Where do you put a F.Dick 1905 knife between German knives?

[Kokopelli]

I am in the verge of getting a new German made Chefs knife around 8". I would like to get a forged one from the few currently available brands in Turkey. I already have a Zwilling Five Star 8" Chefs knife with full bolster which has a flatter profile, and a Mercer Genesis half bolster which is Taiwanese. The new chefs knife should have a round belly for ultimate rocking cuts.

Wusthof lines seem to have vanished here. Zilling and F.Dick have rounder profile knives. Zwilling Pro 8" and F.Dick Premier Plus 8" knives are at the same price level, F.Dick 1905 8" knife is slightly (%10-15) higher. F.Dick Premier Plus line has full bolsters so I am reluctant to go that path but would rather have a half bolster 1905 instead.

Many reviews for F.Dick 1905 line claim that it were the cheaper alternative to Zwilling/Wusthof brands but it is the opposite here. Would you still buy a 1905 knife?

 

[M1k3]

I'd personally buy F. Dick and Messermeister/Burgvogel before Wusthof and Zwilling. Which I'd prefer over Mercer.

 

[Qapla']

What M1k3 said.

But why specifically another German knife when you have a Zwilling (and many other German knives and some Japanese knives, if your new-user post is correct) already, though? Have you considered contacting some knife-makers and asking them about making an upgraded version of your region's Turkish knife?

 

[Kokopelli]

I'd personally buy F. Dick and Messermeister/Burgvogel before Wusthof and Zwilling. Which I'd prefer over Mercer.

What M1k3 said.

But why specifically another German knife when you have a Zwilling (and many other German knives and some Japanese knives, if your new-user post is correct) already, though? Have you considered contacting some knife-makers and asking them about making an upgraded version of your region's Turkish knife?

Well, exactly, no specific need in real life. I were watching reviews of 1905 line and realized how pronounced a belly it had. In fact, I am not a rocking cutter, more accustomed to pull cutting with my gyutos and straighter profile knives I already have. I challanged myself to properly learn roll cutting and tought I could get a new knife forcing this.

I have locally built forged 4116 steel chef knives too but they tend to get too thick on the spine, or have bolsters. One artisan brand Krop has a good variety of blade shapes. I reserve my first Krop for a Bunka or a Kiritsuke profile.

 

[Qapla']

In that case, as others have said, F-Dick and Messermeister/Burgvogel will certainly get you a high-quality German knife. If it's the profile alone that you seek, then those will suit your purposes.

However, it seems that your collection has already surpassed what those knives would offer overall. Your currently-extant Miyabi's R2/SG2 steel will be hard to beat for sharpness and edge-retention (though not toughness). And even your Tojiro knife will outperform most 4116 knives of any kind, whether German or Turkish.

If you're absolutely intent on spending the money, then I'll point out:
* If you're open to nonstainless carbon-steels you can buy a Misono Swedish Carbon-Steel knife ($116) for slightly less than the F-Dick 1905 knife ($124.89).
* Or if you seek the bunka profile, you could buy a bunka knife for the same price, e.g. the JCK Blue Clouds ($123).

 

[Kokopelli]

Thank you for your suggestions. I'm not sure with a carbon steel knife yet but I loved JCK Blue Clouds with Aus10. It has additional expenses for delivery and import fees though ( makes it at least 165 USD shipped maybe more with pandemic season additional taxes). I am reserving it for a future date.

F.dick 1905 is 85 USD shipped, Zwilling Pro 75 USD here at the moment. Prices are quite tempting, making them quicker decisions.

 

[demirtasem]

Agreed on Qapla, its time to move on carbon knives my friend. Neither F.Dick or any other local knife gonna give you the satisfaction of a good carbon knife. Especially not a German. If I were you I would save more and get a decent carbon knife, a Swedish or Shirogami #2 as a start. You CAN'T EVEN IMAGINE it's cutting performance. Keep that in mind.

 

[Qapla']

Agreed on Qapla, its time to move on carbon knives my friend. Neither F.Dick or any other local knife gonna give you the satisfaction of a good carbon knife. Especially not a German. If I were you I would save more and get a decent carbon knife, a Swedish or Shirogami #2 as a start. You CAN'T EVEN IMAGINE it's cutting performance. Keep that in mind.

Well, I wasn't saying that a carbon-steel knife is the only way to go. I was more pointing out that he's already got other knives that surpass the capabilities of any F-Dick or other such knives he was looking at. He already has a VG-10 knife (Tojiro) and an R2/SG2 knife (Miyabi), and I'm sure that R2/SG2 will offer him quite serious cutting performance.

 

[M1k3]

Agreed on Qapla, its time to move on carbon knives my friend. Neither F.Dick or any other local knife gonna give you the satisfaction of a good carbon knife. Especially not a German. If I were you I would save more and get a decent carbon knife, a Swedish or Shirogami #2 as a start. You CAN'T EVEN IMAGINE it's cutting performance. Keep that in mind.

Well, I wasn't saying that a carbon-steel knife is the only way to go. I was more pointing out that he's already got other knives that surpass the capabilities of any F-Dick or other such knives he was looking at. He already has a VG-10 knife (Tojiro) and an R2/SG2 knife (Miyabi), and I'm sure that R2/SG2 will offer him quite serious cutting performance.

Steel type (within reason) DOES NOT equate to cutting performance. Crap grind is crap grind, period.

 

[demirtasem]

Yea don't get me wrong, what I was thinking is what may be better than a SG-2 or VG-10 with affordable prices (and a satisfactory usage) probably would be a carbon knife.



Edit: That's my opinion of course, I may be wrong. I don't want to compare apple and orange.

 

[Kokopelli]

Thanks a lot for the further recommendations. I think I can try a Misono Carbon Knife for a different taste than I already have. The thinness of carbon blades are tempting. I could find some 1067 steel carbon gyutos locally, rated at 58-59 HRC. But for an unknown artisan hardening ratings and grinds are usually hit or miss.

F.Dick vs Zwilling comparison seemed to have seetled on F.Dick > Zwilling and with the reasonable pricing they had here that I wouldn't want to miss, I ordered a 8" 1905 for its thinner profile blade and finer detailing. F.Dick seem to have aimed honing steel users, as they say they are hardening steel to 60 HRC and tempering down to 55 HRC, so I don't expect anything near a VG10 edge retention performance but still thought I'd appreciate a good German manufacture.

 

[rickbern]

I have a 25 year old wusthoff chef knife. Back then, it had a very similar profile to a Sabatier, they marketed it as a 10" french chef's knife.

After I got into sharpening, I decided to thin the knife. It actually responded pretty well to thinning, and became quite a decent knife (years of sharpening by "professionals" had kind of destroyed it, not to mention the bent tip I had to fix).

Your experience may differ, new knives may be different, but my takeaway from this, if you get a German knife, be prepared to put some work into it to get it to perform the way you want it to. And toss that steel, maintain it on stones.

 

[inferno]

globals have also been measured at 55 hrc.

 

[rickbern]

Also, I "think" those Misono carbons are really reactive, although I've never used one. I like carbon knives that are clad with stainless, very easy to maintain, as long as you keep wiping it dry, it's not really that different from a maintenance point of view than a stainless knife, but much better of a cutter. Not sure that's the case with that misono.

Somebody with more relevant experience than me might comment.

 

[Carl Kotte]

My Misono Swedish steel is far from super reactive. You have to wipe it, but it’s not crazy in any sense (say like my Mazaki iron clad).

 

[Kokopelli]

I apologize that I missed to update the thread.

My Fdick 1905 8" Chefs Knife arrived a while ago. It is a well balanced, well manufactured knife indeed. The belly is rounder than the most of my knives. Half bolster is well ground, not half but a tapered bolster in fact. Feels full to your hand, but finer on the edge like a half bolster. Spine is ground round like Miyabi's. Not quite thick like Zwillings or other German knives I had. It is a German profile knife but with a different approach so I'm quite happy to have chosen something other than Zwillings. Thank you for your recommendations.