Black Lotus Knives

[Ma_sha1]

Nice handle! Is the knife Damascus?

[Altadan]

Nice handle! Is the knife Damascus?

Apparently the lines are produced by wrought iron. If you read earlier up the thread you should find my own question about that, and the answer that follows

[pd7077]

Nice handle! Is the knife Damascus?

Apparently the lines are produced by wrought iron. If you read earlier up the thread you should find my own question about that, and the answer that follows

Dan is correct. The knife is wrought iron clad 52100. It’s the quality of the wrought iron and the polishing that gives it the layered appearance. Garrick should be receiving the knife today or tomorrow. I’m excited to hear his thoughts on it!

Here is the “before” photo taken after Jeff finished grinding the knife. Even here, you can kinda see the layering within the wrought iron.


Here’s a knife photo from the other day...just before it was sent to Garrick:

[Ma_sha1]

Interesting, never knew wrought iron can make a Damascus pattern all by itself, thanks!

[cliff]

How does that work? Is that carbon migration, or just the etching?

[pd7077]

How does that work? Is that carbon migration, or just the etching?

I didn't do any etching when I polished this knife. It was simply a kasumi finish using a tight progression of various fingerstones starting with a very soft narutaki and ending with a very hard uchigumori. I used 6 different types/hardness of stones to get to the final finish. Carbon migration is a totally unrelated thing that can occur during forging wherein carbon atoms from the high carbon core will migrate to the lower carbon cladding.

[slobound]

I just received the Black Lotus! Upon opening the box, all I can say is OMG. I can’t play with it until later tonight but

[cliff]

I didn't do any etching when I polished this knife. It was simply a kasumi finish using a tight progression of various fingerstones starting with a very soft narutaki and ending with a very hard uchigumori. I used 6 different types/hardness of stones to get to the final finish. Carbon migration is a totally unrelated thing that can occur during forging wherein carbon atoms from the high carbon core will migrate to the lower carbon cladding.

Thanks! It looks beautiful

[slobound]

Okay guys... I had to take a few pics before using it because it really is that breathtaking. What a beautiful knife, from blade to handle to polish - INCREDIBLE!













Upon opening the box and picking up the knife for the first time, I thought... this is a BEAST!!! Full.Blown.Workhorse.

Weight comes in at 279 grams.

I told Steve I didn’t even want to use it because it’s too pretty

[Altadan]

Seriously nice photos. You and Steve are really at it
While we're on the subject, how do you embed these super large format photos to the forum?

[pd7077]

...Itold Steve I didn’t even want to use it because it’s too pretty

You better use the hell out of it. I wrote down the FS progression I used so I can get it looking like that again once the passaround is done

Seriously nice photos. You and Steve are really at it
While we're on the subject, how do you embed these super large format photos to the forum?

I use imgur to host my photos. Just copy the link and paste it in between the image brackets (use the insert photo button at the top when you’re in the “Full Editor & Preview” mode).

[Jeff B]

LOVE THAT CHOIL SHOT!

That grind looks awesome in the pictures. If it performs half as good as it looks....

[slobound]

Seriously nice photos. You and Steve are really at it
While we're on the subject, how do you embed these super large format photos to the forum?

Dan, I do the same as Steve. I use Imagur as the host and copy the link to embed the photo.

[Bluenoser87]

Just received the knife. I’m going to make a whole bunch of mirepoix tonight I think. Looks like a pretty cool knife. It looks super reactive, especially the cladding. Also, what a handle! Sean’s really killing it with these koa handles

[ashy2classy]

Patina looking good. Can't wait to hear more reviews of the knife.

[Bluenoser87]

Alright, here are my thoughts on the Black Lotus knife now that it’s on its way to Bob Z. I used it quite a bit over the course of the week on a variety of different things. The grind is basically a really wide wide-bevel with softened shoulders. Everything is well balanced and comfortable to hold. And that handle looks phenomenal in person.

The first thing I did was marvel at the patina on the blade and wonder what on earth Garrick was cutting to do that. I think I can see his thumbprint in the patina too! The blade looks very reactive and I was initially a little worried about it. Some spots almost look like rust but it’s mostly a nice blue/purple patina. After using it for a week the patina didn’t really change much so it seems pretty stable but it’ll be interesting to see how this develops as it makes the rounds. The patina does unfortunately hide a lot of the wild finish Steve put on the blade.

Next, I touched up the edge on a 5k synthetic. It felt really nice on the stone and raised a burr very easily. A bit of stropping on a loaded leather board and it was shaving sharp and good to go. It held the edge well for the week of relatively heavy home use with a little bit of stropping here and there.

The next thing I did was make a big batch of mirepoix. I was a little disappointed at this point. The blade is a big heavy workhorse and maybe not well suited to this task. Cutting up all those carrots was a real workout with many of them cracking. I tried some cucumbers and zucchini as well and ingredients have a tendency to stick more than I was expecting. This could be a result of the high polish on the core or just the size of those big flat bevels. I’d bet some larger ingredients would get a chance to clear the shoulder of the bevel and fall away more easily.

For me, this knife really shines with meat. It has a gigantic flat spot and with the weight it’s perfect for this task. I made bool kogi, carne asada, and chicken and this knife just plowed through all of it with ease. If I owned this knife it would be my go-to for stuff like that and it’s certainly fun to use.

Overall, it’s a pretty cool knife. The aesthetic is really different and the craftsmanship is top notch from all involved in this. It’s a big heavy blade and its strengths are more or less where you’d expect them to be in use. I think everyone else on the list will have fun with this. Thanks for including me on this one Steve!

[Altadan]

Great write up, and what a cool shot of the bevel

Bummer to hear about the carrots. That veggie has really become a criterion for me when I look for a good (or, suitable-to-my-needs) sort of knife.

Looking forward to handling it, (after BobZ? Did Garrick switch?)

[Bluenoser87]

Bob Z and I switched spots.

[Bob Z]

Knife arrived today. 9.75oz, wow.

[Insnekamkze86]

Looks like a truly awesome knife cheers to all that are able to try it out on the passaround wish I was able to be apart of it anyways congratulations and have a great day