No. Why?Out of curiosity, did Bill ask for this review?
No. Why?Out of curiosity, did Bill ask for this review?
it was the "almost no care" that piqued my interest.
Only 20x? You wound me, Son. You make a good point but if I thought there was a chance that the knife I made had some issues, I'd be taking the route Colin described. I don't think my standards are incredible either. I put up with plenty. The next time you're in SD, stop by and I'll show you what I mean. However, a tool has to perform its intended function well (if it's expensive then VERY well) and it has to be comfortable to use.isn't this a prototype? Doesn't that mean that it is a piece that is specifically made to be reviewed and have all the kinks and issues worked out before you go into production. This is a prototype, not a perfect production model. I know that Tk is a perfectionist when it comes to his knives and has incredibly high standards as he should, but not everyone carries a 20x loupe to look at their knives. keep in mind this is a prototype and all the kinks haven't been worked out yet.
I'm pretty sure he meant it's just not a custom. In that case, he takes some time to make sure the handle is the right size and does the knife to spec....like Bill said he didn't make that knife for you,...
I'm pretty sure he meant it's just not a custom. In that case, he takes some time to make sure the handle is the right size and does the knife to spec.
An overall B is not a negative review. Honest, maybe...
I, quite frankly, am tired of all the sucking up. If a product is to be top notch, honest assessment is necessary. Some on these forums have made these customs to be the "end all", yet just through a picture I can see a useless profile, or bad grind (no knife in particular)...
As a chef if my risotto is overcooked, or my sauce is broken, or a dish is over-seasoned, you darn well better believe I will hear about it!!!!!
My admiration and respect for Bill Burke has not changed one bit after this either.
I'd be interested to see some shots of the DT ITK proto compared to different generations throughout the years, leading to the most recent. I'd bet they've been tweaked and changed quite a bit, probably due to DT's high interest in customer feedback...
I think we owe it to Mr. Burke to evolve with this endeavor, and at the very least applaud him for trying to deliver a product, that to some at least, may have been unobtainable before.
A-. The bolster issues are resolved. There is still a ridge on the bolster that is pretty common among westerns but I don't have a problem with it. It isn't fancy but it's nice and clean. Fixing the divot and the belly led to a very slightly wonky-looking profile that is hard to describe and doesn't show well in pics (since it looks nice to me in my own pics, lol). The spine droops down from the bolster to the tip a little and probably causes the heel to look wierd, too. Anyway... Enough of that. The finish looks almost hand rubbed but is in fact machine finished.Aesthetics BThe hamon and the lines of the knife are elegant and the finish is handsome, imo. However, the bolster looks sloppy. Bill pulled off two pins very well, but it is well documented that three pins would look better to more people...
A-. I'm pretty happy with the fit and finish at this point. It isn't perfectly finished (no knife is, really) but I'm not complaining....Fit and finish CThe bulk of handle is comfortable but it is not very symmetric. Most of the spine is rounded except for the divot two thirds of the way down the blade toward the tip. The choil is not rounded and has what I would characterize as a burr on it. The bolster-blade transition is poorly finished with cracked solder that appeared to leak out of the bolster/tang joint. The bolster also has sharp corners on it that did bother me with certain grips, esp. sharpening. The heel was nearly flat ground and the choil view appears very thin but the knife thickens up near the edge and becomes more convex as it approaches the tip. Other than that, the grind was a little wavy in places but I thought they were within reason and the coarse grinding scratches were clearly visible under all of the polishing. They are closer to gone than what you would see on a Carter but they are there...
A-. The grind is the same but thinner. The profile is also much nicer. I still think the heel is overly flat but not terrible....Performance BThe geometry is very good in some places and merely good in other places. The knife is not super thin and the taper isnt dramatic but it cuts very well without feeling clumsy in spite of the tall heel to spine height. The profile is quite curved which is hard to get used to and the tip is very high. The actual tip work is very good to excellent as long as the cutting surface is low. Heel work is nice but there is a lot of sticking in that part of the blade. The knife felt a little thick toward the middle of the blade. The edge was very nice and stayed nice over limited use...
Nothing really to add here. Same awesome steel. Bill's edge was very clean and sharp this time around....Sharpening ABills version of 52100 sharpened quickly and easily and took a very nice edge. I didnt use the knife enough to really get a grip regarding edge retention but I can say I observed no noticeable chipping or deformation in light use over a couple of weeks...
A-. For many, this knife may very well garner a solid A grade. My personal preference is for the tip to be a bit lower, mainly and the balance between thin and convex could be better. I would say an apt description of this particular knife is a suped-up stock TKC (which is a great knife) made with Bill's signature look. I'm sending it back to get the maker's mark reinstalled....Overall BThis is a nice knife by most measures. Depending on individual preferences, it may arguably be the best cutting custom gyuto I have used that was NOT made by Murray, Devin, Rottman or someone in Japan. Perhaps I am too picky or a cheapskate but at $850, I find this knife is intolerably uncomfortable and it really shouldnt be this sloppy.While these comments are 100% my own opinion, I have made every effort to obtain unbiased feedback from the six other knifeknuts (with considerable experience among them) whose hands and eyes examined and used this knife. The feedback was quite consistent with my own. One person appreciated the extra thin heel and a couple of them were more upset about the bolster than I thought was warranted...
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