Easy to Carry, Easy to Use Self Defense Weapons

[Steve]

I've never ground in dimples either. I merely pointed out why lots of chefs knives have them. The (relatively few) chefs knives I have made have been the classic flat grind from spine to edge. I also do not sell my knives. I've given quite a few to family and friends, or donated them as prizes.

Alright. Let's talk about dimples. So, for what it's worth, I have seen the dimples referred to as a "granton edge" though it's not so much about the edge as it is those dimples. I just don't see them very often on the higher end knives. Where I've seen them most often is on grocery store type knives from brands like calphalon. That isn't to say that higher end companies don't make them... I just don't believe they're seen as a real feature.

And to reiterate, some might like them. I personally don't really see a need. For them to really do anything, I think they'd need to be pretty deep. The only thing I ever chop or cut that creates a vacuum effect is a potato. My wife doesn't cook often, but she does from time to time. She has a 6" santoku knife from the grocery store, and that's what she likes. It doesn't hold an edge very long, but she likes the shape. It has the dimples, and when I chop taters with that, they still stick. Is it easier to push them off? I don't know... maybe? A little? I don't see much of a difference.

Last thing I'll say on this is, if longevity is your objection to a full bolster, why aren't you concerned about longevity with the dimples? Once your blade is sharpened down to where those dimples are, the blade will be useless.

"You guys"? I don't believe I have done any such thing. I am to blame for anything anyone posts that you disagree with?

No, if I mixed you up with others, my bad.

I know blade making.
I have never built a turbo engine (I prefer superchargers) but that doesn't mean I cannot discuss the pros and cons of turbos.
You might also (or apparently not) note that the only authoritative statements I've made have been on the technical details of blademaking. Other comments have been clearly qualified as being opinion or hearsay.

Sure, and as I've said several times, you're highlighting things that are so subjective that you will find plenty of folks representing all sides. It's hard to say "better" or "right" to any of it, because ultimately, it's about ending up with chopped veggies and meat. If you get to the end and there's no human DNA in the food, you're probably doing just fine.

That said, I will once again reiterate my sincere offer to test your knives. I'll be happy to share my honest opinion with you. What I'm really interested in is an Asian gyoto style chef's knife shape, but profiled so that it can stand up to daily use from chopping veggies and processing meat. I've toyed with the idea of picking up a hybrid, but then I think how many knives do I need? I'd rather have one really well made knife that I love to use than a drawer full of knives that I don't use, or only use for one thing.

 

[Steve]

Purely for context, I looked into it out of curiosity, and Dirty Dog's first post in this thread (since Tim Po came), was the one directed to you asking about knives. It seems to be lawson/frank that are arguing with him. I checked his other thread in case I was missing something, and there's a lot of people that commented there but dirty dog isn't one.

My guess is you got his posts mixed up with Lawson's-I've done that before since they've got a similar writing style and have similar-ish profile pictures.

Maybe so.

Edit: Just want to reiterate that the thread really seems to have gone off track. I've suggested more than once that the off topic posts and questions could be addressed in DMs. I'm happy to continue answering questions or whatever here, as folks seem to want to do, but the thread is pretty far afield at this point.

To circle back to the beginning, I was just pointing out that people who use knives to cook are learning knife skills, that there is some technique, and that's pretty much it. I used a picture from the internet to illustrate how to hold a chef's knife, and DD commented on the bolster in the picture.... and here we are, talking about dimples, bolsters, and how to use a chef's knife.

 

[Oily Dragon]

Um... I'm doing what?

I am not a chef.

Being excellent as always. You don't need to be a chef, you're good enough the way you are.

I'm a chef. I have about 20 knives I use strictly for cooking. That's on top of the dozen or so traditional killing instruments locked up (loosely) in my training room.

I'll be totally honest...sometimes I do kung fu stuff in the kitchen, involving knives. Hundreds of dishes, maybe a thousand.

I have yet to cut myself once (with a knife, while cooking), so I must know how to handle cutting flesh.....y fruits, vegetables, meats, and legumes well. And I think the idea of a single solution to this whole discussion of "how do wield knife" silly. There is never ONE Way.

 

[Oily Dragon]

I do know that if you hold a knife correctly, you can chop vegetables more efficiently.

See? This is both true and not true. There is no one "correctly", there are many.

Again, just the gourmet in me talking, not the martial arts dude.

 

[Steve]

See? This is both true and not true. There is no one "correctly", there are many.

Again, just the gourmet in me talking, not the martial arts dude.

It's like parenting and fighting and other results oriented activities, if you get to the end and it worked, you did it right.

Or maybe it's more like golf. You can always tell someone who was taught to play golf and someone who just sort of figured it out on their own. But some folks have made some pretty bizarre swings work and have seen success. In spite of individual success, though, if you tried to teach kids to swing like any of these people, you'd be run off the course.

 

[Oily Dragon]

It's like parenting and fighting and other results oriented activities, if you get to the end and it worked, you did it right.

Or maybe it's more like golf. You can always tell someone who was taught to play golf and someone who just sort of figured it out on their own. But some folks have made some pretty bizarre swings work and have seen success. In spite of individual success, though, if you tried to teach kids to swing like any of these people, you'd be run off the course.

Yeah.

I'll give an example of "not correctly". Whenever your mind is not on the knife.

I often think of this when I watch cooking tournament shows. Sometimes people cut themselves from checking the clock, and other distractions.

In a knife fight? Probably alot of potential distractions. Wouldn't know, never been in one.