Forschner Rosewood

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Lefty

Canada's Sharpest Lefty
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This is very premature, perhaps, but I just received a Forschner Rosewood from Mark R, in about 3 days (insane to Canada). Now, this was purchased as a work knife that can put up with constant abuse and a bunch of guys who eat and cook like mad, but don't exacty care for their knives.
My initial impressions are as follows:

Damn, that's got a sweet little profile!
Man, I hate stainless that looks like stainless, from a mile away.
This is incredibly comfortable in the hand.
The handle is actually strangely attractive.
Decent for push cutting, but an absolute gem for rock chopping!
Why doesn't Victorinox make these out of a good, hard stainless, or better yet something like 1095?

So, needless to say, I'm actually really impressed with the performance to price ratio. There is minor wedging, but come on, Mark hooked me up and I got it for $18! Haha
I think if I had $50 to spend on one knife to get me through a summer at a cottage, or a year at university, this knife would be it. Yes, I just got it today, but man is it ever better than I thought it would be!
 
Wow. $18?! That's a steal! I have one that I lend to people but I'm sure I paid a lot more for it. Absolutely a nice knife for the price. My only complaint is you use it to make a meal and it feels like it needs sharpening again, lol.
 
Why doesn't Victorinox make these out of a good, hard stainless, or better yet something like 1095?

I think they sort of do. They do a forged line that are a lot more expensive than the standard ones, they are made from X50CrMoV15. I don't think I've ever really seen anyone with one of these knives, but is that not the same steel used in the standard line?
 
Tinh, I hear ya, but I'll just touch it up repeatedly. I don't mind :D
I should mention that Mark dug up a used one for me (he used it, so it was very well cared for) and that's why the price was so good. However, he sure didn't need to do it. :)
I'm not really sure what the normal steel is...that's a good question. I just assumed the standard "German steel", or 420/440 type of stuff. Hmm
 
Congratulations! Really great deal on your knife and rosewood handle. Nothing wrong with forschner. Good work knife. Used mine on fishing boats for years. Even noticed butchers at my local stater bros market use them.
 
I'm pretty sure the steel on even the stamped Forschners is X50CrMoV15. I ordered a rosewood handled one some years ago but sent it back. There was a huge gap between the handle and blade, esp. unacceptable with no bolster. I replaced it with a fibrox handled one, which I used for years and like a lot. Still keep it around for "rough" work. You guys will think I'm crazy, but I liked it better than the Zwilling Kramer I got last Dec. (and had to return). It does have edge retention issues, but if you hone it every time, it's acceptable. And the price to value ratio is indeed insane. Cook's Illustrated is a little too infatuated with this knife, but it's all the majority of home cooks really need (and far better than what most are using). I give them as gifts all the time to friends who need better knives but aren't to savvy about upkeep.
 
Forschner rosewood's are, imo, the best knives for non-knifeknuts and for a general bang-around knife they're as tough to beat as the steel their made of.
 
We have a 10-inch Rosewood Chef that has been in use in our kitchen for around 30 years now and a 8-inch Fibrox with maybe 10 years use. I see nothing wrong with their edge holding for normal kitchen work. A few weeks ago somebody here posted his "only" held its edge for a week or so in his kitchen. I would never expect any of my knives, high end Japanese or otherwise, to go more than that before I put them to a stone. Most see some kind of touch up practically every time I use them.
 
I have a Zwilling steel that is well worn, the grooves are pretty soft, and when I steel my old Forschy I use a lot of pressure and burnish the edge, which seems to work harden it. I find that it goes quite a while before needing to hit the stones. I don't use it much these days as there are too many good hard cutters in the kitchen, though!
 
I think they sort of do. They do a forged line that are a lot more expensive than the standard ones, they are made from X50CrMoV15. I don't think I've ever really seen anyone with one of these knives, but is that not the same steel used in the standard line?

The forged aren't produced by Victorinox, but in Solingen, Germany. I would rather expect Victorinox to use for their stamped knives the same steel as with the SAK, which is said to be Sandvik 12C29.
 
The forged aren't produced by Victorinox, but in Solingen, Germany. I would rather expect Victorinox to use for their stamped knives the same steel as with the SAK, which is said to be Sandvik 12C29.
Rein in your expectations. The stamped R. H. Forschner Fibrox and Rosewood series are X50CrMoV15, the same alloy used for the forged series.

BDL
 
This is very premature, perhaps, but I just received a Forschner Rosewood from Mark R, in about 3 days (insane to Canada). Now, this was purchased as a work knife that can put up with constant abuse and a bunch of guys who eat and cook like mad, but don't exacty care for their knives.
My initial impressions are as follows:

Damn, that's got a sweet little profile!
Man, I hate stainless that looks like stainless, from a mile away.
This is incredibly comfortable in the hand.
The handle is actually strangely attractive.
Decent for push cutting, but an absolute gem for rock chopping!
Why doesn't Victorinox make these out of a good, hard stainless, or better yet something like 1095?

So, needless to say, I'm actually really impressed with the performance to price ratio. There is minor wedging, but come on, Mark hooked me up and I got it for $18! Haha
I think if I had $50 to spend on one knife to get me through a summer at a cottage, or a year at university, this knife would be it. Yes, I just got it today, but man is it ever better than I thought it would be!

For what it's worth, and you probably already know this, the edge on the Forschner can be taken down quite a bit. It can get really quite sharp. I'm still playing with how sharp is safe with this steel, but why not experiment. It was $18, right :)
 
Don't try to get a very refined edge. My highest grit is a Chosera 400 or 800 @ 15 degree, then two strokes on leather (rough, "split" side) + Cr2O3 @ 17 degree, DONE. Don't forget to thin a little behind the edge, even when the blade seems thin enough already.
 
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