Listing # 42

[RaVis]

https://www.evernote.com/shard/s38/...noteGuid=99d295ce-676f-47b2-98ff-d5e53f0e63ee

$32K for a kitchen knife?

 

[steves1911]

What in the hell makes that thing so special. I've seen plenty of custom damascus knives sell for about 31.5k cheaper. Is it th knife oj used or something?

 

[RaVis]

I'm not sure. I read on where I got that link from that it's the process of making that damascus blade that caused such a high bid price. It confuses me because, as I understand it, the technique for how ancient damascus blades were made is lost.

 

[steves1911]

I jusy can't fathom someone spending that much money on a knife to chop onions with. Apparently I'm in the wrong line of work.

 

[RaVis]

I jusy can't fathom someone spending that much money on a knife to chop onions with. Apparently I'm in the wrong line of work.

The only chopping this knife will likely do is when dust particles fall on its edge while hanging on a wall.

Check out Blade Brothers in the Discovery channel to see the "reality" behind your true calling.

 

[Mt Airy]

unbelievable !!

 

[NickZac]

Cooking with class! :8

I've been looking for something to match my 24k gold plated microwave and my platinum SubZero fridge

 

[CosmicP25]

Neeman's looks better, or rather AUTINE.

http://www.youtube.com/#/watch?v=J3nojb-gFH4&desktop_uri=/watch?v=J3nojb-gFH4

 

[Bob A]

That's some seriously difficult patterning in the blade's Damascus steel. I've seen stuff I like better for a price in the middle four figures, though.

The patterned Damascus process is obviously not lost; blademakers have been churning out interesting steel for quite a while. But what does seem to elude steelmakers is the exact process of making Wootz steel. There are still ingots of it available from India, and blades were made of it through the end of the 19th century, if I'm not mistaken. (And I often am). This wootz stuff seems to have inclusions of carbide crystals, and no one seems to understand quite how to replicate the stuff - or at least, they hadn't the last time I looked into it.

I've looked at a lot of interesting blades at Oriental-Arms dot com. Even bought a few over the years. Not everyone's cuppa tea, but I like old edged weapons from strange lands.

 

[RaVis]

The patterned Damascus process is obviously not lost; blademakers have been churning out interesting steel for quite a while. But what does seem to elude steelmakers is the exact process of making Wootz steel. There are still ingots of it available from India, and blades were made of it through the end of the 19th century, if I'm not mistaken. (And I often am). This wootz stuff seems to have inclusions of carbide crystals, and no one seems to understand quite how to replicate the stuff - or at least, they hadn't the last time I looked into it.

Thank you for clarifying and underlining the distinction of the wootz damascus steel in what I was describing as a "lost art". If I remember correctly, it was something in how the carbide crystals seeped from the steel during tempering that made the pattern on the blade. But, more importantly, the strength and ruggedness it gave the blade.

 

[casualmadness]

My friend's wife is a chef. She said that it's not uncommon at all for chef's at higher end restaurants to have knives that are $10,000 and up. She said the head chef at the place she works in now has probably $60k-$70k in knives. Personally I think it's ridiculous but her attitude is, "it's no different than a high end mechanic having $100K or more wrapped up in tools."

 

[RaVis]

My friend's wife is a chef. She said that it's not uncommon at all for chef's at higher end restaurants to have knives that are $10,000 and up. She said the head chef at the place she works in now has probably $60k-$70k in knives. Personally I think it's ridiculous but her attitude is, "it's no different than a high end mechanic having $100K or more wrapped up in tools."

An interesting justification. Knives cut - that's it.

A professional mechanic's tools will disassemble and reassemble an entire automobile. In addition, the multitude of other things these tools can be used for.

Bit of a difference there.

 

[casualmadness]

An interesting justification. Knives cut - that's it.

A professional mechanic's tools will disassemble and reassemble an entire automobile. In addition, the multitude of other things these tools can be used for.

Bit of a difference there.

Yeah but there are multiple types of knives in a chef's tool kit. And much like a mechanic's tool kit; there are different tools for different jobs. Not all knives are meant solely for cutting. Some do different things and some cut in ways that others can't. I'm not trying to justify a $32K knife-I had trouble forking over $200 for my first Benchmade. But to suggest it's reasonable for a mechanic to spend thousands on tools and to scoff at a chef spending thousands on tools is a bit short sighted...IMHO.

 

[RaVis]

Yeah but there are multiple types of knives in a chef's tool kit. And much like a mechanic's tool kit; there are different tools for different jobs. Not all knives are meant solely for cutting. Some do different things and some cut in ways that others can't. I'm not trying to justify a $32K knife-I had trouble forking over $200 for my first Benchmade. But to suggest it's reasonable for a mechanic to spend thousands on tools and to scoff at a chef spending thousands on tools is a bit short sighted...IMHO.

I'm not scoffing at the chef's choice to spend his/her money in whatever way she/he wants.

I just looked over the "Chef's & Santoku Knives" section on Williams-Sonoma site. I didn't find a knife on there that was designed for something other than cutting. Not to say professionals don't adapt knives for additional jobs. Variety of knives for cutting different materials, sure. I've watched enough of the cooking shows to realize that. Agreed, in a professional setting a smaller knife will do a particular job better than a bigger knife and vice-versa depending on the situation. But, even a 20-piece Wusthof set is on sale for less than $1K. I also noticed that a knife of good quality by a known brand in its basic form of satin finished steel with black handle costs X and the same knife available with other aesthetic embellishments costs 5 times the X. Justification may in reality be splurging. If the chef's tool kit includes appliances other than knives then, sure, I can easily see a high class career chef's kit costing that much.

You might be right, though, my short sightedness may be due to the fact that I remember how my mom and grandmothers - who are/were exceptional cooks - had that one favorite knife that they used for everything.

 

[Bob A]

Chef Knives To Go - everything you need for a professional kitchen. Appears the Japanese style has developed a following.

http://www.chefknivestogo.com/

 

[Rickman]

Here is a video of Kramer. I thought it was kind of interesting:

http://www.wimp.com/incredibleknives/


Would never pay anything near that though, I don't care how interesting or good.

 

[RaVis]

Here is a video of Kramer. I thought it was kind of interesting:

http://www.wimp.com/incredibleknives/


Would never pay anything near that though, I don't care how interesting or good.

Awesome video.

Thanks!

 

[Mt Airy]

now that was worth watching .
thanks

 

[circleshooter]

That's a gorgeous knife, but damn that's expensive. However I suspect part of the price reflects that a portion of the sale was for charity.

 

[nomo613]

Here is a video of Kramer. I thought it was kind of interesting:

http://www.wimp.com/incredibleknives/


Would never pay anything near that though, I don't care how interesting or good.

i have to say i have never seen a knife do that...... that is a serious torture test.

i have to say, once i joined the gun world i stopped questioning others hobbies. if i can justify spending an obscene amount on a 1911 if i had the money, and i assume a master chef can justify a kramer knife. i guess in the gun world the equivalent to that knife would be a pricey shotgun. some of those can hit the six digits.

"for those who understand it no explanation is neccesary. for those who dont, know explanation will suffice" (or something like that...)