Bob Kramer Essential 10″ Chef Knife Review
April 25, 2011
Star Rating: 5.6 Stars
Overall Rating: Outstanding Quality Professional Knife
Knife: Bob Kramer 10″ Chef’s Knife
Brand: Zwilling J.A. Henckels
Bladesmith: Bob Kramer – Master Bladesmith
Steel: FC61 steel (13C27)
Rockwell: 61
Blade Construction: Forged high-carbon stainless steel with fine-carbide distribution
Edge: 9° – 12° double-beveled blade
Handle: Brushed polymer with ergonomic design
Tang: Full tang with 3 rivets
Weight: 1.8 lb
NSF approved? Yes
Cleaning: Hand-wash only
Cost: About $250 – $315
Availability: Currently available (March 2016)
Warranty: Lifetime
Chefs Resources joined with Joe Bartlett The Knife Nerd to do a review of one of the many knifes in his collection. Following is a partial transcription of his description of this high-end knife.
“Today I’m showing you the Kramer Essential Line 10 inch Chef’s Knife by Zwilling J.A. Henckels. The knife is made in Zwilling’s Seki Japan factory. During its manufacture it is touched by 40 different craftsmen. Zwilling likes to come up with their own names for the steels they use and they are calling this one an FC61. I looked up FC61 and that is their language for a fine carbine steel with a 61 Rockwell rating. The steel it is made of is actually a 13C27 which is a very pure high carbon stainless steel from Switzerland.”
“The knife has a lot of height in the heel. The handle is made from a brushed polymer. It has a full tang handle and it has no visible bolster getting in the way of your hand grip. It features a riveted handle (3 pins) with a mosaic pin with the Kramer stamp on it.”
Joe then proceeds to do a series of cutting demos including: bell pepper bruniose, chives, green onion, potato, carrot “pull test”, and the paper “push test”.
He finishes the review with “I would definitely recommend this knife.”
Finally gave it a shot. 10″ of Kramer vs 10 water bottles. Made it through 9 and a half.
Posted by The knife nerd with the Kramer Essential 10 inch knife
| Bob Kramer Essential 10″ Chef’s Knife Review | |||
| Possible | Actual Rating | Test | Notes |
| Sharpness | |||
| 5 | 4 | Carrot-Lengthwise Test | Very smooth, with a little resistance cutting the carrot lengthwise. |
| Shallot Test | N/A didn’t do the shallot test | ||
| Onion Test | N/A didn’t do the shallot test | ||
| 3 | 3 | Tomato Test | Very smooth, clean slices, no problem. |
| 3 | 3 | Green Onion Test | Smooth cuts with no bruising |
| 3 | 3 | Paper Test | Easily cut through the paper on the push test. Very impressive. |
| Comfort | |||
| 5 | 4 | Comfortable Handle | Has a comfortable grip and feels good in the hand. I’m accustomed to a “D” handle, this one is round & a little large in my hand. Still…very nice. |
| Quality Materials | |||
| 5 | 5 | Steel Quality | FC61 fine carbide steel with a 60 Rockwell rating. It is 13C27 steel which is a very pure high carbide stainless steel from Switzerland. |
| 3 | 3 | Durability | The steel and handle materials along w/ its quality construction make this knife very durable. |
| 3 | 3 | Handle Quality | The handle is of high quality construction from a brushed polymer with a full tang and 3 rivets. |
| Quality Construction/Design | |||
| 4 | 4 | Overall Construction Quality | Although the overall construction is seamless and aesthetically pleasing, the blade itself performs poorly compared to its appearance. |
| 3 | 3 | Design, Engraving, End-cap, etc | This is a beautiful knife with and engraved end-cap and aesthetic appearance. |
| General Ratings | |||
| 5 | 4 | High-end Knife? | 1 = under $25; 2 = $26 – $75; 3 = $76 – $150; 4 = $151 – $300; 5 = $301+ |
| 5 | 5 | Utility | This is your classic chef’s knife style and therefore is very practical in the kitchen. |
| 7 | 6 | Overall Impression | This knife performed exceptionally well. |
| 5 | 5 | Our Star Rating | This knife is very sharp, feels good in the hand, and handles well. |
| Total | |||
| 59 | 55 | 5.6 Stars = Outstanding Quality Professional Knife formula: (actual score/total possible*6) |
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Get a Kramer Chef Knife at Amazon.com
ZWILLING J.A. Henckels 34981-263 EUROLINE Essential Collection 10″ Chef’s Knife
Full disclosure: this is an affiliate link and I will receive a commission for each knife purchased. With that said, I stand by the review presented here.
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