Inexpensive high carbon knives

Anybody has suggestion for inexpensive high carbon knives?

We just bought a paring knife from the local discount grocery store and we've only had a few weeks but so far we like it and will probably get more. Rada Cutlery is the name of the company. Made in usa. http://www.radacutlery.com/

I like Hultafors, I carry this onehultafors

I should have specified I was looking for kitchen knives.

High Carbon kitchen knives - I immediatly think 'windmühlen-messer'.
windmühlen-messer

All knives if "nicht rostfrei" are high carbon. I use a simple "Klassiker" knife for 11,-€ as all purpose knife.
"Nicht rostfrei" means - "will rust if not dryed immediatley after usage", but they are really sharp and stay sharp, and can be sharpened.

--- Ludger

Mora knifes of Sweden are the absolute best bang for your buck when it comes to high carbon knifes. They are highly regarded in the Bushcraft world.They run from $11.50 up

I love Old Hickory knives. We have several.......two paring knives are used ALL the time. One even spent a season in the garden when I 'lost' it there and recovered it good as new. Another that looks like a 'butcher' knife I've been using as a chop and drop tool along with kitchen use. They are very inexpensive.
http://www.knivesplus.com/OLD-HICKORY-KNIVES.HTML I know they are carbon steel but I don't know if they are HIGH carbon steel.

I love the Mora 2. Inexpensive, holds an edge like no knife I have had before. I am done with stainless blades, they are too hard to sharpen IMHO.

Judith Browning wrote:I love Old Hickory knives. We have several.......two paring knives are used ALL the time. One even spent a season in the garden when I 'lost' it there and recovered it good as new. Another that looks like a 'butcher' knife I've been using as a chop and drop tool along with kitchen use. They are very inexpensive.
http://www.knivesplus.com/OLD-HICKORY-KNIVES.HTML I know they are carbon steel but I don't know if they are HIGH carbon steel.

They are high carbon steel. This is from their website: "Caution, high carbon steel will rust if not properly cared for. Clean and oil after use, and keep out of the dishwasher."

I still have a 7" butcher knife that I purchased in 1977. I keep it clean, oiled, and sharp. Love it!

Meat cutter who is trying to finish a collection of Old Hickory, here.

If you want cheap high carbon, Old Hickory is where it starts and where it ends. Incredible knives when cared for properly. Spend your money on Murray Carter's sharpening fundamentals (downloadable version also available) and his endorsed Japanese King sandstones. Any knife can be made frighteningly sharp. All steel falls victim to marketing; It's like any other product on Earth. Very easy to get caught up in the hype and brand names. Granted, yes, there are a couple industry standards in butchery. But what gets lost in all the talk is that proper technique and maintenance can get and keep, any blade, scary sharp.

I simply cannot overstate the importance of Carter's fundamentals and techniques. My kitchen blades are a mismatched bunch of homogenous steel with no branding whatsoever. I can shave with my chef's knife. If you have any interest whatsoever in blade maintenance and care, please please consider purchasing these items. They were originally shown to me by my whole animal butchery mentor and he swore by them. Having used many other systems, tools and techniques prior. I have given the same glowing endorsement to countless others. After watching his video your perception of handled steel, what it is and it's potential for peak performance will fundamentally be uprooted and rearranged for the better.

Patience, persistence and pride cannot be bought.

This is an overview of Murray Carter, view it at your earliest convenience: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BqanJCj__NM

The other knife we use every day (besides Old Hickory) that is also high carbon is a big wedge shaped one.... the wooden handle is stamped 'Sydney Harrison Co.'. I couldn't find it on line and I know is is probably a really old one.....75 years or more, I guess....it was with family stuff, so I don't really know where it was bought.....an excellent knife though.

thanks everybody for the tips, I found a set of old hickories on amazon.ca, so I might just buy those.

My favorite source for high carbon kitchen knives is an antique store. If a carbon steel knife has survived 50-100 years to land there, I figure it's good, and with care as mentioned above, it can be rehabilitated and serve you forever.

I have a bread knife that was pretty badly nicked when I got it, but it slices whole grain bread like glass, cutting right through the grains. I also used to have a little paring-sized knife whose brand I can't remember now, but its blade was stamped
[NAME]
CUTLERS TO THE PEOPLE

It was made as cheaply as possible, thin steel, turned handle with a little tang and one rivet, but was as sharp as anything. Unfortunately the handle came off a second time while a friend was house-sitting for me, and I think he threw the blade away (I haven't found it in the 15 years since.)


Hah! A google search on the motto found one (sold) from Ebay, unfortunately pictures gone.
D HARRINGTON & SON
CUTLERS TO THE PEOPLE
SOUTHBRIDGE MASS.

I now see that Adrien is looking specifically for kitchen knives. I book-marked the Old Hickory knives for future reference. I'm leaving my comments below for anyone that might be interested in a hiking / all purpose / bushcraft type blade.

I have a Mora Companion Heavy Duty and I love it. High carbon 1095 steel blade made in Sweden! I paid $19 on Amazon. Mora Companion - slightly smaller - for even less. I use mine frequently to process chicken quarters.



Buy one, try it, learn to sharpen on an inexpensive, quality knife.

http://www.moraofsweden.se/adventure/companion-heavy-duty-mg
http://www.moraofsweden.se/products/adventure