"Granton" type blades: Help or hype?

[Baketech]

I've noticed a lot of knife makers are offering an alternate version of their chef's knife with a "Granton" type scalloped edge. I'm suspicious that this is more about growing a market than actual function, but curious what others that have tried these blades have to say.

What say ye...help or hype on a chef's knife?

 

[buzzard767]

Hype. I guess the ultimate "granton" would be the backside of a Japanese single beveled kasumi style knife because the entire backside is hollow ground (concave). It doesn't help.

Buzz

 

[jennyema]

MO = Hype.

I have one and don't think it performs any difft. than regular blades.

 

[Caine]

I remember seeing someone, it could have been that Kimble guy (the one from Cook's Illustrated, not the one looking for the one-armed man) testing santokus with and without the weep holes, and they determined that the supposed non-sticking function of the graton edge was extremely exaggerated. Based on their research, I'd accept a knife with a graton edge, but I wouldn't pay extra for it.

 

[buzzard767]

I'd accept a knife with a graton edge, but I wouldn't pay extra for it.

Way too ugly for me, like tail fins, racing stripes, nose rings. Give me a knife that is all business.

 

[GB]

I remember seeing someone, it could have been that Kimble guy (the one from Cook's Illustrated, not the one looking for the one-armed man) testing santokus with and without the weep holes, and they determined that the supposed non-sticking function of the graton edge was extremely exaggerated. Based on their research, I'd accept a knife with a graton edge, but I wouldn't pay extra for it.

Interesting. I just saw the same guy testing chefs knives and one of the tests was the scalloped blade. they loved it and showed how food (they used a cuke) stuck to other blades, but fell right off the one with the scallops. They did not end up recommending that knife though because it was over $200.

My santoku has the scallops and I do not find they do anything at all.

 

[Katie H]

I have one of each and there is no apparent difference in performance.

 

[DrThunder88]

I have no experimental basis for this, but I would think the positions of the kullens/grantons on blade may affect their effects. For example, when the lower edges of the grantons are above the final bevel, they may actually exacerbate food adhesion by creating miniature suction cups along the blade. Examples of this style of granton:

Rachel Ray knife by Furi

Kitchen Aid knife

Grantons that extend into the final bevel may distort the food enough to prevent it from simply sliding up along the flat of the blade. Very few knives, it seems, employ this kind of granton.

Henckels Professional

I also find fault with a lot of the manufacturers referring to granton-bearing blades as "hollow ground" or "hollow edged". While, in fact, the process for putting grantons onto a blade is undoubtedly a "hollow grinding" procedure, unless they extend into the bevel, the grantons do not change the edge geometry. Even those that do only affect that portion of the edge.

Maybe it's just be being a knife knerd!

 

[chef_william]

I recently bought a santoku knife with a scalloped edge - to be honest i found it makes little to no difference... maybe just a tiny bit, but i wouldnt really say enough of a difference to warrant paying out more.

Ive since bought a victorinox salmon knife 12" blade with scalloped edge which i must say cuts through gravlax much better than knives i previously used without the scalloped edge...

I think its dependant on what your cutting. If your cutting a deep item of food - say for example a swede in half then i think it will make no difference, however if the item of food your cutting is of lesser thickenss than the height of the scallops then i feel you may benifit...

Ive not much experience, but thats what ive gathered since using my knives.

 

[Rob Babcock]

I haven't decided. I think it helps a bit on my 12" granton-edged slicer, vs a straight blade. But I haven't noticed much difference on stuff like tomatos or cukes.

 

[AllenOK]

Well, I've only got one knife with a Granton edge, and that's my 15" slicer, which I use when I'm on a carving station. I've used a regular, "smooth" knife on the same pieces of meat, and believe me, there is a difference!

That said, for normal use, on a chef's knife, I don't know. It's been years since I last used a chef's knife with a granton edge, and I couldn't really tell a difference. But then, that was a "kitchen" knife, and belonged to the restaurant, so the edge wasn't as sharp as the edge on my personal knives.

 

[dsimpson]

I have just added a Henckels Pro S Granton to my block. The only place this knife is useful to me is when carving large hams and turkeys.