Glestain K Series 5.5-inch (140mm) Left-Handed Offset Utility Knife

Specifications

• Blade length: 5.5 inches (140 mm)
• Series: K Series
• Blade style: offset, with the blade dropped below the handle
• Steel: Acuto 440, Glestain’s own molybdenum-vanadium stainless steel, given a sub-zero treatment during hardening
• Hardness: 58 to 59 HRC
• Edge geometry: asymmetrical, ground for the left hand; the factory edge is split about 80/20, with the larger bevel on the left face
• Handle: Pakkawood, with a stainless bolster and no end cap
• Maker: Honma Kagaku (Homma Science Co.), Niigata, Japan
• Model number: 814TUKL (Knife Merchant item GLS814TUKL)

Comparing Glestain Santoku, Utility and Paring Knives

The Glestain Series

Choosing the Correct Hand

A Glestain blade is shaped like a right triangle, and the left-handed model is the mirror image of the right-handed one. The asymmetry is in the steel itself, so a left-handed Glestain will not cut properly in the right hand, and it cannot be reground for the other hand. Order the model made for the hand that holds the knife.

Sharpening a Glestain Edge

One face of a Glestain blade drops almost straight from the spine, and the other tapers to the edge, so the two sides are sharpened at different angles. Work the primary face (the left side on this knife) at about 16 to 18 degrees until a burr forms along the full edge, then remove the burr from the right side at about 22 degrees with a few light passes. Sharpen on whetstones; a pull-through or electric sharpener grinds both sides alike and alters the geometry. Our article on sharpening Glestain and Masahiro knives explains the method in detail, and our video on sharpening compound bevel knives shows it on the stone.

Care

• Wash by hand with warm water and mild soap, then dry the knife at once. Do not put it in a dishwasher.
• Acuto 440 resists stains but is not immune to them; do not leave the blade wet or soaking.
• Cut on wood or plastic boards, and keep the edge away from frozen food, hard shells and heavy bone.
• Hone between sharpenings with the Glestain hexagonal ceramic honing rod, and store the knife in a guard, a block or a case.