Cheap japanese knives in montreal?

[OliverN]

Hi everyone

After smushing a tomato yesturday with my current chef's knife, I've decided to undertake the daunting task of upgraded my knife collection on a student budget.

I've read here that the single-bevel japanese knives like the santoku or an usuba are great for vegetable chopping which is most of what i do.

Any advice on where I could pick these up in mtrl?

Edited February 5, 2008 by OliverN (log)

[Kaunteya]

There is a guy who live in Lachine, his name is paul and he sells authentic Japanese knives out of his home. His website is paulsfinest.com. I bought a MAC Mighty 9" chef knife for $140 last december. I shopped around but the best I could find on a MAC Mighty 9" knife was $225. He carries the entire range from high-end to everyday use knives, over several different brands and prices. You even save a few bucks if you pick up your order, I think it was around 5 bucks. Trust me you won't find a better deal anywhere in Montreal.

[fedelst]

I totally forgot about Paul's Finest. Great response...

When first starting my collection of knives, I found that a good quality #3 Chinese cleaver to be oe of hte most versatile tools I owned. As long as you keep your knives sharp, and handle them properly, they will work as you require for most tasks. The problems start with ANY knife when you let your edges dull.

If you can track down a gentleman named Roger Grenier, he had been present at the Salon Metier d'Arts selling mostly hunting and fantasy knives, but he makes some very good custom kitchen knives to order. i am not sure if he is still in the business, but I still have the knives he made to my specs and they work and look as good as the day he made them.

When buying Japanese knives, be aware of the composition of the material used in the composition of the knife. Many of these are not well suited to use with acidic foods, and will leave oxidation on the onion, or tomato you are cutting if you are not careful. Also never, let anyone not familiar with sharpening these knives near them. I had a well meaning friend hand one to one of the roaming knife sharpener guys, who proceeded to bevel an edge on both sides of the blade... Doh... It took me a week of honing to work out the damage.

Miyamoto on Victoria has a selection of these, the prices are lower than what they had sold them for years ago, but I suspect that if you shop arround you will find better prices. Certainly Paul's finest would be a good place to look.

[OliverN]

Wow, thanks alot for the advice guys.

I checked out 'Paul's Finest' and he has a really great selection. It's just that... as I said I'm working on a student budget and 100$+ for a knife is a little out of my range for the moment.

I'm just looking for a knife that I can develop my skills, both in using and in sharpening it, before (god willing) someday I invest in a really top notch knife. I'll be using it mostly for vegetables, no sashimi or butchering or anything...

This knife here (link) is the closest thing I've found to what I need, but it's still a little pricey.

What do you think?

Edited February 5, 2008 by OliverN (log)

[alexthecook]

From what I've heard, Furi knives aren't that good. You might as well go with a Global for 20 bucks more...

[Kaunteya]

From what I've heard, Furi knives aren't that good. You might as well go with a Global for 20 bucks more...

←

I have to agree. Furi knives are not as great as Global, but there are many brands better than global. A knife is an investment that you should expect to last a long time if you plan on using it only at home. I would definetely get a good knive, solid blade that does not require much attention to shapening and honing. Global, MAC, Misono, Wusthof all do that. The wusthof grand prix II chef knife will last you many years. Only about 40 bucks more that an average Furi. I am a professional chef, work at Joe Beef, and I know the importance of a solid knife that stays sharp after hundreds of hours of use. Good luck.

[Lesley C]

I've picked up a lot of knives over the years and I gotta say my Mac knives stayed sharp longest, whereas the Furi was quick to disappoint. Looks pretty though...

[OliverN]

I was thinking, maybe rather than investing in a new knife just yet, I should invest in some whetstones and practice sharpening on my current knife?

What do you think?

Do I need all three of these (link_ grinds or will just two surfice? Or should I get one of the double-sided ones from the hardware store?

[riboflavinjoe]

Go to CENTRE ON KAI in china town, I think it's on the street of the Gauchetiere, between Saint Laurent and Saint Urbain. They have some stones, I got my Global stone down there for around 80 bucks. You may also be interested in their knife selection.

[SevenEightOh]

I've got three stones that I use: a 1000 grit, a 4000 grit, and a 8000 grit. All of them were purchased from Lee Valley Hardware in Ontario. The prices are good, they arrive within a few days, and I haven't had any issues with quality. As for my knives, they're Lady Remmington sharp.

My suggestion would be that you avoid the "cheap" knives, save up for a bit and read reviews online. Especially if you're on a budget, buying a knife is going to be an investment, so make sure that you know what you're getting and that you're happy with the purchase.

[SevenEightOh]

To save you some trouble: Lee Valley Hardware

A list of the stones for sale.

[Culatello]

Wustof Trident Ikon and Mac Ultimate are what I use and also the Mighty 26cm slicer with dimples.

Edited February 11, 2008 by Culatello (log)