Bitchin’ Kitchen Blade Finds

[SgtTowser]

Don’t find a lot of good kitchen steel in thrift stores, but I found a sweet Sabatier cleaver and serrated Jean Dubost  Pradel Le Toucan with a very interesting, asymmetric ellipsoid  handle profile.

Sabatier cleaver lower...serrated Le Toucan upper.

And heel of Le Toucan revealing unusual handle profile on Le Toucan. I like this profile and would like to see it on a folding knife.

[Alan K.]

Very good find.
I'd love to see some quality kitchen knives in a thrift store one of these days.

[Sea Monster]

That handle is pretty common on a lot of japanese kitchen knives, so if you like it, it's available.

Not sure about folders....

[SgtTowser]

That handle is pretty common on a lot of japanese kitchen knives, so if you like it, it's available.

Not sure about folders....

Thx for heads up on the handle. It’s quite comfy in my right paw, despite how subtle the shaping is. My problem is I’m a lefty and it would be much better the other way. Do the make em for wrong paws?

[SgtTowser]

10-12 years back I shocked my gourmet cooking pals  by buying one of Ron Popeil’s rotisserie cookers and raving about how much I loved it.

I love to buy USDA Prime Beef Loins from COSTCO, cut them in halves or thirds, freeze some and let the unfrozen portion sit on the counter for a day, stick on the twin skewers, season with my favorite steak rub, and in 40 minutes stab a meat thermometer and take it out when it’s rare, slip it off the skewers and let it rest 5 minutes. I’m a pretty fair grill cook that grew up on Kansas City barbecue techniques and Ozark hard woods, and in old age has grown to love a blend of California white oak and a bit of mesquite on my outdoor grill these days. 

But just between us i actually prefer loins on the rotisserie without smoke and light on the seasoning, because it lets the flavor of the beef be king, instead of the smoke and searing and heavy seasoning.

So what has this to do with kitchen knife finds?  These wonderful,rare, rested beef loins benefit from a really sharp knife cutting off half inch thick slices without any mangling. So I am always on the lookout .
for slices knives.

For along time I liked  big STABBY, manly man knives that looked like they could both baton petrified wood AND bring down a charging rhino in one stab.

But then I remembered my folks carving turkey breasts with those long, round tipped, sliced, paper thin blade knives.

So:  I found and tried an old Case carving knife with quarter moon serrations that seemed right, but it just did not do the job I was hoping for. Probably a bread knife, or a mission specific Turkey cutter. Who knows?

Recently I found the knife pictured. It is a Robeson Shur-Edge “Frozen Heat” knife. It is like having a cross between a Stradivarius bow and a loooong razor..

I saw with it, but let the blade do ALL the work. It falls through the beef. I doubt it was meant for cutting loins but IT CUTS LOINS!!!!

I love this knife. I like Santoku blades but I LOVE this knife! 

[Sea Monster]

you probably won't find one for cheap at a swap meet...but I use a shun brisket knife.


https://shun.kaiusa.com/classic-hollow-ground-brisket-12.html


You might more accurately call it a shortsword.....

[SgtTowser]

you probably won't find one for cheap at a swap meet...but I use a shun brisket knife.


https://shun.kaiusa.com/classic-hollow-ground-brisket-12.html


You might more accurately call it a shortsword.....

Now that is outstanding! Burglars better stay out of your kitchen when you’re cooking!!!!

Thanks for the tip. I clicked on the link and they are temporarily out of stock. That is probably a good sign for my pocket book!!

Does Kai make any of these in Oregon, or are they made in Japan by by men with San Mai steel holding off Ran!!!!

Yes, I am an old Kurosawa fan. 😀

[Ray S]

Now that is outstanding! Burglars better stay out of your kitchen when you’re cooking!!!!

Thanks for the tip. I clicked on the link and they are temporarily out of stock. That is probably a good sign for my pocket book!!

Does Kai make any of these in Oregon, or are they made in Japan by by men with San Mai steel holding off Ran!!!!

Yes, I am an old Kurosawa fan. 😀

This one came into my possession a couple weeks ago. Found it in the back room of a resale store owned by a friend of mine.Cleaned up nicely and took a razor edge. Haven't had a chance to use it yet as I didn't have anything large to slice up.For $2 I wasn't going to leave it there. I guess I can never get entirely away from buying knives even though my accumulation has been sold.And yes the blade is fourteen inches long.

[kwakster]

Vintage NAAFI military large carving knife made by English manufacturer Joseph Rodgers & Sons.
Reprofiled and sharpened to a frighteningly sharp toothy edge complete with a new swedged tip on the Tormek wet sharpener, but left the patina on the blade intact.

Specs:

Overall length: 42,3 cm
Blade length: 28,0 cm
Maximum blade thickness: 2.5 mm
Steel type: most likely crucible steel
Sharpening angle: ~30 degrees inclusive
Handle material: black plastic or hard rubber

[SgtTowser]

Vintage NAAFI military large carving knife made by English manufacturer Joseph Rodgers & Sons.
Reprofiled and sharpened to a frighteningly sharp toothy edge complete with a new swedged tip on the Tormek wet sharpener, but left the patina on the blade intact.

Specs:

Overall length: 42,3 cm
Blade length: 28,0 cm
Maximum blade thickness: 2.5 mm
Steel type: most likely crucible steel
Sharpening angle: ~30 degrees inclusive
Handle material: black plastic or hard rubber

The Rogers = NICE find!

[SgtTowser]

The Rogers = NICE find!

A BRITISH military carving knife...smashing!!! 

[SgtTowser]

This one came into my possession a couple weeks ago. Found it in the back room of a resale store owned by a friend of mine.Cleaned up nicely and took a razor edge. Haven't had a chance to use it yet as I didn't have anything large to slice up.For $2 I wasn't going to leave it there. I guess I can never get entirely away from buying knives even though my accumulation has been sold.And yes the blade is fourteen inches long.

A 14 inch Kai cut!! No prime rib could resist it!

[Echotech]

Vintage NAAFI military large carving knife made by English manufacturer Joseph Rodgers & Sons.
Reprofiled and sharpened to a frighteningly sharp toothy edge complete with a new swedged tip on the Tormek wet sharpener, but left the patina on the blade intact.

Specs:

Overall length: 42,3 cm
Blade length: 28,0 cm
Maximum blade thickness: 2.5 mm
Steel type: most likely crucible steel
Sharpening angle: ~30 degrees inclusive
Handle material: black plastic or hard rubber

That’s quite a knife

My Grandad was in the British NAAFI in the 1930’s having left his regiment to be close to my French Grandmother who lived in Palestine at the time.
When I left school I went into logistics and supplies for the next 25 years as it had always interested me.

Thanks for the info kwakster
I kept Indian runner ducks for quite a few years, are you a duck lover hence the name?

[kwakster]

I do indeed like ducks, both as live animals and on my dinner plate, 
But my forum name has nothing to do with ducks.

[Alan K.]

A friend gave me this after he bought a lighter cleaver for himself.  I was actually looking for a heavy cleaver so it worked out well for me.  It's raindrop Damascus with a Linen Micarta handle and it came with the leather sheath too.

[SgtTowser]

A friend gave me this after he bought a lighter cleaver for himself.  I was actually looking for a heavy cleaver so it worked out well for me.  It's raindrop Damascus with a Linen Micarta handle and it came with the leather sheath too.

Damn keep your fingers out of the way with that one.

Looks like it comes down with some authority.

Rib racks watch out!

Nice.