# My evolution of knives



## Matt Zilliox

its been quite the journey and now I'd like to share: i guess you'd say i have a collection now





Heldqvistmide 260 viking knife dammy over spicy white
custom 245 frenchie stainless over 52100
The nine 270 wrought over 1.25blah blah
The nine honyaki 240 w2
The nine workhorse 240 soft iron over b2
Bazes 225 perfection iron over b2
Red5forge 180 veg cleaver wrought over aogami super 
Metal monkey 190 gyuto soft iron over twr
Catchside 170 petty whatever he uses, for sale
Metal monkey 160 veg slayer dammy laser


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## marc4pt0

Some fun gems in there for sure.


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## IsoJ

Beautiful knives


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## Corradobrit1

I'm definitely picking up on a theme. 

I'm not seeing a Suji or a petty? Plenty of room for some additions.......


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## juice

Corradobrit1 said:


> I'm definitely picking up on a theme.


There's a certain ... kangarooness about it?


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## Matt Zilliox

Corradobrit1 said:


> I'm definitely picking up on a theme.
> 
> I'm not seeing a Suji or a petty? Plenty of room for some additions.......


I dont have much use for Suji as i dont often cook with meat, but the 270 the9nine could fill in if it had to...

Ha, for petty i have the good ole shun petty and utility and wusthof petty, and hardly ever use em, but they work when i do. the 160 is about as small as i need, and the tip is super fine and flexy on it, so detail work is a breeze. what i do need is another 225 with flatter blade profile

and yeah, somehow the Aussies took over my collection, no idea how i ended up with 3x the nines, but all of them are pretty awesome. its not my fault they make and forge the knives better than everyone else down there, i just capitalize on it. the 240 workhorse is a thing of functional beauty, the metal monkey 190 could only be better if it was a 225. its the best cutter ive tried, and my second favorite overall. Alexander Bazes has the top slot still, its just my Goldilocks knife, right length, right look, right handle, right feel, simply sticks in my hand. close call for 3rd, but i the nine 240 and heldqvist 260 would be a toss up on any given day.

Not pictured as its on loan with my buddy, Tanaka wide bevel 225mm

stuff thats come and gone: couple of raquins, a halcyon forge, a few no name mistakes, and next the wee catcheside


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## Malcolm Johnson

Wow that’s a sweet collection. Loving all the 9ine stuff and baze.


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## juice

Matt Zilliox said:


> and yeah, somehow the Aussies took over my collection, no idea how i ended up with 3x the nines, but all of them are pretty awesome. its not my fault they make and forge the knives better than everyone else down there, i just capitalize on it.


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## Matt Zilliox

A couple come. A couple go. Some remain as good as always


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## Malcolm Johnson

Which one do you find yourself grabbing most often and for what reason? That’s a seriously sweet lineup


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## Matt Zilliox

this question is difficult. im moody. 
The9nine 240 soft iron over blue 2. My first reaction to it was oh **** this thing is going to be too heavy. its not, at all. its ghosts through food, the new handle shape is nice and intuitive, and its the best edge i have, even compared to the other the9nines i have. itll ghost through a butternut, an onion, then some mushrooms, and you wont blink or wish you grabbed a different knife. the weight and convexity means lower stiction if you are into that sort of thing, but not my big concern. cutting experience and that perfectly hit baseball/golfball/fly cast, etc are what im after. just that feel of effortlessness.
i also grab both bazes very often, moreso in summer and fall when it was different soft veggies and lots of mushrooms. that newer bazes is easily my laseriest laser, and by far the scariest fastest sharpest knife put into my hands yet. With that feel comes a lightness and delicateness that is sometimes lovely and sometimes not quite substantial enough.
The cleaver is also a household favorite for semi beater status, cutting bread, pasta, my wife can use it...

the Tansu and Halcyon are new to me and i need to spend time with both. the tansu is a one knife that can do everything kind of knife, but its neither the best laser or workhorse ImO.

i have not cut with the halcyon yet, just got it here of BST, but early indications are it could be a fast fave, especialy for fast chopping, herbs, greens, things like that.

if forced into battle , home invasion scenario, or teleported into a live game of dungeons and dragons, im grabbing the bazes and the heldvistmide...

hope this helps


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## daveb

Like.


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## Malcolm Johnson

Matt Zilliox said:


> this question is difficult. im moody.
> The9nine 240 soft iron over blue 2. My first reaction to it was oh **** this thing is going to be too heavy. its not, at all. its ghosts through food, the new handle shape is nice and intuitive, and its the best edge i have, even compared to the other the9nines i have. itll ghost through a butternut, an onion, then some mushrooms, and you wont blink or wish you grabbed a different knife. the weight and convexity means lower stiction if you are into that sort of thing, but not my big concern. cutting experience and that perfectly hit baseball/golfball/fly cast, etc are what im after. just that feel of effortlessness.
> i also grab both bazes very often, moreso in summer and fall when it was different soft veggies and lots of mushrooms. that newer bazes is easily my laseriest laser, and by far the scariest fastest sharpest knife put into my hands yet. With that feel comes a lightness and delicateness that is sometimes lovely and sometimes not quite substantial enough.
> The cleaver is also a household favorite for semi beater status, cutting bread, pasta, my wife can use it...
> 
> the Tansu and Halcyon are new to me and i need to spend time with both. the tansu is a one knife that can do everything kind of knife, but its neither the best laser or workhorse ImO.
> 
> i have not cut with the halcyon yet, just got it here of BST, but early indications are it could be a fast fave, especialy for fast chopping, herbs, greens, things like that.
> 
> if forced into battle , home invasion scenario, or teleported into a live game of dungeons and dragons, im grabbing the bazes and the heldvistmide...
> 
> hope this helps


That was hugely helpful. The 9ine sounds like what I would love to have and so I’m defs gonna chase after one.


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## Matt Zilliox

I tried making a saya now that my bandsaw is running sweet. Material is a local cedar. 2 piece construction. Sanded to 800grit and oiled w beeswax and mineral oil.


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## LostHighway

Matt Zilliox said:


> I tried making a saya now that my bandsaw is running sweet. Material is a local cedar. 2 piece construction. Sanded to 800grit and oiled w beeswax and mineral oil.
> View attachment 112780
> View attachment 112781
> View attachment 112782



Lovely saya but be careful with Western Red Cedar as it tends to have quite a low native pH. Some woods can have a corrosive effect on iron and low alloy steels. Air dried wood that is several years old is less likely to exhibit this than recently kiln dried wood. It isn't necessarily directly related to native pH as some wood species slowly release corrosive compounds as they age. Heat and moisture tend to exacerbate this phenomena. Douglas Fir is also problematic.


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## Matt Zilliox

Thanks for the info, I'll keep an eye on it!



LostHighway said:


> Lovely saya but be careful with Western Red Cedar as it tends to have quite a low native pH. Some woods can have a corrosive effect on iron and low alloy steels. Air dried wood that is several years old is less likely to exhibit this than recently kiln dried wood. It isn't necessarily directly related to native pH as some wood species slowly release corrosive compounds as they age. Heat and moisture tend to exacerbate this phenomena. Douglas Fir is also problematic.


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## LostHighway

Matt Zilliox said:


> Thanks for the info, I'll keep an eye on it!



I think it is a non-issue for just transporting knives but I wouldn't leave reactive knives in any saya for a week or more.


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## Carterwhopkins

Nice saya, good job. As an additional fyi....some glues are corrosive to the blade steel....Titebond I is good TB II & III are bad.


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## Matt Zilliox

Here's a fun one to add to the team. Crazy laser like the Bazes.

Xerxes primus 230x52mm
I'll get some proper beauty shots soon.


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## Matt Zilliox

Haha. This thing is pretty savage


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## Dc2123

Damn you, looks sweet.


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## Dc2123

Matt Zilliox said:


> Haha. This thing is pretty savage




hows it performing compared to your other high tier makers?


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## Matt Zilliox

Dc2123 said:


> hows it performing compared to your other high tier makers?


Its amazing. Really thin at the tip but still hefty at the heel. Profile is great and board feel is also very good. Love the handle shape as well.
There's not a much more fun onion knife in the quiver. It's really great for soft veggies.


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