Sabatiers

I thought I would start a thread just to discuss all the different Sabatiers.

I have a 9" Theirs-Issard 4star elephant Nogent chef knife from The Best Things. And as others have experienced mine did arrive bent. But it was ever so slightly bent and I sent it to Epicurian Edge and they straightened it and sharpened it. If it isn't my favorite knife it's in the top three. These French guys knew what they were doing. It's not a laser but handles great. It's not super hard steel but takes a great edge and lasts longer than you'd expect. It's not sexy compared to other high end knives and has a funky handle but is so comfortable in the hand.

 

I picked up a 2 Lions Sabatier slicer. It's stainless not carbon though. I am guessing it is mid to late 70s based on the cardboard sheath it came with. Fit and finish is superb and I think this knife may be brand new never used. It can just barely shave hair. I will have to sharpen and use it some to give a better judge of character. My guess is the quality is going to be below that of my carbon Nogent but better than say a new stainless slicer available on the mass market, like Lamson. I'm not expecting Japanese steel quality but I think the knife will be better than average.

 

I have a 2 Lions carbon that has some pretty nice steel, not really hard, but very usable.

 

Sabs! Now we are talking!
Top is a Richmond Artifex Sab profile in 52100 That I really like!
Bottom is a Chef Au Ritz that I rehabbed off ebay. Tip was broke, spine was full of dings, it still had dings they just aren't as sharp. The tip still has a slight bend to it. The handle is missing a rivet on th other side but the handle is tight. The wood needed a lot of oil. It has a decent enough edge to it. The bolster needed ground down a bit too.

Anothe with the Au Ritz and a 2Lion 8 inch also off ebay. I stole this knife as far as I am concerned. It is great on the line! Carbon blade. The blade is attached to the bolster and the bolster is attached to the tang. Not the prettiest but it works and is great for cutting steaks, chicken breasts, baked potaoes or whatever else I need to do on the line.



I'm sure I will find others in the future. I need to get rid of a couple.

 

I should try this since mine is bent as well. I really want to use it, but haven't touched it until I figure out a good way to straighten it. Thankfully the bend in the blade is pretty minor! Glad to hear you like it!

 

Here is a patina shot of my professional series vintage sab. Such great knives. I personally like the k-sabs the best but this one is pretty gnarly too

 

I bought a new-old-stock vintage K-sabatier that seller claimed to be about 50-60 years old. It came bent, with some rust spots. I really doubt it is that old upon receiving the knife, but an old stock nevertheless.

After a year of not doing anything much to it, I decided to clean it up a bit more, straighten it up , and thin it a bit. Result was very nice, and now I do enjoy using it as much as other gyutos that I have.

 

Don't have a clue what these are other than they are carbon and the size

top to bottom
12" chef
10" chef
6" x2 gen utility
3" paring

 

What is that Artifex quasi-Sab clone like behind the edge?

 

The tip is super thin. The rest of it is adequate. It is thick at the heel. Good taper. I forget which forum I have posted more pictures of it to...
My laptop is broken at the moment. I can try to get to a computer and post more if you want.

 

The bottom three are FourStar Theirs, or FourStar Elephant. If you can post any markings on the others I can try to help you if want.

 

Bad choil shot: It is thickest at the spine. Tapers well to the tip. Chops well... Wish it had nicer scales.

Looking at the tip or the spine

Whole Spine

 

Some knives are deceptive, when looking at a choil shot, and a true Sab (if we were to remove the finger guard) would be the same. As the knife tapers towards the tip, it also get thinner BTE. I have a feeling that maybe the Richmond is the same, and I'd love to eventually find out for sure.

Anywho, vintage Sabs are terrific knives, as are the new Four Star Elephants, and K-Sabs. If the profile works for you, and you don't mind a finger guard, you'll be in love with Sabatier chef knives. It's hard not to be.

 

Some of those just look right. It is funny how the slightest change in a profile or overall proportions can make or break the look of the knife. I looked up Sabatier as I was confused on if it was a brand or style. Not a brand but not strictly a style either. Seems this is a hottly contested subject in some circles with the purists thinking they are only genuine when made by an old maker from Thiers and must be fully forged. The new makers and those not from Thiers seem to disagree.

I'm curious if the wide forged choil area makes sharpening tricky?

 

Sharpening isn't an different, just take the bolster down as you go. If the bolster hasn't been taken down at all through the years you have some work ahead of you but it doesn't take too long to do.

 

The 12" has some very small stampings into the blade. I can make out Sabatier but the rest is going to require a glass to tell what it says. I've had that one over 4 decades now

The 10" (rosewood handled one) I bought directly from Sabatier about 30 years ago but it has no blade markings, only the grape design on the handle and that is stamped on the handle and is slowly disappearing.

I need to dig out my stainless Sabatier knives to see what they are. Not used them in quite a while.

 

The grapes is a Jeune Garanti Sabatier.

 

Make the fingerguard flush with a relief bevel. I use coarse sandpaper, edge trailing only.
Very easy with the carbons, lot of work with the soft stainless as these are so abrasion resistant.
By the way, would you encounter a reverse belly -- very common, due to oversteeling -- remember these knives have a large dead flat section, sometimes from heel to halfway the blade. Just to spare some material and a lot of effort.

 

This is what a brand new French knife looks like. Notice the huge flat section.

 

I want to try rehandling a couple knives. I just bought a pair of sabs (6" and 8" blades) that say "The Main Course at Bloomingdale's" on the blade, which I think is kinda neat. The seller says they're carbon steel made in France, and they're marked "sabatier" on the handle.

Can anyone tell me what I just bought? Google didn't reveal anything about this line of knives. I'm fine if they need some blade work too because I want the practice. For $20 shipped for the pair, I think I did alright.