Delbert Ealy
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- Feb 28, 2011
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Well I think I finally found the final key to kitchen knife perfection. The worst thing about it is that it was right under my nose the whole time. Let me explain.
When I first started on the kitchen knives I knew you guys were looking for lasers and so that is what I set out to make. I knew that most knifemakers starting out in kitchen knives make them too thick. I have always been a "thin knife" maker so I knew it wouldn't be a problem for me. However I was under the assumption that meant thin stock and full flat grinds, and that would be true in a perfect world, a full flat grind offers the least resistance and allow the angle of the bevel as shallow as possible for a given size stock. However, in the real world we have to deal with things like the experience of the person doing the cutting, the material being cut and the cutting board itself, and the type of knives the person doing the cutting is used to using. So, I make some knives and along the way I make some adjustments as a result of the feedback I am getting from those of you who have my knives, no real major things, mostly just a bit of tweeking. I am a very skilled knifemaker and in making one style of knife I expected such, it happens to all of us. I am contantly learning and I get better as I go along. Then I push things a bit far on the grinding and make them too thin, OK I learned my lesson there.
In the midst of that I get this from Salty
I do want to thank all of you, my desire is to make the highest quality knives possible, I think this will be the final major step in the design.
Thanks,
Del
When I first started on the kitchen knives I knew you guys were looking for lasers and so that is what I set out to make. I knew that most knifemakers starting out in kitchen knives make them too thick. I have always been a "thin knife" maker so I knew it wouldn't be a problem for me. However I was under the assumption that meant thin stock and full flat grinds, and that would be true in a perfect world, a full flat grind offers the least resistance and allow the angle of the bevel as shallow as possible for a given size stock. However, in the real world we have to deal with things like the experience of the person doing the cutting, the material being cut and the cutting board itself, and the type of knives the person doing the cutting is used to using. So, I make some knives and along the way I make some adjustments as a result of the feedback I am getting from those of you who have my knives, no real major things, mostly just a bit of tweeking. I am a very skilled knifemaker and in making one style of knife I expected such, it happens to all of us. I am contantly learning and I get better as I go along. Then I push things a bit far on the grinding and make them too thin, OK I learned my lesson there.
In the midst of that I get this from Salty
This comment got me thinking however, because I do have the aspiration to make the absolute best knives I can. I started noticing comments here and there about convex bevels, and this really drove me crazy, because when I think of convex bevels I think of the grind on an axe or maybe a deba. Fast forward a month and I have a conversation with Johnnychance about this very issue and it all finally comes together. The convex grind that was mentioned is really not a true convex, but a partial flat grind that is blended. The blending is almost as important as the partial grinding, if its too much then it acts almost like a full flat grind, so too little is actually better than not enough blending, but there has to be a little blending. The key here (the one I missed) is about food release and resistance, not really about cutting ability, I know my knives can cut and well. With a full flat grind you have the best angle for cutting, but it also has a big surface area, and that contributes to food sticking. With a partial grind the angle is steeper, however the surface area is much less and the food just falls away from the blade. All new knives from now on will have the new grind, and will perform to a higher standard. With the extra steel left on this also affects the flex of the knife, which I know has been something that some of you have mentioned. This will also affect the balance, putting it a bit more forward.If you want to find the holy grail don't think flat. And thin is only as good as it functions.
I do want to thank all of you, my desire is to make the highest quality knives possible, I think this will be the final major step in the design.
Thanks,
Del