Custom round knife specs

[dikman]

I'm with chuck. Anyone can make a blade very hard, but the downside is it's brittle. Wusthof-Trident kitchen knives made their knives harder and used it as a selling point, but if you dropped one on a hard surface the tip usually broke. They replaced them under warranty if this happened (they really had no choice if they wanted to maintain their reputation). A chef I knew told me that professional chef's didn't like them as they were too hard and difficult to maintain a good edge on.

A flat grind is probably the most practical to use.

[Chef niloc]

The two posts above have very valid points in regards to steel hardness, one that I touched on but probably didn’t take the average users or knife makers into consideration. I use a leather belt loaded with diamond compound to maintain my edge and find that I only need to actually sharpen the knife once a year ( this is under moderate use), to sharpen These days I am using a belt grinder That makes quick work of it, but I did and still I do Use the mouse pad method I described above when I don’t feel like breaking out the heavy machinery lol. On reflection I’d Have to agree with The two above members That a “softer steel” is easier and probably more practical. And as for the Rc Suggestion I posted, I was wrong chuck is right I should have double checked my “facts” before posting. Looking back at old correspondence the round knives I’ve had made are 58Rc not 68, And some other knives as high as 62. So it appears I was off by 10 which is actually a huge mistake. Again my apologies.

as for the grind (convex) suggestion I made ill still stand behind that. It being a “axe” grind  as chuck called it is absolutely true. That’s why the edge holds up the longest as it has “more meat” behind it. This grind is possibly why I don’t encounter any chipping problems?? As for it creating more drag this is also probably true in comparison to a flat grind. However I don’t “ slice” leather, Especially when using a round knife. My cutting technique may not be correct?? But I almost always use a “push cut” and sometimes maybe a little bit of a rocking motion at the end. The convex edge I find pushes the leather apart as I cut thus making it easier. Again just what I’ve found to be the case with the knives I’ve had made for me.

what diamanté’s says about chef knives is probably a discussion best suited for a different forum as it’s a topic I’ve found myself in the center of many times and is a whole topic onto its own. But I will say as a professional Chef ( leatherwork is just a side thing) a hard steel is one I prefer and has definitely become more part of the norm over the past 10-15 years or so with many chefs. FDICK ( a very old school “ German kitchen knife company) started making “butchers steel “ especially designed  for this reason,, it’s called  there “ Dickoron“ line Absolutely gorgeous and works fantastic IMO. However I’m in the a Minority in that I also prefer a convex grind or at the lest a convex edge on kitchen knives. this is something I have tested and done extensive reports, articles, presentations on, but again it’s off subject here.
 

as for the hardening of Thinner steel I am not a knife maker or blade Smith  But I have had some amazingly thin and extremely durable knives made for me by the makers Bill Burke, Michael Rader, and Murray Carter. again off topic I just  though I’d mention them though Incase some were looking for some posable research references, or excellent custom knife makers

Edited June 2, 2020 by Chef niloc

[Bert51]

Talking of knifes, I have a pair of knife issued to me in 1971 with the D of D Crows Foot on them, they where possibly 20 years old when I got them, new old stock and the are mild steel.

They are a pain to keep nice and shiny, but hold the best edge of any of the knives I have had since, yeah, I still have them, put away in a save place in there sheaths.

They are the original reason I started playing with leather.

Bert.

[chuck123wapati]

6 hours ago, Chef niloc said:

The two posts above have very valid points in regards to steel hardness, one that I touched on but probably didn’t take the average users or knife makers into consideration. I use a leather belt loaded with diamond compound to maintain my edge and find that I only need to actually sharpen the knife once a year ( this is under moderate use), to sharpen These days I am using a belt grinder That makes quick work of it, but I did and still I do Use the mouse pad method I described above when I don’t feel like breaking out the heavy machinery lol. On reflection I’d Have to agree with The two above members That a “softer steel” is easier and probably more practical. And as for the Rc Suggestion I posted, I was wrong chuck is right I should have double checked my “facts” before posting. Looking back at old correspondence the round knives I’ve had made are 58Rc not 68, And some other knives as high as 62. So it appears I was off by 10 which is actually a huge mistake. Again my apologies.

as for the grind (convex) suggestion I made ill still stand behind that. It being a “axe” grind  as chuck called it is absolutely true. That’s why the edge holds up the longest as it has “more meat” behind it. This grind is possibly why I don’t encounter any chipping problems?? As for it creating more drag this is also probably true in comparison to a flat grind. However I don’t “ slice” leather, Especially when using a round knife. My cutting technique may not be correct?? But I almost always use a “push cut” and sometimes maybe a little bit of a rocking motion at the end. The convex edge I find pushes the leather apart as I cut thus making it easier. Again just what I’ve found to be the case with the knives I’ve had made for me.

what diamanté’s says about chef knives is probably a discussion best suited for a different forum as it’s a topic I’ve found myself in the center of many times and is a whole topic onto its own. But I will say as a professional Chef ( leatherwork is just a side thing) a hard steel is one I prefer and has definitely become more part of the norm over the past 10-15 years or so with many chefs. FDICK ( a very old school “ German kitchen knife company) started making “butchers steel “ especially designed  for this reason,, it’s called  there “ Dickoron“ line Absolutely gorgeous and works fantastic IMO. However I’m in the a Minority in that I also prefer a convex grind or at the lest a convex edge on kitchen knives. this is something I have tested and done extensive reports, articles, presentations on, but again it’s off subject here.
 

as for the hardening of Thinner steel I am not a knife maker or blade Smith  But I have had some amazingly thin and extremely durable knives made for me by the makers Bill Burke, Michael Rader, and Murray Carter. again off topic I just  though I’d mention them though Incase some were looking for some posable research references, or excellent custom knife makers

I would love to see a picture of your custom round knife/s for reference. I too collect knives and have made them for many years as well but am not to old to learn new tricks. As I said I have never tried a convex grind on a leather knife or a chefs knife for that matter.