Sanelli knives - anyone here use them?

[black chef]

Sanelli Knives

mario batali uses these knives on iron chef america sometimes.

just wondering if anyone here has them or has used them...

[Rob Babcock]

I've never used nor seen one in person but I just read a discussion of them a couple of weeks ago. They're one of the only brands of kitchen knives that I know of that utilizes a convex edge grind. They look like an interesting alternative to Forschner and Dexter/Russell.

[DrThunder88]

I like the look of the half-heavy knife:

It's got a lot of mass behind the edge like a cleaver and a nice, round belly like a chef's knife. It could be good as an all-purpose knife!

[Andy M.]

IT doesn't look like it would be well balanced.

[chef_william]

A friende uses them at work - they're not bad.... easy to sharpen and hold their edge pretty well.

Obviously not the best of knives, but not bad at all for the money.

[DrThunder88]

Originally Posted by Andy M.

IT doesn't look like it would be well balanced.

Cleaver-esque knives rarely are though.

[Rob Babcock]

Originally Posted by chef_william

A friende uses them at work - they're not bad.... easy to sharpen and hold their edge pretty well.

Obviously not the best of knives, but not bad at all for the money.

I'm a bit curious about sharpening them- how does your friend do it? As I understand it they're ground convex. It's tricky to sharpen a convex edge on a stone; most people do so with a strop of some type, or a belt grinder (at least in modern times). A current favorite method involves sandpaper and a mouse pad. While this isn't too difficult I consider convex a little bit of a PiTA to sharpen, mostly because my gear is mostly waterstones and steels.

[Jeekinz]

Originally Posted by Rob Babcock

I'm a bit curious about sharpening them- how does your friend do it? As I understand it they're ground convex. It's tricky to sharpen a convex edge on a stone; most people do so with a strop of some type, or a belt grinder (at least in modern times). A current favorite method involves sandpaper and a mouse pad. While this isn't too difficult I consider convex a little bit of a PiTA to sharpen, mostly because my gear is mostly waterstones and steels.

I wouldn't put a knife anywhere near a belt sander. If you need to take that much metal off you're not using or caring for it properly.

YouTube - How to sharpen a knife with a convex blade

[chef_william]

He just uses a regular steel, though recently used a whetstone having used them for around 2 months....

What exactly is a convex edge?

[Rob Babcock]

Originally Posted by Jeekinz

I wouldn't put a knife anywhere near a belt sander. If you need to take that much metal off you're not using or caring for it properly.

That's a good way to do it. Funny, I have a Bark River myself! I have to disagree about the best grinder, though. There are many, many different belts, some as fine as a 1000 grit Japanese waterstone. Plus you can buy leather stropping belts to fit any belt grinder. While many people think of them as tools for removing a lot of metal, a skilled sharpener can work wonders with one. Some of the most insane screaming sharp convex blades I've ever seen came off a belt grinder run by a real sharpening wizard.

Chef William: Here's an illustration of the convex grind.