Forgecraft 10" chef's knife

[deltaplex]

I don't know that photos are going to capture it correctly as it is right now. Think of it as drawing a line down from ~where the roll marks end and everything in front of that you're grinding into a flat plane back to that line (in three dimensions). This is a Cai Dao, but the concept is the same and I think the image is helpful:

 

[demirtasem]

It’s been some time since I worked with them but I tried different approaches on them.

If I give them numbers from top to bottom (top 1-bottom-5) number 2, 4 and 5 have thin tips. 1 and 3, I didn’t touch the tip much. I can check the heel part again but some I left chunkier, some I left thin too for different purposes.

For No #4, I used tape over roll lines and used sandpaper to start with and followed with whetstones. I made small pieces of sandpaper and by using my index finger and thumb I sanded blade road. Then continued with whetstone to blend with the rest as deltaplex did. This method may not be perfect and may leave some over/under parts but worked well on me.

I wasn’t really careful on no#5 and thinned it only using whetstones. As you can see the roll line disappears mostly on tip part but didn't look terrible as I expected.

I’m happy with the performance on tip work and think it’s worthy but if you concerned on cosmetic details unlike me, I’d say use the sides of the whetstones to leave the roll part out of it.

Hope it helps.

 

[Mr.Wizard]

I tried to apply the advice above while raising the shoulder near the tip to thin it a bit. I am taking it slowly and more may be needed. I also played with light catching different aspects of the grind scratches, mine and the original. All four of these are of the knife in the same condition with only lighting and background altered.

 

[Mr.Wizard]

I zeroed the edge, then bevel sharpened to 13 dps. I have never taken a Forgecraft this thin before so it will be interesting to see how it holds up.

As suspected the steel is not up to that and the edge rolled from percussive chopping. I'll work my way up until to is stable, starting with a #8000 micro bevel at 15° per side.

 

[stringer]

I rarely thin anything on a vintage knife except the tip. A little behind the edge in the middle. Don't even look at the heel. Too big of a risk of making it too thin or creating an accordion hole in the edge for too little reward.

 

[Mr.Wizard]

By accordion hole I think you mean depressions in the edge resulting in lack of board contact and incomplete cuts. Working on junk knives I am quite familiar with fixing these and they don't frighten me.

 

[stringer]

By accordion hole I think you mean depressions in the edge resulting in lack of board contact and incomplete cuts. Working on junk knives I am quite familiar with fixing these and they don't frighten me.

They don't frighten me. I just don't want to risk creating one for no reason. If you have to fix it you will lose knife height. And there are no performance gains from thinning the heel of a 10" knife. Except vanity choil shots and carrot crack videos.

 

[Mr.Wizard]

And there are no performance gains from thinning the heel of a 10" knife. Except vanity choil shots and carrot crack videos.

I thought about this as I was working on a different knife today. I find it easier to work all the way to the heel as stopping short of it is more likely to make a hole as is so often seen on knives with full height bolsters. Careful pressure control could avoid that but it seems like extra work, not less. I know some keep the heel thick for heavy duty cracking and splitting but if that isn't desired is there a downside?

 

[deltaplex]

String is arguing that there's some risk in thinning it, so there's no reason to run that risk because the knife is perfectly functional (some would say improved) by having a robust heel. I think you're fine thinning it from tip to heel, just that you're changing the basic grind geometry that it came with, but you're already doing that on the rest of the length anyway.

 

[Keithpaints]

Nice thinning job.

I bought my first 10"
Couple years ago. They are overpriced for what they are. Got decent price on older model. Sanded crud off handle was Lucky no gaps.

I like the boning knives you can still get dirt cheap. Straight stiff work well. Better than many new boning knives with wonky geometry.

Thinned the 10" as soon as got it. I tend to thin tips of knives certainly the forgecraft needed thinning to cut better.

Interested in how yours cuts & hold up looks like it has potential. Never seen one thinned behind edge as much as yours.

 

[Keithpaints]

Just read first page, yes micro bevel will give it stronger edge & also help keep a even blade road over time.

 

[Mr.Wizard]

@Keithpaints The boning knife is good. I've had a few and I was sure to keep one. The butcher's knife is good too and I don't see that profile too often. If you haven't had one I suggest it. The slicer gets less use but like the boning knife sometimes I want the robustness of an untapered monosteel blade under 60 HRC.

 

[Keithpaints]

People get caught up on high hrc. Sure it's good for edge retention thin edges as long as meat without bone, fruits & most vegetables. I use a 56hrc carbon K Sab as my beater blade it has served me well
even splitting small lobster tails.

No stranger to softer carbon bone cleavers. Would make platters of ginger chicken for banquets. Two chickens a platter. At first used stainless Chinese cleaver. Needed to sharpen it all the time. Switched to CCK carbon Kau Kong Chopper hrc in the 50's. Better grind than stainless easier to sharpen. Front loaded to plow through chicken thigh bones.

 

[stringer]

I thought about this as I was working on a different knife today. I find it easier to work all the way to the heel as stopping short of it is more likely to make a hole as is so often seen on knives with full height bolsters. Careful pressure control could avoid that but it seems like extra work, not less. I know some keep the heel thick for heavy duty cracking and splitting but if that isn't desired is there a downside?

I avoid doing any thinning on the heel third of the knife because I have put holes in the edge doing so. Specifically with 2 or 3 Forgecraft 10" chef knives. Chasing the hole trying to get rid of it cost me several mm's of knife height each time. And I find no practical benefit to thinning the heel. It only has downsides. No performance benefit for any way that I use a knife. And a thin heel is more easily damaged especially when dealing with soft vintage steel. YMMV. IME. Etc.

 

[Keithpaints]

I avoid doing any thinning on the heel third of the knife because I have put holes in the edge doing so. Specifically with 2 or 3 Forgecraft 10" chef knives. Chasing the hole trying to get rid of it cost me several mm's of knife height each time. And I find no practical benefit to thinning the heel. It only has downsides. No performance benefit for any way that I use a knife. And a thin heel is more easily damaged especially when dealing with soft vintage steel. YMMV. IME. Etc.

I used to have to split plenty lobsters in half for banquets. Was using a Takagi Beefy Honyaki got Japan woodworker for 250.00 he was a tool maker his blade worked well for the job.

I went to Chinatown CCK carbon cleavers much cheaper than online. Asked for best cleaver for splitting lobsters. They gave me one. Told me that Lobster King Chinese place used that particular cleaver for thousands of lobsters. It was thicker grind at the heel
thinner toward the tip. Forget the #. Perfect spitter, claw cracker, leg shaver.
Used it till retired donated it to person who would take my job. 50's hrc.

 

[aporigine]

I used to have to split plenty lobsters in half for banquets. Was using a Takagi Beefy Honyaki got Japan woodworker for 250.00 he was a tool maker his blade worked well for the job.

I went to Chinatown CCK carbon cleavers much cheaper than online. Asked for best cleaver for splitting lobsters. They gave me one. Told me that Lobster King Chinese place used that particular cleaver for thousands of lobsters. It was thicker grind at the heel
thinner toward the tip. Forget the #. Perfect spitter, claw cracker, leg shaver.
Used it till retired donated it to person who would take my job. 50's hrc.

I have one of those Takagi. Subjected it to the thinning job from hell. Woodworking belt sander, nough said.

But oh my I don’t have anything that takes a keener edge.

 

[Keithpaints]

Yes the grind was thick & very flat edge profile like a long santoku. But a great hunk of steel.