On edge flex...

[Doug Campbell]

Karl posted a great video on "Why Edges Chip" go see it for sure. Thought you might find this interesting also.

While at the show in San Antonio last month I watched MS Bill Burke, (who is renowned for his kitchen cuttlery) do this. He basically said for this style of knife you can't get it too thin. Course I had to come home and try it...

Well going thin on a longer blade provides a whole new set of challenges which I've been attempting to conquer in the last three weeks... There have been a few failures and I sure haven't gotten it all figured out but I built this chef style knife for my wife for a Valentines Day present. It's not been put thru the torture test much yet but has cut quite a bit of meat and veggies, is holding an edge very well.

It is around .100 thick at the ricasso with the distal taper all the way to a point at the tip, flat ground with a convex about a third up the blade from the edge. Forged from a 2" bar of 52100, left somewhere around .125" thick thru HT and temper then ground to where it is now. This is one of those that will almost cut you eye when you look at it, Karen is being very, very careful...    

The pic shows the edge flex across my thumb nail, hope you can see it.
   
   

[gudspelr]

Doug-

Great looking knife.  Long, thin blades hold a decent amount of questions for me, all involving how not to mess them up...  I saw a few of MS Burke's knives at a show not too log ago including a BIG kitchen knife that was 52100/416 stainless San Mai.  Like you mentioned, he sure takes them thin, but it was straight as can be (and incredible to look at).  Congrats on persevering through the "failures" and I'll bet your wife loved it.  Thanks for sharing it.

Jeremy

[Lamey]

If you run an edge as thin as many of the high end kitchen cutlery makers,  your AVERAGE user WILL chip the edge.   Your average kitchen knife user,  even those buying high end cutlery,  may not know or take enough consideration not to chip the blade.   I have repaired many $300+ dollar kitchen knives, all the same culprit... super thin edge and lack of respect for the same.

With all respect to other makers,  i think you can run an edge too thin even on a kitchen knife for the typical user.   I have made a handful of kitchen knives, and would rather my edge be on the durable side... and not have end users banging up the edge.  Theres a fine line there,  between optimum performance and durability,  just depends on what side of the line you opt to be on.

[Doug Campbell]

Agree 100% Matt, guess that fine line is what I'm playing with. I think mostly what Bill intended with his statement was the very "high end" users. His knives go for closer to $1000 than that $300 range, somebody giving that kind of money for a kitchen knife "should" know how to use it.

That being said I have found a pretty big difference difference in the cutting "ease" of thinner blades over "thicker" blades. Course anybody who takes something intended for slicing thin slices of tomato out to crop brush probably deserves a chipped blade. While you can't guard against ever situation that might come up edge geometry like the knife should be chosen with the intended task in mind.

[Lamey]

im never shocked by the things even learned users try and do with a kitchen knife... at any price    

[kbaknife]

You are a very good husband, Doug.
I'm gonna call Karen and tell her so!

Ain't it great what thin fillet knives can do? And they get SUPER! thin.
I'm going to be making some out of straight .090" 15N20.

A person can have just as much fun and adventure in knife making as he sets his mind to.