Schrade sale…
here is one $7.50 example:
Hello guys.
I have finished reviewing the Brother F006 and Brother F011 models.
Great brand in quality / price ratio.
If you want to see the review of the Brother models:
F005
F007
1502G
1512
F006
F011
you have them in:
https://chinese-knives.blogspot.com/
Thank you!
question: does anyone have a recommendation for a BUDGET steak knife?
since the restaurants around here have opened up for business under “normal” conditions,
we would like to return to some of the local steak houses for what we missed during two years.
but…in the past, they provided absolutely awful steak knives which tear instead of cut.
i have seen “personal steak knives” online, but they are way too expensive.
we would like to bring our own and not rely on the house knives.
this is an example of a way too expensive one:
Not quite a steak knife, but I got a few of these
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B005ASPSU4/
for around the kitchen, and for about half what they are now, but they’re decent enough.
Bare unfinished wood handle, Chinese Mystery Metal for the blade, but nice and thin, and with one of those pull-through sharpeners, gets to a near razor-sharpness at least for a while, with minimal muss’n’fuss.
Even when I’d overcook a pork loin, this slices right through quite easily. No need for serrations.
I even cut right on ceramic plates, etc., because even if I f up the blade, a bit more grinding away on the sharpener fixes it right up. For 7bux each like they are now, they’re essentially “disposable”, but still work quite well.
—
Oh yeh, the thinness of the blade is the secret. It’s like a filet knife, and acts more like a razor than a wedge, so no tearing as long as it’s kept sharp.
I also got the bigger versions, like a sodoko chef’s knife, but equally thin. Tip’s bent to Hell but who cares, as it slices like a straight-razor.
Victorinox’s new folding office knife, not a pointy tip but I’m sure it will cut better than any restaurant knife 
Buy a Opinel 10 or something like that, cheap and razor sharp because they’ve got thin blades.
Is it just me, or is the idea of a folding-knife to cut meat kinda skeevy?
Having to wash out all the drips and other organic material that gets wedged in the hinge, groove where the blade rests, etc., I mean, like, yuck.
The trick, I think, is to not get the goo into the moving parts.
Another vote for the Opinel. I like the #8 size.
I mean it’s not like you are butchering a cow. Just cutting a steak.
On all the Opinels I’ve had, the temper was taken out of the edge by Francois getting too frisky with the buffing wheel.
There was always a blue burr on the edge.
Sharpen it back and they are great knives. But that thin edge is going to suffer when it hits the plate.
Actually the little 4” Victorinox fixed blade makes a nifty steak knife. When new they are so sharp that they don’t saw much.
And the teeth keeps most of the cutting surface off the plate. Stay sharp for a long time. Batts way above its $9 price.
And I don’t hesitate to put it in the dishwasher.
All the Best,
Jeff
thanks to AgentSteel….
that is what we will try.
I can vouch for these. I picked up a couple of them in black back in the late 1990’s. Recently I learned that they’re still being made, with a few handle variations. When I bought my first Kizer from Chicago Knife Works, they had these on a steep sale. Amazon just recently ran a sale on them. Got the 4” red straight edge one for $6.75. I never use a sharpening stone on these. Just hone with a good quality honing rod. Aligns the edge and good to go. What I like about them is of course the price, but the steel is very good quality and the handle is a nice shape. I cut so many things with it, sometimes leaving my larger knives to languish in the drawer. Because this blade is a flat grind, it’s so easy to clean too.
I couldn’t find a reference for the Victorinox new folding office knife anywhere.
But the folding paring knife looks like the same thing.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08FC621ZS/?coliid=I3TK35JNMJ6H4L&colid=1F8A0S3FD0OCL&psc=1&ref\_=lv_ov_lig_dp_it
All the Best,
Jeff
I was looking at Ontario Knife Company’s amazon storefront maybe a week or so ago, and they have brought a new line of pocket folding kitchen/cooking knives.
https://smile.amazon.com/Ontario-Camp-Plus-Chef-Folder/dp/B09XJV9Z36/
Amazon.com should be around 10 bucks. i would avoid vendors that charge more than OKC direct, perhaps you can find it on their walmart store.
https://smile.amazon.com/Ontario-Camp-Bread-Knife-Folder/dp/B09XJWG1YZ/
just figured I’d drop that in here since I saw it and this conversation reminded me of them.
The Santoku looks interesting. The Chef knife looks like the grind is more like a hunting knife - too thick for my tastes.
But heck, for $10, it’s worth a try.
A bit big for a portable steak knife.
And I do like the way a sharp edged blade cuts cooked meats vs the rip-saws most restaurants supply.
Problem is maintaining a blade that gets rubbed on a plate. Rolls the edge in a big hurry. Unless the blade is some super steel. then it might score the plate if you get too frisky with the pressure.
All the Best,
Jeff
7 bucks but very low quality, flimsy and crap steel
Indeed. There is a 0% chance that this knife is using M390. The fact that somebody thought to stamp “M390” on the blade is horribly dishonest. Please do not reward them with your money.
You can get crazy good kitchen knifes for cheaper than folding knifes, it will cut much better and with better material. A good budget chinese brand is Hezhen or Xinzuo (same) they have good steel hardness confirmed by testers.
They sell steak knifes with 5 inches blades. Only downside is that they don’t provide a sheath, only for boning knifes.
The Opinel office knife is also very good and cheap, better in carbon version or serrated if you don’t want to sharpen your knife.
I’ve got the folding Victorinox and the Ontario Santoku one the way.
I’ll let you know how I like them.
All the Best,
Jeff
thank you.
we await your judgement.
Although in the picture of the $7 knife the blade appears kinda long, it is only 8.5 cm / 3.35 inches.