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The profile of the 10" is somewhat different than the 8" (at least on the cutting edge)... has a nice flat spot. All this talk is making me want to use mine again :)

People can say share their pre-judgments and prejudices towards a knife if they want I suppose, but the bottom line is that Kramers probably wouldn't be so coveted or sell for so much if it didn't work; someone correct me if I'm wrong but wasn't Bob a chef at some point prior to making knives?
 
As someone who was owned a 8' 52100 Kramer and a 10' Essential, the profile is definitely highly functional and exceptionally useful. I absolutely regret selling my ZKramers because they were stellar all around knives. The 52100 was sold because I wanted something thinner and the 10' Essential was sold because 10' is just too big for a small 1 bedroom apartment kitchen.

That said, if I had to do it over, I would buy a 8' Essential and be content knowing I had a hell of a knife and just enjoy it. The profile looks odd to the "outsider" but once you use one for a bit you realize it is a great shape and extremely useful. In my humble opinion the Essential is the way to go and for the price ($200 for an 8' or $250 for a 10') there isn't much better out there
 
knyfeknerd said:
I enjoyed the ZKramer in 52100 quite a bit. It's an all around good cutter. My personal dislike with the profile is the super-pointy tip. I am a tad bit clumsy and have stabbed myself with pointy tips from this one and way different profiles that were still too pointy-I think one other was a Pierre mid tech.
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Did we get bit by the same Pierre? The one that got me was pinky - SN1. That was a great knife but thirsty.

@ Rick - Are you interrupting the annual Kramer pile on with common sense?
 
I have used a essential and I think it's a surprisingly good all around knife

Sometimes when you always use Gyuto Profile you forget how a wide blade like that can be a really good cutter
 
I've never used a real Kramer. My current favorite knife is a 10 inch ZK that was thinned by Jon Broida (it's now a very different knife from the stock Z-K, or even after I originally significantly thinned it: it was after I dropped the knife and tore off the tip [tore, not broke: that's how much I had thinned it, and it's even thinner now] that I sent it to Jon). It's the best cutting knife I've ever used. I don't know if actual Kramer knives are like this, but I can imagine it being so, and maybe even better, as I believe that real Kramers are harder, and thus can go even thinner. I've seen some choil and tip pictures of Kramers, and they very, very thin. The Kramer profile works very well. It's extremely comfortable, and makes a very tall knife quite nimble. The downward facing handle works great, even though it seems like it shouldn't. The edge keeping of my ZK is exceptional for carbon, and the real deal should be even better. If the real Kramers are like this but even better then they are about as good as it gets. Combine that with the exclusivity (I collect Swiss watches and high end fountain pens, so I know how exclusivity works), and the prices for Kramer knives make some kind of sense. I should probably just buy three more Z-Ks and send them to Jon, but you know how it is, I always want variety.
 
I take it you have the 52100 version EdipisReks? If so, did you or have you had problems with handle shrink and the corresponding tang and rivet pin protrusions?

Had this issue with mine to a degree and mine was bought sometime late last year i believe. Distinctly remember the handle on my 52100 not feeling nearly as smooth (shrinking had taken place) as the one on my Essential which stayed as pristine as the day i bought it.
 
Thanks for the offer rick, might take you upp on that offer when i have a bit more time on my hands so i get a chance to see what all the fuss is about :)
 
The knife forums including the old ITK, never quite know what to make of the Kramer knife. The profile appears odd and the 5200 has alway cost 20 to 50 percent more then most custom knife makers. I think when Cooks Illustrated tested their Kramer, the cost was around $500. Top end gyutos at the time were in the $200 - $300 range. The price quicly shot up after that article. The damascus Kramers price went into the stratosphere.

Last year the Wall Street Journal had on article on people who to want the best and are willing to pay for it. Kramer knives were at the top of the list for high end kitchens. One guy framed his Kramers because the considered them to be artwork.

The ZKramer was a chance to finally check out at a Kramer. My initial impression, was verstatile. Three quarters of the knife was flat like a nakiri, which was suited for chopping veggies. The bull nose helped with finishing slices. The tip is surprisingly thin and pointy. The knife is equally good at push cutting and rock chopping. The only cut the Kramer is lacking is where fingers are placed by the tip, and the knife is rapidly rocked through a pile of veggies.

If I could only have one knife. I'd probably go with the Kramer. Not because its my favorite knife. I've got others that are better at chopping and slicing, i.e. cleavers and sujihikis, but no other knife is as complete a package as the Kramer.

Jay
 
SolidSnake03 said:
I take it you have the 52100 version EdipisReks? If so, did you or have you had problems with handle shrink and the corresponding tang and rivet pin protrusions?

Had this issue with mine to a degree and mine was bought sometime late last year i believe. Distinctly remember the handle on my 52100 not feeling nearly as smooth (shrinking had taken place) as the one on my Essential which stayed as pristine as the day i bought it.
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Yes, the 52100. The scales have just barely shrunk. It's not noticeable in use.
 
Jay, that sums up my impressions as well, if I ever decided to cut myself down to 1 and only 1 gyuto, the Kramer would be at the top of my list. That said though, I have the luxury of having multiple different knives and styles.

Sounds good EdipisReks! Any idea how your thinned 52100 compares to the Essential line which was quite a bit thinner overall than the 52100's were to begin with? Wondering if your's is now much closer to the Essential line grind but in 52100 as opposed to AEB-L
 
SolidSnake03 said:
Jay, that sums up my impressions as well, if I ever decided to cut myself down to 1 and only 1 gyuto, the Kramer would be at the top of my list. That said though, I have the luxury of having multiple different knives and styles.

Sounds good EdipisReks! Any idea how your thinned 52100 compares to the Essential line which was quite a bit thinner overall than the 52100's were to begin with? Wondering if your's is now much closer to the Essential line grind but in 52100 as opposed to AEB-L
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I've never used an Essential version. It's the Essential has a similar grind to the 52100, but much thinner, then it may be quite similar.
 
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