EDMW Knife Collectors

vespaguy

Master Member
Joined
Jul 23, 2012
Messages
3,884
Reaction score
1,099
I had an interesting conversation with a forum member recently. He said $xx was the most he had spent on a knife, and he was, as expected a little nervous. What is the most you have spent on a knife? Was it a production or custom? What knife? What were your impressions? Did you feel it was worth it?
 

alantcy

Senior Member
Joined
May 19, 2000
Messages
1,680
Reaction score
0
I had an interesting conversation with a forum member recently. He said $xx was the most he had spent on a knife, and he was, as expected a little nervous. What is the most you have spent on a knife? Was it a production or custom? What knife? What were your impressions? Did you feel it was worth it?

Nervousness could also be caused by undereducation. :)
 

nilfire77

Senior Member
Joined
May 4, 2002
Messages
594
Reaction score
0
it's not just the margin, it would be circumventing Rick's policy so I would not expect my friend to do so just to get it. The Hinderers are about sgd1000. Do you think it's worth it, you'll be the judge.

Well, worth is all subjective. I can complain about the cut-throat prices until the cows come home and yet I still love all my 3 XM folders (3", 3.5" and the 4"). Ain't life a bitch? :s13:
 

guysmiley

Junior Member
Joined
Mar 17, 2004
Messages
43
Reaction score
0
Anyone can help me sharpen my SOG elite pup? Only use it once in a while so didn't buy any sharpening sets. Let me know if you can help me out, for a fee.
 

vespaguy

Master Member
Joined
Jul 23, 2012
Messages
3,884
Reaction score
1,099
Anyone can help me sharpen my SOG elite pup? Only use it once in a while so didn't buy any sharpening sets. Let me know if you can help me out, for a fee.

is this your knife?

http://www.sogknives.com/seal-pup-elite-satin-straight-edge.html

plain edge or combo edge?

there are a few options:

1. buy a $5/$10 combo sharpening stone (carborundum) and sharpen it yourself (except for the serrations, you'll need a small round file for that, a couple of dollars from the hardware shop;

2. treat yourself a little and buy the $39.90 KAI combo waterstone from Taka/Tangs/Isetan/cutlery shops instead of the carborundum above;

3. buy one sheet 250grit sandpaper and 600grit sandpaper and put a convex edge on it. You can also wrap the paper around a tapered chopstick / toothpick to sharpen the serrations if yours has them. Then strop it on newspaper or a piece of leather or even on your old jeans (put some metal polish on it);

4. go to the kitchen cutlery shop at Havelock (the multistorey single industrial block opposite Tiananmen KTV. They offer sharpening services (and the gentleman who does the sharpening is very good, I spent some time with him when I was shopping for Naniwa stones and he let me try out the stones first hand at his sharpening station etc) at a very reasonable price (think it will cost you less than $10) - not sure if they do the serrations, but you can ask

The reason I'm suggesting self sharpening is that the 440B used on SOG seal pup is relatively soft and is great for practising your sharpening.

Try it first. Instead of heading to the pub or watching a tv show, just spend a couple of dollars and an hour to indulge in sharpening. It is actually quite therapeutic and you get a great sense of satisfaction when you can put a shaving edge on it with simple tools. If you had a knife with a ultra hard supersteel or a very expensive knife, it is understandable if you prefer to send it out.

Good luck;)
 
Last edited:

ponpokku

Honorary Member
Joined
Oct 8, 2001
Messages
103,366
Reaction score
10,975
I had an interesting conversation with a forum member recently. He said $xx was the most he had spent on a knife, and he was, as expected a little nervous. What is the most you have spent on a knife? Was it a production or custom? What knife? What were your impressions? Did you feel it was worth it?

about $200 each on a pair of japanese kitchen knife for wedding, but ish preparing to spend more on knives in future.

wife and i both love using them, thou a bit dangerous cos they are extremely sharp. maid dun dared to use, cos she got cut once just accidentally touching the cutting edge lightly. it's a production model but can engrave own name or simple wordings to commemorate an event, in this case our wedding. felt worth it every bit since we got them in japan and they would've easily cost 50% more in sg, and they are indeed fine knives.
 

ponpokku

Honorary Member
Joined
Oct 8, 2001
Messages
103,366
Reaction score
10,975

vespaguy

Master Member
Joined
Jul 23, 2012
Messages
3,884
Reaction score
1,099
I love kitchen knives. They're the knives I use everyday, and I would certainly spend on them - besides pots and pans (I love cast iron too), knives are my most used tools in the kitchen. I love the Japanese carbon steel knives but boy, they require maintenance. I'm currently using a ceramic knife, which I find only has blah blah sharpness, but is very maintenance free, easy to clean, is very hygienic and holds its blah blah edge a very long time :s13:

My next kitchen knife will be a Japanese gyuto/santoku or the Boker Saga Santoku/chef or a custom one.

The best part about the single beveled Japanese knives is the sharpening...it's so much fun! :s12::s12::s12:
 

ponpokku

Honorary Member
Joined
Oct 8, 2001
Messages
103,366
Reaction score
10,975
I love kitchen knives. They're the knives I use everyday, and I would certainly spend on them - besides pots and pans (I love cast iron too), knives are my most used tools in the kitchen. I love the Japanese carbon steel knives but boy, they require maintenance. I'm currently using a ceramic knife, which I find only has blah blah sharpness, but is very maintenance free, easy to clean, is very hygienic and holds its blah blah edge a very long time :s13:

My next kitchen knife will be a Japanese gyuto/santoku or the Boker Saga Santoku/chef or a custom one.

The best part about the single beveled Japanese knives is the sharpening...it's so much fun! :s12::s12::s12:

i fancied the damascus pattern so i got those. one gyuto and one santoku. the carbon steel quite easy to rust if not taken care properly. had one cheaper kai gyuto kena a bit when the maid never dry proper. just use the sharpening stones can remove liao.

i suggest the zhen series cos they have the chinese chopper/cleaver in damascus pattern. not custom made, but other makers all dun have.

if u happen to travel to japan, shunbian get the sharpening stones there too. way cheaper. i got 22x7cm King 800 and 1200 grit for S$20 each, and a slightly smaller 18.5x6 cm King 6000 grit for about S$30.
 

JoePilot

Arch-Supremacy Member
Joined
Mar 30, 2011
Messages
10,090
Reaction score
204
I recently sharpened my kitchen chopper with the Lansky sharpening system. It's an old chopper with a long rectangular shape. I put single bevel of abt 23 degrees each side, no microbevel. I used up to the fine 600-grit stone.
It became hair-shaving sharp, cut oranges and vegetables with ease...
So I was surprised when it failed at cutting raw pork liver. The edge couldn't "bite", so slicing/sawing was necessary, but even then the blade was bad at it. The liver slices turned out very ugly.
Any thoughts?
 

vespaguy

Master Member
Joined
Jul 23, 2012
Messages
3,884
Reaction score
1,099
I recently sharpened my kitchen chopper with the Lansky sharpening system. It's an old chopper with a long rectangular shape. I put single bevel of abt 23 degrees each side, no microbevel. I used up to the fine 600-grit stone.
It became hair-shaving sharp, cut oranges and vegetables with ease...
So I was surprised when it failed at cutting raw pork liver. The edge couldn't "bite", so slicing/sawing was necessary, but even then the blade was bad at it. The liver slices turned out very ugly.
Any thoughts?

23 degrees per side is very very obtuse for a kitchen knife. Kitchen choppers are also normally thicker at the edges for toughness. Try sharpening/thinning out the primary bevel first, then put a more acute edge on the chopper. Also, cutting liver is really slicing cuts, so you don't want a heavily polished edge which is obtuse. A 'bitey' edge is always better for meat since you will be doing slicing cuts and the meat has a lot of 'give'. Vegetables prefer push cuts, so a polished edge is ok. that being said, it's hard to tell for sure without pictures.

How about you post a picture of your chopper and the edge bevel?
 

ponpokku

Honorary Member
Joined
Oct 8, 2001
Messages
103,366
Reaction score
10,975
try to get 1200 grit lor, i think for slicing fuction like most kitchen knives, the finer it goes the longer it last, cos the edge more straight and uniform and less micro serrated. my chopper use 1200 grit.

600 grit at 600x magnifying

knifeedgeclose1a_iowa.png


800 grit at 600x magnifying

knifeedgeclose2a_iowa.png


5000 grit at 800x magnifying, the edge is straight, and can last longer...

Rigotti+10k+Chosera+800x.jpg
 

vespaguy

Master Member
Joined
Jul 23, 2012
Messages
3,884
Reaction score
1,099
:eek:I was just hoping to see a picture of your actual chopper's edge without the magnification to see how 'wide' the bevel was (which would tell a little on how thick the edge is). If you are push cutting on your vegetables and it cuts easily, then the edge is a little too polished for meat (it's the balance between edge thickness, edge grit and geometry that affects the cutting ability). Liver is soft, yet fibrous (unlike tofu, which is soft but not fibrous). In the former, a slicier edge (grit) is preferred, in the latter, a high polished edge might work.

Can you try, reducing your edge angle to 20-30 deg included, and additionally, sharpen the primary bevel a little to thin the shoulders?
 

vespaguy

Master Member
Joined
Jul 23, 2012
Messages
3,884
Reaction score
1,099
so far, I've stopped at 2000grit. I use the KAI combo, then finish on either my natural waterstone or naniwa synthetic stone (yellow). I'm not trying to get the scariest edge, as long as it shaves, slices paper clean and cuts veggies and meat well, it's good enough for me. I have yet to break out my 5000 grit stone yet.
 

vespaguy

Master Member
Joined
Jul 23, 2012
Messages
3,884
Reaction score
1,099
I'm doing another fund raiser. If you are looking for rare, limited, numbered, collectible, aesthetically pleasing, extremely well made (with a high level of fit and finish) flipper folder, and you have $1400 to spare, PM me. :s13:=:p:s13:
 

JoePilot

Arch-Supremacy Member
Joined
Mar 30, 2011
Messages
10,090
Reaction score
204
Yeah I think probably my old chopper is just too thick to slice liver. The edge has probably receded too much, leading to the wrong geometry.
I can't have too acute an angle, else it will chip when chopping.
 

vespaguy

Master Member
Joined
Jul 23, 2012
Messages
3,884
Reaction score
1,099
:vijayadmin:
Yeah I think probably my old chopper is just too thick to slice liver. The edge has probably receded too much, leading to the wrong geometry.
I can't have too acute an angle, else it will chip when chopping.

Maybe conceding the edge would help. Either with stone or sandpaper.
 
Important Forum Advisory Note
This forum is moderated by volunteer moderators who will react only to members' feedback on posts. Moderators are not employees or representatives of HWZ. Forum members and moderators are responsible for their own posts.

Please refer to our Community Guidelines and Standards, Terms of Service and Member T&Cs for more information.
Top