Kuhn knives

[Jane Gillett]

There are small Kuhn Rikon knives around and I was wondering if anyone had
experience of them.

They are priced around £5.

The blade has a permanent covering of plastic leaving only a sliver of the
cutting edge visible and has a slide-on coloured sheath.

There is a carbon steel version.

I'm wondering about the blade covering. If you immerse it in water will the
water get in and cause rust or is the bonding perfect?

Does it cut straight or does the blade coating make the blade tend to
"slew" to one side or another?

Does anyone have any experience?

Jane

[graham]

Post by Jane Gillett
There are small Kuhn Rikon knives around and I was wondering if anyone had
experience of them.
They are priced around £5.
The blade has a permanent covering of plastic leaving only a sliver of the
cutting edge visible and has a slide-on coloured sheath.
There is a carbon steel version.
I'm wondering about the blade covering. If you immerse it in water will the
water get in and cause rust or is the bonding perfect?
Does it cut straight or does the blade coating make the blade tend to
"slew" to one side or another?
Does anyone have any experience?

I was given one ~3 years ago and the coating, which I think is teflon but I
can't be sure, is well bonded to the metal. I use it frequently and rarely
put on the sheath but stick it in the knife block with the other knives. I
suppose the idea is to stop the fruit or veg from sticking to the surface
while cutting but as long as it is sharp, I haven't noticed any difference
when compared to the Wüsthof one I also use.
HTH
Graham

[Jane Gillett]

Post by graham

Post by Jane Gillett
There are small Kuhn Rikon knives around and I was wondering if anyone had
experience of them.
They are priced around £5.
The blade has a permanent covering of plastic leaving only a sliver of the
cutting edge visible and has a slide-on coloured sheath.
There is a carbon steel version.
I'm wondering about the blade covering. If you immerse it in water will the
water get in and cause rust or is the bonding perfect?
Does it cut straight or does the blade coating make the blade tend to
"slew" to one side or another?
Does anyone have any experience?

I was given one ~3 years ago and the coating, which I think is teflon but I
can't be sure, is well bonded to the metal. I use it frequently and rarely
put on the sheath but stick it in the knife block with the other knives. I
suppose the idea is to stop the fruit or veg from sticking to the surface
while cutting but as long as it is sharp, I haven't noticed any difference
when compared to the Wüsthof one I also use.
HTH
Graham

I've started using one; think I bought it unopened cheap - Charity shop?,
dunno. Cuts very well but haven't used the steel on it yet.

From the packaging it is stainless steel; looking at the website again, I
read now that the knives I thought were carbon steel are actually described
as "high carbon steel" so I've no idea what defines that - except carbon
level likely to be higher than "normal" knife-stainless. Our local hardware
store in Totnes suggested them when I asked if they stocked carbon steel.

Anyway, I've 2 small knives which cut well now but must get a good edge on
the carbon steel large knives I bought recently.

Cheers
jane

[Steve Slatcher]

Post by Jane Gillett
From the packaging it is stainless steel; looking at the website again, I
read now that the knives I thought were carbon steel are actually described
as "high carbon steel" so I've no idea what defines that - except carbon
level likely to be higher than "normal" knife-stainless. Our local hardware
store in Totnes suggested them when I asked if they stocked carbon steel.

Generally-speaking for unalloyed carbon steels, the higher the carbon
content, the stronger and harder the steel. But higher carbon steels
are also more brittle - they will snap rather than bend. Traditionally,
good steel swords had a body of lower carbon, but the cutting edge would
be "case-hardened", which increases the carbon content locally on the
cutting surfaces.

Stainless steels are a bit different. The alloying (Chromium,
Molybdenum and Nickel) can be adjusted to give maximum resistance to
rust, or to get some sort of balance between rust resistance and
hardness. I think normal tableware is the former type, while kitchen
knives and steak knives will be the latter. As far as I know all
stainless steels are low carbon.

HTH, but I doubt it somehow.

[graham]

Post by Steve Slatcher

Post by Jane Gillett
From the packaging it is stainless steel; looking at the website again, I
read now that the knives I thought were carbon steel are actually described
as "high carbon steel" so I've no idea what defines that - except carbon
level likely to be higher than "normal" knife-stainless. Our local hardware
store in Totnes suggested them when I asked if they stocked carbon steel.

Generally-speaking for unalloyed carbon steels, the higher the carbon
content, the stronger and harder the steel. But higher carbon steels
are also more brittle - they will snap rather than bend. Traditionally,
good steel swords had a body of lower carbon, but the cutting edge would
be "case-hardened", which increases the carbon content locally on the
cutting surfaces.
Stainless steels are a bit different. The alloying (Chromium,
Molybdenum and Nickel) can be adjusted to give maximum resistance to
rust, or to get some sort of balance between rust resistance and
hardness. I think normal tableware is the former type, while kitchen
knives and steak knives will be the latter. As far as I know all
stainless steels are low carbon.
HTH, but I doubt it somehow.

But SS knives these days are often advertised as "high carbon stainless"
implying easier to sharpen and the ability to hold a keener edge without
rusting. The knife in question is made from high carbon SS.
Graham

[Steve Slatcher]

Post by graham

Post by Steve Slatcher

Post by Jane Gillett
From the packaging it is stainless steel; looking at the website again, I
read now that the knives I thought were carbon steel are actually described
as "high carbon steel" so I've no idea what defines that - except carbon
level likely to be higher than "normal" knife-stainless. Our local hardware
store in Totnes suggested them when I asked if they stocked carbon steel.

Generally-speaking for unalloyed carbon steels, the higher the carbon
content, the stronger and harder the steel. But higher carbon steels
are also more brittle - they will snap rather than bend. Traditionally,
good steel swords had a body of lower carbon, but the cutting edge would
be "case-hardened", which increases the carbon content locally on the
cutting surfaces.
Stainless steels are a bit different. The alloying (Chromium,
Molybdenum and Nickel) can be adjusted to give maximum resistance to
rust, or to get some sort of balance between rust resistance and
hardness. I think normal tableware is the former type, while kitchen
knives and steak knives will be the latter. As far as I know all
stainless steels are low carbon.
HTH, but I doubt it somehow.

But SS knives these days are often advertised as "high carbon stainless"
implying easier to sharpen and the ability to hold a keener edge without
rusting. The knife in question is made from high carbon SS.

So there is. Scrub my last sentence.

My first para applies to stainless steel too it seems - higher carbon
levels make the steel harder but more brittle. Not sure knives of it
will be EASIER to sharpen, but once sharp they will hold their edge
longer. And it is not the most rust resistant type of SS, but I guess
that is not so important for knives anyway.

[graham]

Post by Steve Slatcher

Post by graham

Post by Steve Slatcher

Post by Jane Gillett
From the packaging it is stainless steel; looking at the website again, I
read now that the knives I thought were carbon steel are actually described
as "high carbon steel" so I've no idea what defines that - except carbon
level likely to be higher than "normal" knife-stainless. Our local hardware
store in Totnes suggested them when I asked if they stocked carbon steel.

Generally-speaking for unalloyed carbon steels, the higher the carbon
content, the stronger and harder the steel. But higher carbon steels
are also more brittle - they will snap rather than bend. Traditionally,
good steel swords had a body of lower carbon, but the cutting edge would
be "case-hardened", which increases the carbon content locally on the
cutting surfaces.
Stainless steels are a bit different. The alloying (Chromium,
Molybdenum and Nickel) can be adjusted to give maximum resistance to
rust, or to get some sort of balance between rust resistance and
hardness. I think normal tableware is the former type, while kitchen
knives and steak knives will be the latter. As far as I know all
stainless steels are low carbon.
HTH, but I doubt it somehow.

But SS knives these days are often advertised as "high carbon stainless"
implying easier to sharpen and the ability to hold a keener edge without
rusting. The knife in question is made from high carbon SS.

So there is. Scrub my last sentence.
My first para applies to stainless steel too it seems - higher carbon
levels make the steel harder but more brittle. Not sure knives of it
will be EASIER to sharpen, but once sharp they will hold their edge
longer. And it is not the most rust resistant type of SS, but I guess
that is not so important for knives anyway.

I was given a set of SS kitchen knives as a wedding present >40yrs ago
and they are useless! Obviously low carbon and impossible to sharpen! I
should have let my ex take them when we divorced{:-)
The EU brought in rules for butchers that they had to use stainless
knives with plastic handles. The village butcher where I was brung up,
gave me one, a Swiss, Wenger boning knife that I have not had occasion
to use. I will have to try sharpening it to see what it's like.
All my Sabatier knives (genuine French, not chink knock-offs) are high
carbon stainless as is the Wüsthof pairing knife.
Graham