Oddball question: Knives with Sandvik-steel ...

So here's an odd one ... I need a knife made with Sandvik steel. No alternatives, no limitations in terms of what style of knife.

It needs to be Sandvik steel, and I need to be sure it is Sandvik steel. Example: Ashi Hamono told me that they're using Sandvik steel for the Ginga stainless, but Jon at JKI told me that it's a similar steel on their Gingas, but not Sandvik. I don't know all the details, but I still assume that Ashi makes the Ginga series for JKI. They might actually use different steels for the two Ginga series, I dunno.

Point is: I work for Sandvik, not the Materials/steel division, but a tooling division. I am looking to have a Sandvik-steel-knife around as a storytelling item. Visitors need some hands on stuff to understand what we do, or rather what customers do with our tools (and materials of the sister companies).

Long story short: Should be somewhat of a looker, nothing too plain and boring. Still needs to be able to hold a nasty edge though, because the paper test is a must have demo for this purpose.

Any recommendations?

Suisin Inox Honyaki made with Sandvik 19C27 steel, nice F/F & good edge holding!

I'll start by disregarding one of your requirements, that the knife by a "looker" and not a "plain jane." Suggest that at least some of the folks you show this off to will be (1) fellow employees of sandvik and/or (2) may be interested in buying such a knife themselves. As such I would target a "reasonable" price for earth people and keep it around the $100 mark.

And you'll soon find, if not already, that you don't really want people to know that you pay upwards of 300 bucks for a knife - they may see that as evidence you're nuts. And they're prob not wrong. :groucho:

http://www.japaneseknifeimports.com.../gonbei-240mm-hammered-damascus-wa-gyuto.html

May want to check, but I believe these are Sandvik steel. Satisfies "looker" requirement.

Minamoto Kotetsu was the original bargain 19C27 knife

http://japan-blades.com/chef-knives/western-style/1146.html

daveb said:

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And you'll soon find, if not already, that you don't really want people to know that you pay upwards of 300 bucks for a knife - they may see that as evidence you're nuts. And they're prob not wrong. :groucho:

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Haven't spent north of $300 ... YET! LOL

If you want "nothing too plain or boring", check out Laguiole en Aubrac. They use 19C27. Don't know how sharp they are OOTB though.

Their homepage: http://www.laguiole-en-aubrac.com/anglais/sommaire.html
Source on what steel they use: http://www.laguiole-en-aubrac.com/anglais/forge_montezic.html

limpet said:

If you want "nothing too plain or boring", check out Laguiole en Aubrac. They use 19C27. Don't know how sharp they are OOTB though.

Their homepage: http://www.laguiole-en-aubrac.com/anglais/sommaire.html
Source on what steel they use: http://www.laguiole-en-aubrac.com/anglais/forge_montezic.html

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Great! I had one of those folders ... and the stupid movers stole it at our last move! Of all things ... I got that knife as a gift when I left my last job, it was actually used in a TV commercial!

On the lower end of things the stainless versions of the Swedish MORA knives are made from Sandvik steel. Might make for a nice contrast - I imagine customers like to see that things can be good AND cheap too ...

alterwisser said:

Great! I had one of those folders ... and the stupid movers stole it at our last move! Of all things ... I got that knife as a gift when I left my last job, it was actually used in a TV commercial!

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Well, remember that Laguiole is not a single brand and that are several different manufacturers, where en Aubrac is one of the more expensive ones. Don't know what steel the other Laguiole manufacturers use.

limpet said:

Well, remember that Laguiole is not a single brand and that are several different manufacturers, where en Aubrac is one of the more expensive ones. Don't know what steel the other Laguiole manufacturers use.

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I had a really nice one, it was VERY expensive. I worked for a large food company and we had a food origin campaign where a farmer cut one of his potatoes on the field, with said knife.

The knife, an apple mouse and a book disappeared during the move... F*** those guys. Sorry...

Yup, Suisin Inox honyaki if you want a chef knife. It will be the best choice of your life.

Nearly all Laguiole manufacturers from France use 12C27 by Sandvik. That includes en Aubrac (Limpet, are you sure it's 19C27, I'm pretty sure it's 12C27) and Fontenille Pataud. Only Forge de Laguiole use a steel they call T12. But I secretly suspect them of just renaming 12C27 for marketing purposes.

If you don't have a Laguiole knife yet, you must get one . There are some very beautiful ones. (And no, I don't sell mine .)

mark76 said:

Yup, Suisin Inox honyaki if you want a chef knife. It will be the best choice of your life.

Nearly all Laguiole manufacturers from France use 12C27 by Sandvik. That includes en Aubrac (Limpet, are you sure it's 19C27, I'm pretty sure it's 12C27) and Fontenille Pataud. Only Forge de Laguiole use a steel they call T12. But I secretly suspect them of just renaming 12C27 for marketing purposes.

If you don't have a Laguiole knife yet, you must get one . There are some very beautiful ones. (And no, I don't sell mine .)

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I'm pretty sure I wouldn't be able to keep the Suisin at work... It would miraculously disappear to my kitchen all the time LOL

As mentioned, the whole Laguiole thing is a sad one for me... :-(

The Kumadori knives at Japan Woodworker are the same as the Minamoto. The listing says the steel is Sandvik 19C27:
http://www.japanwoodworker.com/Product/156517/7-14-Slicing-Knife-(Gyuto)---Kumadori.aspx

12C27 is no longer made, and has been replaced by 12C27M, M for Modified...
Less carbon, because most users of 12C27 use dishwashers, creating corrosion issues due to the dish-washing salts attacking the steel...
Less carbon makes it more stainless, but edge holding will be down a tad...

BTW, 12C27 is not as stainless as 12C27 or 12C27M, but any owner should look after their edge-ware, as you folks here do...

mark76 said:

Nearly all Laguiole manufacturers from France use 12C27 by Sandvik. That includes en Aubrac (Limpet, are you sure it's 19C27, I'm pretty sure it's 12C27) and Fontenille Pataud. Only Forge de Laguiole use a steel they call T12. But I secretly suspect them of just renaming 12C27 for marketing purposes.

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When checking their website again it indeed says 12C27. I must have been sleepy or something...

Isn't Misono's UX-10 made of 19C26?