Knife Design Principles: Redroot's Western Kitchen Collection

Redroot Blades' Western Kitchen Collection offers a robust knife design that celebrates the durability and heft of traditional tools. These knives are meant to be used hard and last.

1/8" & 3/32" thick high carbon steel is used in most models; rounded on the spine for comfort, and weighted for easy push-cuts. The blade is ground in a high rounded-sabre style to maximize the balance between fine slicing and hard use. The balance point on this knife series lies at the point where the handle meets the blade for perfect balance while using a "pinch grip" where the thumb and index finger pinch the steel above the handle and the rest of the fingers wrap around the handle below.

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These knives are not delicate, razor blade thin slicers that break or chip when dropped. This particular collection was designed to be thick, durable and ready to make their home in kitchens full of cast iron and wood grain.

The 26-30 degree (depending on model) cutting edges on these knives are perfect for general slicing and chopping tasks. Use a honing rod weekly to keep the edge keen. Sharpen using a wet stone or diamond abrasive, then strop on a leather board to regain that perfect edge.

Most people use knives that are unnecessarily long. For home cooks serving one or two people, often the 7" chef's knife or even the 5.5" mini-chef is all that is needed for most cutting tasks. We use these knives in our own kitchens, and that is why we offer these sizes.

There are, however, situations where you would want more knife. When cooking for lots of people at home, at a gathering, or in a professional kitchen where you wish to prep a high volume of ingredients at once, a longer cutting edge is appreciated. In that case you can always place a custom order. If you have any specific questions on the designs or inquiries about a custom project, please take a look at our Made-To-Order page.

 

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