How about a knife thread?

[JC Barnett]

Try the web site below if you want some great knives.


www.cutleryandmore.com/forschner_rosewood.htm

 

[Benji Chong]

I got sucked into the Cutco selling world for about 2 weeks in college, enough time for me to buy the 'demo kit', I ended up selling that to my mom after quitting. I recently reacquired 2 of the knives from the kit and they are my go to knives for now. They're pretty damn sharp knives to be honest. I'm always trying to learn more about good knives though, so looking forward to seeing this thread blowup!

 

[TonyUK]

These are my cooking irons. Not cheap, but quality never is.
http://www.globalknives.uk.com/

 

[Todd Phillips]

Here are some of my pride and joys.These were mostly given to me as gifts so they are hardly use. I know first world problem. The problem I found out is sharpening them. It's not fun and I can easily wreck them. That's why I mainly just beat on my Shun set

HHH Custom

Heiji, Yoshi, HHH, Mizuno, TKC, Itinomonn

 

[Tom Golden]

My wife got sucked into buying a santuko from a friend. POS. Won't stay shard and while they offer free lifetime sharpening the postage cost is more than have the local pro do it.

 

[Teddy J.]

I've been looking to get a Victorinox Swiss Army Fibrox 8" Chefs knife. It has great reviews for around $40.

I have a bunch of the Victorinox Fibrox. I love them, espcially the feel of them in my hand. They are pretty light (which I prefer), and the Fibrox handle is non-slip and very durable. They've got a fairly thin blade and come razor sharp, but like any good edge, you have to maintain it.

 

[Jose Suro]

Here are some of my pride and joys.These were mostly given to me as gifts so they are hardly use. I know first world problem. The problem I found out is sharpening them. It's not fun and I can easily wreck them. That's why I mainly just beat on my Shun set

HHH Custom

Heiji, Yoshi, HHH, Mizuno, TKC, Itinomonn

Really nice knives!! I put mine on the stones all be damned. Even though my knives are expensive they are just another tool, I don't see them as collectibles. Keeping them pristine goes contrary to the logic of their creators. They are meant to be used. Good knives are a bit harder to sharpen because the steel is harder, this is why they keep their edge longer . I am old enough to know that no matter what I do to my knives they will outlive me. And If I really screw one up I will either take it to a pro or buy another .

 

[Jose Suro]

I have a bunch of the Victorinox Fibrox. I love them, espcially the feel of them in my hand. They are pretty light (which I prefer), and the Fibrox handle is non-slip and very durable. They've got a fairly thin blade and come razor sharp, but like any good edge, you have to maintain it.

I have a number of Victorinox Fibrox knives. I agree with everything you posted except for one thing: " but like any good edge, you have to maintain it". Of course you have to maintain good knives, but and this is a big but, great knives are forged, not stamped as the Fibrox knives, and that forging process has the ability to make the steel much, much harder. This translates to much less edge maintenance. I know, I have both the Fibrox, and the much harder steel Japanese knives.

In a home kitchen I find the Fibrox maintenance is daily, Japanese steel, monthly.

Best,

Jose

 

[ChuckO]

I predict a post here from Cliff shortly

 

[Teddy J.]

I have a number of Victorinox Fibrox knives. I agree with everything you posted except for one thing: " but like any good edge, you have to maintain it". Of course you have to maintain good knives, but and this is a big but, great knives are forged, not stamped as the Fibrox knives, and that forging process has the ability to make the steel much, much harder. This translates to much less edge maintenance. I know, I have both the Fibrox, and the much harder steel Japanese knives.

In a home kitchen I find the Fibrox maintenance is daily, Japanese steel, monthly.

Best,

Jose

Fair enough. Can you link to an example of one of the harder forge knives you currently have? I'm curious to take a look and learn.

I'm not going to pretrend that I'm a knife guru like alot of you are here.

I don't maintain mine daily, maybe I should. Probably run them down the steel once a week or so.

 

[Tom Golden]

My Tojiros run 60-61 or so in the Rockwell hardness scale. But hardness alone does not make a sharp blade. Edge, material and form all contribute. As for running down a steel, that is for show (literally - there is no way you can hone a knife correctly holding the steel up and running the blade down it.) You should steady the steel on a board and then run the knife at a correct angle which then remains more or less constant. that is, if you should use a steel at all. Ceramic is far better to clean off the edge imperfections. See here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mpyNCKZIIzA&feature=youtu.be

 

[Clint]

Help me consider?

Shun 8" Chef's knife - $99
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B0000Y7KNQ/tvwb-20

Tojiro 7" Nakiri Knife - $119
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00H0H0GGE/tvwb-20

Yoshihiro 6" Usaba - $114
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00D6DVU70/tvwb-20

Yoshihiro 6.3" Usaba $149
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00DFXOGUE/tvwb-20

I'm leaning towards the first & third knives, I want to try the third due to the single edge, the first seems like a good all around, & the others I like the covers to keep them sharp. I don't like that the blade doesn't go all the way through the handle on the 4th.

Any outstanding choice, or others to look at?

 

[Jose Suro]

Help me consider?

Shun 8" Chef's knife - $99
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B0000Y7KNQ/tvwb-20

Tojiro 7" Nakiri Knife - $119
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00H0H0GGE/tvwb-20

Yoshihiro 6" Usaba - $114
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00D6DVU70/tvwb-20

Yoshihiro 6.3" Usaba $149
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00DFXOGUE/tvwb-20

I'm leaning towards the first & third knives, I want to try the third due to the single edge, the first seems like a good all around, & the others I like the covers to keep them sharp. I don't like that the blade doesn't go all the way through the handle on the 4th.

Any outstanding choice, or others to look at?

Hi Clint,

All are excellent Knives. I know that both of the "Usuba" are not single edge. They are in fact 50/50 grinds and so are better called Nakiris. The three Nakiris are all specialized vegetable prep knives with very thin blades. Although this specialization is common for knives in Japan and they all would be excellent at vegetable prep I would not use them for anything else. The traditional Japanese Magnolia handle is what I try to get for all my knives. It is the perfect knife handle and D shaped, like the Shun above it. They also make the knives lighter and non-slip. The knife does go all the way down the handle but it is not as tall (it doesn't show through) and is not riveted. Non issues in good Japanese knives. Knives with "Wa" handles cost more even with the same blade.

The Shun is what is referred to as a Gyuto in Japan. It is also a 50/50 grind but with a more conventional radiused edge like most chefs knives. Furthermore the blades are thicker than that of the Nakiris and so they are workhorses in the kitchen, good at a multitude of tasks, including slicing meats. They are thicker than Nakiris but still considerably thinner than western knives. this because the steel is harder.

So, the first decision is vegetable prep specifically or all around chefs knife? After that, you need to decide about the handle. Traditional Japanese or Western style?

If this is your first venture into these knives I would recommend a Gyuto in 210mm. Good ones are more expensive than Nakiris because they are bigger. This Gyuto with a western handle is a great one:

http://echefknife.com/gyuto-hammered-damascus-japanese-knife.html

And the same one with a WA handle - notice the price difference -compare both at 210mm it also come with the cover (Saya):

http://echefknife.com/gyuto-vg-10-hammered-damascus-japanese-chef-knife.html

The hammering is not only gorgeous, it's functional. It creates air pockets between the knife and the food so it reduces the food from sticking on the blade when chopping and slicing.

Of your choices above I would get the last one with the Wa handle and Saya for myself but I already ordered one last week directly from Japan .

Best,

Jose

 

[Clint]

Thanks - I went with the 2nd one you linked. They're probably all overkill for my simple needs but o'well

 

[Jose Suro]

Thanks - I went with the 2nd one you linked. They're probably all overkill for my simple needs but o'well

Congrats! That's is a super nice knife. A real conversation piece as well .

I will later post something on maintenance and sharpening......

 

[Jose Suro]

Knife sharpening, what you need to know first

Hi All,

So one day you decide that you want to invest on a good kitchen knife, or maybe a collection of them. This is a good thing. High quality knives make food preparation a true pleasure. Cuts are effortless, clean and precise. All this makes for beautiful food.

Good knives are not cheap; they are investments that with good care will last a lifetime. One of the most important care items is of course the edge. Although good knives hold their edge a lot longer, all knives get dull with use. Maintaining the sharp edge is the most important maintenance item on a good quality knife. Never let the knife get really dull....

So, sooner or later you will have to sharpen that beautiful knife. What to do….

The first and most important thing is to find the angles of your edge. Most all knifes have different angles, especially Japanese knives which can not only have different edge angles but also different edge and blade geometries. Finding the angles is easy:

Take your knife and hold the blade flat on your cutting board with the handle off the side of the board. Slowly, move the blade in the direction of the edge while slowly raising the spine (the top of the blade) off the cutting board. At a certain point the edge will catch on the board and stop the knife. Observe the distance between the spine and the board. Slightly less than that distance is the angle of your edge. Slightly less because the edge already bit into the board so you have to back down a little bit from there to sharpen the knife.

Repeat for the other side of the blade. Why? Because some knives (especially Japanese knives) are built with different edge geometries.

Here are three images showing how this works with my Santoku knife:

1) The Starting point with the knife flat on the board

2) The edge has caught the board. The knife is so sharp that it actually takes chunks off the board. Notice the angle – it’s low, about 10 degrees or less

3) Same process on the other side of the blade. Notice this angle is much higher, about 30 degrees.

This shows my Santoku has an asymmetrical edge. If I took a stone to it and sharpened the edge like a western knife (same angle on both sides) I would ruin the factory set edge.

To see a number of different edges and geometries look at this discussion thread. It’s the best one I could find.
http://www.cheftalk.com/t/63443/bevels-double-bevels-angles-im-confused

If you guys want me to I’ll post something on sharpening stones etc. Don’t use a steel to maintain the edge. Steels are very imprecise and are best used with softer steel Western style knives that have equal 20 degree angles. If you still decide to use a steel get a high quality ceramic steel.

Best,

Jose

 

[Teddy J.]

Good info. What's the benefit of the asymmetrical edge?

 

[Tom Golden]

Good info. What's the benefit of the asymmetrical edge?

Handedness. Right hand vs. left hand for starters. Plus some knives , like sushi knives cut better on one side without sticking to the food.

 

[Jose Suro]

Handedness. Right hand vs. left hand for starters. Plus some knives , like sushi knives cut better on one side without sticking to the food.

Agree. But the handedness comes from the purpose of the blade grinds (not the edge). The edge bevels are there to support the grinds. You find these grinds and edges mostly on Japanese knives. The Japanese are fanatical about blades, having been in that business for thousands of years.

The Japanese eat a lot of raw food and precision in presentation is of the utmost importance, really not unlike what most western chefs go for as well. Look at it this way. All knives are basically a sharp wedge, which gets wider as it gets further away from the edge. Now if the wedge is really wide at the top of the blade (think axe), it will not only cut, but will mostly tear what it is driven into (think using a hammer on meat). With that in mind, for perfect cuts it makes sense to make the whole blade as thin as possible. The thinner the blade the less tear, the more perfect the cut. But, the thinner the blade the more fragile it is.

The Japanese want the thinnest blades possible for the task, who wouldn't? To this end they forge some incredibly hard steels to protect the blades at that thinness. These knives are more susceptible to edge chipping, that's why the hardest knives are only recommended for experts. Asymmetrical grinds are one of the answers to the fragility problem.

Now to asymmetry. Having an asymmetrical edge has two benefits. First, because one of the sides of the edge has a really large angle the edge is less fragile, while still thin and very sharp, and it can last a lot longer without increasing the thickness of the edge or the blade. Second, It allows for specific blade grinds.

For example, the most wicked grind on a blade is on the Yanagi knife, used mostly for raw fish although it works really well for other slicing tasks. The edge grind is 100/0 (not counting a micro bevel which is another topic). This means that one side of the knife is sharpened with the blade laying completely flat on the stone! The blade also has a concave shape on the zero side. This is the most definitely "handed" knife. Other knives have a blade with a convex side and a flat side (my Santoku in the above pictures). This makes the slices or chops "fall off" the convex side away from the knife while maintaining the integrity of the food being sliced or chopped. And this is where "handedness" comes into play.

Best,

Jose

 

[Clint]

"Choosing Your Knife" from the website you linked - I've spent more time on that site than I probably should.

http://echefknife.com/choosing-your-knife.html

I ordered the 7" instead of the 8.25 by mistake, I sent them an email the next morning & they called back- it had already shipped same day - he said to check it out and if I wanted to change it I could. I don't expect I will.