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Chunk Belly Chef's Knife
A knife I promised to my partner, an aspiring baker and chef, this blade is in the form of a classic Chef's knife. A long, broad blade, with an acute (6 degree) double bevel, and balance about an inch forward of the handle (where the you'd have your thumb and index finger for a pinch grip). With Alexa's approval I went for a mirror finish and laser etched the logo for her start-up baking venture, Chunk Belly Baking Company. An ergonomic Cocobolo wooden handle and a half dozen applications of Tung oil finish this knife and have made it a staple in Alexa's culinary endeavors.
Required Resources: 8 hours, $50
Size: 12" x 3" x 0.75"
Materials: AEBL Stainless Steel, Cocobolo, 2 part, Quick Cure Epoxy, Brass and Copper Decorative Pins.
Finish: Tung Oil
Tools: Band Saw, Belt Sander, Orbital Sander, Hack Saw, Whetting Stone, Water Jet
New Techniques:
See the Cutlery Set break down for the knife making process.
Lessons Learned:
Patience!: I don't usually characterize myself as impatient, but after my experience with this knife, I'd be hard pressed to deny it. As soon as I cut the primary bevels, I took this knife straight to the orbital sander, and then to polishing, spending a total of an hour of time and about 20 sand discs on the effort. This was foolish because I still had to send it out to heat treatment. When it came back, a blotchy matte grey finish replaced the beautiful mirror finish I sent it out with. Oh well, another 45 minutes of polishing and another 15 sanding discs and the knife was back to its originally luster! But, I still had to cut the secondary bevel, and after an hour on the whetting stone I noticed I had made several errant strokes that marred the pristine polished face.... Seriously? One more time, with only fine grit discs, I put the final mirror finish on the part. While it was all worth it for the final look of the knife, I sure could have saved myself a lot of time if I had just been patient and thought the process out ahead of time.
