Recent content by samuraistuart

You would absolutely love a gyuto in M4 (CPM). It would be pricey, as working the stuff isn't easy. The edge retention is excellent, as expected. M4 is also fairly tough. Well, tough for a steel that has a fairly high carbide %, and at 64HRC. The petty I have gets babied. Wooden cutting...

Minimum quantity 200kg??? 441lbs??? Sheez. Blom, the first thing to look at would be the Manganese count, which is .4%. That's sort of on the border between water/oil quench. I would use an interrupted brine/oil quench on this steel. If I didn't have to by a quarter ton of it.

That is a big pet peeve of mine....glass and ceramic cutting boards. Who in their right mind would even invent such a thing? You would have to be a total idiot to say, "Hmmm, I think I'm going to make a cutting board out of glass." But it is what it is. I bring it up to clients when I sell...

I only de-burr on my coarsest stone of the progression. Once I've done that, my technique is "edge leading" alternating sides every stroke, with alternating "edge trailing" if the stone is soft and works better with a trailing motion.

Ha! BTW...good looking Blue 2 knives. Yeah, Workshop Heaven and Dictum are the only two places that I know of that will sell "Hitachi" steels. And how they managed that...I haven't a clue! I made a petty out of the White 2/wrought iron san mai billets they had some years ago prior to when...

Got the PM John! Thank you so much. Reply sent. I had no idea about the Hitachi relation with Takefu steels, but honestly I am not that knowledgeable about either company, really. All I know is that Hitachi will not sell on the international market to makers or distributors, unless they were...

Yeah, I'm not into absolutes, either. The one that I get a chuckle out of are these guys that talk about how ANY freehand sharpening results in a convex edge. And there is no way to talk to these guys, either, explaining to them that an experienced sharpener can make a very flat edge bevel...

I'm not sure how much work you do, but you might look into buying (or building as in my case) a mister system for your post heat treat wet grinding. I'm not sure where you live, but there is a company called Arizona Mister (or Phoenix Misters???). They make little brass nozzles that shoot a...

Thanks so much for the reply, John. Great looking blades. Just amazing work. Would you mind sending me a link to the Takefu supplier you mentioned in the UK? I've used Takefu V-Toku 2 stainless clad (410 I think)....billets offered by Bill Burke here in the states. Great steel. Seems to be...

Thank you for that write up! Nice collection and great thoughts. One thing if I may add for others that might be reading and new to sharpening, especially on a dull or new knife....get that knife SHARP on your coarsest stone. Pretend that is the only stone in your arsenal. Apex on both sides...

Thanks for posting Inferno. I have no idea if Aldo sources 15n20 direct from BU or the other mill he uses in Germany. But with that said, he had 15n20 in varying thicknesses. Some of it was ~40HRC, other thicknesses were fully annealed. My guess is he sourced it from varying suppliers. I...

Thanks guys! Milkbaby, the 15n02 is indeed from Aldo, but I bought the 0.070" (it may have actually been 0.072"). But your observation is correct...some of the 15n20 he stocks is hard (or semi hard). Aldo told me that some of his 15n20 steel was originally slated for band saw production, and...

I just finished these 2 paring knives for a client, shipping out tomorrow. The handles are Hawaiian Koa, one of the most beautiful wood species out there. The steel is 15n20 (such an underrated carbon steel) at 63HRC, sourced from the New Jersey Steel Baron. This particular batch of 15n20...

John, where in the galaxy far far away did you find Aogomi Super? Are you a Murray Carter student? That's the only way I know of to obtain the stuff. The New Jersey Steel Baron had Aogomi 2, of which I bought a sheet. I've also made a few knives out of the SS clad V-Toku 2 (Takefu) steel...

Devin, that is a nice looking stainless damascus pattern! Curious...what are the 2 (or more) stainless steels you used to clad the CPM M4 with? AEBL and 303? (Glad you guys are enjoying those knives! Makes me want to do more in CPM M4, it is such a great steel). Dough....the maker's mark is...