BRINGING LIFE BACK TO CHEAP KITCHEN KNIVES

My best friend of 68 years is quite well off, but is always looking for a "bargain". Some here might remember I did a post about a month ago regarding sharpening his Paula Dean "el cheapo" junky kitchen knives. I did get them reasonably sharp but then carved him a new one about getting a descent set of Wusthof Classic knives - believe me he can more than afford it!

Anyway, he did look into it but refused to spend the $$$$ so yesterday he dropped off three sizes of 30-40 year old beat to hell, Chicago Cutlery knives with Walnut handles and brass rivets. He bought them at ST. Vincent DePaul of all places - couldn't believe it! I should have taken "before" pictures because no one would believe how bad they were. The handles were so rough they were shedding splinters and the blades looked like they were used as pry bars. They were pretty bent, all scratched up, quite badly and the cutting edges were not ever there. My butter knives are sharper - not kidding!

So I initially said - just throw them out and he got pissed. BTW, he paid $1 for each knife. There is a Butcher knife, a fillet knife and a paring knife. So I then said, OK I will try and revive them a bit. After he left I sanded down and contoured the handles removing all the Verdigris around the brass rivets, the rotted wood, mold, mildew, chips and nicks. I then applied the first coat of 100% pure Tung Oil. I do not dilute it! Let them dry over night.

This morning I spend about 2 hours removing rust, deep scratches, nicks and burs and re-profiled the edges. After I was satisfied with the results, I proceeded to sharpen the edges to a hair shaving consistent cutting quality. The steel they use on those knives is not great! It is pretty soft and while it made easy work of straitening the blades back to factory, they clogged up my stones quicker than any kitchen knives I have sharpened so far. I don't think they will hold an edge very long.

I then applied a second coat of Tung Oil and will put one more coat on tomorrow, then return them to him. This is my first experience with Chicago Cutlery knives and I while I think they are a few levels above his Paula Dean garbage knives, they do not hold a candle to the high end German or Japanese kitchen knives. The Wusthof Classic and Icon line of knives are top shelf IMHO! They are forged and are made to an incredibly high quality of fit, finish and use excellent steel.

Here are a few quick pictures (of two - the third is still being worked on) but I am not done putting the very final final bevel on and they still need another sanding and final coat of Tung Oil. I did not try and get them back to pristine (although I probably could) because they are just not worth the effort. The handles themselves are way better than they left the factory with - They were unfinished, rough and "blocky". Apparently they do not finish their handles with any coating or oils. At least now they are comfortable and pleasing to hold. I put a satin finish on the blades but did not try and remove every single scratch as it was simply not worth the effort on cheap knives. He is a great cook and uses them all the time. They won't look great for very long.

Anyway, here are 2 pic's of 2 of the 3 knives. I am confident they will at least cut well for a while. We'll see how long the edges last. I WISH I had taken before pic's. While they won't win any beauty contests and don't look spectacular, they were truly ready for the dumpster before - LOL!! I just don't have the impetus to spend hours and hours on mediocre knives.

After I graduated from college and got out on my own, I knew that I was going to need a set of knives. I ended up buying a set of Chicago Cutlery knives. It came with around 6-7 knives and a sharpening rod. Unfortunately, I didn’t buy a set with a storage block. That was about 40 years ago. They have suited my needs well. I now know that I shouldn’t have done this, but when I was younger, I didn’t, I put them in the dishwasher! It obviously cleaned them with no problem, and I did make sure that they were completely dry before putting them away, but the wood handles had suffered. They were extremely dry and had lightened considerably in color. I hadn’t paid that much attention to them until about 15 years ago. At that time I was heavily into guns and gun accessories. This included wood, ivory, and stag grips, and some of them were looking kinda rough. I had bought some mineral oil to put on the ivory and stag, and suddenly a light went off in my head!Why not soak my kitchen knives (Chicago Cutlery) in the mineral oil?

I soaked them overnight in a plastic bag with the oil in it. The next morning, I removed them and wiped off the excess oil. They looked brand new! Ever since then, if they started to look shabby, I would hit them with the mineral oil. And, of course, I would always hand wash them. They have been fine for me. I even debated buying a storage block for them, looking on eBay, but decided I didn’t have anymore space for one of them on my countertop.
Larry

These are my wife's knives, now.

We have been using them, daily, for over fifty years.

No one sharpens them but me.

Rules from the very beginning:

Not allowed to lay in the sink.

NEVER allowed to be placed in the dishwasher.

NEVER allowed to be used on anything but food products.

The cutting board is also over fifty years old.

I find the metallurgy varies a small bit from knife to knife, but, I have had no problem keeping them completely serviceable.

These are my Tier III knives.

My Tier II knives are pictured below.

For my hands only.

Now, my Tier I knives are kept in my Stickley cabinet under lock and key.
They are my personal Shun knives.

And, they are all sharp, always.

enjoy,
bdGreen



Tier III



Tier II

It seems that most of my adult life I have had Chicago Cutlery knives in my kitchen. Right now, I don’t think I have any. They all left a couple of wives ago. I do have several walnut handles with carbon steel in my kitchen. One brand is Old Hickory, by Ontario Knife Company. The other is Dexter-Russell,( formerly John Russell) Green River Knives.

The Old Hickory butcher knives come in 7-10- and 14 inches. I use the 7 (shown below) and 10 in my kitchen. The 14 lives with my machetes. Other Old Hickory patterns I put to more general use.

The Dexter -Russell has a series of butcher knives, plus boning knives, skinners, paring knives and more. One of my favorites is the Green River 4215 fish knife, (second photo), which I use in the kitchen and in camp.

I keep an eye out for used versions of these knives for future modification. One popular mod is to grind the 7-inch Old Hickory into a spear point Kephart pattern.

Chicago Cutlery made good, mid-quality knives, for a decent price and made them in Wauconda, Illinois. Unfortunately, they are now made in Wauconda, China and are noticeably different.

They were good and served a purpose. I sharpen a lot of them.

When people ask for a recommendation for an inexpensive knife, I mention Victorinox. The lines of kitchen knives they make are better than the price point suggests.

In my kitchen, we have a variety of makes. All are serviceable, some more so than others.

Kevin

I do believe the vintage Chicago Cutlery knives are about the best of the mid quality knives out there. If kept sharp and the handles are cared for along the way, they will last a long time.

What I can say about the Wusthof Classic line is that my 23 piece set is now about 30 years old and require a minimal amount of maintenance. I use the included Steel on them a few times a week and can easily go 4-6 months without having to resharpen them. I never let them get really dull so bringing them back to super sharp is a quick and easy process.

I will also think that since the Chicago Cutlery line came with raw Walnut handles, one might think about sanding them smooth and using Tung Oil or Mineral Oil on them a few times a year. This would keep the wood sealed from moisture, help prevent mold, mildew and keep them from getting worn out looking.

The best knife I have my wife found at Goodwill for $1. It's just a standard 12" chef's knife made by Calphalon. It is the sharpest kitchen knife I've ever had. It's easy to keep it sharp.

I have the Wusthof Classic series set in a block with rod. Over 30 yrs old and going strong. We actually don’t have steak knives. We use 4” pairing knives. I didn’t realize they were pairing knives till I had to replace one.

I have a mix of knives. Many came from a supermarket butcher shop grinding service. I got them from the supermarket.

I have said it before, and as recently as a couple days ago. I have the hard fast rule of buy American made on footwear and knives.

if I were looking for a knife set or new knives I would probably start with Dexter- Russell in Southbridge, MA of maybe some Old Hickory

Chief, that is excellent work!

Narragansett said:

…
I have said it before, and as recently as a couple days ago. I have the hard fast rule of buy American made on footwear and knives.
…

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There are several knive companies still located in the USA, CutCo in New York, Warther right here in Ohio, and LamsonSharp in Massachusetts. All three have forever warranties. You just have to find a handle style that fits your style of cutting.

Kevin

Thank you for sharing. Yes, the "old" knives are not popular now -- but the wooden handle and the feeling of a sturdy knife in your hand is better than the crummy plastic handles that you see on the market now. And they were made with PRIDE.

The Screaming Goddess of Agonizing Death does not like when things are repaired only replaced.

StrawHat said:

There are several knive companies still located in the USA, CutCo in New York, Warther right here in Ohio, and LamsonSharp in Massachusetts. All three have forever warranties. You just have to find a handle style that fits your style of cutting.

Kevin

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My Pop hailed from Dover, and my grandparents lived out their lives there. We thought of Tuscarawas County as a pretty exotic place, in the heart of Amish country, with pickled tongue sandwiches in the country taverns, Yaggi wine-cured Swiss cheese, and of course Warther knives. Every visit we would walk the few blocks over to the Warther shop and museum. We would spend a couple of hours looking at Mooney’s working model steam trains. He would carve us each a working pair of pliers out of a solid block of beech wood.
After Pop died we divided up his Warther knives five ways. I ended up with three, which are still in use.

You did such a nice job on them he probably will never but anything of quality.

boykinlp said:

After I graduated from college and got out on my own, I knew that I was going to need a set of knives. I ended up buying a set of Chicago Cutlery knives. It came with around 6-7 knives and a sharpening rod. Unfortunately, I didn’t buy a set with a storage block. That was about 40 years ago. They have suited my needs well. I now know that I shouldn’t have done this, but when I was younger, I didn’t, I put them in the dishwasher! It obviously cleaned them with no problem, and I did make sure that they were completely dry before putting them away, but the wood handles had suffered. They were extremely dry and had lightened considerably in color. I hadn’t paid that much attention to them until about 15 years ago. At that time I was heavily into guns and gun accessories. This included wood, ivory, and stag grips, and some of them were looking kinda rough. I had bought some mineral oil to put on the ivory and stag, and suddenly a light went off in my head!Why not soak my kitchen knives (Chicago Cutlery) in the mineral oil?

I soaked them overnight in a plastic bag with the oil in it. The next morning, I removed them and wiped off the excess oil. They looked brand new! Ever since then, if they started to look shabby, I would hit them with the mineral oil. And, of course, I would always hand wash them. They have been fine for me. I even debated buying a storage block for them, looking on eBay, but decided I didn’t have anymore space for one of them on my countertop.
Larry

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Mineral oil works wonders on any kind of wood products. I've used it to restore knife and tool handles, handgun stocks, cleavers, cutting boards, and butcher blocks. As you can see, I like meat cleavers...mostly to help with BBQ. Some of these cleavers are Wm. Beatty and Sons from before the Civil War. I partially refurbished them (wanted to keep some character), and use mineral oil on the handles and blades. They work as well as the day they were made. My wife won't let me display all of them so some have to hang in the pantry! The butcher block is from the early 1950s, and when I bought it was a dirty, dried out, cracked mess. I restored it, and the only finish I used was about 4 gallons of mineral oil to re-moisturize the wood.

A few years ago I picked up 3 knives made by the Ontario Knife Co. at an estate sale. They are carbon steel and in pretty good shape. They are easy to sharpen and hold and edge pretty good too. I wonder when they were made?

I have some unknown brand steak knives that I bought, along with a set of Chicago Cutlery steak knives about 43 years ago. The unknown brand knife is pretty good steel, but not equal to one of the Japanese made knives I bought used on Ebay a couple of years ago. I have a few Ekko knives my parents got in 1955 for a wedding present. The handles on a couple of them are pretty messed up at this point. Like me. I use all of them all the time. The handles on the CC knives are getting a bit ragged, but they do the job of cutting up steak very well.

One more family that uses Chicago Cuttlery knives as a main stay . We have had so called better knofes thru the years but when my mom passes away we finally got around to her kitchen boxes and found the CC knifes I remember back in the mid 1960's . Well today we have two brands of knifes . Still those easy to sharpen CC knife are the most used today but we have had a 4 different Shun knifes both in a more classic curved damascus and a couple japanese blade style with a one sided bevel . Hard blade to sharpen but holds and edge very well .

I have one old hickory 14" butchers knife - carbon steel blade that was a gift from one of my hunting friends that was also the butch at publix back when they actually curved up cattle and pigs to sell . That knife is a little shorter with a little less curve when I got it . Today that knife rarely gets used.