General knife question

[tonydahose]

hey guys i am trying to decide on my first custom knife, a kitchen one because i use those the most... A hand rub finish is like pretty self explanatory, it is very time consuming and produces a more mirror like finish, very little if any grind lines are visible. A belt finish would look more like my tom grind flat grind ZDP endura vs the endura G10 but i think the hand rub would be much more mirror like than that, right? (pic below) i think i have those figured out, what i was confused about was the cutting abilities of each. as long as you have the edge sharpened up well on the sharpmaker for example wouldnt the knives pretty much cut the same? so thats the question ...what would be the cutting difference between these two finishes?
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v680/tonydahose/100_3676.jpg

[Manix Guy 2]

Sorry Tony , out of my area , only in folders . Regards MG2

[swingshot]

as long as you have the edge sharpened up well on the sharpmaker for example wouldnt the knives pretty much cut the same??


You pretty much answered your own question. The difference in cutting ability between a blade with a medium grit hand rubbed finish and a fine grit finish is
going to be very small.

A medium grit finish will probably hide small marks easier, kind of like a stonewash finish, but a high polish finish may mean it's a little easier to keep the blade clean and prevent rust

[swingshot]

..........

[Shike]

Hi Tony!

As a former knifemaker I might be able to answer that. The difference in cutting ability would be nill. All else being equal a finer finished surface might be a bit more stain resistant. Kitchen knves are used very hard but on a custom collectable a mirror finish or a satin finish might be easier to refurbish than a fine hand rubbed finish.
The grind lines are less noticable on a hand rubbed finish because they are usually finer. My favorite finish on a truly fine high $ custom blade is an almost mirror hand rubbed finish. It takes a lot of elbow grease and know how but it speaks quality;)
If folks here are interested I would be glad to explain how this finish is attained but perhaps in another thread.
What maker are you looking into?

Shike

[tonydahose]

i sent you a PM. since i was talking with the maker in PM i don't think it be right to quote him in here w/o his approval. i figure since we have so much knowledge about knives on here, i have a few more questions about my perfect kitchen knife. i love my :spyder: santoku so thats the type of knife i want, just making it better for me. i was thinking of having a completely flat edge, no upturn to it near the end. also i was thinking of having some gratons, a thicker spine.... maybe an 1/8" thick(i like a heavier knife and i am just cooking for my family so i shouldnt get fatigued like a chef would..well more like the guy prepping for the chef lol) what do you guys think of my ideas? any pros or cons to them is appreciated.

[Shike]

Roger that. Sounds like a fine idea! I am sure he will do a super job!

Regards

Shike

[butch]

it is posable to do what i would call a high belt finish
that would be me taking the blade up to a A65 -45 gator belt then usign a cork belt with green buffing compound to "shine things up"
so far as the cut nope you will not see much a difference in the blade finish what you will maybe notice is that the hight the finish the more some foods will stick to the side of the blade
potatoes are a big one but they will stick to even the "groton edge"
speaking of most that have used a knife with the "dimples" don't see much improvement in most foods

[butch]

if i can make time for it today i ll try and take an old blade thats warped and put the 4 finishes i do on it and snap a few shots

[tonydahose]

thanks butch...i appreciate it.

[butch]

ok here is a shot of a A300 gator belt finish and beside it i ran yp to a A65 and then cork
the blade is cpm154

[tonydahose]

thanks for the pics butch, now what does cork the blade mean? just a hand finish?

[butch]

no they make belts that have cork on them not grit then you load the belt with buffing compound and "grind" the blade producing a "buffed" ground finish

[Shike]

Butch:
Back a few years before those wonderful cork belts, I used to turn a worn out 400 grit belt, inside out and load the back with compound;) :D

Shike

[butch]

:)
make do with what you have and make things up as we go

yep ive done some odd stuff too like wet and clean off a 800grit belt so i could load it with white buffing compound to clean up little spots on mu razors
that said grinding a razor on a 2 inch wheel on a KMG is "alittle out of the norm"
but hey if it works it works
http://www.harnerknives.com/coppermine/albums/userpics/10002/DSC05082sm.jpg

[Shike]

Those are really nice Butch!