it serves me well. I need to not buy this expensive kit lol I really dont need it...


Yeh I got a 10" Rosewood just so I could review it, it gets recommended so often. I reworked the handle to fit a righty without those annoying bulges, and though it was already respectably thin I thinned it all around, especially at the tip (excessively bulky to stand up to pro-kitchen abuse). Coated and filled everything with epoxy (there were gaps in the handle). It now takes the place of my other "modified" cheapy and really does everything I need a 10" chefs for, though I do wish the belly had a good flat to it. I'm an oddball as I prefer a 240 slicer for most tasks I regularly do. Just waiting for their to be an increase of selections in the CPM alloys that interest me before I replace that one. Though I do keep coming close to pulling the trigger on a Carter blade, just because I think hand-forged one-offs in pure carbon are neat. And I can get a substantial discount on one.

Rick


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## galley swiller (May 29, 2013)

I certainly can't speak for K Sabatier as to why they do not list the 'boucher" knives on their web site.

And I agree with Rick Alan about K Sab stainless steel.

I somewhat disagree with Chefedb about Gustav Emil Ern. It really depends on when the Gustav Emil Ern knife was made and what type of steel is used. Originally, Gustav Emil Ern knives were considered among the best Solingen-made knives for professional kitchen cutlery, and were all carbon steel blades, made in very old-fashioned facilities with attention to quality. However, the company did not update anything and went bankrupt sometime in the late 1980's. The remaining stock and the brand name rights were sold off. Some of the older carbon steel blades were eventually sold under the old name, and are still good value. However, the new management retained none of the old facilities nor personnel, and out-sourced the production of new knives in stainless steel. So, if you can find a carbon steel Gustav Emil Ern, it's a good knife. But the new stainless steel blades are nothing to get excited about.

Lee Valley Tools is selling the pattern type of knife you are looking at as a "French Peasant's Knife", and the blade is carbon steel. The site is http://www.leevalley.com/US/Garden/page.aspx?p=52770&cat=2,40733,40738&ap=1

It's possible that the knife can also be bought at a Lee Valley store, for which the three nearest are in British Columbia at Coquitlam, Vancouver and Victoria (since you are in Seattle).

Hope that helps

Galley Swiller


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## jonnyboy369 (Jun 27, 2014)

I took a look Valley S., that is the pattern I like and cheap too. I kinda want a bigger one though even up to a 12". I think F. Dick makes one that pattern also. It is something I will probably get someday. Rick, I have even cheaper than the Rosewood I have the 10" Vic Fibrox. I know it isn't fancy and reviewed to death like someone else said, but it is my workhorse. It performs excellent work for me. It is a bit light feeling, and it will get out of line through the day. I just keep an steel handy. The butcher knife I want is admittedly a luxury item, but nothing wrong with that. I have another old knife I want to post a pic of if I can. It's an old High Carbon 14" butcher knife.


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## jonnyboy369 (Jun 27, 2014)

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jonnyboy369


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## jonnyboy369 (Jun 27, 2014)

This old thing has no markings, it is my current largest butcher knife it is 14". It is carbon steel and has 3 big brass pins in the handle. The tang is not a full one. There are no markings on the blade, but there is a barely readable and obviously fake stamp on the other side of the handle that says "Village Blacksmith". The stamp is like ink just on the wood handle. That company put stamps in the steel exclusively I read. Anyway, the blade is awesome old carbon and thin and razor sharp. The handle is falling apart old wood. Before I ever get a new large butcher knife, I would like to get a new handle for this old guy. I actually am thinking to do the same for my favorite old Chicago Cutlery knives. I would like some black handles for them. Is this prohibitively expensive?? It will be about 5 knives. Can anyone point me in the right direction to get this work done? These are all thrift store knives and restored and upgraded with new handles would be very cool to me and they will get plenty of use...


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## jonnyboy369 (Jun 27, 2014)

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## jonnyboy369 (Jun 27, 2014)

These are the things I want rehandled in black with matching handles. I would be happy with them for years, I use them all alot except the big one. The steel is my favorite old "Keen Kutter" one, I'd like it to match also...


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## jonnyboy369 (Jun 27, 2014)

I forgot the slicer, it would be 6 total.


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## galley swiller (May 29, 2013)

Of the four knives pictured, all appear to have a straight forward lack of a bolster, so I would think that it wouldn't be that much effort for a "Do-It-Yourself" project to buy some scales in the color/pattern of your choice.  Get some tools and whack away at it to your satisfaction.

At the same time, you can also clean the tang of each knife.  That's often an area where these old knives end up with hidden corrosion.

Replacing the rivets is pretty easy - you can easily buy rivets for custom cutlery online.  Just be careful about head diameter, shaft diameter and shaft length.

One thing you should do is to carefully measure the thickness of the scales on the knives before ordering up either new scales or rivets.  That is the place where you should decide whether the current handle width is something you want to stay with or change.

As for the honing rod, there may be other handle options, though I'm personally familiar with those handles.

Galley Swiller


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## jonnyboy369 (Jun 27, 2014)

Thanks Galley, I know nothing about doing this kind of work, but as much as I like working on my knives anyway I may as well take it to a new level... I am going to Google search scales and rivets now I'm sure I can learn plenty...


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## kingnothing (Mar 15, 2013)

I'm just curious of anyone can help identify these supposed K-Sabs for me. Any idea on what time frame they are from, are they real? I have come across them and may buy one or two. Any help would be great thanks.

P.S I can't get any more pictures right now, was hoping to have one of the bolster from the top.


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## mrbushido (Apr 24, 2014)

KingNothing said:


> I'm just curious of anyone can help identify these supposed K-Sabs for me. Any idea on what time frame they are from, are they real? I have come across them and may buy one or two. Any help would be great thanks.
> 
> P.S I can't get any more pictures right now, was hoping to have one of the bolster from the top.


 beatiful knifes


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## kolob (Feb 9, 2015)

I have been using Sabatier's since they were in my original culinary school knife kit in '81  I have not cooked professionally for many years, but I am obsessive about using the carbon steel (they stain) knives because getting and keeping a razor sharp edge is so easy.  They no longer sell these Sabatier knives in the US, so the last batch I bought (for my kids) I imported from France.  The one pictured above reminds me of rhubarb knives used for commercial harvest.  I am sure good old knives could be found in second hand shops.  Very few of us still like the old ones.


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## galley swiller (May 29, 2013)

Kolob, which Sabatier brand are you referring to? "Sabatier" is a generic term (and has been since the first half of the Nineteenth Century - quite a history there), and there have been several dozen different "Sabatier" brands out there over the century and three quarters plus.

As for new carbon steel Sabatiers, you can still get K Sabatier and Thiers Issard carbon steel knives from thebestthings.com. Carbon steel K Sabs are also available at discount in limited quantity and selection from www.chinafairinc.com.

Galley Swiller


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## kolob (Feb 9, 2015)

*My last were K Sabatier, I don't know which ones we were issued in cooking school. I also bought some at a knife shop many years ago and do not know their precise origin. I do understand that the quality of various brands which call themselves Sabatier varies.*


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