Jovidah
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Figured I'd post some thoughts since not a lot about them is written on this series. If you want to know more there's quite some indepth reviews in German on kochmalscharf but it's all a lot older and usually about the 18 cm chef knife.
But just in brief... I have 2 knives from this series; the 25 cm chef knife and the 18 cm slicer. I got them direct from K-Sabatier a while ago when they were having a nice sale but they're still not particularly expensive. In the US you can get them through Strata portland.
So these are definitly in the 'entry level utilitarian' category. They don't look flashy, the print is outright boring, and the general aesthethic is 'functional' at best. I can understand why they never became popular simply based on the look.
They are however quite bombproof. The G10 handles are smooth and are unlikely to ever start expanding or contracting and they're generally the kind of non-fussy knife you can use however you want without having to worry about chipping or damage. The handles are a bit on the thin side though. Not the end of the world - I can still use them just fine with my rather big hands but I would prefer a thicker handle. The steel is supposedly 14c28n at around 60 HRC, made from what looks like 3mm stock. The whole series also comes with leather sheaths which is a nice bonus. They're convenient for 'occasional travel' but I doubt they'd stand up to using them every day (saw at least some mention on GE forums that the seams wear out when you use it a lot). Blade finish is a pretty boring standard belt finish with more polish around the edge (ignore the scuff marks, that's me auto-piloting towards thinning mode during sharpening).
The grinds are solid. It's not 'where is the bevel'-Robert-Herder-level thin, but definitly comparable to most of the average Japanese stuff I've had; leaps and bounds better than the mass market German stuff. Quite comparable to solid middle weights from Japan like Sukenari. Similarly, there's a nice gentle distal taper that makes for a pretty well performing tip. Food release is not stellar but I don't particularly care (especially in a knife you predominantly use for rockchopping).
Then specific to the individual knives. First the 25 cm chef knife. I cannot emphasize this enough: for better or worse, this is a rockchopping knife. It rockchops extremely well; has just the right amount of slight consistent curve without falling into the trap of adding excessive belly...but as a result it's just not a great pushcutter. The first photo is a bit deceptive; it looks like it has a high tip but in practise when you're using it it's rather that the spine comes down slightly; second photo is more representative of how it feels on the board.
Balances exactly at the heel, 191 gram. So definitly lighter than most of the western stuff...but also no bolster!
All in all it actually feels like the perfect 'upgrade' for a western cook who prefers rockchopping and wants to step up to a better knife without any fuss.
But for 1 caveat: the first one I received was slightly warped. They exchanged it without fuss (even got me a nice steak knife as a bonus), but I've heard I haven't been the only one to ever received a warped sample. So... definitly check when receiving, seems like there's a higher than 0 chance of receiving a warped knife.
It also boggles the mind that they have an 18 cm chef knife and a 25 cm chef knife, but not a 21 or 22 in between... which would probably have been the most popular model if they offered one.
Then on to the slicer. 18 cm long... this for me, is the perfect meat trimmer. Full stop. It has edged out my Ashi Gingas in the role and other filleting knives I was using. Why? It has the perfect combination of practicality (handles you can just dunk in chicken goop and soak in boiling water if you want) AND the perfect profile. I've used fillet knives in the past sometimes because I actually prefer a knife with the least blade height for trimming tasks... but I don't like the flex. This solves that problem. No flex, but still a noticably lower profile and less belly than you see on Japanese petties. I've been on the lookout for 'the perfect meat trimming petty' for a while and this is the one that ends the journey. I considered buying a second straight away...
It's 127 gram, and as you'd expect pretty back-heavy balance wise like a lot of petties but it's not really a problem. Has a nice taper and thin tip...without the flex you get from buying this type of profile as a filleting knife.
The only real drawback is I don't think the name suits. It's awesome for trimming knife, but slicing with an 18 cm knife? Eh... you can do it but longer is more better.
If you're buying something from K-Sabatier I'd also consider adding one of these small paring knives to your order. Also 14c28n...handle is a bit on the slime side but otherwise very nicely done and quite cheap... and better than most of the mass market stuff in this price category.
https://www.sabatier-shop.com/le-p-tit-tradi-knife-pomegranate-tree-wood-handle-1.html
But just in brief... I have 2 knives from this series; the 25 cm chef knife and the 18 cm slicer. I got them direct from K-Sabatier a while ago when they were having a nice sale but they're still not particularly expensive. In the US you can get them through Strata portland.
So these are definitly in the 'entry level utilitarian' category. They don't look flashy, the print is outright boring, and the general aesthethic is 'functional' at best. I can understand why they never became popular simply based on the look.
They are however quite bombproof. The G10 handles are smooth and are unlikely to ever start expanding or contracting and they're generally the kind of non-fussy knife you can use however you want without having to worry about chipping or damage. The handles are a bit on the thin side though. Not the end of the world - I can still use them just fine with my rather big hands but I would prefer a thicker handle. The steel is supposedly 14c28n at around 60 HRC, made from what looks like 3mm stock. The whole series also comes with leather sheaths which is a nice bonus. They're convenient for 'occasional travel' but I doubt they'd stand up to using them every day (saw at least some mention on GE forums that the seams wear out when you use it a lot). Blade finish is a pretty boring standard belt finish with more polish around the edge (ignore the scuff marks, that's me auto-piloting towards thinning mode during sharpening).
The grinds are solid. It's not 'where is the bevel'-Robert-Herder-level thin, but definitly comparable to most of the average Japanese stuff I've had; leaps and bounds better than the mass market German stuff. Quite comparable to solid middle weights from Japan like Sukenari. Similarly, there's a nice gentle distal taper that makes for a pretty well performing tip. Food release is not stellar but I don't particularly care (especially in a knife you predominantly use for rockchopping).
Then specific to the individual knives. First the 25 cm chef knife. I cannot emphasize this enough: for better or worse, this is a rockchopping knife. It rockchops extremely well; has just the right amount of slight consistent curve without falling into the trap of adding excessive belly...but as a result it's just not a great pushcutter. The first photo is a bit deceptive; it looks like it has a high tip but in practise when you're using it it's rather that the spine comes down slightly; second photo is more representative of how it feels on the board.
Balances exactly at the heel, 191 gram. So definitly lighter than most of the western stuff...but also no bolster!
All in all it actually feels like the perfect 'upgrade' for a western cook who prefers rockchopping and wants to step up to a better knife without any fuss.
But for 1 caveat: the first one I received was slightly warped. They exchanged it without fuss (even got me a nice steak knife as a bonus), but I've heard I haven't been the only one to ever received a warped sample. So... definitly check when receiving, seems like there's a higher than 0 chance of receiving a warped knife.
It also boggles the mind that they have an 18 cm chef knife and a 25 cm chef knife, but not a 21 or 22 in between... which would probably have been the most popular model if they offered one.
Then on to the slicer. 18 cm long... this for me, is the perfect meat trimmer. Full stop. It has edged out my Ashi Gingas in the role and other filleting knives I was using. Why? It has the perfect combination of practicality (handles you can just dunk in chicken goop and soak in boiling water if you want) AND the perfect profile. I've used fillet knives in the past sometimes because I actually prefer a knife with the least blade height for trimming tasks... but I don't like the flex. This solves that problem. No flex, but still a noticably lower profile and less belly than you see on Japanese petties. I've been on the lookout for 'the perfect meat trimming petty' for a while and this is the one that ends the journey. I considered buying a second straight away...
It's 127 gram, and as you'd expect pretty back-heavy balance wise like a lot of petties but it's not really a problem. Has a nice taper and thin tip...without the flex you get from buying this type of profile as a filleting knife.
The only real drawback is I don't think the name suits. It's awesome for trimming knife, but slicing with an 18 cm knife? Eh... you can do it but longer is more better.
If you're buying something from K-Sabatier I'd also consider adding one of these small paring knives to your order. Also 14c28n...handle is a bit on the slime side but otherwise very nicely done and quite cheap... and better than most of the mass market stuff in this price category.
https://www.sabatier-shop.com/le-p-tit-tradi-knife-pomegranate-tree-wood-handle-1.html
