One good knife, recommendations?

[tafkap4d]

I am a fan of Wusthof and the Santoku as an all purpose knife

[TheUnknownCook]

Swicks:

I would recommend a Chef's Choice Trizor 10X knife(F.A.Q.), probably a 10" Chef's knife, if you feel comfortable with that size. I normally use a 10" Chefs knife for most tasks. The best prices I have seen on the internet are at ComfortHouse, but I do not see them selling a 10" Chef's knife, but I suppose that you could inquire if they sell it.

Also check out The Knife Merchant for other brands. Chef John Borg is quite knowledgeable. LamsonSharp makes some nice Santoku knives.

Edited March 9, 2007 by TheUnknownCook (log)

[POLKEDOT]

Swicks:

I would recommend a Chef's Choice  Trizor 10X knife(F.A.Q.), probably a 10" Chef's knife, if you feel comfortable with that size. I normally use a 10" Chefs knife for most tasks. The best prices I have seen on the internet are at ComfortHouse, but I do not see them selling a 10" Chef's knife, but I suppose that you could inquire if they sell it.

Also check out The Knife Merchant for other brands. Chef John Borg is quite knowledgeable. LamsonSharp makes some nice Santoku knives.

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[chefdavid321]

I bought myself a Takeda Gyuto AS with a little belly added to the blade. I have used Japanese knives for some years now (LOVE Misono UX10!) but this was my first handmade one. It has taken a little getting used to because it is rather large, extremely light, and super, unbelievably, crazy sharp (it can get stuck in the board). However, I must say that this knife is absolutely a must have for any knife nut like me. It was inexpensive, arrived quickly, takes a lazer like edge, stays sharp, and is now my favorite knife. I recommend Takeda to anyone. They look rough, like they just came out of the forge, but I like that.

[kristin_71]

Any MAC knife. I absolutely love my MAC mighty santoku. Ok, I love my MAC knives period. I went to clean them for the first time before I used them as suggested. I barely made contact with one and now sport a nice cut on my finger. They are the best knives I have ever owned.

[Southern]

So...anyone take the plunge yet?

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Heya, been lurking on this forum for a while and decided to join up.

I started cooking back in January, since i had never cooked in my life (despite beeing 35...) I started of with a cooking course.

Upon completion of the course my wife told me to go on a spending spree and buy myself a really nice knife. Now, we already have a very nice 9" Henkel 'Professional S' Chef's knife and an 8" K-Sabatier. However, since one should never disregard the opportunity to spend money once the wife says so I'm looking around.

Now, we live in Cape Town, South Africa so the only option would be online shopping as stores here only carry either Henkel or Wusthof.The sad thing for me with shopping online is that you can never get a feel for the knives before you buy them. So i was wondering if anyone have an idea of what would suit me if i really like the Henkel, albeit i could go a size bigger with that as well.

It would be fun to get a knife that you can actually feel a big difference in how it cuts.

I've been thinking about maybe a Chinese Chef's knife, but then i can't use the tip down tech which I really enjoy.

/max

My stove

Edited April 5, 2007 by Southern (log)

[Octaveman]

However, since one should never disregard the opportunity to spend money once the wife says so I'm looking around.

Amen to that

So i was wondering if anyone have an idea of what would suit me if i really like the Henkel, albeit i could go a size bigger with that as well.  It would be fun to get a knife that you can actually feel a big difference in how it cuts.  I've been thinking about maybe a Chinese Chef's knife...

Welcome to the forum Max. First, the best place to get Japanese knives, which by the way fit your criteria above (can actually feel a big difference in how it cuts), is an online retailer in Japan shown below. Widest selection and the best prices. Shipping? I've ordered a knife on Monday and had it in my hands on Thursday...from Japan...for $7. The best. Great brands to consider are Ryusen Blazen, Misono UX10, Hiromoto AS, Tojiro DP, Tojiro Powder Steel or Kanetsugu Pro-M (the diamond in the rough).

http://www.japanesechefsknife.com/products.html

A Gyuto is what you're looking for. It's very similar (but different) to the chef knives you have now. The difference is these are thinner, lighter and harder. This makes for a very manueverable knife. The size that's most versatile is 240mm or 9.5 inches. A Chinese chef knife aka vegatable cleaver is quite a knife. It takes some getting used to technique wise but it does a great job. For now though I'd stick with the Gyuto since you keep the tip on the board.

Look around at JCK.com above and see what you come up with. If you have any questons, ask away.

Cheers,

Bob

[Southern]

Ok, ive been looking around a bit now and found the Hiromoto TJ-15AS.

The handle seems very alike our Henkel, which I've found i like very much. On top of that it simply looks beautifull.

Would this be a knife you think would suit me?

[Jon Savage]

So...anyone take the plunge yet?

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Yep. Tojiro DP 240mm Gyuto

Item #F-808 this described as stainless w/ carbon core.

Excited, can't wait until it gets here. Thanks for the recommendations.

Edited April 6, 2007 by 6ppc (log)

[Octaveman]

Ok, ive been looking around a bit now and found the Hiromoto TJ-15AS.

The handle seems very alike our Henkel, which I've found i like very much. On top of that it simply looks beautifull.

Would this be a knife you think would suit me?

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Yes, that is an awesome blade. It's sexy as hell too. I used a 240mm for a while and wished I got the 270mm. I've seen pics and it really is HAWT!

Hurry, order it so you can post pics when it arrives.

[Octaveman]

So...anyone take the plunge yet?

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Yep. Tojiro DP 240mm Gyuto

Item #F-808 this described as stainless w/ carbon core.

Excited, can't wait until it gets here. Thanks for the recommendations.

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Actually, the core is stainless too. They describe it as a carbon steel core but in fact is stainless. A very good performer. You're going to love it.

[Southern]

Gonna order this as soon as possible, sadly PayPal is acting up with my cards for some reason though, so might take a couple days till it's sorted.

[NeilMalek]

I'm getting married at the end of July, so I 'test drove' a bunch of knives, and settled on the Shun Classic 8".

http://www.amazon.com/Shun-Classic-8-Inch-...e/dp/B0000Y7KNQ

Whoever grabs that off our registry is my new favorite friend/family member!

[Octaveman]

Gonna order this as soon as possible, sadly PayPal is acting up with my cards for some reason though, so might take a couple days till it's sorted.

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Can't wait to hear what you think of it. Post a picture too!

[Octaveman]

I bought myself a Takeda Gyuto AS with a little belly added to the blade.  I have used Japanese knives for some years now (LOVE Misono UX10!) but this was my first handmade one.  It has taken a little getting used to because it is rather large, extremely light, and super, unbelievably, crazy sharp (it can get stuck in the board).  However, I must say that this knife is absolutely a must have for any knife nut like me.  It was inexpensive, arrived quickly, takes a lazer like edge, stays sharp, and is now my favorite knife.  I recommend Takeda to anyone.  They look rough, like they just came out of the forge, but I like that.

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Nobody else is posting so what the hell, I guess I'll post some more.

I guess I missed your post. Cool David. Takeda really has awesome blades. I have a 255mm AS gyuto that I use a lot. I keep it very thin and the edge just keeps on going. For being a carbon steel blade, the kurouchi sides are very protective of the surface. I too find their appearance to be quite unique and enjoyable. I've been digging the rustic look lately.

Edited April 9, 2007 by Octaveman (log)

[Octaveman]

Anybody buy a new knife lately? I did and am quite the excited one. I got rid of my Honesuki and am going to try out a traditional deba for boning chickens. I bought THIS one...Korin Ginsanko (stainless) 165mm deba. Some pics are shown below. The hardness level on it is lower than most traditional deba's so I'm thinking it will work quite well. Gonna use it on a 6-lb bird tonight. If it chips, I'll just repair them and put a more obtuse bevel on it to help support the edge more. I used it to break down a couple of large yellowtail filets this weekend and that was quite enjoyable.

[chefdavid321]

Love the Deba, let me know how you like it, I have been looking at buying one.

I mentioned earlier that I love my Takeda, and I really do, but I feel a bit torn. I really, really love my Misono UX10 gyuto. I'm thinking about getting the sujihiki next.

I work with guys who have Masamoto, Tojiro, Nenox, Global, Shun, etc... and apart from the Nenox which is beyond my price point, the Misono is my favorite. So sweet and they have a little paring knife which is not easy to find with Japanese knives.

[Octaveman]

Hi David, I took apart a large chicken this past weekend and it performed great. Went through all the joints, ribs and I tempted fate by going through the back....not one chip or structural failure of the edge. I love this thing. I'm really glad I got it. If you're in the market, I have no problems recommending this one.

Nothing wrong with having two gyuto's. I have five I rotate. I'd suggest the Blazen Sujihiki or carving knife. The Ryusen carving is rare in that there's very few carvers/sujihiki's that have a curved tip rather than a pointed tip. It only comes in 240mm though. HERE are some pics.

[Jon Savage]

The knife arrived today - since I'm going to cube 5 pounds of pork butt to make sausage in a short while that will be a good test.

--edit I'm sold. Diced 5 lbs semi frozen pork butt in less than 10 minutes. Yikes that thing is sharp. Be afraid, Very afraid.

Edited April 14, 2007 by 6ppc (log)

[Octaveman]

Cool Jon. The DP is the best bang for the buck in a stainless knife. Glad to hear you like it. If you think it's sharp now, wait until you put your own edge on it.

[Jon Savage]

Cool Jon.  The DP is the best bang for the buck in a stainless knife.  Glad to hear you like it.  If you think it's sharp now, wait until you put your own edge on it. 

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Thanks for recommending it. Agree the bang/buck ratio on this is excellent.

[Scargo]

After years of using Henkel classic Twin Pro S knives, last year I purchased a Shun Classic 7" Granton Santoku Knife DM 0718. I was blown away by the sharpness and feel of the knife. It is awesome for tomatoes, onions or any vegetable.

I love it but have realized that by using it for almost "everything" I have nicked up the edge quite a bit. So the previous comments of NOT using these style of blades, with their extra hardness and narrow angle (of sharpening) for cutting bones is a good one!

I am now entranced with the prospect of buying something like one of the stainless sheathed blue carbon steel knives. One of my woodworking friends have marveled at the sharpness and durability of the steel.

I am considering either the 240 length of the UNSHEATHED Mizuno Hontanren Series Wa Gyuto (Blue Steel #2, HonKasumi finished) or the SS sheated Hiromoto AS Aogami Super (carbon steel) TJ20AS......

OMG, what to do? buy both??

[kristin_71]

I was sorry to read that no one recommended the Mac santoku series.

I have a MAC santoku and I love it, along with my other MAC knives I wouldn't use anything else. I bought them only a couple of weeks ago. Octaveman and some others were so helpful when I was deciding. I put alot of money into the chef's knife and went with the pro series chef knife. The instructions that come with the knives suggest that you not use the chef's knife for cutting things like ruttabagas, turnips etc. and that a clever is good for that so I got the clever, paring knife, filet knife and the deba. I paid with a check and got a call from Harold at MAC saying that there was a discount. After explaining that they were for home use and I was not a professional, he threw a cheese knife and the boning knife in for free. Nice company!

ETA: I don't know how to post my pictures or if I can, but I have some of my knives.

Edited April 15, 2007 by kristin_71 (log)

[phatj]

What's the deal with single-beveled knives? Is there a performance or durability advantage? And does the side the bevel is on matter?

[Octaveman]

Performance advantage, yes & no, durability advantage, no. A single bevel allows the user to get more accurate and thinner cuts/slices than with a double beveled blade. Plus it can get sharper and it's easier to keep sharp. In a western kitchen there's not much advantage to having a single bevel unless you're making a lot of sushi or Japanese food. The Usuba is used for veggie prep but for daily western style chopping and/or slicing the Nakiri (double beveled Usuba) would be a better choice. Even then you could get away with just using a standard chef knife unless you're a knife nut and want that kind of specialization and accuracy. So, yes and no depending on what your cooking style is and what you're making.

All my knives are Japanese but I only have two single beveled knives...a yanagiba and the deba I just bought above. The yanagiba is used for sushi and I wanted to try out a deba for chicken. Since single bevel knives are more fragile I had to find one that was softer than most so the edge could stand up to bones and joints. Your typical deba hardened to 63-64 HRC (rockwell scale) would chip pretty easily on a chicken because they are made to handle fish and their softer/smaller bones. The one I got is 60 HRC and so far has held up very well. Because the edge is so thin and not as strong as a double bevel knife it becomes less durable. The metals the Japanese use are very strong to begin with and can withstand a high amount of abuse but the thin edges that they can achieve make them fairly weak. I have a gyuto from Shosui Takeda and the edge is extremely thin and gets screaming sharp but holds it's edge very very well. I can go 4 months on a fresh sharpening before I notice it getting dull. Not all are created equal though so it depends on who the maker is and the steel used. Of course the user can make any knife stronger by making the bevel more obtuse themselves.

Does the side of the bevel matter? That's a good question and one I'm not so sure I can answer completely or even correctly. That's because intuitively as a right-hander (RH) I would think that having the bevel on the left as I hold the knife out in front of me would be ideal because the bevel would make the slices of fish fall away from the block or filet. In reality though the bevel for a RH is on the right side and the slices of fish fall from the flat side of the knife. Since I've never used a LH single bevel knife I cannot make a direct comparison but the Japanese have made the knives the way they are out of hundreds if not thousands of years of developing/perfecting the design so who am I to argue with their logic. It's just the way it is and the user must just accept the correct way of doing things. Of course, if you're a RH and you want to get a LH knife, plan on spending 50-100% more for it.

Many people I know use a yanagiba as a slicer for meats such as roasts or turkey for example and they say it works great. This knife (or any other single beveled knife) will have a tendancy to rotate slightly to the right for a RH making for uneven slices. So it will take some practice to control this natural rotation.

Hope this answers your questions a bit,

Bob

Edited April 16, 2007 by Octaveman (log)