Some disappointing knives. And re-profiling.

[The Tourist]

Many times I hear the comment from potential clients that their knives are of poor quality, or that their new forays into serious cooking require diverse cutlery.

I don't agree.

In sharpening, there is something called "re-profiling." That is, a knife might come to me with a bevel angle of 20 degrees--and it's a disappointment for the client. They might not be able to buy a knife from Rachael Ray's company, but they sure would like a shot at those new 30 minute recipes.

Simple enough. Change the blade's bevel angle. Take that 20 degree angle and re-sharpen it to 16 degrees. Even if it takes you a year of penny pinching to buy that santuko, you can still run your kitchen as you wish.

Here's my example. Some months ago I ordered a custom knife from new a cutler. I'd seen some of his work, so I took a flyer and ordered one. I was disappointed.

Rather than ship the knife back to be disappointed all over again, I decided to re-profile the edge a bit and make the knife into a chefs' knife for my own use in the kitchen. My wife has her favorites, I can get some use out of the knife, and it will last for years because its heartier construction was made more for field use. Voila.

I'm sure when Locutus or JoeC or I show off our wares it might appear we opened a toy box of items unknown or unreachable to you. Not so. I didn't own my own gyuto until one month ago, although I've been in this business approaching fifteen years. Everyone is on a budget.

There are tinkers in your area. Or, once in a while a sharpener or polisher spends a day at your local kitchen supplier store. You have a German made chefs' knife you're not using or you got a good deal on one from a garage sale. But as a gardener, you need a nakiri.

Talk to the polisher. Inform him you need a high-polish 10 degree edge for canning season. Nah, thank me later...

[The Tourist]

Tonight was the first night I used my new knife for overall chef's duties.

Below is a meat loaf (and I love meat loaf) that we bought at a deli, re-heated, and served with a tomato paste topping.

As you can see, the cuts were straight, defined, and thin enough not to disturb the topping. Each slice was dead-flat straight and true.

I wanted to demonstrate that even a knife that arrives with a crooked bevel can be re-sharpened for any use, taking the place of a cutting tool you might need, but do not own.

http://i209.photobucket.com/albums/bb231/TheTourist_bucket/DSC00403.jpg

[Doc]

GREAT info Chico. It's always a pleasure to read and learn from your posts.
Thank you man!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :thumb: :tiphat:
I'm learning ....slow but sure. :D

[The Tourist]

This "great info" comes from years of being stupid, young and broke during lay-offs. As a younger man I never had the disposable income to buy many of the well-defined tools most of us take for granted.

More than once I've visited a friend and found that one of their "kitchen knives" was actually a sheath knife used for hunting. One of the deacons at our church was using a Buck 110 knock-off to use as a paring knife.

In fact, I have a project in mind...

[Doc]

This "great info" comes from years of being stupid, young and broke during lay-offs. As a younger man I never had the disposable income to buy many of the well-defined tools most of us take for granted.

More than once I've visited a friend and found that one of their "kitchen knives" was actually a sheath knife used for hunting. One of the deacons at our church was using a Buck 110 knock-off to use as a paring knife.

In fact, I have a project in mind...

Kewl. I look forward to seeing your project. :thumb:

[The Tourist]

Kewl. I look forward to seeing your project.

Here's a sneak peak.

As you know, I'm a reseller. When an order goes out I try to maximize my "bang for the buck." One of the customer service people try to rig my shipping costs or get me better "column pricing."

Column pricing is the concept of the more you buy the cheaper each individual item becomes. I might buy a knife for 100 dollars. However a chain of nation-wide sushi restaurants who buy 500 at a time might be charged 17 bucks for the same knife and get free shipping.

That situation happened to me recently. I had an order, and my rep told me that if I ordered one more item I would get a better deal and shipping.

For my non-commercial clients a santuko is many times their first purchase for laminated or clad Japanese style knives. I emphasize the word 'style' because most of the stuff is stamped out in China.

And many newbies don't know that Japanese 'white' or 'blue' steel is not stainless. In fact, the colors white or blue actually refer to the color of the wrappers in which the knives are traditionally shipped, not the steel itself.

Knowing this, I asked my rep if she had any real-deal Japanese, clad, stainless santuko knives that I could obtain to fill my order. She stated, yes, she had one and it was included. I will have it in a few days.

This little knife isn't going to know what hit it, because I'm going to give it the buffing of its life!!!

After that, who knows. Doc, jim_slagle and I will talk...

[CharlieD]

Not that I doubt your abilities, but personaly I prefer to cut meatloaf with a spoon. And I wouldn't judge the kinife by the way it cuts piese of cooked ground meat.