# Haslinger Teaser!



## Lefty (Apr 12, 2011)

Great news everyone!
I have been talking with Thomas Haslinger - for the past week or so, and he is willing to supply one of his new chef's knives for a pass around, in late May!
I will be running it, on his behalf (he's a fellow Canadian and we stick together).
This will be an excellent opportunity for our community to try out another custom maker's knives to see a different example of beautiful work, much like Pierre Rodrigue (my buddy), Devin Thomas and Delbert Ealy have all become known for! 
I noticed that many people know of his work, but have never tried one of his knives.
If anyone is interested in taking part, let me know on this thread. The number will be 10-15 maximum for participants. 
All skill levels and both home cooks and pros are welcome to have a go with the knife. 
We would prefer members who are known here, or at the other forums, but feel free to let me know if you're interested either way.
I will post more details soon!


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## Andrew H (Apr 12, 2011)

I would be very interested in participating in the pass around, home cook.


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## Pensacola Tiger (Apr 12, 2011)

I'd like to get in on a pass around of one of his chef's knives. I have one of his Evolution utility knives, and like it a lot.


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## SpikeC (Apr 12, 2011)

I would love to be part of it!


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## so_sleepy (Apr 12, 2011)

I am in, I have wanted to try one of his knives for years, but hesitated without being able to see it in person.

A 10" Chef would be the one I am interested in.


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## Lefty (Apr 12, 2011)

Thomas is on his way to Germany, so I won't know the length, etc for sure until he gets back into contact with me (it can be hard to find a reliable Internet source, while traveling around...not to mention, he'll be busy).
I am hoping for a 10" chef, but it will depend on what he feels comfortable lending out. It looks like it will be, but I don't want to make any promises. 
Once I get more details, I'll post the rules, etc and I'll figure out a route that works best. The rules will basically be the same as always...
If you're in Canada, you'll be one of the first, so we can make shipping a bit easier on everyone. Finally, an advantage to being Canadian!


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## El Pescador (Apr 12, 2011)

Count me in!


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## Eamon Burke (Apr 12, 2011)

I would love to try it out. I have only contributed to him in that I think he made one of the most aesthetically unpleasing knives of all time, and I would love to eat my words. From the looks of his catalog, he is quite a busy and talented man.

Maybe we can get one in his differentially heat-treated stainless?:evilgrin:


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## Andrew H (Apr 12, 2011)

I strongly believe we should do it based on order of sign up... obviously :wink:


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## Mattias504 (Apr 12, 2011)

I am totally interesting in a Haslinger passaround. I have oogled at his knives for years now but have been hesitant to buy due to lack of info floating around about them. I'm sure he (like other makers) has only been getting better with time. I would love to participate in a passaround.

I could give it a run at the sushi bar and see how it performs...


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## JBroida (Apr 12, 2011)

if its cool with you, i'd really like to get in on this


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## chuck239 (Apr 13, 2011)

Hey,

If there is room I would love to get in on this. 

-Chuck


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## spinblue (Apr 13, 2011)

I'd like to try it out as well. thanks, spinblue


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## Craig (Apr 13, 2011)

I feel morally obligated to take advantage of anything that benefits me in the world of knives by being Canadian. It would be such a pleasure to get a knife in the mail without a $50+ duty bill.


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## EdipisReks (Apr 13, 2011)

count me in, too!


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## WildBoar (Apr 13, 2011)

I'd love to get in on this, if you need another home cook.


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## Lefty (Apr 13, 2011)

Wildboar...you just made me think of something...
And, yes. Home cooks are more than welcome.


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## Lefty (Apr 13, 2011)

Could everyone on this list pm me your location (city and state are all for now), and whether you're a pro or a home cook?
I would also like just a little history (member at ___ forum for ____ amount of time).
Sorry, but this is a $500 knife we're talking about!
Thanks guys!


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## echerub (Apr 13, 2011)

PM coming in from another Canuck


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## Dave Martell (Apr 13, 2011)

Look at all these Canadians!


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## Cadillac J (Apr 13, 2011)

Lefty....buddy....don't forget your boy from across the way!


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## aaronsgibson (Apr 13, 2011)

Well I'm new to doing pass arounds and not sure what you guys have as far as criteria but I'm willing to give it a shot. Please keep me up to date.


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## Lefty (Apr 13, 2011)

Beauty!
This sign up is CLOSED!
that went fast...talk about a nice turn out!
I'm being 100% serious, if anybody here wants to take part and lives in Windsor, Ont, you're included!
I need to get my boy Caddy in on this and we will save HUGE potential headaches at customs if someone happens to meet up in Detroit or Windsor!
I'll get back to everyone soon, just to verify whether or not you're in! Don't worry, I'm a pretty nice guy  , but as I said before, this is an awful lot of trust on the part of Thomas, so we need to make sure this all goes smoothly.
If you haven't sent me your info on pm, I need it soon so I can figure out routing, etc.
Thanks for the turn out everyone!


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## Lefty (Apr 14, 2011)

*UPDATE*: 

I got the measurements from Thomas via email. These are approximate, because the knife isn't finished yet.
The blade is 8" (in my experience, it might be a good thing for shipping reasons, even though most were hoping for 10")
OAL is 13"
Thickness is 0.09" or 2.3mm (at the thickest point)

Here is a representative picture, as the knife we will be getting is an updated version of his "New Generation" line.







You can get a better feel for his knives at www.haslinger-culinary.com, if you want to take a closer look.


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## Eamon Burke (May 6, 2011)

What's the word on this one? Close to done, perhaps? :jumpy:

I'm pretty excited to check this out, his work is very distinctive.


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## Mattias504 (May 6, 2011)

Me, too. I have admired his work for a long time.


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## JohnnyChance (May 6, 2011)

Dunno how I missed this thread first time around. Always liked the looks of Haslingers. Didn't know why they werent more popular. Hopefully this will be good for him and get him some fans in our crowd. Looking forward to hearing how this goes.


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## EdipisReks (May 6, 2011)

i'm interested! why didn't i check this thread sooner? oh well.


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## Lefty (May 6, 2011)

Hey guys!
No word as of yet...
I'll send him another email today to let see if it's still a go.


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## Lefty (May 24, 2011)

Just spoke with Thomas and the knife is DONE! He's sending it to me on Thursday. I'll post the order in the next day or two (it will be A LOT like the Pierre one). If anyone has changed their minds about joining in, let me know so we can make substitutions where we can.
Thanks guys!


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## Mattias504 (May 24, 2011)

If I made it on the list, I'm definitely still in!


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## Lefty (May 24, 2011)

You're in! NOLA, right?


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## Mattias504 (May 24, 2011)

Yessir


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## JohnnyChance (May 24, 2011)

Lefty said:


> If anyone has changed their minds about joining in, let me know so we can make substitutions where we can.



People, feel free to change your minds about participating so that I can be added to the list. Thanks.


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## BertMor (May 26, 2011)

I too would love joining in. Have beeon it.n dying to try his stuff for years. The only two people I know who had one was Fish (RIP) and Lee (Louisianacook). I would give it a pro's take


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## Lefty (May 26, 2011)

I'll see what I can do guys. I'm working on finalizing the list today, if work doesn't get in the way!


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## Lefty (May 26, 2011)

Thomas sent me a picture and some specs, with a little note for us all, to let us know what the knife is all about.
I'll finish up the list tomorrow and post the rules of the passaround then. I've been dragging my feet on this a bit because of work commitments (I know, I know).
The knife looks awesome! Here's the pic!







Hello forum members:

Included is the knife for the forum review. Details of the knife are:
CPM S35-VN stainless blade steel at Rockwell hardness of 61 on the C-Scale  cryogenic tempered
Stabilized curly koa handle  stabilizing performed by Wood Stabilizing Specialists, Int'l., LLC
HCK signature H pins  stainless and brass tubing
OAL: 13 1/8  333mm
BL: 7 15/16  201mm
TK: *3/32 - 2.4mm
I do my own heat treating of the steels I use and employ a triple quench and specific soak times on the above steel. This is to improve toughness and have a full transformation of retained austenite and fine dispersion of micro-carbides in its matrix. *
The knife is primarily designed for a 3 finger pinch grip; however it also works well in an alternate grip style too.
Obviously it is impossible to size the grip for every hand size or holding style used.
The spine and choil area of the knife have been slightly rounded over to eliminate any sharp edges where they might be uncomfortable on ones hand.
My sweeping grindlines are a full distal taper. This means that the thickest area of the blade is at the heal (towards the handle) of the cutting edge. This facilitates that one can use this area for short sharp chops, as one would use to serve a chicken knuckle bone or carrot top ect. *Besides being esthetically pleasing the sweeping grindlines also improves handling and balance of the knife, as well as lateral strength. *
If you have any additional questions, please email me at [email protected]
Thomas


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## Andy777 (May 27, 2011)

That's a sweet knife. Too bad I'm a day late and a dollar short to get in on the passaround. I've always wanted to try one of his knives. He made a cleaver a while back that I still lust after.


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## JohnnyChance (May 27, 2011)

Andy777 said:


> That's a sweet knife. Too bad I'm a day late and a dollar short to get in on the passaround. I've always wanted to try one of his knives. He made a cleaver a while back that I still lust after.


 
Damn. Some serious grinding there. Andy did you see BillT's passaround thread? He is going to make a cleaver for a passaround. Thought you might like to get in on that.


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## Andy777 (May 27, 2011)

I didn't see that where do I sign up?


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## JohnnyChance (May 27, 2011)

Andy777 said:


> I didn't see that where do I sign up?



http://www.kitchenknifeforums.com/showthread.php?1309-1st-Pass-Around-Effort-.-Cleaver-Anyone


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## Lefty (May 27, 2011)

I finished up the list!
We're going to work around the continent in a counter-clockwise fashion this time, so the West-coasters don't have to wait for 10 months to touch this one!
Here's the list:
1)echerub
2)caddy
3)spin_blue
4)spikec
5)andy777
6)jbroida
7)chuck239
8)el_pescador
9)rockbox
10)johndoughy
11)so_sleepy
12)mattias504
13)Pensacola Tiger
14)AndrewH
15)wildboar
16)Edipisreks

Hopefully this list was done properly, and I didn't forget anyone!
I'll post the rules soon enough, but they're the same as the Pierre passaround. I just need to find out how much the knife needs to be insured for.
Thanks guys!


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## WildBoar (May 27, 2011)

Great -- thanks for putting this together.


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## Lefty (May 27, 2011)

Not a problem!
Sorry about your spot on the list....


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## WildBoar (May 27, 2011)

not a problem at all -- I'm happy to be on it in the first place :hungry:


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## Andrew H (May 27, 2011)

Hey, at least it's not a long trip from Hampton Roads to NoVa, right?


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## Mattias504 (May 27, 2011)

SWEEEEETTTTT!!!!


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## echerub (May 27, 2011)

Coooolness


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## SpikeC (May 27, 2011)

Oh boy oh boy oh boy!!!!!!


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## EdipisReks (May 27, 2011)

looking forward to this!


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## so_sleepy (May 27, 2011)

Lefty said:


> I finished up the list!
> We're going to work around the continent in a counter-clockwise fashion this time, so the West-coasters don't have to wait for 10 months to touch this one!
> Here's the list:
> 1)echerub
> ...


 
Hey Lefty, Rockbox and I live within 20 miles of each other and can hand off in person if you adjust the order.


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## Lefty (Jun 5, 2011)

Sure! Johndoughy can switch with Rockbox and we dodged and unnecessary shipping charge! Thanks!


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## Lefty (Jun 5, 2011)

A little update for anyone who is interested - 
I received the knife from Thomas on Friday (I think). I've been trying to work it in to my prep at home, but I've been using my other toy a bit more for some reason...not sure why....
A quick first impression is that the knife is very very attractive! It seems to be well made, and is nice and light in the hand. It makes you want to use a French style of cutting, with a slight forward and backward movement in your slicing motion. 
I'm going to see how it responds to the stones on Wednesday, at which point I hope it will be better for all types of cutting.
I'll keep you posted, but it feels pretty promising.
On another note, I know most of you have sent me your addresses, but I need them again (what, I like to pm people...)
Thanks everyone.


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## Mattias504 (Jun 6, 2011)

Exciting!!


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## Andrew H (Jun 12, 2011)

Is the knife on its way to echerub?


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## Lefty (Jun 12, 2011)

Sorry, it's one it's way to Len (echerub) on Tuesday.
Just want to give it a full run through before i make any comments, so I've been quiet on this topic.
It is a beautiful knife, so everyone should be in for a treat.


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## echerub (Jun 12, 2011)

If it is, I gotta stock up on ingredients for testing the knife


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## Mattias504 (Jun 13, 2011)

Hey Lefty, got any pics that you took that you might wanna post up. I'd love to see this knife from a few different angles.


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## Lefty (Jun 13, 2011)

Len, you'd better have some groceries ready for Wednesday or Thursday! 

I have a little update, finally! 
When I first used the knife, I felt like I was fighting it a bit. I couldn't quite figure it out, at first. I wasn't getting "stuck" or having any sort of steering issues (it's dead straight and 50/50), but I just felt a bit off keel. 
I touched up the edge with the 6k suita, and it made a tiny difference, but nothing major. I had a feeling it was me, and that I wasn't putting enough time into it, so today I decided to take it through my full "progression", which is a 1k, p800 wet/dry and the suita (stripping on each grit, and deburring at each). 
About the sharpening: It felt very different than my other knives on the stones, and seemed stubborn as all hell at first! I raised a burr a lot quicker than I expected considering it's S35VN, but when I flipped it, it didn't feel any weaker than it did on the initial side! I flipped it back and forth a few times and with an edge trailing stroke, the burr broke free with a nails on chalkboard kind of sound...I looked at the edge and it looked slightly torn, for lack of a better word.
Instead of going up to my next grit, I repeated my 1k, with 100% different results. Within only a couple of minutes, I'd raised a burr and flipped it a couple times. I deburred on a champagne cork in two twisty swoops and we were off to the races! 
I continued my progression, finishing fairly quickly. It was noticeably longer than my other knives, but not enough to get annoyed. The knife came out nice and sharp, but it still felt slightly "different". 
I put it to use on some garlic and onions (I made a new batch of Piri-Piri sauce) and felt like it was almost there...ALMOST.
I washed it, and took it back to the suita to ease the shoulders in a very uniform and clean fashion (don't worry, there are no scuffs). I went back to my Piri-Piri making and was very pleasantly surprised. It was blowing through prep, almost as well as my Carter!
One concentrated sharpening effort, with some trouble-shooting involved and I think the knife is where it should be, or at least close to it.


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## Lefty (Jun 13, 2011)

Here are as few pics for your viewing pleasure


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## Potato42 (Jun 13, 2011)

You hear people talk about thin knives like sports cars a lot. To me, this one says "jet fighter".


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## echerub (Jun 15, 2011)

The Canada Post strike/lockout isn't going to help...


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## BertMor (Jun 16, 2011)

Andy777 said:


> That's a sweet knife. Too bad I'm a day late and a dollar short to get in on the passaround. I've always wanted to try one of his knives. He made a cleaver a while back that I still lust after.


 
Hmmmm must have missed my frequest, right after Andy's ... Oh well maybe next time


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## echerub (Jun 20, 2011)

Just picked up the knife earlier this evening! Nothing for me to make tonight, but I'll start putting the knife through its paces tomorrow


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## Lefty (Jun 20, 2011)

Great! Glad it got there. Take that Canada Post! Haha


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## Lefty (Jun 20, 2011)

Haslinger Review:
Sorry for the delay, guys. Here's a short(ish), but true review of the knife.

First Impression: 
The knife is a real looker! My wife was in the room when I opened it and she said something along the lines of, "Wow! That's pretty. It's smaller than your other knives. Is it for me"? I think that's a compliment! 
Looks alone, it's a star!
The only noticeable "imperfection" was an overgrind on the right side (looking down at the spine), at the heel. It looked as though the belt (or stone) got away from Thomas for a second. It didn't affect performance, but. I know it is something I new to point out. 

Profile:
It has a nice profile, with kind of a new-age euro inspired design. There isn't a huge amount of flat in the blade, but it ended up working pretty well for push cutting. It wasn't a strength, but it was passably good at it. The blade was made to be used by people who have a slight rock in their motion, and when used accordingly, it was very nice.
The tip is VERY pointy, and in a pro kitchen, i'd be afraid it might get bent, or worse yet, broken. In a home setting, it's great for trimming, and delicate tip work. 

Grind:
I didn't examine it quite as closely as perhaps I should have, but I will say that it was a tad thick behind the edge. I felt it in hard product, but it wasn't really getting stuck. It cut through, but felt abrupt. 
As I mentioned before, I lightly eased the shoulders and made the "factory grind" a little bit steeper, and it felt like a new knife. With my edge (or close to it), the blade felt much more nimble than it did upon receiving it. Looking at the knife, you would think "agile", and after a tweak or two it was VERY close to this.

Steel:
The steel felt very good on the board, and I never once felt like it might chip. This, of course, could be partly because of the grind of the blade. 
It sharpened very strangely, with a screeching noise, at times. You can tell S35VN is very abrasion resistant. Sharpening took a while, but felt worthwhile. I've been spoiled with white steel lately, and I just don't tyvm S35VN can get as sharp as white. Maybe I'm wrong, but I didn't feel like getting tendonitis trying to find out 
For a really thin knife that will allow geometry to dictate performance, or a knife that is meant to be beaten up on (line knife), i think S35VN is a great steel. However, for an in between (dare I say it...Addict-type knife), I think it would be an awful choice.
I got the knife relatively sharp, but I don't see polishing this steel being advantageous.

Workmanship/Handle:
A+! Thomas has skills! The knife itself is almost perfect to look at! Aside from the overgrind (minor), I can't pick on anything. The handle is modern, comfortable and I loved the wood choice. 
I had no issue with knuckle clearance (I hold a knife very loosely), but I think some will mention they'd prefer a bit more room between the handle and board.
The handle is a pinch gripper or a finger on the spine type of handle. I see this as a positive, for sure!

Overall:
I am pleased with the knife, overall. It's not a lazer, but Thomas will be the first to tell you that. He took a European knife and made it much better. For this, I say "well done"! 
The knife was a good, not great, but better than those "other knives" cutter. The edge seems like it will last for years, and I think it would fit in where people might like A-types (I won't say for sure), but want something A LOT prettier, less labour intensive and much more unique.
Was I amazed by this knife? I some ways, yes, and in others, no...not quite. Would I hang it on my rack, alongside a Rodrigue, Carter, Konosuke, Misono, and Fuji? You're damned right I would. I'd use it when I wanted to have a showpiece knife that I can beat up on (and my in-laws can do whatever it is they do to knives). The only area I'd truly worry about is the tip. I just felt like I might snap it off...It was great to use, but made me a bit nervous.
If Thomas addresses the abrupt bevel to blade road area, and gives us a bit more board contact, I think he'll have a real winner. Until then, fix it with 15-30 minutes on the stones and let your friends and family drool while you prep dinner.
Thanks Thomas, for lending us your knife and putting yourself and your work out there. There will be some VERY tough reviews along the way, but I honestly think most will find this to be a nice knife!


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## AnxiousCowboy (Jun 20, 2011)

too late for an east coaster to get in on the pass around? Looks beautiful and would love to give it a go in my kitchen...


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## echerub (Jul 1, 2011)

Hey guys. I've got the knife boxed up and ready to continue on with the passaround. Here are some of my thoughts about the knife:

*Cosmetics, Fit & Finish*

The fit and finish are top-notch. The spine and choil are rounded, and the handle both looks and feels fantastic. The curly koa wood is a beautiful, dark wood that exudes elegance and style.

My girlfriend thought the knife looked really nice, but the sharp, fine tip "scared" her and she refused to use it. When I brought the knife to use in my cooking classes, the knife garnered attention very quickly due to its looks.

As Lefty mentioned, there is a slight overgrind on the right side of the heel. You will see it as a slight "flare" to the bevel right at the heel. Other than that, though, the knife is almost perfect in the fit, finish, and looks department. It'll catch your eye in the kitchen, as well as everyone else's. It's a beautiful knife and a wonderful example of style and craftsmanship.

*Blade Profile*

I'm used to doing push-cutting with the knife held parallel to the cutting board all the way through the cutting motion. I thought this might be a problem with the Haslinger design, but it turned out to be alright. I found that to compensate for the curvature, I naturally put in more forward motion than usual into my stroke, and went with a slight rock or curvature through the stroke. I'd start the cut with the blade ever so slightly tip-down from flat, and as I pushed the knife down and forward, I'd bring the heel down a little faster so that by the time I ended on the board, it was heel-flat on the board.

I rock-chopped once with the blade, when I was mincing up some Italian parsley. Other than that, I did slightly modified push-cutting all the way and encountered almost no "accordioning" of my food. I think there was only one instance of "accordioning". In general, the blade curvature isn't as problematic for push cutters as it first appears, even though the actual length of perfectly straight edge is rather short. No problems going through a load of potatoes and large-dicing onions. Carrots, however, were not a joy with the knife as I found I needed to move the knife with more of a forward motion than usual and I felt noticeably slower. A bit more flat edge to the profile I think would make a difference here.

I have a preference for taller blades, so what follows is going to be more a matter of preference than anything else. I found the height on this knife to be rather short, so I don't think I did my usual pinch grip at all with this knife. I either used the knife with my index finger riding on top of the spine, which lent it really nicely for slicing, or with a slightly crunched up pinch grip. One of my classmates, when handling the knife, commented that the "ferrule" didn't feel very comfortable for him. For me, it was never an issue - even with my slightly crunched up pinch grip, the handle felt comfortable at all times. However, the the short blade height was sometimes less than ideal for me.

The sharp, fine tip is one of the hallmarks of this series' design and look. It's good for fine tip work in some cases, but not in all cases. When I finely mince garlic cloves, I cut horizontal with the blade, then use the tip to make vertical cuts before finally using the main blade body to finish it all off - just like the way many of us mince onions. I found that I had to slow down when using the tip to do the vertical cuts. On other chef's knives, gyutos, or whatever, the tip is a little taller and there's somewhere on the blade that can ride along one of my knuckles. Not so with this particular profile, so I had to carefully watch the tip. I wasn't slow on the garlic, but there was a noticeable reduction in speed compared to what I normally do with other knives.

*Blade Geometry*

This knife isn't a laser-type knife, and isn't meant to be. It's good, multi-purpose geometry that will suit many folks. It's not a beefy geometry, it's just not a waif-like laser geometry. The knife felt nice going through veggies of all kinds although there was some cracking on harder root vegetables, went through meat like a dream, had no issues dealing with pineapple or small watermelons. Peeling an apple with the knife, though, isn't playing to its strengths.

*Handling & Feel*

This is a light knife, perhaps because of its short length. The balance point is right at the "ferrule" end of the handle scales. Yet, there was a strange kind of feel in the hands for me when I first handled the knife. It felt nimble, but not "lively". I'm not sure I have the right vocabulary to describe the feeling. I could move this knife any which way I wanted to and easily - partly because of its short length, partly because its resultant lighter weight. For some reason, though, the knife didn't jump alive in my hand as some other knives do, even if they are a bit bigger or heavier.

I suppose it has something to do with the balance point, but I am left scratching my head on this. Would having the balance point just a little bit further forward make the difference in liveliness? It could also be a matter of what I'm used to using, since the vast majority of my knives are wa-handled or if they are western handled have more metal in the blade and therefore probably all have balance points just a little further forward. That being the case, maybe this is a matter of personal preference, but it might not be. Only time will tell as others review the knife and comment on its feel in the hand.

I'll say more about this in my wrap-up, but after using this knife for 10 days deliberately prepping more meals and a greater variety of meals than I would in a regular week-and-a-bit, I think this knife handles and feels like a large petty knife.

*Edge Retention and Maintenance*

Edge retention surprised me on this knife, and not in a good way. The knife came to me sharpened by Lefty, and I worked with that edge the whole week. When I took the knife out of the box and felt the edge with my fingers, it felt nice all the way from tip to heel. Cutting on a variety of poly and end-grain boards posed no issues for most of the week. However, towards the end of the week I noticed that the heel end of the edge had become noticeably dull. The front half of the knife still had a nice sharp edge, but that made sense since it was the back half of the knife that was always making board contact.

I didn't expect the edge to dull at all during the week I was using the knife, which is why this observation surprised me. I first noticed the dulling when cutting up some tomatoes and found that it wasn't cutting through the skin well. When I felt the edge with my fingers, sure enough the back end of the blade had become dull. I hadn't been any rougher on this knife than any of my usual knives, and others go through the same poly boards without issue. Indeed, one of my cleavers is used only on poly boards and retains its edge very well.

On the other hand, quickly stropping this knife on a leather pad with diamond honing spray brought the edge back to life. I don't know how durable this "resurrected" edge will be, since I packed up the knife for shipping the next day.

*Overall Impressions*

This knife is made with skill, attention, and care. That much is obvious right from the first time I saw it and handled it, and I still say it now after using it for a week and a bit.

The knife, in my hands, is really better thought of as a large petty knife than as a small chef's knife. If I frame my experience with the knife in terms of what I expect a chef's knife should handle and feel, it doesn't quite jive and I wouldn't be satisfied with the knife. However, once I frame my experience in terms of a petty, things change: this knife is great as a large, beefier petty. If I think of the knife as a large petty, it does everything I'd expect of it, plus more. If I think of it as a chef's knife, though, it falls short simply because there are design choices in the profile that don't suit the way I want to use a chef's knife. I think that those who use sujis as their main cooking knives, for example, will come away with a totally different experience.

The knife handles great as a short slicer, particularly with the index-finger grip and with the low blade profile. Curving the along watermelon rind to get out all the "meat" was a cinch. Thin slicing deli meats was wonderful. Cutting up chicken breast into fine strips was a breeze. It takes on small melons and pineapples great. Veggie prep will go by quickly, too - though some, like carrots, won't be as nice an experience as it could otherwise be. 

The only thing that concerns me at this point is that edge retention. The back half of that edge should not have dulled that quickly based on just one week's use by a home cook and part-time culinary student. I am encouraged by the way the edge came back to life so quickly after just a few moments on a leather honing pad, but I think it will fall to subsequent testers to suss out more about edge retention and ease of bringing an edge back.


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## Lefty (Jul 1, 2011)

Thanks for the review, Len! Great job!
Did you detect any sort of wire edge on the heel portion? Maybe I didn't fully deburr that area and am to blame for the issue(?)


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## echerub (Jul 2, 2011)

I thought about that, but a wire edge would have just crumbled without being able to resurrect it on the leather hone, right?


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## Eamon Burke (Jul 2, 2011)

Not necessarily. Depends on the steel.


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## spinblue (Jul 10, 2011)

Hi All,
I received the knife Friday afternoon as I was heading out of town for the weekend.

I unleashed it from the box, unrolled the bubble wrap and was instantly smiling with the visual appeal. The knife is very, very nice looking from the blade, the way light bounces off the grinds of the blade and the handle is gorgeous and feels great.

I'll get a chance to look more at it later today.


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## SpikeC (Aug 13, 2011)

Haslinger passaround

First impression out of the bubble wrap: Very beautiful piece of work!
As I look closely, there is some staining on the front 3 inches of the blade, so it is not truly "stainless". It is not glaring by any means, but is visible. The koa handle is really pretty and feels nice in the hand at initial impression.*
*Looking closely at the blade profile there is no truly flat place on the cutting edge, very much like my Takeda gyuto. *I don't anticipate a problem with chopping as long as there is a slight rocking movement to the cut, but we shall see how that works out in practice.
*The grind on the blade is not the same on each side, the left side of the blade is nearly flat while the right side has more convexity.*
*Thomas mentions a slight rounding of the spine and choil to make them more comfortable to the hand, I think that a bit more would be in order, especially if the knife is going to be used for more than a few minutes. In a few moments of use I found myself very aware of the edges of not only the metal areas but also the front of the wood on the handle.
*I did a little veg prep with the knife as it came out of the package and it was apparent that it had not been sharpened. The edge near the tip was dull with light reflecting off the edge, and there was no edge near the heel. A few passes on .5 micron diamond paste helped, but I had to hit the stones to get the edge back, briefly on 1K, a few passes on 4K, and then some stropping on a 6K Suehiro followed by a few passes on the charged leather. Now it has a great edge. What little burr I rose came off on the edge of my workbench.
*
*I wrote that without looking at the previous reviews, and now for a few more thoughts.
*What looked like staining on the front of the blade disappeared after a few days of use and cleaning.
*It was said that there was a slight overgrind on the right side near the heel. I could not detect any with my straight edge, but I did detect a bend in the length of the blade to the right. I don't think that the curve affects the cutting, but it is there.*
*I need more knuckle clearance than this knife provides, and I find the edges of the scales bothersome.*
*With all of the talk about food release I thought at I would mention that it really gloms onto the blade on this knife. I did a side to side with my ebony handled knife and initially mine cut more easily, but after tuning the edge some the performance was comparable as far as ease of slicing and chopping was concerned.*
*I am a little unsure about the profile of this blade. It seems to me to be between a slicer and a chef's. I would like the front half of the blade to be wider if it is a gyuto type, and the second half to be narrower if it is a slicer. The all around profile seems to not quite hit the mark for me.*


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## SpikeC (Aug 13, 2011)

All of those * marks were inserted by the iPad, I don't know where they came from!


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## JBroida (Sep 1, 2011)

just got this knife in the mail last night... havent had any time to do anything with it yet, but i took some pictures for you guys


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## Lefty (Sep 1, 2011)

Nice pics, Jon!
How's it holding up after all of the hands it's been in, so far?


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## JBroida (Sep 1, 2011)

Measurements:
Handle Length- 122.0mm
Handle Height- 26.25mm
Handle Width- 21.00mm
Handle to Tip Length- 209.0mm
Heel to Tip Length- 200.0mm
Blade Height at Heel- 45.5mm
Width of Spine at Handle- 2.5mm
Width of Spine Above Heel- 2.5mm
Width of Spine at Middle- 2.2mm
Width of Spine about 1cm from the tip- 0.5mm
Blade Thickness at 1/2 way between the Spine and Edge- 2.0mm
Weight- 170g


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## JBroida (Sep 1, 2011)

Lefty said:


> Nice pics, Jon!
> How's it holding up after all of the hands it's been in, so far?


 
seems like its in good shape, but its in bad need of some sharpening... so thats my plan for the day


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## Lefty (Sep 1, 2011)

Lucky knife!


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## JBroida (Sep 1, 2011)

sharpening done... as some previous reviewers have noted, there is some funkiness near the heel with the grind.

The steel sharpened much easier than i expected... people always make it out to be a tough steel... sharpening from 400 through to 8k took no more than 5 minutes.






It takes a nice edge, but not quite as fine as i normally like... you can feel the steel has a natural toothiness to it (not necessarily a bad thing with kitchen knives).

Anyways, i'll be using it over the weekend a bunch and will get back to you guys with more then.

-Jon


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## JBroida (Sep 12, 2011)

Getting ready to post my final thoughts and also trying to figure out who's after me... Lefty, can you shoot me a PM when you have a chance (your inbox was full)


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## El Pescador (Nov 3, 2011)

I have always thought that I&#8217;d own a Haslinger Chef&#8217;s Knife, and for a short time last month, I did. I have always admired his knife work and thought it was just a matter of the right circumstances. Without any notice, a Haslinger 200mm (8in) s35vn gyuto showed up on my doorstep. Truly a welcome surprise!
Intial Impressions-This is a good looking knife! Thin tip, comfortable handle. Beautiful Fiddleback Koa with a mosaic pin. That&#8217;s the good. 
Here&#8217;s the bad. Flat grind so stuff sticks, it was most noticible with hard vegetables like acorn squash where it wedged like a mofo. As a meat cutter it was ok, but it was too short to really be of any use slicing. It had a weird blade profile, I felt like it wanted to be a slicer but was way too short and while the lenth was right for a small gyuto it was too narrow with a big belly. Another thing, it&#8217;s too short at the heel. Your fingers get in the way so the first 1 ½ inches of the blade are unusable. 
Sharpening was not that much more difficult than a vg10 knife but it did take longer. As to edge retention, I gave up on the knife due to profile issues long before any impression of steel performance could be reached.


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## Salty dog (Nov 3, 2011)

He's been making knives for a while now. He must have found a comfy market. He seems to be happy with his design. I checked out one of his knives and was unpleasantly surprised.


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## mr drinky (Nov 3, 2011)

That cleaver is definitely drool-worthy, but reading this old thread begs the question: What happened in the passaround? Or did I miss the thread. I searched for a Haslinger passaround thread and didn't see anything.

k.


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## El Pescador (Nov 3, 2011)

mr drinky said:


> That cleaver is definitely drool-worthy, but reading this old thread begs the question: What happened in the passaround? Or did I miss the thread. I searched for a Haslinger passaround thread and didn't see anything.
> 
> k.



this is the passaround thread


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## Lefty (Nov 3, 2011)

Unfortunately, this is the thread. I think we've lost some excitement, or perhaps the info is going straight to the man himself. 
I have to be honest, Pierre and I talk regularly (the other passaround I set up), but I haven't heard a peep from Thomas in months. I'm giving him the benefit of the doubt, and assuming he's just busy.


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## mr drinky (Nov 3, 2011)

So how many have gotten to road test the knife? Just wondering. 

Btw, I am pretty sure Justin0505 has a Haslinger.

k.


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## tk59 (Nov 3, 2011)

Pesky brought it by for a little test drive. My opinion mirrors his except for the part about always wanting one. It's a decent small slicer. Tip work is decent and I tend to do a lot of it. It takes a while to grind on the stones but the edge is good.


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## Eamon Burke (Nov 3, 2011)

Two more then to me, two more then to me!


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## El Pescador (Nov 3, 2011)

My problem with this knife is the size...Im sure a bigger (240mm) knife performs better than this one. sometimes small isn't better.


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## Pensacola Tiger (Jun 7, 2012)

The knife has worked its way down the list to me. It was delivered today, just in time for me to use it this weekend. It looks the same as it does in the pics already posted, but I'll try to add my own before I pass it on to the next on the list.

Rick


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## JohnnyChance (Jun 7, 2012)

Wow, back from the dead.


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## JohnnyChance (Jun 7, 2012)

Lefty said:


> I finished up the list!
> We're going to work around the continent in a counter-clockwise fashion this time, so the West-coasters don't have to wait for 10 months to touch this one!
> Here's the list:
> 1)echerub
> ...



Haha, Pesky had this at the beginning of November...the knife's trip from SoCal through Texas and into Florida took 7 months.


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## Eamon Burke (Jun 7, 2012)

Gone from me before christmas, iirc.


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## Lefty (Jun 8, 2012)

Let's just say delivery times can vary and leave it at that. 
It's back and safe and sound, which is what matters.
I hope the last four guys enjoy their time with it.


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## El Pescador (Jun 8, 2012)

JohnnyChance said:


> Haha, Pesky had this at the beginning of November...the knife's trip from SoCal through Texas and into Florida took 7 months.



I still don't like this knife!


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## Justin0505 (Jun 9, 2012)

I had one of his knives that i got back in 2006 or 7. It was shorter and with steeper edge to handle angle ratio - almost like a honesuki. It also had a pretty curvy/bellied shape. However, proportionally, it looked thicker and stouter, except for the tip... Which was perhaps even thinner and more needle-like. It had a tendency to "spin" when set down and one day it accidentally spun off a counter and lost ~3mm off the tip. Funny thing is that it was actually a much more comfortable a
nd often-used knife after that. I didnt re-grind the needle tip, but instead did a kind of mini drop-point that better matched the stout nature of the rest of the blade. 

I had a bit more trouble with wedging than seemes to be encounterer on the passaround knife, but that wasnt an issue as mine was mostly tasked with poulty and small protien. 


The steel on mine was the older s30v, but i had a similar underwhelming experience as the folks in the passaround have had with the new s35vn. I discovered the edge retention is exponentially improved with a compound bevel, micro bevel, or mico-convex edge. I like AEB-L or even cpm135 better, but i will say that the s30v was capable of just as absurd sharpness: it was the first steel I passed the Nilloc standing receipt test with. Its just much more sensitivite/ particular with edge shape. 

Anyway, I think that the reviews here are pretty accurate with my exp. These knives are not for everyone or for every task. Some will find them quirky and different in a good/fun way, others they will drive crazy. 

I eventually sold mine, not b/c i didnt like it, but just b/c I was cutting down on stainless and wanted to try some differnt style petties.


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## Justin0505 (Jun 9, 2012)




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## Crothcipt (Jun 9, 2012)

hmm something wrong with pics.


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## Eamon Burke (Jun 9, 2012)




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## Justin0505 (Jun 9, 2012)

Crothcipt said:


> hmm something wrong with pics.



Sorry, I guess there was some problem with the links from the mobile app. Admin, please delete the above blank post: edit timer has expired for me.







*EDIT: GAH! I'm too slow! Eamon beat me too it! I guess you can delete this post too...


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## VoodooMajik (Jun 9, 2012)

If a few days pop up at the end of the line for me I'd love to give it a try.


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## Lefty (Jun 10, 2012)

Toss in some of that coffee, and you're in at the end  hahaha. Just kidding. There's actually one last spot open, so you can be last.


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## VoodooMajik (Jun 12, 2012)

Awesome, Looking forward to it! Thank you. I'm at the end of the line with yeah twice now, I could probly do that


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## WildBoar (Jun 19, 2012)

I've had this knife since last Friday afternoon. It got a pretty good workout over the weekend, as we hosted a dinner Friday night that had a bit of prep involved, and I hacked up a nice variety of ingredients for a pizza dinner for Fathers' Day. My initial inpression upon unpacking was Thomas has his stuff together aesthetics-wise. The handle is beautiful, and the lines on the knife are kinda sexy. My wife fell in love with it -- it's the first passaround knife we've had where she liked the length, weight, balance and handle.

Previous reviews in this thread already hit on all my high points, which mainly were: 1) I'd like to see the balance point moved just a little more forward, 2) the flat grind led to a bit of sticking, 3) the thickness above the heel had me mainly using the half of the knife towards the tip, 4) it was in between a slicer and a gyuto. I really liked the thinness at the tip, which was great for mincing garlic. The front half of the blade was great for slicing onions, but the back half did not work as well due to thickness/ wedging; as a result, I altered my technique to more closely mimic slicing. I suspect a 240 would do better; with a 210 there just is not enough useable length for the way the blade is ground to suit my taste/ cutting style.

There are a lot of aspects of this knife that I really liked. The knife felt good in my hand, but as someone already said it did not fully translate to the board -- probably due to the balance point not being far enough forward. I think with some changes to his grind (i.e., add some convexity and a longer 'flat' area) Thomas would have a really great knife. I don't know if he will want to change anything though, as some (like my wife) would be happy for a long time with this, as they like more handle-heavy knives.

I will use it a couple more nights and then send it on down the line. I don't think I will need to try and sharpen before I send it, as it still has a nice endge and only needs a little stropping.

Lefty, thanks for doing this. I have to admit I like the knife more in person then I thought I would based on pics.


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## Lefty (Jun 19, 2012)

WildBoar said:


> Previous reviews in this thread already hit on all my high points, which mainly were: 1) I'd like to see the balance point moved just a little more forward, 2) the flat grind led to a bit of sticking, 3) the thickness above the heel had me mainly using the half of the knife towards the tip, 4) it was in between a slicer and a gyuto. I really liked the thinness at the tip, which was great for mincing garlic. The front half of the blade was great for slicing onions, but the back half did not work as well due to thickness/ wedging; as a result, I altered my technique to more closely mimic slicing. I suspect a 240 would do better; with a 210 there just is not enough useable length for the way the blade is ground to suit my taste/ cutting style.
> 
> There are a lot of aspects of this knife that I really liked. The knife felt good in my hand, but as someone already said it did not fully translate to the board -- probably due to the balance point not being far enough forward. I think with some changes to his grind (i.e., add some convexity and a longer 'flat' area) Thomas would have a really great knife. I don't know if he will want to change anything though, as some (like my wife) would be happy for a long time with this, as they like more handle-heavy knives.



Thomas is paying attention to all of our comments and has learned A LOT from all of this.
In fact, he appreciates all of this so much that we are currently figuring out a way to get this knife in the hands of someone who will really appreciate it, while helping to give back to KKF.

Stay tuned


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## Lefty (Jul 1, 2012)

So, Edipis, do you have the knife yet???


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## WildBoar (Jul 1, 2012)

He got it yesterday. Hopefully he has started to enjoy it.


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## EdipisReks (Jul 1, 2012)

Lefty said:


> So, Edipis, do you have the knife yet???



sorry, forgot to post in this thread! yes, i got it yesterday, and i've been using it.


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## VoodooMajik (Jul 25, 2012)

Just arrived today. Lefty's next correct?


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## Lefty (Jul 25, 2012)

Weird! I just sent you a pm about this!


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## VoodooMajik (Jul 25, 2012)

I clicked post and the PM window popped up..


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## Lefty (Jul 25, 2012)

Oh, I should add, yes, I'm "next". 
After you, that's all she wrote. 

Thomas and I will be coming up with a cool way to thank everyone for taking part and also a way to pay back the forum for the amazing info and insight that is abundantly available on here. 

Thanks to everyone for your interest!


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## VoodooMajik (Jul 26, 2012)

So, I used it for as small while today. The profile took a bit of adjustment but in the end I found it very nice, I like the way the edge is shaped. Fantastic knife for fine tip work. Very comfortable handle. I'm unsure If it's slightly thick behind the edge or the current sharpening job, But I've used better cutters then how it currently is. I will have more to add after a couple of days.

First impression- I Really wish I could afford to purchase something like this....

Did Haslinger work with/for/under a knife maker by the name of Grenier by any chance??


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## VoodooMajik (Jul 26, 2012)

not the sharpening is bad, just been used. sorry


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## EdipisReks (Jul 26, 2012)

it's thick behind the edge. i didn't sharpen it, other than touching up.


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## VoodooMajik (Aug 27, 2012)

Sent the Knife off on Tuesday, Really Enjoyed it, Nice fine dice and most things without to much issue, Didn't try it with butternut or anything. I might prefer it thinned some, but it was a pleasure to use, thank you for including me


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## Lefty (Aug 27, 2012)

The knife arrived safe and sound! 

Thanks to everyone for taking part!


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## Crothcipt (Aug 28, 2012)

LOL over a year for it to get back around.


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## SameGuy (Aug 28, 2012)

Canada's big, eh?


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## Crothcipt (Aug 28, 2012)

SameGuy said:


> Canada's big, eh?


Look at the list. It got lost some were in Texas.


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