Anyone using Shirogami #2 in a pro kitchen?

[labor of love]

Van Halen has a great album titled “5150” I often get it confused with 52100 in conversations.

 

[panda]

The ZK 52100 can be improved a lot with a good regrind. I had the handle replaced and the blade reground/convexed/polished. I am kind of surprised how good it is now for a “factory” knife

View attachment 61634

Except it has the most retarded blade shape.

 

[GoodMagic]

52 100.

 

[labor of love]

Except it has the most retarded blade shape.

Well, that’s what makes it a Kramer after all.

 

[Carl Kotte]

Hrhrrmhrrrm!!!! 52100 is pronounced femtiotvåtusenetthundra or femtiotvå hundra. Not sure it sounds cool though [emoji6]
Maybe it should simply change its name to 90210 now that the series is up and running again.

 

[minibatataman]

I always called it fifty-two-one-hunderd.

Same
Or
اثنين و خمسون ألف و مءة

 

[mattador]

IMHO anyone using iron cladding in a pro environment needs their head checked

Welp I guess I brought the wrong single bevels to work for all those years.

 

[minibatataman]

The ZK 52100 can be improved a lot with a good regrind. I had the handle replaced and the blade reground/convexed/polished. I am kind of surprised how good it is now for a “factory” knife

View attachment 61634

Can't see the attachment, can you re- post please?

IMHO anyone using iron cladding in a pro environment needs their head checked

Why? It's easier to touch up and you have a keener edge. I had one iron clad white #2 knife and 2 carbon mono knives in my kit. The only stainless I use are a bread knife and a semi stainless honesuki. Once I built up a patina I didn't even care much for them. They work just fine.

 

[Marek07]

Recommend some knives to try with this steel? Not seeing it much other than from small custom houses.

In addition to the already mentioned Kippington, La Seur and Zwilling Kramer knives, there's Haburn and Comet knives in 52100 you could look at.

 

[MarkC]

In addition to the already mentioned Kippington, La Seur and Zwilling Kramer knives, there's Haburn and Comet knives in 52100 you could look at.

Thanks for the mention. With the exception of the Kramer's, the others are small custom producers typically with very limited availability (like none most of the time). I wonder why this particular steel hasn't caught on beyond the custom guys.

 

[suntravel]

There are some of 52100 steel from chef knifes to go in the shop, but nerver tryed one frome these, so no clue about the quality...

Regards

Uwe

 

[Barmoley]

Thanks for the mention. With the exception of the Kramer's, the others are small custom producers typically with very limited availability (like none most of the time). I wonder why this particular steel hasn't caught on beyond the custom guys.

Most likely because very few large companies produce non stainless knives outside of Japan. In Japan mostly Japanese steel is used. Many western custom makers use it though, as has been mentioned already.

 

[parbaked]

I wonder why this particular steel hasn't caught on beyond the custom guys.

Because it is a carbon steel and most newer, mass produced knives are stainless.
52100 is also relatively new for knife making and wasn't on the radar of European companies making carbon knives before the 1980s, like Sabatier or Herder.

 

[Sharpchef]

52100/1.3505/100Cr6 is one of the most produced steels for especially ball bearings and so it is very cheap compared to other knife steels. I think it is a very good steel (made some knifes out of it) and quite "easy" to heat treat even for hobbyists...

Especially in pro environment monosteel blades have the advantage against japanese iron, once patinated you may use them in a hotel to cut an fruit salad for the next day without issues of bad taste/colour etc.....

With good HT it will outlast the edge retention of white and blue.... Best treated with 8k shapton pro (preassure control Bogdan System) or 5k Naniwa Chosera/Pro by hand, and if it is not to hard (like about HRC 61) it can be steeled with (DICK Micro) for a long time...

Z Kramer Carbon has a very nice rock chopping shape, but has to be thinned a little, but you can do this within a few hours on stones.

Greets Sebastian.

 

[Sharpchef]

Because it is a carbon steel and most newer, mass produced knives are stainless.
52100 is also relatively new for knife making and wasn't on the radar of European companies making carbon knives before the 1980s, like Sabatier or Herder.

After Roman Landes released his book, very much EU knifemakers used and still use this steel! Cause for its fine grain it is very good, the little amount of chromium and the good carbon content (especially our better german 1.3505 steel quality) makes it to the best kitchen knife steel in my point of view, if you look at price/performance ratio of the steel.

Greets Sebastian.