Mr. Glesser, Kitchen Knives

[Mjc1973]

I think it would be cool to see an entire kitchen line of knives (steak, paring, chef, bread etc). Maybe in a set with a knife holder and "spydersteel". Maybe you could come up with a knife set holder that doesn't turn into a bacteria garden like the usual wood models. I know the steel mill in my town makes a stainless steel that is antibacterial.

I know that your k04 /k05 knives are well thought of so I know any set you came up with would be awesome. Heck instead of a spydersteel you could add a sharpmaker in the set.

Just a thought. Can you tell I just got done chopping onions and peppers with my delica?

[Molle Ninja]

I have Shuns and they're fine, but I've never understood why Spyderco hasn't "killed it" in this area. Seems they could make a line out of a high-end steel, put a non-functional Spydie hole in all of them, and make a killing. I'm pretty sure all of us would consider buying them.

If Kershaw got me to buy Shuns, then Sal could easily make me consider Spyderco ... well maybe after the Shuns are toast. :)

[jabba359]

I have Shuns and they're fine, but I've never understood why Spyderco hasn't "killed it" in this area. Seems they could make a line out of a high-end steel, put a non-functional Spydie hole in all of them, and make a killing. I'm pretty sure all of us would consider buying them.

If Kershaw got me to buy Shuns, then Sal could easily make me consider Spyderco ... well maybe after the Shuns are toast. :)

The kitchen knife market is extremely hard to break in to, as there is furious competition and a vast array of options. Even if Spyderco were to make a superior kitchen set, it would be difficult to convince people to switch from their trusted Shuns, Wüsthofs, and Henckels (on the mid to high end), as they are well known and make decent cutlery. On the lower end, the profit margins are tough and not a lot of people care enough at that point to seek out a Spyderco. I'm sure a lot of us on the forum would pick them up, but we represent a very small fraction of the market and the knives would have to sell to a much wider audience to be successful.

That said, Spyderco has been working with one of their Chinese manufacturers to develop a new kitchen line and it sounds like there might be updated versions of the MBS-26 lineup in the works. Not to mention the Seto offerings Spyderco currently has. Whether or not these upcoming offerings are enough to make an impact on the overall kitchen knife market is hard to gauge. In fact, I've been tempted to pick up a set of Shuns, as I rather like what they are doing with their Damascus patterns (Dual Core and Reserve lineups) and hammered texture (Premier line). I know, the Shuns have some marketing gimmick stuff going on, but I do have to admit that I enjoy a set of kitchen knives that are not only functional, but attractive as well, and I feel like the Shuns are a pretty nice balance between the two.

[rescueseven]

I think it would be cool to see an entire kitchen line of knives (steak, paring, chef, bread etc). Maybe in a set with a knife holder and "spydersteel". Maybe you could come up with a knife set holder that doesn't turn into a bacteria garden like the usual wood models. I know the steel mill in my town makes a stainless steel that is antibacterial.

I know that your k04 /k05 knives are well thought of so I know any set you came up with would be awesome. Heck instead of a spydersteel you could add a sharpmaker in the set.

Just a thought. Can you tell I just got done chopping onions and peppers with my delica?

Thanx much for the tutoring Cliff.

Hey Phil,

I just got back from Japan and we're rekindled an old relationship with our kitchen knife maker (Masahiro) and we're going to make kitchen knives again. While we were there , he had a Phil Wilson filet knife (custom) that I gave him 10 years ago, (the smaller one) and he had a proto of the larger filet knife (don't know what he did with the custom version). He was able to capture the flex at the tip that we spent so much time developing. :) We talked to him about developing and producing the model and he'll try it. He says he can't do it in MBS-26 as he's afraid it will be too brittle, but he's pretty sure he can make it in AUS-8 and keep the flex at the tip. I told him to go for it, so we're waiting for a quote.

That's the project that we were in the middle of when the relationship blew apart because he had an argumebnt with the trading company. We now have a new trading company that he likes and we're moving forward. He really does fine work on thin knives.

sal

Also, the last time I had a chance to chat with Gail she mentioned she was working on a "non-Petri dish" knife containment system for the kitchen.

[Ned]

Also, the last time I had a chance to chat with Gail she mentioned she was working on a "non-Petri dish" knife containment system for the kitchen.

That's a fact, I was there too!

[Cujobob]

The Seto stuff that they currently carry is likely a step up from the brand names mentioned above. I'd love to see a steel like AEB-L used for kitchen knives. It's inexpensive, easy to work with, and is perfect for what kitchen knives require, so long as it is properly hardened (for some reason, a few places with 14C28N and AEB-L knives have used poor heat treats and the performance has been less than expected from such steels). For this to happen, it would need to be made in either Taiwan or in the U.S. as Japan only uses Japanese steels. Taiwan's probably maxed out with the number of knives going through there and the Golden folks have been behind on demand, too (merely guessing, obviously).

[Mjc1973]

Who is Gail?

[Bruceter]

Who is Gail?

Gail Glesser, Sal's wife.

Bruceter

[JD Spydo]

I think it would be cool to see an entire kitchen line of knives (steak, paring, chef, bread etc). Maybe in a set with a knife holder and "spydersteel". Maybe you could come up with a knife set holder that doesn't turn into a bacteria garden like the usual wood models. I know the steel mill in my town makes a stainless steel that is antibacterial.

I know that your k04 /k05 knives are well thought of so I know any set you came up with would be awesome. Heck instead of a spydersteel you could add a sharpmaker in the set.

Just a thought. Can you tell I just got done chopping onions and peppers with my delica?

Hey Brother if you had a 2001 or 2002 Spyderco dealer catalog you will see that they did have a full line up of kitchen cutlery. I've tried to find that first run Bread Knife of Spyderco's for quite some time now. Their Santoku was truly one of the best culinary/chef's blades I ever used and I really don't understand why it didn't go over at the box office.

I'm with you 100% and wish they would even contract to market a knife block that would accomodate the entire set>> and I wonder why they didn't do that the first time they had that many culinary blades on the market. I too am excited that they are bringing back the K-04 & K-05 models again.

[rescueseven]

Their Santoku was truly one of the best culinary/chef's blades I ever used and I really don't understand why it didn't go over at the box office.

This is my K08. Without question my most used knife.

[guitarwolf]

make a line out of a high-end steel

+1!

A lot of the other kitchen knives from spyderco seem cheap, especially the handles. Would really love a higher end kitchen line!

[JD Spydo]

This is my K08. Without question my most used knife.

That was incredible how thin that blade was but yet it still would process food just as good as a Wustof or J.A. Henckel or a high end Japanese culinary blade.

Once that Santoku got deleted from the line up they literally became impossible to find. Because I've tried to find another Santoku and like I said earlier one of those Spyderco bread knives from the early 2000s and I couldn't come up with either one. So I would sure hold on to that one Brother!

[rescueseven]

So I would sure hold on to that one Brother!

Believe it or not, the sentimental value of this knife far exceeds its rareness or collectability. Seven or eight years ago I received this knife as a gift from Mr.Glesser himself.

[JD Spydo]

Believe it or not, the sentimental value of this knife far exceeds its rareness or collectability. Seven or eight years ago I received this knife as a gift from Mr.Glesser himself.

It's really incredible in a lot of ways how many of these earlier kitchen models in particular were literally great knives but their tenure was short lived and now finding them is really difficult. And it also confuses me to no end how many of these earlier kitchen knives were highly sought after by collectors and users but again are virtually impossible to find. Even the first run of the K-04 & K-05 models are tough to find now a days and there were a lot of those sold.

And trying to find any of the great models from the mid to late 90s is like looking for the "Lost Dutchman's Mine" here in the USA southwest. I do have a feeling and it won't be long from now that some of the older kitchen models are going to catch fire in the collector's market before too long. Mainly because of the Spyderco Story book accounts and the fact that they are just getting impossible to find.

[xceptnl]

This is my K08. Without question my most used knife.

Agreed

[Mallus]

That was incredible how thin that blade was but yet it still would process food just as good as a Wustof or J.A. Henckel or a high end Japanese culinary blade.

The thinnes is probably the main reason for the cutting capability. :) Out of this series, I only have the re-release of K04 (plain edge) which I'm in process of thinning out. Once the K08 manifest again, I'll try to get one, especially if it would come with some other handle material than polypropylene, as I do not like the tactile feel of it.

I wonder what was the problem with Sermollan? I've seen handles destroyed, but do not know what took them down. Was is maschine washing or just time? Haven't held one in my hand, but if it's softer and more rubbely in comparison to hard and plasticy (polypropylene) would probably like it more. Wood would also do, but would likely reflect badly in the price as well.

[JD Spydo]

The thinnes is probably the main reason for the cutting capability. :) Out of this series, I only have the re-release of K04 (plain edge) which I'm in process of thinning out. Once the K08 manifest again, I'll try to get one, especially if it would come with some other handle material than polypropylene, as I do not like the tactile feel of it.

I wonder what was the problem with Sermollan? I've seen handles destroyed, but do not know what took them down. Was is maschine washing or just time? Haven't held one in my hand, but if it's softer and more rubbely in comparison to hard and plasticy (polypropylene) would probably like it more. Wood would also do, but would likely reflect badly in the price as well.

That "Sermollan" was the bacteria proof or bacteria resistant handle material. I never heard of any production problem with it. I liked the material myself and thought it was great for kitchen cutlery.

I do agree with you assertion that the thinness of the blade probably does aid in it's cutting ability but don't discount the fact that the MBS-26 steel in that blade really held it's edge good>> which is one noteworthy thing I can remember about that knife.

The Santoku was truly a kitchen gem all the way. I do hope we'll see it again in the main line up sometime.

[rescueseven]

Even the first run of the K-04 & K-05 models are tough to find now a days and there were a lot of those sold.

...The most desired knives for gutting among professional fisherman in the pacific northwest was the serrated K05 with the red handle. Cut like a witch, stayed sharp a long time. Easy to find. When they started to dull, they'd throw them away and get a new one. They used them by the hundreds. They really felt bad when we stopped making them about 10 years ago.

Just got back from the meeting the maker and we'll be remaking them. Hope to have them by October this year.

sal

From Bladeforums

And apparently a lot thrown away :eek: .

A lot of the other kitchen knives from spyderco seem cheap, especially the handles. Would really love a higher end kitchen line!

When I first read this post I was somewhat offended, how dare you use the word cheap! Then I put the word back in context with 'seem' and I understand.

I think the kitchen knives were very utilitarian in design. Much like a Delica or Endura in VG-10 the original K series were not much to look at, hardly expensive, yet well designed, well made, durable knives, with good ergos, and apparently if you make your living gutting fish in the northwest, disposable.

There is a sandwich shop (Mier's Deli) not far from where Spyderco used to be on Old Golden Road that has many of the K series knives in their kitchen. I'm sure they have been in use for at least 20 years, and they take a beating on a daily basis.




I'm very encouraged by the number of active food prep treads-
This one on steels
This one on MBS-26
and of course the one you are reading now.

Ian

[xceptnl]

+1!

A lot of the other kitchen knives from spyderco seem cheap, especially the handles. Would really love a higher end kitchen line!

The Yin, Yang and Sashimi can still be found on the secondary markets.