# HSC3 pass around gyuto



## labor of love

Just received this bad boy in the mail. Looks very nice and very thin.
Z-wear is the steel, German version of PD1, CPM-Cruwear.
More thoughts to come after I give it some use.
Photos happening soon.
I know there was a few guys before me that already tested this knife, feel free to chime in with your experience.
Visually speaking, I like it. I want one already lol.


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## tgfencer

Let's see some pictures.


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## labor of love




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## Barmoley

@Larrin wrote one of his excellent articles that includes history and properties of this steel https://knifesteelnerds.com/2019/06/03/the-history-of-3v-cru-wear-and-z-tuff-steel/

I got interested in this class of steels after I tried a couple of gyutos that had PD1 core steel made by the great @DevinT. To me this class of steels might just be the perfect steel for a general purpose gyuto. It can get pretty hard ~63 HRC, it is as tough as 52100 at the same hardness, it is about 2.5 times more wear resistant than 52100 and it is significantly more corrosion resistant than 52100, what's not to like. The only potential negative might be that it is more difficult to sharpen.


Here's what @YG420 had to say after playing with this knife for a bit....

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So I wasnt able to use the knife as much as I wanted to, but I did manage to squeeze in a couple of meals.


My first impression is the knife just goes through product like butter. Very smooth and without much hesitation. I figure its due to the wide bevel construction? Food release was average, not bad but not amazing either so no complaints there. The knife came really sharp and after I was done it was still sharp, so I didn't hit the stones or anything. I didn't really have enough time to really test the edge retention though. Idk if the steel is stainless or not, but I didn't notice any patina forming. The edge profile is a little flatter than I like, but it wasn't a problem at all. I'm not a big fan of the nose style of the knife, but it didn't affect performance in any way, so its just aesthetics. The length of the knife is what gave me issues, if anything. As you know I like shorter length knives and this one I had to concentrate so I wouldn't tip it or hit something lol. But that's just my taste and what I'm used to. I'm not a big fan of the handle. Idk if if the shape or size, but it just didn't feel comfortable to me. Overall though, I feel the knife is pretty cool and wish I was able to give it more time.


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## Barmoley

I forgot to mention, that this knife was made to my specification, so length, height, profile, balance, handle size are my fault, but I like them. @HSC /// Knives delivered what I asked for with this knife.


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## mise_en_place

I'd love to try that knife. I've got a petty in Zwear from Harbeer that I love.


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## daveb

Wow, you cut that cheese really thin.......


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## labor of love

Well you know Dave, I’m in the middle of making Mac sauce and guys were demanding pics. This is what happens Larry.


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## MrHiggins

What's the handle made of? How's it feel? HSC3 is making me a knife and we're going back and forth on handles right now. I'm super excited.


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## labor of love

The handle has good size, weight and feel. I have no idea what it is. Single piece construction.


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## Barmoley

It is rosewood. I wanted the handle as light as possible to move balance forward, since we were limited by the thickness of the blade due to the thickness of available Z-wear blank. Rosewood was the lightest wood Harbeer had on hand. It worked out perfectly for my preference.


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## AT5760

I like that profile. How tall?


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## Chuckles

> Wow, you cut that cheese really thin.......



Obviously you’re not a golfer.


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## labor of love

Just minced a dozen onions. Really enjoy the profile. Handle is really great in use. Grind has righty bias that a lefty like myself can feel.


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## labor of love

AT5760 said:


> I like that profile. How tall?


Notice the photo above w 2 knives? For scale the HSC3 is laying next to my isasmedjan which is 53mm x 242mm. So it’s pretty tall.


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## marc4pt0

Dang, sorry I missed this pass around


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## ian

Ditto. Looks awesome! Nice work, @HSC /// Knives .


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## MrHiggins

Barmoley said:


> It is rosewood. I wanted the handle as light as possible to move balance forward, since we were limited by the thickness of the blade due to the thickness of available Z-wear blank. Rosewood was the lightest wood Harbeer had on hand. It worked out perfectly for my preference.


Thanks! I asked for a very simple and light handle and Harbeer suggested either rosewood or wenge. We're leaning towards wenge at the moment. I want a wood that has a little texture and grip to it. How's the rosewood for grip?


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## labor of love

MrHiggins said:


> Thanks! I asked for a very simple and light handle and Harbeer suggested either rosewood or wenge. We're leaning towards wenge at the moment. I want a wood that has a little texture and grip to it. How's the rosewood for grip?


Catcheside wenge is really good too. This particular rosewood is softer than wenge. Wenge is most likely more textured, I don’t really know for sure though.


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## ian

Yea, the Catcheside wenge I tried was super textured. Not my favorite handle shape, but it was comfortable enough.


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## Barmoley

MrHiggins said:


> Thanks! I asked for a very simple and light handle and Harbeer suggested either rosewood or wenge. We're leaning towards wenge at the moment. I want a wood that has a little texture and grip to it. How's the rosewood for grip?


This rosewood, to me, feels softer and warmer than wenge I've tried. Wenge had more texture. Weightwise I don't know which would be lighter, I asked for the lightest possible wood. It is also pretty good when wet, but so is wenge.


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## M1k3

I also used it. I was after @YG420 , before @labor of love. I was thought it was a very nice knife. Fit and finish was excellent. Choil and spine area were very comfortable. The handle was very comfortable also. Quite thin behind the edge. Food release was decent. Nothing to complain about, but, could be better (could be much worse also). No stiction though, which is great. This was a custom knife, so my opinion on the profile is subjective. I really liked the generous flat spot, but, I would of liked the tip to be 2-3mm higher. Sharpening it was relatively easy. A tiny bit more work than AS, but definitely easier than VG-10. I believe the steel is actually semi-stainless, but, I didn't see any patina formation. That all said, I enjoyed the knife very much. 

Thanks @Barmoley and @HSC /// Knives for the opportunity.


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## HSC /// Knives

thanks for the feedback so far, I welcome it and it's appreciated.
I believe this one is 235x54...

About Z Wear PM - This is a powder metallurgy high alloy carbon tool steel. It has the added benefits of some increased corrosion resistance (7,5% chrome) and added toughness, and perhaps best of all, better edge holding.

what it looked when it was first completed.






Here's another one that a forum member has





and another one with Lacewood handle.





The steel is difficult to work with and costly.
I'm keeping the price down with a simple utilitarian handle.
a 3 pc frame handle, with different woods and a black G10 frame.

Ideally I want this steel in a laminated version (san mai) with softer stainless cladding.
I'm working on this...I did an initial trial of some laminated with another bladesmith.
The weld was good but we overheated the steel core so they were junk.

@YG420 I'm going to review the nose shape, it's something I'll be working on.

big thanks to @Barmoley for taking the leap of faith with me on the very first one.


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## cheflife15

HSC /// Knives said:


> thanks for the feedback so far, I welcome it and it's appreciated.
> I believe this one is 235x54...
> 
> About Z Wear PM - This is a powder metallurgy high alloy carbon tool steel. It has the added benefits of some increased corrosion resistance (7,5% chrome) and added toughness, and perhaps best of all, better edge holding.
> 
> what it looked when it was first completed.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Here's another one that a forum member has
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> and another one with Lacewood handle.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> The steel is difficult to work with and costly.
> I'm keeping the price down with a simple utilitarian handle.
> a 3 pc frame handle, with different woods and a black G10 frame.
> 
> Ideally I want this steel in a laminated version (san mai) with softer stainless cladding.
> I'm working on this...I did an initial trial of some laminated with another bladesmith.
> The weld was good but we overheated the steel core so they were junk.
> 
> @YG420 I'm going to review the nose shape, it's something I'll be working on.
> 
> big thanks to @Barmoley for taking the leap of faith with me on the very first one.


I have that knife in the middle. Absolutely amazing performer. Theres nothing the knife doesnt do very well. Thin tip perfect for detail work, distal taper, and the handle is insanely comfortable. 

The steel is great. I've put it through some decent paces and its still sharp. Curious to see how it feels on the stones.


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## YG420

HSC /// Knives said:


> thanks for the feedback so far, I welcome it and it's appreciated.
> I believe this one is 235x54...
> 
> About Z Wear PM - This is a powder metallurgy high alloy carbon tool steel. It has the added benefits of some increased corrosion resistance (7,5% chrome) and added toughness, and perhaps best of all, better edge holding.
> 
> what it looked when it was first completed.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Here's another one that a forum member has
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> and another one with Lacewood handle.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> The steel is difficult to work with and costly.
> I'm keeping the price down with a simple utilitarian handle.
> a 3 pc frame handle, with different woods and a black G10 frame.
> 
> Ideally I want this steel in a laminated version (san mai) with softer stainless cladding.
> I'm working on this...I did an initial trial of some laminated with another bladesmith.
> The weld was good but we overheated the steel core so they were junk.
> 
> @YG420 I'm going to review the nose shape, it's something I'll be working on.
> 
> big thanks to @Barmoley for taking the leap of faith with me on the very first one.


No worries, i think its a very well made knife and i do like what ive seen from you so far, its just my preference to have a more upswept nose, but as @Barmoley said, you delivered to his specs perfectly. Im sure we’ll continue to see great things from you soon!


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## M1k3

Don't take any of my criticism to heart. You didn't make the knife to my liking. I'd definitely recommend you though.


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## labor of love

Well I took the knife to the stones today. I didn’t find it to be hard to sharpen really. Of course it helps if you use a shapton pro 1k like I do, that stone sharpens pretty quick. Actually raised a pretty nice sized burr. The steel definitely feels hard. The feeling on the stones reminded me of DT AEBL. Finished on rika 5k. Unfortunately I won’t hold on the knife to see how long it holds an edge which I’m guessing will be quite a while.
I dunno, I went into this thinking it might be hard to sharpen but it was fine. Also, the edge was really responsive to a felt strop.


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## labor of love

Just dropped the knife off at the post office.
In conclusion:
1) Really cool handle
2) steel sharpens fine, although not fast by any means
3)probably hold an edge for a really long time
4) HSC3 did a great job with profile customization, as cool as it looks in photos I couldn’t use something like this all the time. Low pointy delicate tip is just begging to be tipped with the way I cut food. I’d go with regular HSC3 profile instead.
5) As a lefty I feel like all the good convexing stuff was on the opposite side of the blade so it’s not really fair for me to comment. Too much food sticking for me, but shouldn’t be as much of an issue for right handed weirdos.
Thanks again @Barmoley !


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## labor of love

Also,
Some patina spots began to develop. Very light patina, the blade isn’t very reactive. But if you don’t wipe the blade down after cutting lemons or something like that it definitely patinas.


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## Barmoley

Thanks a lot for the feedback. The profile works for me because of the height of my counter and the way I cut. I am sure of the counter was a bit lower or if I was taller I would prefer a higher tip too.


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## labor of love

Is their a reason @daveb wont share his thoughts on the pass around knife?


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## daveb

Too many days, 6 - 8 the hard way. 

But I like it.


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## daveb

I've used the knife for one long day and a couple other shorter ones. I likes it. I've already asked Alex what he asked for in way of custom and may order one like it.

First day up I took it to a couple catering events. Early event was Bar Mitzvah brunch for about 100, putting on the swank. No prep had been done ahead of time so I spent a couple hours making big stuff into little stuff. Did bell peppers julienne, diced onions, much fruit, mushrooms, rough chop tomato, cut new potato, bloody mary fixins (sold a LOT of bloodies for a 10 yr old's party), etc. I was filling Cambros as fast as I got product. The HSC was the only gyuto I had with me and there was nothing it did not do well. No wedging. Cut very well. Nicely balanced and nimble. Good food release. And I loved it being stainless.

The afternoon was more of the same, wedding for 4 or 500. I "won" the charcuterie board(s) prep and was cubing cheese, cutting wedges, slicing some. Doing all manner of cuts on all manner of fruit, slicing / dicing a variety of cured sausages. And again the results were impressive. During the whole adventure I never wished I had a different knife for any task. And it was stainless.

The day job stuff was cutting raw and cooked beef, turkey, ham, and probably some others. Some cubing, some slicing and even peeling the skin off the ham. All was good.

Sharpening was a little more difficult than with some other knives. Was having a hard time raising a burr with the G2K so switched to Wat 1000, (said to be same as SP1000), got a burr quickly then back to G2K and finished on G4K. I'm not big on strops so didn't' try and find mine. At the start the edge had degraded to no stickiness on fingernail and a bit ragged on paper. All was good at the end - perhaps 30 min. Craig has compared it being like a DT IDK to sharpen - I found it harder, have not in my recollection ever had to take a DT to the Shapton.

I like it enough to be considering buying one. Going to start counting nickels.

Thanks Alex for putting this on. 

BTW - Who's next?


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## labor of love

How was the low tip for you? I would’ve preferred it be raised a hair (barmoley custom profile, no fault of the maker).


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## daveb

I never had occasion to think about it.


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## HSC /// Knives

daveb said:


> I've used the knife for one long day and a couple other shorter ones. I likes it. I've already asked Alex what he asked for in way of custom and may order one like it.
> 
> First day up I took it to a couple catering events. Early event was Bar Mitzvah brunch for about 100, putting on the swank. No prep had been done ahead of time so I spent a couple hours making big stuff into little stuff. Did bell peppers julienne, diced onions, much fruit, mushrooms, rough chop tomato, cut new potato, bloody mary fixins (sold a LOT of bloodies for a 10 yr old's party), etc. I was filling Cambros as fast as I got product. The HSC was the only gyuto I had with me and there was nothing it did not do well. No wedging. Cut very well. Nicely balanced and nimble. Good food release. And I loved it being stainless.
> 
> The afternoon was more of the same, wedding for 4 or 500. I "won" the charcuterie board(s) prep and was cubing cheese, cutting wedges, slicing some. Doing all manner of cuts on all manner of fruit, slicing / dicing a variety of cured sausages. And again the results were impressive. During the whole adventure I never wished I had a different knife for any task. And it was stainless.
> 
> The day job stuff was cutting raw and cooked beef, turkey, ham, and probably some others. Some cubing, some slicing and even peeling the skin off the ham. All was good.
> 
> Sharpening was a little more difficult than with some other knives. Was having a hard time raising a burr with the G2K so switched to Wat 1000, (said to be same as SP1000), got a burr quickly then back to G2K and finished on G4K. I'm not big on strops so didn't' try and find mine. At the start the edge had degraded to no stickiness on fingernail and a bit ragged on paper. All was good at the end - perhaps 30 min. Craig has compared it being like a DT IDK to sharpen - I found it harder, have not in my recollection ever had to take a DT to the Shapton.
> 
> I like it enough to be considering buying one. Going to start counting nickels.
> 
> Thanks Alex for putting this on.
> 
> BTW - Who's next?



thank you for this.

just to clarify on it being "stainless"

Z Wear PM - This is a powder metallurgy high alloy carbon tool steel. It has the added benefits of some increased corrosion resistance (7,5% chrome) and added toughness, and perhaps best of all, better edge holding. This steel takes a great edge.

So it's not a stainless steel but definitely has enough corrosion resistance to make you think that it is. 

and I also think that it's a little more difficult to sharpen than AEB-L that I have made,


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## labor of love

I treated like it was fully stainless, and it did react some. Just a couple of small spots. It’s the least reactive semi I think I’ve ever used.


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## Barmoley

Thanks everyone for the feedback, I am sure it is very useful. @ashy2classy is next. @daveb please ask him for his preferred mailing address.


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## HSC /// Knives

How’s this passaround coming along @ashy2classy 

here’s a z wear I just completed for a forum member at 64 Rockwell


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## ashy2classy

HSC /// Knives said:


> How’s this passaround coming along @ashy2classy
> 
> here’s a z wear I just completed for a forum member at 64 Rockwell



I still haven't received it... @daveb any idea where it is?


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## daveb

Scheduled delivery is Mon. I saved the tracking number but not sure where.

Getting old is hell.


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## Chang

Subbing to this. Just talked to Harbeer earlier about a custom boy for me so this is great stuff to read.


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## captaincaed

What is it about Shapton that makes them people's "break glass in case of no burr" stone? Isn't it just AlOx? Wouldn't SiC be a harder medium that cuts faster? Don't other stones also use AlOx as an abrasive? 
I'm coming at this from a place of considerable ignorance. Just curious what's special about Shapton.

Don't want to derail, I'm happy to go read another thread to edutain myself.


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## cheflife15

Jchau890 said:


> Subbing to this. Just talked to Harbeer earlier about a custom boy for me so this is great stuff to read.


You won't be disappointed. I have one of his zwear gyutos and i love it. Once i get some more money together i might get another one.


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## labor of love

captaincaed said:


> What is it about Shapton that makes them people's "break glass in case of no burr" stone? Isn't it just AlOx? Wouldn't SiC be a harder medium that cuts faster? Don't other stones also use AlOx as an abrasive?
> I'm coming at this from a place of considerable ignorance. Just curious what's special about Shapton.
> 
> Don't want to derail, I'm happy to go read another thread to edutain myself.


I dunno, but it works.


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## daveb

Can't speak for others but for me it acts like downshifting from a normal 1K to a faster, possibly coarser stone. If you can't raise a burr with a SP1000 then time to bury the knife (or improve technique). I find reverse true with the SP2000, it's not unusual for me to go from the 1K to the 2K and be done - esp with house knives or relative's knives.


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## panda

Wat/SP 1k feels like you're grinding on concrete. Makes sense that it's hella fast.


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## daveb

Nice, smooooooooth, concrete.


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## HSC /// Knives

just to give an update on pricing on these large Z wear gyutos...
I've exhausted my supply of heat treated blanks, meaning they have all been ordered/purchased.

So I have to order and process more steel. So any large (>210mm) Z wear gyuto orders will be $500 plus shipping.
The steel is expensive, the grinding is time consuming and it eats up abrasives.
I never got into this to get rich and I'm not money hungry but I have to make a living.
I believe this steel provides a higher value to the user, and I know I'm still cheaper than others.

And since these are all custom orders, they are more costly for a maker. Sometimes there are 50 messages back and forth in the ordering of a project. And I don't want to stop taking custom orders, because I like the personal interaction and connection. It's why I don't sell on a website, I don't want to make and sell "merchandise"

Smaller pettys and paring knives will be less costly for both of us.

Harbeer


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## ashy2classy

Knife arrived yesterday. Love the thin yet super-stiff spine. Looking forward to giving it a try. Thanks for letting me participate!


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## HSC /// Knives

ashy2classy said:


> Knife arrived yesterday. Love the thin yet super-stiff spine. Looking forward to giving it a try. Thanks for letting me participate!


since that one, I've made a few with a taper to a thinner more flexible tip (which is my personal preference.)


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## ashy2classy

Didn't get much time to use the knife, but I'll reiterate that the construction is awesome. Thinner spine but still rock solid. Love it! Very comfortable in the hand and the profile works well for me. Didn't sharpen it, but it was nice and sharp when I got it so it had no trouble with anything. Fantastic all-around knife that performs extremely well. Overall the HSC3 was very enjoyable to use and a great kitchen tool anyone would be happy to own. Did everything extremely well for me as a home cook.

Thanks to Harbeer and Alex for letting me participate!


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## marc4pt0

Just got the knife today. Haven’t used it yet, but upon unpacking it my initial impressions were along the lines of digging how robust it feels and I will most likely need to order an HSC 3 at some point soon


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## McMan

ashy2classy said:


> Didn't get much time to use the knife, but I'll reiterate that the construction is awesome. Thinner spine but still rock solid. Love it! Very comfortable in the hand and the profile works well for me. Didn't sharpen it, but it was nice and sharp when I got it so it had no trouble with anything. Fantastic all-around knife that performs extremely well. Overall the HSC3 was very enjoyable to use and a great kitchen tool anyone would be happy to own. Did everything extremely well for me as a home cook.
> 
> Thanks to Harbeer and Alex for letting me participate!


High praise considering all the knives you're tried. Now I'm looking forward to trying this one even more.


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## marc4pt0

In the box this knife was delivered in was a list of participants and who gets this next. I have a couple boxes in my office, and accidentally grabbed the wrong one. So now I'm down a list, but need to know who gets this knife next. Let me know and I will ship it off asap.

I'll throw together a quick review here soon as well.


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## Barmoley

Here’s the rest of the list after you

@SilverSwarfer
@McMan
@GorillaGrunt
@thebradleycrew


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## daveb

Can I get in again?


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## marc4pt0

Perfect, thanks!


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## marc4pt0

Just shot @SilverSwarfer a message for address. Hope to get this bad boy in the mail while they're still in effect. I hear Amazon is suspending deliveries already, or come soon. 
I kinda wish mail was suspended so I'd be stuck with this knife longer...


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## ashy2classy

marc4pt0 said:


> In the box this knife was delivered in was a list of participants and who gets this next. I have a couple boxes in my office, and accidentally grabbed the wrong one. So now I'm down a list, but need to know who gets this knife next. Let me know and I will ship it off asap.
> 
> I'll throw together a quick review here soon as well.


You need to get your **** together, Marc. I included the list and sent the knife in a brand new box.


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## SilverSwarfer

This Passaround hit a significant snag when I had my turn. Harbeer came in like a hero and rescued the situation so the rest of the folks in the Passaround can still get a chance to test out the Zwear as rendered by HSC///.

I broke the original knife for this Passaround. Many years I’ve worked long hours with a Gyuto or Yanagiba in my hand. I have never been responsible for putting a knife out of service before now. This was a sad day for me and an unfortunate situation; until I had a meaningful and constructive conversation with Harbeer. In my hands, a knife has a soul. A story. A purpose. A past. A future. It’s a spiritual experience for me to use and to sharpen handmade knives. I seek a connection with each blade I handle. Having a knife break in my custody is an awful thing; but yet it happened, and I’m not too proud to take the responsibility and tell the story. 

I’m sure anyone who’s read this far is intrigued to know what happened... and especially to see some pics... Here’s the deal:

Making guacamole one evening and I was using the spine to macerate some tomato guts together with garlic, cilantro, jalapeño. I was bruising the product with the spine. Tapping away for a very short time and suddenly _“tinggg!” _My heart skipped a beats and the handle went super light whilst the blade lay headless on my board.​I often use my spines to scrape and smash product on my boards. Whatever happened here I don’t know. I have speculated, but speculation doesn’t change the reality of a broken blade on my board and a blade-less handle in my hand. I did it. I admit it and I own it. I’ll answer questions best I can or take any feedback if anyone has such inclinations.

First thing I did when this happened was find my phone and snap some pics. 2nd thing was to contact Alex and Harbeer. I told my story and shared my pics. Harbeer stepped up _immediately _with an _immediate _solution. I had a replacement in my hands 3 days later. Amazing. 
​Here’s the pics of the unfortunate disaster on my board. I’ll post my thoughts on these knives soon; I wanted to precede that post with this info for clarity and full disclosure.

The replacement knife has been shaped-up, polished, sharpened, packed, and sent on to @McMan today. Onward!


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## soigne_west

That’s too bad. Awesome Harbeer for coming up with a solution so quickly. How did the two knives differ?


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## SilverSwarfer

I’m pretty sure the replacement is the one Harbeer posted earlier in this thread... with the Lacewood handle.


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## daveb

Ouch!


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## SilverSwarfer

Pics above show the new Passaround blade. It’s a beauty! I understand it’s been put through it’s paces over in Paris before it got to me. It definitely showed some wear when it first arrived. I did my best to shape it up... I think it turned out great! Performance was awesome. I’ll post detailed thoughts soon.


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## M1k3

If I remember correctly, that looks like it snapped right at the tiny crack it had.


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## SilverSwarfer

This Passaround was an excellent, if dramatic experience for me. Thanks to Harbeer I was able to recover from a bit of a scary experience (explained above). In the process I had the opportunity to test 2 HSC/// Gyutos, in Zwear steel.

The first was my preferred piece, given it was a longer a taller blade. I never had the chance to take this knife to the stones but I’m sure it would have been the same as the 2nd. Before the accident, I had but little chance to cut much product, but from what I was able to take away, the knife had a very natural feel and performance was exactly in line with my expectations from the example’s profile. The real star of the show for both these blades is the steel.

Given the short notice and quick response from Harbeer, the replacement blade was sent in a heavily used condition. There was a chip in the heel, a recurve about 1.5” forward from the chip, and beginning of a bird’s beak at the tip. I understand this particular knife spent a few weeks in a pro kitchen over in Paris. Feeling indebted to Harbeer and the remaining Passaround participants, I put in several hours’ worth of work in reshaping, polishing, thinning, and sharpening this knife.

I started with my Sigma Select ii 220 and 400 stones. Once I got the profile reshaped, I thinned the bevel as if it were my own. I was able to gain some insight into the original grind and what I noticed was very much the same as I’ve seen in my Toyama and Watanabe blades. Though this knife is significantly shorter at the heel, the proportions of the bevel are similar. I followed the existing tapering and removed as much material as was appropriate in my estimation. After the 400 I followed with SSii 1k and 3k. At this point I stepped away from the stones and proceeded working with sandpaper. I use a padded wooden block to work knives with sandpaper. I also add Autosol to aid in the cutting and polishing. I find this speeds up the process and brings excellent results. Based on what I observed from both knives I decided to work with 320 and 400 grits. I worked one direction only for each set: spine to edge with the 400 and then worked heel to tip with the 320. This is not a normal progression but I found this gave a nice finish.

My big takeaway from my time with these knives is _*I am a huge fan of this steel*_. Zwear for me was a showstopper. It was extremely difficult to remove material. But surprisingly, it’s relatively easy to sharpen. Much easier than I expected using the resistance I experienced in thinning and sanding as a gauge. I started sharpening with 220 Sigma Select ii, which is aggressive among 220 stones. I was really happy with the bevel I set and quickly moved to the 400. I sharpened on the 400 long enough to build a crisp apex. Moving on to the 1k I formed a burr on both sides after I was confident I had removed the deep scratches from the 220. I went back and forth 6-7 times reducing the burr and then moved on to the 3k. I formed a very slight burr here on both sides then worked on reduction 4-5 sets and then focused on refining the edge. Once I was happy with a crisp apex I moved to a Hakka. Sweeping strokes only, I sharpened maybe 5min until I had what might have been the most crisp, bitey apex I’ve ever made. I was amazed. Either I had an epic sharpening session or this steel is a bona fide standout.

I prepped a couple meals with the 2nd knife after I finished with my overhaul. This knife just wants to fall through veg. My Yanagibas are the only knives before now, that fall through veg like this Zwear does. It’s a very intentional cut... no skips or missed strokes. The knife followed the apex exactly and deliberately every time. Speed and confidence were outstanding for me. Feedback was fine. Not outstanding in the sense that I noticed a particularly different or better feedback profile. Just a confidence inspiring, comfortable feel on my olive wood board.

The edge profile is not typical for me in my experience. I’m not a picky user and I enjoy trying and using different knives at home and at work. I’m not used to anything except in the world of sashimi slicers and I use Sujihiki and Gyuto interchangeably at work. Different heel and tip heights, bellies, flats are all interesting variety for me. I’m comfortable and happy with most anything. Adjusting to the short heel and low tip was not a problem at all. This knife felt like a short Suji to me.

I was not able to identify any area that this knife was an extreme standout. _*Except the steel! *_More specifically and likely more fairly stated: *The HSC/// treatment *of *Zwear is outstanding. *The edges I was able to put on the knife I used was beyond impressive. Never mind HHT; I was able to cut hanging toilet paper with this edge. Whatever Harbeer is doing to this stuff, I don’t care- I just want some. I’m working on stepping in line to get on his books for something to call my own. This steel is truly good enough to motivate me to buy another gyuto. But this knife will be much more than just another Gyuto.

Edge retention was almost as impressive as the keenness and relative ease of sharpening. Maintenance of the keenness was as easy as 4-5 passes on my favorite stripping medium of late: cBN loaded balsa. Sticky fingers again _quickly. 
_
A few months back I came across a Hunter Valley and a Kamon. Purported to be 64 and 65 HRC respectively, both these knives are 52100 and on my house, I call them elite performers: especially re: keenness and edge retention. I need a few weeks with my own HRC/// Zwear to call a winner but I suspect the Zwear by Harbeer could be a nose ahead of the aforementioned pair.

Anyone who especially appreciates freakish keenness and retention capabilities should try this steel. I can’t speak to comparisons with REX.* or Maxamet or other exotic super steels. Some of the options are not practical in my eyes. I’ve got to be able to maintain my blades. I’ve had or used ZDP189 and HAP40, maybe one or 2 others I can’t think of at the moment. IME, this Zwear is at the top end of practical ability to be sharpened and thinned yet perform among the elites.


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## tgfencer

@SilverSwarfer Yet another interesting write-up! I kind of want to send more knives to you just so I can read more of your elegantly expressed opinions. But you missed out on one important part...how is this hakka you speak of?


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## SilverSwarfer

The Hakka I mentioned above is a new acquisition. A reward to myself for undisclosed triumphs. I feel lucky just being in the same room with it! 

It’s an awesome performer. I have not done any single bevel work with it yet.... being out of work my sashimi blades are temporarily mothballed, so I’ve been rocking double bevels _liberally. _The stone was a perfect selection considering my current inventory. It does something’s different than anything else. There’s a Shobu Iromono that comes kinda close but this Hakka handles way way way better. 

These past few weeks I’ve been working on my razors and that’s kept the rocks wet for me plenty!

I don’t think I could be happier with this particular stone overall and spending time working the high resistance Zwear steel on it proved well that certain steels do not defeat natural stones. I’d interested to see some more scientific analysis showing micro images of the scratch patterns from stone to stone or slurry to stone, etc. 

Maybe the JNAT did some unique carbide tear-out to give such an aggressive edge? 

I did not mention above that I experimented with some hard finishing stones too. I can’t help myself when it comes to fine finishers. I just like the feedback and in my mind I think I can feel the apex getting more keen and crisp. I don’t know.


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## HSC /// Knives

@SilverSwarfer thanks much for a detailed review

a few words on this situation -

The replacement knife I made in early December, its 225 x 46, Slightly flatter profile, with the tip lower, shorter heel height. I made it to specifications that I like for myself. It also has a thinner taper towards the tip than the original knife. It was still available when I went to France mid Dec so I took it with me. I gave it to Mathieu Silvestre of La Table de Cassan (north of Paris) to try out. Mathieu owns a small restaurant and is a customer friend. The knife came back to me mid March when my g/f visited. Thus I had something readily available.

About the broken knife. the original knife was known to have a small crack defect beginning at the spine. That the knife would break is still pretty shocking to me and certainly a first. The origin of the crack remains a mystery, I'm not convinced that it is related to the maker mark stamping.

Anyway, the broken knife gains a new life as a 7.25" funayuki.

As mentioned in the review, the steel is difficult to thin as it is so wear resistant, it's also difficult as a maker to grind and costly. But it's performance really makes up for this.
@SilverSwarfer did you have any comments about the corrosion resistance of the Z wear steel?

Harbeer


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## SilverSwarfer

I thought corrosion resistance was well covered earlier in the thread with @daveb and @labor of love feedback from their time with the knife. It’s basically handling like a “semi-stainless” in terms of patina and rust. I had only a couple tiny spots beginning when I checked using lime juice. I put corrosion resistance for this Zwear above the 52100 knives I mentioned above. 

It might be interesting to see the patina patterns these knives develop... for those among us who appreciate that.


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## labor of love

Yeah, after use I noticed a couple of very mild spots.


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## daveb

I recall a 10 minute session with semi-chrome before shipping. I've now got a petty in Zwear and it just don't rust. Did manage to dull the blade considerably - turned a pork butt into a charcoal lump and used the petty to get the "bark" off.


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## Barmoley

Not to be stickler, but Kamon is 1.2519 not 52100. Thanks for all the reviews and discussion. Very glad that Harbeer had a quick solution to continue the passaround. My other option was to send a similar knife that I have, but it is at a friends' house for a test run and would be a little more difficult to get a hold of under current conditions.


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## marc4pt0

So I am looooong overdue to share my thoughts on what is _now _the original pass around knife. I just caught up with this thread and I must say *Holy Schnickies!!*

I will say kudos to Harbeer for the quick replacement, and I'm really digging the new life of the original knife! Seriously, that looks awesome. I wonder how tall that is now...

Anyway, my impressions for the original Pass Around knife are pretty much on point with what everybody else has concluded. It's a fantastic performer. 
When the knife arrived to me it was a little bit messy. Some schmutz on the handle and the blade had a few crustys. Even with that I was instantly impressed with the blade, felt great in the hand with good weight. Edge was still very toothy and sharp from what I understand was refreshed a few participants back? It had a few scuffs on it, so it looked a lot like my well used blades in that sense. After cleaning it up a bit I put it to work. Very impressive performance in the cutting onions, apples, carrots dept. Potatoes it did well, but not as fall through with ease as I like. Not a lot of food suction/sticking, in fact fantastic food release in my opinion. For me I much prefer ease of cutting over food release, I'd say 60/40. And the ease of falling through foods like onions and carrots was pretty impressive. 
The tip of the blade I would have preferred to be more thinner in geometry which would have only improved tip work like mince shallots and horizontal swipes on onions (if that's your thing). The blade and grind felt remarkably robust given how thin the spine was. Not that it was laser thin, but I don't think it was even 3mm thick. 

The Handle wood, I wasn't a huge fan of it originally. It felt very rough and even more dry. Probably wasn't supposed to do this, but I buffed it and oiled it as well. The grippy texture was still intact, it just had a new sheen and a not so dry feeling anymore.

Overall the knife has definitely put HSC /// on my list of knives to buy once this whole pandemic and financial fiasco blows through.
Thank you all for including me on this pass around.


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## mise_en_place

marc4pt0 said:


> Overall the knife has definitely put HSC /// on my list of knives to buy once this whole pandemic and financial fiasco blows through.
> Thank you all for including me on this pass around.



I am loving the Zwear gyuto Harbeer made for me. It is post #39 in this thread. It's a tremendous performer and easily top 5 for knives I've used. I have purchased 4 of his knives, and handled one other. I can't recommend his work enough. He is also very easy to work with.


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## marc4pt0

mise_en_place said:


> I can't recommend his work enough. He is also very easy to work with.



I'll agree with this for sure. He's been nothing shy of a gentleman in my brief conversations with him


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## HSC /// Knives

marc4pt0 said:


> ... and I'm really digging the new life of the original knife! Seriously, that looks awesome. I wonder how tall that is now...
> 
> 
> The tip of the blade I would have preferred to be more thinner in geometry which would have only improved tip work like mince shallots and horizontal swipes on onions (if that's your thing). The blade and grind felt remarkably robust given how thin the spine was. Not that it was laser thin, but I don't think it was even 3mm thick.
> 
> The Handle wood, I wasn't a huge fan of it originally. It felt very rough and even more dry. Probably wasn't supposed to do this, but I buffed it and oiled it as well. The grippy texture was still intact, it just had a new sheen and a not so dry feeling anymore.



The new life knife is 51 mm at the heel, that will get a thinner regrind and a new handle and goes off to Europe to a Michelin star chef to try out.

The replacement knife has a thinner tip and more taper

thanks for feedback


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## marc4pt0

Lucky chef


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## McMan

The HSC has landed. More shortly...
(@GorillaGrunt PMing you re: next stop.)


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## McMan

_Just the facts, ma’am:_
220mm edge length
45mm tall
183g weight

2.5mm at the handle and above the heel
2.4mm midway and till 50-60mm from tip
2.0mm 40mm from tip
1.4mm 20mm from tip
Balance point just a tad in front of choil—right at the “III” in the “HSCIII” mark.

Fun little knife--nimble/whippy. It’s funny that it came from France because it’s got that 60s Sab profile going on, which was my first thought when it. It feels lighter than it weighs, in part because the balance-point is just a smidge in front of the choil (the blade is rather thin/light plus the handle brings the balance point rearward). Grind is clean—mild-convex at about mid-bladeface; it's a thinner knife, skinny-midweight territory, so the convex is noticeable but not too pronounced. A pretty piece of lacewood for the handle too! Shoutout to @SilverSwarfer, this if the sharpest I’ve received a passaround knife—stick in maple endgrain sharp 

I agree with all the positives said thus far, so no need to echo those. Harbeer makes good knives!

By way of constructive points… For my tastes, a bit more taper over the last 40-50mm towards the tip might be nice. Also, I prefer the balance-point a bit more into the blade. I hesitate even mentioning this because at 45mm tall--two-thirds gyuto, one third line knife--the knife shouldn’t be very blade heavy and the mid-engine balance point really does help the knife to be pleasantly whippy. Maybe thinning the handle a bit, as this would push the balance up just a tad? Anyhow, these are just personal preferences, as opposed to things I found to be ‘issues’ with the knife.

Note, the knife is not the ho-wood handle one in Harbeer's pic. The handle is made from nicely figured lacewood. I should've taken a picture, but I packed the knife before I realized there wasn't one... Going forward, somebody should take a pic so everyone can see what the new passaround knife looks like.

Thanks to @Barmoley for putting this together!
And keep up the good work Harbeer!


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## HSC /// Knives

McMan said:


> Just the facts, ma’am:
> _220mm edge length
> 45mm tall
> 183g weight
> 
> 2.5mm at the handle and above the heel
> 2.4mm midway and till 50-60mm from tip
> 2.0mm 40mm from tip
> 1.4mm 20mm from tip
> Balance point just a tad in front of choil—right at the “III” in the “HSCIII” mark._
> 
> Fun little knife--nimble/whippy. It’s funny that it came from France because it’s got that 60s Sab profile going on, which was my first thought when I saw the knife. It feels lighter than it weighs, in part because the balance-point back is just a smidge in front of the choil (the blade is rather thin/light plus the handle brings the balance point rearward). Grind is clean—mild-convex at about mid-bladeface; since it's is a thinner knife, skinny-midweight territory, so the convex is noticeable but not too pronounced. A pretty piece of lacewood for the handle too. Shoutout to @SilverSwarfer, this if the sharpest I’ve received a passaround knife—stick in maple endgrain sharp
> 
> I agree with all the positives said thus far, so no need to echo those. Harbeer makes good knives!
> 
> By way of constructive points… For my tastes, a bit more taper over the last 40-50mm towards the tip might be nice. Also, I prefer the balance-point a bit more into the blade. I hesitate even mentioning this because at 45mm tall--two-thirds gyuto, one third line knife--the knife shouldn’t be very blade heavy and the mid-engine balance point really does help the knife to be pleasantly whippy. Maybe thinning the handle a bit, as this would push the balance up just a tad? Anyhow, these are just personal preferences, as opposed to things I found to be ‘issues’ with the knife.
> 
> Note, the knife is not the ho-wood handle one in Harbeer's pic. The handle is made from nicely figured lacewood. I should've taken a picture, but I packed the knife before I realized there wasn't one... Going forward, somebody should take a pic so everyone can see what the new passaround knife looks like.
> 
> Thanks to @Barmoley for putting this together!
> And keep up the good work Harbeer!


Thanks!
I’m pretty sure this is the replacement knife in its original form


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## McMan

HSC /// Knives said:


> Thanks!
> I’m pretty sure this is the replacement knife in its original form


Yup, that's the one. Diggin' that piece of lacewood!


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## GorillaGrunt

This thing is awesome! I’ve tried a few exotic steels, but as I’ve said before I believe I tried them too early in my knife and sharpening journey. While looking up zwear I saw a comment that the high toughness PM steels shine when sharpened to a thinner angle than a simpler steel and that’s when you really see the edge retention difference. I hadn’t done that with my previous ones: I may have been confused with carbide volume versus carbide size, or I may still be confused — but in any case unlike the Kato I took this one to work and put it through some cutting. Definitely observed better performance here. Feels like SLD but better.

On to the actual knife: I do like the profile and the grind. It performs really well on potatoes, onions, and cabbage. Last night I used it on some carrots at home and they were splitting like mad, but today I used it on some carrots at work and it slid right through them. Also it’s sexy! I don’t mind an ugly but high performing knife, but it doesn’t hurt to be pretty.

also I am having trouble finding the pass around list! Can someone send me a link to it so I know where to send it next?


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## Barmoley

Thank you guys for all the reviews. I am glad you are enjoying the knives and steel. Steel matters, might not be the most important part of a knife, but it doesn't hurt when the steel and heat treat are good. The pass around is almost over the next and the last person is @thebradleycrew.


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## GorillaGrunt

Steel isn’t the only thing and it isn’t magic but it sure does matter. Like the KS and its crap edge retention. Another good example is the semi stainless in the Heiji and Gengetsu: I’ve since let those knives go but I wish there were more options available in that steel! The grinds are good but the steel is unique.


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## HSC /// Knives

@GorillaGrunt @thebradleycrew hi friends
How is this coming along?

I’m trying to plan out possibly sending this knife to Europe along with a customer order so just checking in.


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## GorillaGrunt

Shipped it out last Friday; just checked tracking and it hasn’t yet been delivered but should be to @thebradleycrew by Monday. They didn’t say it would take that long; I’m assuming the delay was somehow related to Covid disruption.


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## thebradleycrew

GorillaGrunt said:


> Shipped it out last Friday; just checked tracking and it hasn’t yet been delivered but should be to @thebradleycrew by Monday. They didn’t say it would take that long; I’m assuming the delay was somehow related to Covid disruption.


Got the knife safe and sound (if not slowly). Thank you @GorillaGrunt.
Out of the box, knife was sharp, looking good, and ready for some work. 
@HSC /// Knives - I will use it the next three days and send it off to you this weekend. Will that work or do you need it sooner?


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## HSC /// Knives

thebradleycrew said:


> Got the knife safe and sound (if not slowly). Thank you @GorillaGrunt.
> Out of the box, knife was sharp, looking good, and ready for some work.
> @HSC /// Knives - I will use it the next three days and send it off to you this weekend. Will that work or do you need it sooner?


Yes that’s fine I don’t need it sooner and I will PM you an address Of a customer to ship it to

Thanks


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## thebradleycrew

HSC /// Knives said:


> Yes that’s fine I don’t need it sooner and I will PM you an address Of a customer to ship it to
> 
> Thanks


Roger that! Will plan to get it out this weekend.


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## panda

I can't be the only one scratching their head about macerating tomatoes with spine..


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## thebradleycrew

Well, I didn't macerate tomatoes with the spine of the knife, but I did use it a lot. 

BLUF: 
This was a surprisingly fun knife to use and the edge retention and toothy feel of the steel really impressed me; while not the specifications I prefer in a blade, I still found it to be a great cutter and I appreciated the edge geometry with a longer flat section. 

Disclaimers: 
I had never used Z Wear before, so I was most excited about this pass around to try the steel. Admittedly, I am predisposed to like taller knives and this is what I would call a suji more than a gyuto, so I wasn't sure how that would go. 

Details:
I used the knife for about 5 days straight of home cooking. I used it about 3x daily (3 different meal preps for a family of four). So it got some decent use on a wide range of foods, from veggies to grilled cheese to steak to strawberries. Rather than repeat much of what others said above, I'll try and give some experiences. Below, in no particular order some of those things:

I didn't mind the lower heel as much as I thought I would; I just used the tip of the knife more than I would with taller knife
The grind overall is pretty darn good. Nice and thin distal taper; if I had to make suggestions to make it better I would want it a touch thinner behind the edge and I'd want to see a little more convexity to the middle of the blade
I don't know where the edge was left when I got it, but it was quite sharp and both could shave hair easily and toothy enough to bite right into soft tomatoes; perfect
I did not need to sharpen it after my use. I could discern no change in perceived sharpness over the week I used it, and I didn't even need to strop it; awesome
I did sharpen it just because I had to try it on the stones. I went 800 Chosera, 1000 JNS, 2k Chosera and left it there. It did not feel crazy hard to sharpen to me and feedback on the stones was good; not like carbon steel, but among the better high hardness super steels I've used; nicely done on the heat treat Harbeer
I intentionally tried to check the resistance to pitting; I made a slow, intentional batch of pico de gallo, and in between did some other cooking, which let the knife sit with some acids for 10-15 minutes; I noticed no real signs of pitting or discoloration, however it did seem like over the course of the pass around there was some pitting on the blade; it felt very stainless overall, but definitely not as corrosion resistant as my Nitro-V knives
Thanks for the opportunity everyone! The knife is off to the next user. Ping me with questions or follow-up if needed!


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## HSC /// Knives

Thx for the review and comments. Knife is in the hands of the next user


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## HSC /// Knives

thebradleycrew said:


> Well, I didn't macerate tomatoes with the spine of the knife, but I did use it a lot.
> 
> BLUF:
> This was a surprisingly fun knife to use and the edge retention and toothy feel of the steel really impressed me; while not the specifications I prefer in a blade, I still found it to be a great cutter and I appreciated the edge geometry with a longer flat section.
> 
> Disclaimers:
> I had never used Z Wear before, so I was most excited about this pass around to try the steel. Admittedly, I am predisposed to like taller knives and this is what I would call a suji more than a gyuto, so I wasn't sure how that would go.
> 
> Details:
> I used the knife for about 5 days straight of home cooking. I used it about 3x daily (3 different meal preps for a family of four). So it got some decent use on a wide range of foods, from veggies to grilled cheese to steak to strawberries. Rather than repeat much of what others said above, I'll try and give some experiences. Below, in no particular order some of those things:
> 
> I didn't mind the lower heel as much as I thought I would; I just used the tip of the knife more than I would with taller knife
> The grind overall is pretty darn good. Nice and thin distal taper; if I had to make suggestions to make it better I would want it a touch thinner behind the edge and I'd want to see a little more convexity to the middle of the blade
> I don't know where the edge was left when I got it, but it was quite sharp and both could shave hair easily and toothy enough to bite right into soft tomatoes; perfect
> I did not need to sharpen it after my use. I could discern no change in perceived sharpness over the week I used it, and I didn't even need to strop it; awesome
> I did sharpen it just because I had to try it on the stones. I went 800 Chosera, 1000 JNS, 2k Chosera and left it there. It did not feel crazy hard to sharpen to me and feedback on the stones was good; not like carbon steel, but among the better high hardness super steels I've used; nicely done on the heat treat Harbeer
> I intentionally tried to check the resistance to pitting; I made a slow, intentional batch of pico de gallo, and in between did some other cooking, which let the knife sit with some acids for 10-15 minutes; I noticed no real signs of pitting or discoloration, however it did seem like over the course of the pass around there was some pitting on the blade; it felt very stainless overall, but definitely not as corrosion resistant as my Nitro-V knives
> Thanks for the opportunity everyone! The knife is off to the next user. Ping me with questions or follow-up if needed!


Any thoughts or opinion on the cutting performance vs nitro v?


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## thebradleycrew

HSC /// Knives said:


> Any thoughts or opinion on the cutting performance vs nitro v?


I liked the ZWear better than Nitro-V on edge retention and toothiness. Nitro-V seems to be more corrosion resistant and I like that it seems to require a touch less care. But I don't know how much of my view was due to how your blade was sharpened relative to my Nitro-V knives. I'd need to do a side-by-side test and use the same stones/progression. But initial thoughts were "wow, I like this edge a lot and it feels toothier than my Nitro-V". I think it felt more brittle (higher hrc) and as such held edges longer. I think the Nitro-V is easier to sharpen.


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## HSC /// Knives

Yes indeed the nitro v is a “true” stainless with 13% chromium. 
Thanks


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## Barmoley

thebradleycrew said:


> I liked the ZWear better than Nitro-V on edge retention and toothiness. Nitro-V seems to be more corrosion resistant and I like that it seems to require a touch less care. But I don't know how much of my view was due to how your blade was sharpened relative to my Nitro-V knives. I'd need to do a side-by-side test and use the same stones/progression. But initial thoughts were "wow, I like this edge a lot and it feels toothier than my Nitro-V". I think it felt more brittle (higher hrc) and as such held edges longer. I think the Nitro-V is easier to sharpen.


Same impressions. Z-wear lasts longer and is toothier, not as corrosion resistant. Nitro-V to me feels very similar to AEB-L, I wouldn't be able to tell the difference between the two in use or sharpening at all from the examples I've tried. The closest to Z-wear that I've tried is vanadis 23 and CPM-M4 (this is in a much smaller knife, so different use, but still similar feel)


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## Chang

I was given the blessed opportunity by Harbeer to give the zwear a test. Here's my review:

After using the knife for everyday meal prep in home for about 5 days, I can honestly say that I am a fan of z-wear. Thebradleycrew did a wonderful job getting it sharp and ready for me to put it thru the trials, so thank you for that. 

*Usage:*

5 days, each day preparing three meals, including a wide variety of tasks including but not limited to: dicing potatoes, tomatoes, peppers; slicing cooked steak; breaking down a whole watermelon

*Thoughts:*


The lack of height really made naturally use it like a suji at first, due to muscle memory, but after day 2, I could say that the low height wasn't really a problem anymore and the knife performed really well to my tastes considering that I am a fan of taller blades.
I thought the edge would be shot after going thru the thick crust of a cooked steak, but, to my surprise, it still held up really well afterwards, still slicing thru tomato skins and newspaper.
Even after all the of the lite abuse I put the knife thru, I never felt that it needed to hit the stones, so edge retention is definitely up there.
On day 4.5, I decided to give the knife a little refresher on my Shapro 5k and leather strop, just to get see how it felt on stones. To me, it felt like a harder cobalt steel. It did take a couple more passes to get it to where I like it, but I don't think that's a negative point, since I was able to get a razor and toothy edge relatively quickly.
During use, the knife never felt "fragile" to me. I even went ahead and crushed multiple garlic cloves with it. This may just be a personal thing, but with certain knives, I'm too nervous to crush garlic with them, thinking I'll compromise the blade somehow. However, that thought never ran across my mind, so the is definitely "tough".
The only area I thought the knife was lacking in was definitely length, especially when I was slicing steak and cutting thru a watermelon. I would say that's more a personal thing and not a fault of the knife. 
It definitely performed like a carbon blade, but with stainless properties. I let the knife sit out for at least 20-30 mins to see if any early rust would set in, but nah, nothing. Although, from experience, that left me really anxious so I would go to wipe the blade down ASAP.
No signs of wedging nor heavy food "stickage", so that shows that Harbeer definitely knows what he's doing with the grind.

Thanks for the opportunity! I am now definitely interested in owning another HSC/// piece in zwear.


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## HSC /// Knives

thanks for all the input and reviews, secretly I was trying to convert everyone to a shallower heel knife.... just kidding, it's just my personal preference


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