Recently Rustled Up Some Nice Used Kitchen Knives

I did a bit of horse trading, and some estate sale shopping recently.

Vintage Carbon Steel Dexter 4898 8" Chef's Knife

I found this bad boy at an estate sale today. It is a vintage carbon steel Dexter chef's knife, model #4898.

Carbon steel when new is a shiny steel color that everyone is familiar with — as it is used in the kitchen the steel gets a discolored coating or finish, which we call a patina. A patina is a normal occurrence with carbon steel. The patina is not rust. Rust is bad, patina is good.

People are no longer familiar with carbon steel — what with stainless steel dominating the marketplace —so when the knife gets a patina it seems to freak people out. All non-stainless steel will get a patina, think garden tools, manhole covers.

Rust should be kept away. A carbon steel knife needs to be stored dry. After using, wipe the knife dry and put away. Carbon steel knives require a bit more care than a similar stainless steel knife.

I guess using carbon steel knives are a throwback, a bit more of an art than stainless steel. Some people enjoy this — I do!

This knife is in excellent condition. I will sharpen it and sell it on eBay.

Wusthof 4518 Narrow Slicing Knife

Picked up this Wusthof 6" slicing knife. This knife would be used to slice small items such as onions, tomatoes and apples.

This Wusthof is in excellent condition. I will sharpen it and sell it on eBay.

Wusthof 4066 Paring Knife

And this Wusthof paring knife. This knife is probably the most worn of these three — but with that still in fine shape. None of the broken points, chips or other damage that so many people seem to inflict on their knives!

I will probably sharpen this little guy and offer it for sale at my mobile sharpening booth.

I also traded for a bunch of Henckel knives. I got a couple Henckel paring, a couple of slicing, and a couple Henckel chef's knives. I sold the six inch Henckel chef's knife — the rest are waiting to be sharpened.

Today is Friday, I'm always sharpening knives at two Zanotto's (San Jose, California) locations — Zanotto's Willow Glen in the morning, Zanotto's Rose Garden in the afternoon — look for these knives and more at my mobile knife sharpening stand!