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Kitchen Knives
Basic Models Gyuto
Price range: $25.00 through $30.00Introducing the “Basic Models Gyuto”
While I’ve always tried to ensure I’ve had a range of offering available from highly polished honyaki to the sort of utilitarian blades a line-cook might afford, I’ve often wondered how far I could take things in that direction. Many of you have heard the story of the sculptor who, when asked how he made such impressive work, replied that he didn’t “make” the sculptures, so much as he removed everything that wasn’t integral to them. So, in that vein I asked myself the following questions…
Can I produce a knife with the same functionality as a more expensive one without it being a complete eyesore?
How important is distal taper?
How thick can a convex low bevel be without wedging?
What would it mean to make a knife with only the most essential features?
These collectively represent my answer to those questions…
They are the most basic models of knives I can make. Intended for beginners and professionals on a tight budget alike, they feature:
-Burned oak handles from reclaimed wood
-Low, high bevels
-Convex zero grinds, hand sharpened
-Nail flexing edges
-As quenched finishes
-1.6mm blade stock
-Forward balance
-AEB-L or 52100 steel
-50 to 52mm tall
-Rounded spines and choils
-Weights in the typical range (~160g for a 240mm gyuto and ~140g for a 165m santoku)
-Excellent food release
-Cutting ability close to more extensively ground blades
I have tested all variations of these basic models and I have to say, part of me is a bit irritated at just how well they do considering how rough they are. They aren’t pretty, and they’re not intended to be, and tip cuts aren’t quite as smooth as they would be on blades with more taper, but these are undoubtedly performers.
* The bunka has clean sides because I was using it to experiment with surface coatings. Ultimately I abandoned that idea and ground sides are not available.
**The gyuto between the Nakiri and Bunka has a higher bevel because it was made with 2.7mm stock. I don’t presently intend to offer blades of that stock thickness.
***As a cost saving measure, no Maker’s Marks will be etched
**** All blades pictured are 52100 except the gyuto between the nakiri and bunka which is AEB-L. Note the difference in the as quenched finish relative to the 52100 blades.
These basic models will be made to order in batches of 10, currently available in the following sizes
Gyuto: 240mm
Orders will be filled as soon as I have enough to make a batch of 10 basic models knives or in intervals of 8 weeks, whichever comes first.
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Uncategorized
Basic Models Petties 150mm+180mm
Price range: $25.00 through $40.00Introducing the “Basic Models Petties”
These are the latest expansion of my “Basic Models” line of kitchen knives. These petties have all of the same features as the other knives in my “Basic Models” line and at the same great price point.
While these knives do not feature a neck, the design actually allows for more board clearance than the same design with a neck because this design allow me to move the handle up higher relative to the edge.
-150mm and 180mm blade lengths
-30mm blade height
-burned oak handles
-1.6mm bladestock
-full convex ground bevels
-AEB-L stainless steel blades
-Made to order in batches
<$190 CAD price point
To read more about this line of knives click here
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Kitchen Knives
Basic Models (Santoku, Bunka, Nakiri)
Price range: $30.00 through $45.00Introducing the “Basic Models”
While I’ve always tried to ensure I’ve had a range of offering available from highly polished honyaki to the sort of utilitarian blades a line-cook might afford, I’ve often wondered how far I could take things in that direction. Many of you have heard the story of the sculptor who, when asked how he made such impressive work, replied that he didn’t “make” the sculptures, so much as he removed everything that wasn’t integral to them. So, in that vein I asked myself the following questions…
Can I produce a knife with the same functionality as a more expensive one without it being a complete eyesore?
How important is distal taper?
How thick can a convex low bevel be without wedging?
What would it mean to make a knife with only the most essential features?
These collectively represent my answer to those questions…
They are the most basic models of knives I can make. Intended for beginners and professionals on a tight budget alike, they feature:
-Burned oak handles from reclaimed wood
-Low, high bevels
-Convex zero grinds, hand sharpened
-Nail flexing edges
-As quenched finishes
-1.6mm blade stock
-Forward balance
-50 to 52mm tall
-AEB-L or 52100 steel
-Rounded spines and choils
-Weights in the typical range (~160g for a 240mm gyuto and ~140g for a 165m santoku)
-Excellent food release
-Cutting ability close to more extensively ground blades
I have tested all variations of these basic models and I have to say, part of me is a bit irritated at just how well they do considering how rough they are. They aren’t pretty, and they’re not intended to be, and tip cuts aren’t quite as smooth as they would be on blades with more taper, but these are undoubtedly performers.
* The bunka has clean sides because I was using it to experiment with surface coatings. Ultimately I abandoned that idea and ground sides are not available.
**The gyuto between the Nakiri and Bunka has a higher bevel because it was made with 2.7mm stock. I don’t presently intend to offer blades of that stock thickness.
***As a cost saving measure, no Maker’s Marks will be etched
**** All blades pictured are 52100 except the gyuto between the nakiri and bunka. Note the difference in the as quenched finish relative to the 52100 blades.
These basic models will be made to order in batches of 10, currently available in the following sizes
Bunka, santoku and nakiri: 165mm+180mm
Orders will be filled as soon as I have enough to make a batch of 10 basic models knives or in intervals of 8 weeks, whichever comes first.
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Kitchen Knives
240mm ProCut San-Mai Gyuto
$50.00This 240mm ProCut blade will be my second available in this new and innovative steel. I’ve elected to utilize san-mai construction for my ProCut blades owing to the costs associated with acquiring it. ProCut is a brand new steel released by Pop’s Knife Supply and Larrin Thomas. You could think of ProCut as a steel with the toughness of 80CrV2, the nickel content of 15n20 and edge retention somewhere between 52100 and AEB-L.
This 240mm ProCut blade features a stone tuned geometry and a very fine 2500 grit finish that was finished with my own special polishing mix that results in a kasumi-like finish without the use of uchigumori. This finish highlights the core steel while creating a smokey haze where some minor carbon migration has occurred and leaves subtle intimations of the endogenous banding within the cladding steel. Interestingly enough it even highlighted a couple of inclusions within the cladding steel.
Blade Details
Blade: 240mmx51mm ProCut+ Low carbon steel (~64/65 hrc) Stone tuned bevels + 2500 grit hand finish + pseudo uchigumori/kasumi polish.
Neck: 17mmx19mm
Handle: Stabilized/dyed maple burl and paper micarta, oil finished, buffed and waxed
POB: 40mm from the handle
Spine: 3.53mm at the handle, 2.42mm at halfway, .68mm 1cm from the tip
Grind: full convex RH bias
Weight: 196g
Relieved choil and spine
Edge: .16mm@1mm, .27mm@2mm from the edge, measured at the midpoint
Blade Special Features
Fully convex ground blade, low carbon clad.
To learn more about ProCut steel click here: https://knifesteelnerds.com/2025/06/04/pops-procut-a-new-carbon-steel-for-knives/
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Kitchen Knives
190mm ProCut San-Mai Gyuto With Banding
$50.00This 190mm ProCut San-Mai Gyuto represents a large step forward in my polishing abilities. In this blade the various hues of carbon diffusion are visible at the weld interface while the cladding itself carries a natural mural of alloy banding patterns that exist within the steel itself.
Blade Details
Blade: 190mmx55mm ProCut+ stainless steel (~64/65 hrc) Stone tuned bevels + 2500 grit hand finish + pseudo uchigumori/kasumi polish.
Neck: 18mmx19mm
Handle: Stabilized/dyed maple burl and paper micarta, oil finished, buffed and waxed
POB: 30mm from the handle
Spine: 3.26mm at the handle, 2.54mm at halfway, .71mm 1cm from the tip
Grind: full convex RH bias
Weight: 173g
Relieved choil and spine
Edge: .14mm@1mm, .29mm@2mm from the edge, measured at the midpoint
Click HERE for close up video
Blade Special Features
Fully convex ground blade, stainless clad with active banding.
ProCut is a brand new steel released by Pop’s Knife Supply and Larrin Thomas. You could think of ProCut as a steel with the toughness of 80CrV2, the nickel content of 15n20 and edge retention somewhere between 52100 and AEB-L.
This 190mm ProCut San-Mai Gyuto features a stone tuned geometry and a very fine 2500 grit finish that was polished with my own special mixture that results in a kasumi-like finish without the use of uchigumori. This finish highlights the core steel while creating a smokey haze where some minor carbon migration has occurred and reveals the endogenous banding within the cladding steel.
To learn more about ProCut steel click here: https://knifesteelnerds.com/2025/06/04/pops-procut-a-new-carbon-steel-for-knives/
For the maker’s impression on various steels click here: https://msicardcutlery.com/knife-making-steel-information-faq/
