JC

Thanks for that insight.

Wow, a 14" Wusthof! What in the world would someone use such a large knife for??

The other Hattoris you see on ebay are from the 'cheaper' Unryu series. Still fantastic knives of course. The one you have is available from Blade Gallery at a 'measly' $980 - see here Seriously, it's a beautiful knife and apart from you I know of only one other person who has one. As for left handed knives... this applies only to traditional japanese knives (usuba, yanagiba, deba), which are single beveled for right handers. The idea is when you slice, the fish/veggie falls to the right (as you are cutting from right to left). The reverse for lefties. Left handed knives are usually made to order, which means the price goes up and usually no stock on hand. This issue of left/right handedness doesn't apply to most other knives because they are double beveled.

Zojirushi, Tiger, National - these are all well respected brands from Japan. Don't think you'll go wrong with any of them. I using a National myself.

Hi ankomochi. Thanks for the translation. Ah, it makes sense! The maker follows the Echizen style of cutlery (Echizen Uchi-hamono), which is around the Fukui prefecture. Echizen is one of several traditional centers of cutlery in Japan. The other major cutlery areas are Sakai, Tosa, Echigo-Yoita and Shinshu.

wesza, Wow, in that case you received their ultimate KD-30 series knife. Yes, it uses a Cowry X steel core with a 121-layer 'damascus' outer. It's handmade and one of the most expensive santokus on the planet (list price is ¥100,000). A very fine gift indeed and speaks volumes of the valuable advice you must have given. Say, ever had trouble sharpening it? Bear in mind the Cowry X steel is hardened to about Rc 67-68.

wesza, Good on you. Hattori is a very fine maker from Seki, Japan. Their knives are known for being very sharp and well balanced. The core steel is VG-10 and you would no doubt notice the beautiful "suminagashi" patterns on the surface (this is a 63-layer nickel steel).

torakris, Thanks for the translation. Gave me what I needed to know. FYI, "suminagashi" refers to the ink-pattern swirls on the surface of the blade, which is a result of the steel being folded. This is an aesthetic effect. In the west, this is commonly called "damascus" (also a result of folding steel) but actually the patterns for "suminagashi" are quite different in style. Ok, so it is VG-10 steel. Again, this is a superb stainless steel that can take a very sharp edge and hold it well. One more thing, I suppose the pictures at the bottom of the page are of the maker and shows how he makes these knives? Does it say where he's from? Lastly, what is the brand of the knife as written on the blade?

Here's a good review I read on Chowhound written in Feb 2002 by someone who goes by the pseudonym Side Pork: http://www.chowhound.com/boards/general9/messages/26558.html

Hi all, I'll be going to Tokyo in 2 weeks and am looking to get more Japanese knives. Came across this website which has some knives I'm interested in... trouble is I don't understand much of the description. Only thing I know is the steel is V-Gold 10 (right?). http://www.ehamono.com/houtyou/kitchen/marukatsu.html Any kind soul out there who could give me a rundown on what the page says about the knives and the maker? Thanks in advance.

Joe, Beautiful set of Hattoris you have! In use, have you ever experienced any chipping on the santoku?

budrichard, Being a sharpness freak, I'm curious... is your Dozier even sharper than the Shiraki yanagiba with it's chisel grind? Is your Dozier made of D2 as well?

Penang hawker specialties are (off the top of my head): 1. Char Koay Teow 2. Assam Laksa 3. Prawn Mee 4. Lobak 5. Oyster Omelette 6. Nasi kandar The trick is in finding the best places to eat them! For Assam Laksa and Char Koay Teow, I can think of the Joo Hoo Cafe on Penang Road. The stall outside also serves good cendol. For Oyster Omelette the corner coffee shop at the end of Lorong Kimberley is also very good.

That's a must in any good Chinese cooking/restaurant. The heat that's involved is part of the "wok hey".

I'd be wary of buying dyed salmon or other such treated fish. As they say, caviar emptor.

goyatofu... Welcome back! You need to be aware that it's common for some brands to be made by other people. It's the OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) business process where the actual manufacturing is outsourced to another company. That's probably the case with Kasumi. "Kasumi" is just a brand (probably owned by a non-Japanese co) and the maker will be someone else, which is why when you mention "Kasumi" they aren't familiar with it. But it's interesting what the person said about export knives, though I'm skeptical if it's true that these are 2nd rate stuff. This would amount to "dumping". As for the Misono UX-10, I know that it's also sold locally in Japan (obviously, since you managed to buy it there) so I don't think your model is for export only. Also Misono itself is a manufacturer based in Seki. Hey, let us know how you like the UX-10. Review please.

Geoff, Haven't personally seen the Kasumi but if it's like other higher end Japanese cutlery then it will have a very hard, thin and razor sharp edge. Great for veggies and boneless meat but not really meant to go near bone (you risk chipping the edge).

The kasumi method and damascus are two different things. Even though both involve combining two or more metals together, the style of combining them differs. Kasumi involves laminating a core of harder steel with sides of softer steel (kinda like a sandwich). The blade appearance is normal. For damascus, the steels are sandwiched and then folded repeatedly until it forms many layers. It is then etched and the resulting blade displays the beautiful patterns you see.

That's certainly a nice Chinese cleaver, but a lot more than the $5 you paid in China.

goyatofu, One more thing just crossed my mind, if you really wanted a knife to suit your hand you could approach a custom knife maker. And guess what, there's one or two of them in Canada that make kitchen knives. George Tichbourne - http://www.tichbourneknives.com/kitchen.htm John Freeman - http://www.freemanknives.com/Kitchen%20K8C.htm And their prices are in the range that you're looking at. The sites will give you some idea of their line up and prices, but you can email to discuss your specific requirements. To fit my hand just right, a custom knife maker once asked me to send him a photocopy of my hand.

Ok, C$150 is about 12,600 yen. A generous budget and will get you a very good Japanese made western style chef's knife (called gyutou). As I said earlier, Sakai made knives are prevalent in Osaka. You might not find Masamoto there (it's from Tokyo). Also, Sakai emphasizes the traditional Japanese knives but many makers do have a range of gyutou. I can think of two local brands, Sakai Takayuki and Suisin. Web sites below. http://www.suisin.co.jp/English/yo-knives/index.htm http://www2.odn.ne.jp/sakai-takayuki/english.html No doubt there are many more. You can find Sakai Takayuki in Doguyasuji, not sure about Suisin. Also, the Misono UX-10 (from Seki) is very good. The 210mm chef's knife (model 712) runs about 12,000 - 12,500 yen. See here: http://www.oritomo.co.jp/kitchengoods/misono_UX10.html Remember to ask if the knives are stainless steel or carbon steel (which can rust). Here's an example of carbon steel knives: http://www.ehamono.com/houtyou/gyutou/ao2.html Will need Kristin's help to translate. Have fun shopping!

You'll be hard pressed to buy a "choy dao" (chinese cleaver) for $5 in USA.

I'm a Squid brand user myself.

Thanks for the insights. Is the paring knife similar to the what the Japanese call the "petty" knife? What's this fruit knife you mentioned? What do the Japanese call it? I'm sure you'll enjoy the Japanese knives when you get them. The Japanese have quite a different philosophy when it comes to knives and I especially like the fact that there are many craftsmen who still make them the traditional hand-forged way.

goyatofu, The knives are normally in a display case but can be brought out upon request. Like Kristin said you can usually find smaller handles since the knives are "Asian sized". Recommendations? What sort of knife are you looking for, traditional Japanese or western style (riveted handles with bolster like the German stuff)? Then what type, a santoku, chef's knife, slicer? Lastly, what's your budget?