#7 vs a regular onion... presumably for "onion cups"
Photo Credit: Kevin
Construction: AEB-L Monosteel (AEB-L is stainless!)
Type: K-tip gyuto
Blade length: ~210 mm
Blade height at heel: 50 mm
Spine thickness: 2 mm
Edge: 50/50 double-bevel
Handle: Octagonal, sandalwood with ebony ferrule
Hardness: HRC 60
Grind: Convex
Status: Gifted to Hannah for her wedding / birthday
I wanted to make this knife extra special for a friend whose aesthetic sense is unmatched. Ever since Margaret told me that Hannah's wedding was the most aesthetically pleasing out of all the weddings we've been to (the flower arrangements, the color scheme, the whole sha-bang), I wanted to make a beautiful knife that really stands out as my finest work yet.
In making such a stunning knife, I paid quite the price! I'm still struggling with aching hands a week after finishing this knife. Out of all the knives I've completed so far, this one was probably the one I've spent the most time on - not because it's so extra amazing or because it comes with a super fancy grind, but because I'm a goober who keeps making silly mistakes.
I underestimated the time I would spend doing hand-sanding to achieve the mirror finish. I think I could have completed this knife in half the time had I made less mistakes while sanding as well. I made a huge mistake half-way where I forgot to tape the finished side before flipping it over and working on the second side... which meant a ton of deep scratches from sandpaper grit / steel bits that I had to work off again by hand. I also didn't have any sandpaper past 2500 grit or a nice large buffing wheel (an extremely dangerous tool that I am still too scared to buy and use), so the mirror finish actually came out a little hazy. I just told myself "wabi-sabi", since I thought the slight haziness adds to the finish.
A royal knife for a royal meal
However, I made two very visible mistakes during the final stages of assembly:
my hand slipped during sharpening, so there is a slight chip / dent on the edge on the right side of the knife
I cut my logo etching stencil too small, so there are some unwanted etching scratches, about a inch away from the bottom right side of the "7"
I told tell myself that these mistakes add character and story, but it was hard to accept such critical errors after spending SO MUCH time on polishing. It's not like mirror polishes last forever (especially with regular kitchen use of the knife), but it's hard not to be bummed out! At least the next time I do a mirror finish for my first honyaki piece, I know that I'll definitely be keeping these mistakes in mind. Despite the numerous mistakes I made, I still stand by my statement that this was my best knife yet and I really enjoyed making it! I love the profile, the overall grind, and the simple but beautiful finish.