Need Oppinion on this Vintage Sab Profile, Pros Please Chime In!

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Marko Tsourkan

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http://bernalcutlery.com/shop/k-sab...-knife-boucher-25cm-9-75-stainless-steel-copy

30cmrose.jpg


Yea or Ney?


I saw this profile (not very common, according to the web site, it can be found in parts of France, Italy, and to lesser extent in Spain and Germany) in an old French cook book, and it got me interested...
 
All right, maybe I should start with my thoughts about this knife.

I think it is a good cross between a scimitar and a slicer, making it perhaps a good meat knife for home user. There are not many here who could use a scimitar to partition steaks, but a knife that can be a designated meat knife and a slicer, could be of interest.

Thoughts?

PS: The picture I posted is for blade-profile-reference only! Obviously, I would not make a handle that looks like that and I also like a space between handle and guard/bolster for ease of sharpening.
 
Honestly? I've never seen one in person, so I can only go by looks. It looks like a knife that was minimally profiled likely to save cost. It just looks wrong for some reason (other than the handle, but it may be due to the handle screwing up the visual). It is not a style that appeals to me. It's too tall near the tip for a slicer, and I'd rather have a more traditional scimitar profile for attacking a big hunk of strip, ribeye etc. the one time per year I will buy such a thing for a dinner party, etc. And if I could only buy one knife, I would go for a more traditional suji and use a gyuto for portioning the steaks.
 
I think so many of use a bullnose or cimeter, this might be a little underwhelming
 
actually, this is what the first chef knives looked like. they have this style all over medieval paintings and tapestries. It is quite versatile and comfortable to use. I have one somewhere that I used to use all the time. great steak cutter and all around prep knife. These are as old school European as you can get.
 
I was just about to give up on the whole project, but Son's post brought it back to life! If must be, it will be the only knife, but I will make it. I don't know why, but this knife somehow appeals to me.

Thanks folks and keep them opinions coming. It is quite interesting what appeals and what doesn't to different people.

M
 
Marko I have seen this style of knife used in old butcher shops extensively but with a different handle. Over the years of usage and sharpening ( mostly not touching the heel) they end up being boning knives. I will try to find you some pics


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I've actually used one of these. It wasn't bad, once you got used to the shape. Owned by a former butcher, and he kept the edge pretty nice.
 
they came in all sizes and when you were done they looked like the small one.

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Love the last pic. The other aren't bad either, but the last one rocks!
 
You know I have been looking for something different if I was going to get one, it would be the top one or third down of the pics on page 2. I need the heel height, I am really digging on the Forschner. I just don't like Bernal knife.
 
The shape's not quite dead yet. Sanelli has a whole line of these http://www.sanelli.com/cms/ENG/category2-eng/8-knives.html

With the various butcher knife projects that have popped up here recently, no one has mentioned these...bullnose & scimitar are pretty much the default choices. Guess the old 'one size fits all' butcher knife like these diverged into those more familiar patterns.
 
Lots of older chefs and butchers I know have these.Mostly used for cutting steaks from whole primals.Very stiff so nice straight cuts.
 
Maybe I look at the knives differently than most, but to me a gyuto in this profile isn't that different from any gyuto that is used by most here - drop the tip and move it back a little bit, drop the heel, and you get a typical gyuto with a pointy tip. Some gyutos are on the flat side, some have more belly, but ultimately, all have a roughly triangular profile.

I also use the second "sweet" spot right behind the tip area (the tip area being the first, and heel - third) for most my cutting, so I can see how this knife could be pretty versatile with the added meat cutting function. Not trying to convince anybody here, just thinking aloud.

I am more interested in a slicer than a gyuto, actually.
 
I use this Itou at home as much as I do a gyuto. Similar profile to the other knives in this thread. Really useful shape for general kitchen tasks. I like this profile 210 and under. Longer than that and I would prefer a scimitar.

image.jpg
 
I have seen very similar but probably 160-210 - they were popular in the eastern parts of Eastern Europe during communist times. A lot of homes had one of these as a general knife.

Cannot comment of the usage but asking someone with a family ending in -ov or -ich may give you more info. Sturdy things. I have abused mine quite a lot.
 
Specific use comes to mind... Mainly butchering and such....
Not my favorite, too flat for everyday use....

Its got a Machete-vegetable-hacking quality to it, come to think of it... Maybe there is practical side like some one said, taking some time to get used to it.

I'll say this, Interesting handle configuration :happymug:
 

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