Does your knife have soul?

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Yup I'm with you on that. Museum pieces do little for me, showing some wear and tear while still being safe and functional is a whole lot more attractive :)
 
That's why I am such a fan of KU knives. Lots of soul
 
Many carbon steels (including 52100) acquire grey patina over time. Plenty of soul, as far as I am concerned.
 
I prefer the bottom one. No such thing as a knife having soul. For me.

-AJ
 
I like the bottom,shinny one myself.Just because the owner chose to keep the blade in pristine condition,doesn't mean that it doesn't have "soul".Every time you clean/sharpen/work on your blade,you're putting some of your soul back into the knife.
The patina looks pretty cool as well...
 
The bottom one is a miroshi deba, so not too much exposure to acidic food and not too much usage in the Western kitchen either. :)

M
 
You can't just judge by the blade. Stainless will never show it's history like carbon. It's the handle tells the tale as well. For me, the 'soul' also comes from the feedback when blade hits board or stone. Some of mine always feel 'distant', if that makes sense.
 
Maybe the deba knife was brand new when gator took the pic,I love them both.
 
Depends on how much I really use a knife. If it's a stainless (which I don't use often) then, no, no soul. Carbon yes. As the blade gets used and age it really tells a story. That and you know you put some of your soul into it when it draws first blood :)
 
I would say knives have soul stainless or not there is something there, as long as there is a personal connection between the knife and you. Whether it is a knife you don't use often but you find it more enjoyable to sharpen than others, or something you modified and made a better performer out of.

My moritaka for example the KU scale started coming off from the first use and over the next 8 months I helped it along with green srcubbies, and dealt with the ridiculously reactive cladding. It today looks alomost nothing like most moritakas and if you saw the right hand side of it you'd probably never guess it was one of his knives. I would say it has tons of personality, now my Monzaburo Kiritsuke in Ginsanko, I'd say this knife has more soul, I love the dull grey look of the Ginsanko, the way it cuts, the heft of it....., I love them both but the admiration is different. Wouldn't part with either one or any of them.

Knives definitely have soul and it is personal between you and the knife.
 
Soul knife.....
This is a 8" slicer I made from used, m42 bandsaw steel. It's thin, maybe 1.55mm the entire length, and came to me that way. I use it, toss it aside for a while, think about it, come back and refine the edge with stones or belts, use it some more, and learn from the whole process. It will probably end up being maybe 6" long by the time I have figured out how to grind it w/o overgrinds, w/o beating up the handle, w/o rounding off the tip, and on and on. Nothing much will be lost but some free steel, several hours of my time and a piece of maple. The knowledge gained will more than compensate for the losses. This knife more than any other I have made has imparted the most knowledge. It's a beater, always has been, always will be; but to me it's soulful.
10-30-11soulknife.jpg
 
My moritaka for example the KU scale started coming off from the first use and over the next 8 months I helped it along with green srcubbies, and dealt with the ridiculously reactive cladding. It today looks alomost nothing like most moritakas and if you saw the right hand side of it you'd probably never guess it was one of his knives.

Moritakas rust like a motherf**ker.
Oh, and there's one sure way to identify a Moritaka...ain't that right Dave? :devilburn:
 
I have been thinking about this recently as well. I think that the handmade blades and wood handles really show character, patina or not. There are all of those little imperfections or differences, but in a good way, that give each blade it's own soul. A kitaeji blade is like a fingerprint, I would know mine from another by the pattern. The wood handles show signs of being used by their owner's hand, one can really feel connected to the knife and the one who made that knife.

In contrast, when I pick up a Wusthof it feels cold and dead, no character, even if I have sharpened it.
 
The bottom one is a miroshi deba, so not too much exposure to acidic food and not too much usage in the Western kitchen either. :)

M
I know, was just to lazy to find a match and play around in Photoshop :D
 
My knives souls come from myself. Especially my latest refurb project (in my blog) where I had to work the steel, had it baptized in my own blood during the process and built my own handle and saya. I doesn't exactly hurt that it is a honyaki blade that has been abandoned by several others but has finally found a home with me. That, for me makes a blade with a genuine soul.

DarHOeK
 
I can't comment on the end user, but whether starting with steel and forge, or flatbar stock removal, building a knife, going through each stage of the process, shaping, HT, grinding, hand rub, selecting handle materials and construction, all these steps add soul if you will, or character. Harald's restoration as well, will never be looked at the same by him. The sore fingers, lacerations from slips, building handle and saya, all imparts "soul" into a knife. Now, should it ever be sold, will the buyer see it as a new knife that needs soul, or as it is, a knife that was built/restored by hand, with care and soul?
 
To restore or build is a whole different ballgame - I have the deepest respect for people who does this put blood, sweat and tears + their soul into these projects! Since I don't make knifes myself my "soul" is not in the buildingdepartment - I'm only a user. When I looked at the picture I posted it got me thinking. To me - the patina knife showed "life". It told a story about the user and it showed usage.

Stainless etc. are cool knifes as well. I got several. Still - this is my opinion - they don't change looks from usages - maybe exept from a few scratches. We are all different which is great. I think some patina's rock - others think it sucks. Ain't life great :D
 
After some thinking I believe the soul of a knife can come from several places. Like the old Katana, the blacksmith left a part of his soul to the blade. The sharpener did the same as well as the warrior that owned it and went to battle with it for a long time. Every great happening adds to the blades soul. First for being made and then for surviving the hardships of its owners.

Same thing with kitchen knives. A great chef using and caring for a custom knife for many years in the kitchen will add soul to the knife. The patina is maybe some expression of that soul. The next owner will be the keeper of a piece of history. If a great master blade smith made it and great master chefs have used it I believe some blades will be like a Stradivarius violin after a long time with almost magic properties. That is to me what custommade is all about.

DarKHOeK
 
I wouldn't say knives have soul, but at the same time we all have our favourites for various reasons. My favourite I own is my JCK wa-KV8 which is probably the least flashy knife I own. I have thinned and sharpened it so many times it is totally different from how it was new and I never took out the scratches from thinning it, but it performs incredibly well and part of why I love it so much is because it should be about the lowest performance knife I own, but due to its profile changing over time, it is perfect for me.

I think this sums up what I mean
If a great master blade smith made it and great master chefs have used it I believe some blades will be like a Stradivarius violin after a long time with almost magic properties
 
Moritakas rust like a motherf**ker.
Oh, and there's one sure way to identify a Moritaka...ain't that right Dave? :devilburn:

Mine used to have rust issues and to an extent still does, but after a cold blueing and thick natural patina, it is so far less than the original I would say it is no more than any other carbon
 
...the blacksmith left a part of his soul to the blade. The sharpener did the same as well as the warrior that owned it and went to battle with it for...
I don't know if I'd call it soul or history but this is pretty much how I feel about it. I've put a lot of myself in some of my pieces. Those are special to me. On the other hand, there are those blades that I want to keep pristine and I am constantly appreciating what the knifemaker put into it. Those are equally special on some level. Some are a combination of both.
 
I like them both! Seasons come and go.

I let my knives build up their patina and whatnot, and every now and again, I refurb them like a nutjob!

I don't really like mirror finishes on anything. My favorite conditions are:
Newer satin finish
or
25 year black patina
 
Cold blueing - please educate me ;)
Cold blueing is a process by which a blade/gunbarrel, is completely cleaned polished, no oils or waxes, and with the metal bright, the chemical is applied - blueing salts - several applications until the metal takes the depth of "Blue-black" the user wishes, the salts are then neutralized and the blueing complete. Think of it like a deep, dark, even patina, like a gun barrel (those usually done by hot blueing) The result is a metal protected by the patina, and slightly more resistant to rust forming. Not sure how this would do in a food environment, saftey speaking.
 
Cold blueing is a process by which a blade/gunbarrel, is completely cleaned polished, no oils or waxes, and with the metal bright, the chemical is applied - blueing salts - several applications until the metal takes the depth of "Blue-black" the user wishes, the salts are then neutralized and the blueing complete. Think of it like a deep, dark, even patina, like a gun barrel (those usually done by hot blueing) The result is a metal protected by the patina, and slightly more resistant to rust forming. Not sure how this would do in a food environment, saftey speaking.

Ahhh, like the Colt's and S&W ... get it ... thanks P.
 
After doing it I'm not sure I'd recommend it based purely on the fact that the selenium(chemical that cases the reaction) smells rather odd. I washed the knife very well and despite the constant smell there was never any transference to food. If I get permission to post attachments I'll put up the photos of the process including smoothing out the rough KU faces of the knife. The blueing did start to rub off after a week when I would wipe the knife and eventually the smell was gone after that its far more rust resistant than before.
 
After doing it I'm not sure I'd recommend it based purely on the fact that the selenium(chemical that cases the reaction) smells rather odd. I washed the knife very well and despite the constant smell there was never any transference to food. If I get permission to post attachments I'll put up the photos of the process including smoothing out the rough KU faces of the knife. The blueing did start to rub off after a week when I would wipe the knife and eventually the smell was gone after that its far more rust resistant than before.

I have heard of this being done before, but have never seen any pics. I am curious. Sarge, you should be able to upload to a third party cache (photobucket etc...)then link from there.
 
Guess I'll have to open me a photobucket account
 
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