General knife talk

I just had one of these sent to me yesterday, they want me to become a "brand ambassador" for it on YouTube which obviously translates to promoting it. Although it came really nicely boxed,etc...it is made in China and seems to fall in to the reasonably priced category. Definitely not top end, but not ultra el cheapo either. Will give it a try, and don't worry, if I do decide to work with them I promise not to come on here flogging them. Haha...

87057
 
I just had one of these sent to me yesterday, they want me to become a "brand ambassador" for it on YouTube which obviously translates to promoting it. Although it came really nicely boxed,etc...it is made in China and seems to fall in to the reasonably priced category. Definitely not top end, but not ultra el cheapo either. Will give it a try, and don't worry, if I do decide to work with them I promise not to come on here flogging them. Haha...

View attachment 87057
That's pretty cool man! If you do a review, post the video here. Of course any knife can be sharp, the real tests are how well it holds that edge, how well it takes to re-sharpening, and the ergonomics in hand. The fancy name brand knives are sometimes so overpriced when you can accomplish the same results with budget options.
 
That's pretty cool man! If you do a review, post the video here. Of course any knife can be sharp, the real tests are how well it holds that edge, how well it takes to re-sharpening, and the ergonomics in hand. The fancy name brand knives are sometimes so overpriced when you can accomplish the same results with budget options.
I'm definitely no knife expert, but have been reading a bit more lately on the topic. One thing I read recently (can't remember the source though) claimed most chefs wouldn't dream of using their top shelf knives in a commercial kitchen, but use much cheaper alternatives due to the knocks and rough treatment they get in such an environment.
 
Most commercial kitchens use rental service knives..They have plastic handles which are dishwasher safe and are used for many other things at times..Swap them out every two weeks
 
I'm definitely no knife expert, but have been reading a bit more lately on the topic. One thing I read recently (can't remember the source though) claimed most chefs wouldn't dream of using their top shelf knives in a commercial kitchen, but use much cheaper alternatives due to the knocks and rough treatment they get in such an environment.
I would have to disagree with that source. The chefs I've known over the years fall into 2 basic categories when it comes to knives. Either they really don't care what kind of chefs knife they use as long as it's a sharp knife and RL mentions the rentals that get turned over every 2 weeks and the other who invest in personal knives and either have them professionally sharpened when needed or they sharpen them themselves. The chefs I know and have known that own their own knives would never leave their 900 lb gorilla in a drawer at home and would be used every single day taking care of business proudly, it's the ultimate expression as a chef and makes no sense to keep a tool like that in a box at home. imo Are there exceptions to the rule, I'm sure there are.
 
These are mine.

87107


The bottom 2 knives I've known all my life, literally. I know they were my Grandmother's before that so they are old, and if you look closely at the shape of the cutting edge of the knife you'll see exactly how old. My Grannie said that they came to her at the end of WWII. I don't know if they were new then or not. I think they were a wedding present but the history is long lost now.

The top knife and the 2 oldies are my go to knives. Hubby is trying to get me to stop using the old ones but I still prefer them for lots of little things. They are so sharp and hold their edge so very well (not that there is an issue with the others, but these 2 are friends). Plus they just feel so good to hold.

We don't often buy them. It's been 1 knife every couple of years since moving to Australia. The latest (3rd down) was a birthday present for me last year.

My old set (Global) went to my brother when he was still a chef after we left to cycle around the world. I took the 2 small ones with us along with a couple of outdoor knives.
 
That's pretty cool man! If you do a review, post the video here. Of course any knife can be sharp, the real tests are how well it holds that edge, how well it takes to re-sharpening, and the ergonomics in hand. The fancy name brand knives are sometimes so overpriced when you can accomplish the same results with budget options.
That is why all my fillet knives are Forschners! Mostly from the bargin bin, that have been reground.
 
Of course any knife can be sharp, the real tests are how well it holds that edge, how well it takes to re-sharpening, and the ergonomics in hand. The fancy name brand knives are sometimes so overpriced when you can accomplish the same results with budget options.
Do you know much about off-set sharpening? The knife I've been sent has it, so it's 18 degree one edge, and 12 degree the other. They claim that off-set sharpening performs better, and the sharpness is longer lasting. I have no idea if that's true or not, or what difficulties that may cause when it does come to re-sharpening.
 
Do you know much about off-set sharpening? The knife I've been sent has it, so it's 18 degree one edge, and 12 degree the other. They claim that off-set sharpening performs better, and the sharpness is longer lasting. I have no idea if that's true or not, or what difficulties that may cause when it does come to re-sharpening.
Hopefully you don't mind this critique MC.

The edge and angle of the blade is basically determined by it's intended utility. Western knives are double bevel knives or at least I've never seen a single bevel one. Some Japanese knives are also double bevel but the single edge is common and popular for it's sharpness and accuracy. The actual steel in this knife is good and has a rockwell hardness in the high 50's, which is where most quality knives fall, but being stainless instead of carbon will make it hard to sharpen and the harder the steel the more brittle it is, so knife manufacturers need to keep that in mind.

The offset bevel to said to be sharper than an equal grind double bevel and it attempts to mimic a single bevel knife with a 70/30 variance or there about. While the steeper the angle the sharper the edge will be, we must try to keep it's utility in context for the job at hand, which is basically slicing and dicing. This knife would need to go to a professional knife sharpener to maintain the angle in a jig because no person that sharpens by hand can maintain that edge and I suspect if they were given this knife to sharpen the customer would end up with both sides equally ground. For all intents and purposes this 18/12 grind has no real application for home imo.

The knife itself, while looking modern and having unique design details it's more of a marketing exercise and considering Vosteed is a newly formed company (2021) this makes perfect sense, especially coming out of China where they make a marketed attempt to copy and improve existing products and this is where the compound edge falls into line with that philosophy.

The reason I say this is, when I look at the overall design this improvement philosophy is everywhere. The handle for example takes it's influence from the west but instead of a contour that contracts closer to the blade that's been tweaked over time for ergonomics actually is bigger closer to the blade as well the handle has 4 sharp 90 degree edges making it somewhat boxy, which when handling a knife can make it rather uncomfortable when moving to different grips and why Japanese knives are often seen round, oval or have 6 or 8 sides. The metal end cap which is seen more lately but rarely in general can be used to crush things like shells and garlic but on this knife it has a deep V design which would make that operation more difficult. The different metal near the edge of the blade is to mimic what a Damascus blade might look like but this does not use that technique. In other words what we have here are people that have a limited knowledge of knife making or are trying to capitalize on a growing chef knives market and trying to find a way to differentiate their product.

Saying all that means nothing to the average consumer but I just though I'd let you know my opinion on it. Vosteed uses quality materials for the price and I would say they're really good value and I suspect with their design language they could be a popular brand. Cheers
 
Last edited:
Hopefully you don't mind this critique MC.

The edge and angle of the blade is basically determined by it's intended utility. Western knives are double bevel knives or at least I've never seen a single bevel one. Some Japanese knives are also double bevel but the single edge is common and popular for it's sharpness and accuracy. The actual steel in this knife is good and has a rockwell hardness in the high 50's, which is where most quality knives fall, but being stainless instead of carbon will make it hard to sharpen and the harder the steel the more brittle it is, so knife manufacturers need to keep that in mind.

The offset bevel to said to be sharper than an equal grind double bevel and it attempts to mimic a single bevel knife with a 70/30 variance or there about. While the steeper the angle the sharper the edge will be, we must try to keep it's utility in context for the job at hand, which is basically slicing and dicing. This knife would need to go to a professional knife sharpener to maintain the angle in a jig because no person that sharpens by hand can maintain that edge and I suspect if they were given this knife to sharpen the customer would end up with both sides equally ground. For all intents and purposes this 18/12 grind has no real application for home imo.

The knife itself, while looking modern and having unique design details it's more of a marketing exercise and considering Vosteed is a newly formed company (2021) this makes perfect sense, especially coming out of China where they make a marketed attempt to copy and improve existing products and this is where the compound edge falls into line with that philosophy.

The reason I say this is, when I look at the overall design this improvement philosophy is everywhere. The handle for example takes it's influence from the west but instead of a contour that contracts closer to the blade that's been tweaked over time for ergonomics actually is bigger closer to the blade as well the handle has 4 sharp 90 degree edges making it somewhat boxy, which when handling a knife can make it rather uncomfortable when moving to different grips and why Japanese knives are often seen round, oval or have 6 or 8 sides. The metal end cap which is seen more lately but rarely in general can be used to crush things like shells and garlic but on this knife it has a deep V design which would make that operation more difficult. The different metal near the edge of the blade is to mimic what a Damascus blade might look like but this does not use that technique. In other words what we have here are people that have a limited knowledge of knife making or are trying to capitalize on a growing chef knives market and trying to find a way to differentiate their product.

Saying all that means nothing to the average consumer but I just though I'd let you know my opinion on it. Vosteed uses quality materials for the price and I would say they're really good value and I suspect with their design language they could be a popular brand. Cheers
Awesome post mate, appreciate it.
 
Regarding unusual knives, I'm hoping someone can shed some light on this one. I found it in my youngest daughter's garden when I was cutting the grass. It was tucked away in the grass at the base of the front wall, next to the pavement. There is a pub and restaurant next door to her house and several cafes near by. It has a quality feel about it but no markings to indicate if it is a professional one or just home made. Any ideas will be most welcome.
88730
 
Regarding unusual knives, I'm hoping someone can shed some light on this one. I found it in my youngest daughter's garden when I was cutting the grass. It was tucked away in the grass at the base of the front wall, next to the pavement. There is a pub and restaurant next door to her house and several cafes near by. It has a quality feel about it but no markings to indicate if it is a professional one or just home made. Any ideas will be most welcome.View attachment 88730

Curious. Are those 'holes' in the blade?
 
Curious. Are those 'holes' in the blade?
Do you mean in the handle? They're definitely 3 bigger rivets attaching the tang firmly to the scale (handle). The others are either a) rough and ready rivets rather than well made to be honest. They should be flat to the handle to make a smooth joint. Or b) holes as you suggest.
 
Back
Top Bottom