Knives.... what to get

Kelsey · June 2012

The pics are a bit small so I can't see much, but that looks a lot like carbon to me! What'd you get, where'd you get it from, how much did it cost and when's the review?

Koffee_Kosmo · June 2012

Check this site with video about knives from Yengisar a town on the silk road famous for its knives http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x886ll_mp-marco-polo-finds-the-best-knives_shortfilms KK

Muscles · June 2012

Hopefully these photos won't be too big now...

That's a limited Nakiri

And a Zensho 180 mm Santoku I got in touch with a guy I used to buy sharpening stones from at www.japanesenaturalstones.com His name is Maxim, great bloke and highly recommended. As for reviews, it's early days and I am awaiting two more in the mail...

Kelsey · June 2012

Beautiful stuff Muscles, can't wait to hear your thoughts on 'em.

Kelsey · June 2012

Just checked out the site - no Gyotus in stock... or at least none with pics. But the ones they've had previously look sensational.

Kelsey · June 2012

I want one of these: http://www.japanesenaturalstones.com/Zensho-210mm-Gyuto-p/601.htm

Muscles · June 2012

My first thoughts on the Santoku are wow! It is so thin behind the edge that it easily chopped carrot and minced onions and garlic lastnight and allowed for paper thin slicing of the mushies (was cooking spag-bol!) Do you want me to email Maxim at JNS to see when he is expecting more stock for you? He is a member on KKF so you could PM him on there too if you prefer... That Zensho 210mm looks nice and is very well priced. Oh yeah, and remember me saying "I won't say never to carbon..."?? Glad I didn't :D

Brett H · June 2012

Wow, congratulations Marc!!! They look very beautiful. :thumb:

Kelsey · June 2012

on 1340337511:

My first thoughts on the Santoku are wow! It is so thin behind the edge that it easily chopped carrot and minced onions and garlic lastnight and allowed for paper thin slicing of the mushies (was cooking spag-bol!) Do you want me to email Maxim at JNS to see when he is expecting more stock for you? He is a member on KKF so you could PM him on there too if you prefer... That Zensho 210mm looks nice and is very well priced. Oh yeah, and remember me saying "I won't say never to carbon..."?? Glad I didn't :D

Thanks Muscles, I'd appreciate that. Always nice to find a good recommendation.

Muscles · June 2012

Cheers Brett, very stoked and having a ball using these I used the Nakiri last night for salad duty and today for finely chopping a few kilo of veges for a bulk batch of pastie mix and I think now I'll use this knife a lot more than the Santoku, well at least until I receive my Gyutos. My wife will love these first two and is already keen to test them out so that's a big win right there. The Nakiri I am sure will be her favourite though as it looks very unassuming with the rounded tip but it is a lot thinner behind the edge and has better edge retention and really is a brilliant knife for the price. The mini-cleaverish profile is very handy when it comes to moving all the veg off the chopping board too. Hopefully the Gyutos will arrive soon...

UNM · June 2012

due to a cancellation, had time to nip in to king of knives and general trader. As I am not only on a budget, but also know any knife will suffer abuse, many better knives are not on my list. scanpan classic handle is uncomfortable victorinox too light and skinny blade mundial seems like the best bet. anything else similar style and price point ($60 for 20cm chef) I should look at? must be usable by either hand, dishwasher safe.

Brett H · June 2012

My Mundial faux wooden handled knives cracked in the dishwasher

As I'd the Wusthof classic :tearhair:

coffeehorse · June 2012

Globals are the laughing stock of japanese chefs knives, sadly. They're sharp and easily sharpened, but shatter easily and don't hold an edge well. They're a revelation if you've only cooked with western/german knives before. Shun Elite have a 50/50 bevel and are much better knives than the normal Shun ones - the 15cm vegetable knife (petty) is actually good value. The standard Shun bevel is 80/20 (right handed bevel), though Everten stock Shun's left handed range and King of Knives branches can order them in if you need them. For getting to know japanese knives at a budget, the common advice is to get a petty (vegetable knife), santoku (meat/fish/veggies aka 3-ways knife) and a gyuto (chef's knife). JCK (japanesechefsknife.com) is an awesomely priced way to buy, with the Hiromoto and Shiki knives being particularly good value! Hope that helps.

coffeehorse · June 2012

PS. I'd go 240mm chef's instead of 210mm - the japanese knives are so nicely weighted that after using 24cm for a week you wish you'd bought the 27cm - where everything on the board gets diced!

UNM · June 2012

picked up one of the aldi 10cm damast blade knives today. Flier markets it as santoku, looks like a 10cm utility knife to me. feels OK in either hand and nicely balanced, but I do not have high expectations- just thought I should give it a try. the smooth handle makes it easy to swap hands while working (my knife skills are equally bad with either hand).

Koffee_Kosmo · June 2012

on 1340779871:

picked up one of the aldi 10cm damast blade knives today. Flier markets it as santoku, looks like a 10cm utility knife to me. feels OK in either hand and nicely balanced, but I do not have high expectations- just thought I should give it a try. the smooth handle makes it easy to swap hands while working (my knife skills are equally bad with either hand).

I was going to get them as well but I could not find any during my visit I did however get the cast iron cooking pots and pans and utensils

Lwowiak · June 2012

on 1340781758:

I was going to get them as well but I could not find any during my visit I did however get the cast iron cooking pots and pans and utensils

I was interested in the knife, but all sold out in both Aldi stores I looked in. I bought the cast iron pots from Aldi over a year ago. They are very good value for money, and we use them all the time. In hindsight they are exceptional value for money.

Brett H · November 2012

For the Global fans amongst us. Personally I like my Wusthof Culinar knives but having used this exact knife in a former life can tell you it cuts stuff and won't break ya wrist or the bank. http://www.everten.com.au/Global-Chefs-Knife-Masterchef.html I have purchased one of these recently and for bread I've not used anything like it. So good and Culinar sexy!! http://www.chefknivestoyou.com/product/4539.html I've also seen these recently and reckon they are worth a punt if you enjoy blade maintenance: http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/KU92-2C-KUMI-Japanese-DAMASCUS-VG10-Multi-Layer-Small-Santoku-Knife-4-8-/251102964320?pt=AU_Cutlery&hash=item3a76e72a60&_uhb=1#ht_5936wt_922

Brett H · January 2013

More specials for knife fans: https://m.catchoftheday.com.au/smallfish_info.php?event_id=2673&utm_source=cotd&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=sos1_20130108 And slightly upmarket: http://www.yourhomedepot.com.au/products/shun-knives/chef-s-knife-20cm/chef-knives And slightly better value: http://www.yourhomedepot.com.au/products/global-knives/global-knife-block-set-5pc-ship-shape-10-slot-red-na/knife-block-sets My current knives. I have a Mundial set in a box downstairs because two of the handle have cracked. I will grab a Damasus knife at some stage just to have a play with. I like be look of the Ken Onion Shun knives but prefer SS handles.

galumay · January 2013

My eclectic collection of kitchen knives,

From left, a trusty old carbon steel clever from Thailand, my Messermeister 10" (best of the german knives IMO), my Kasumi Sashimi Knife, filleting knife from the tinny!, Japanese SAKAI Carbon Steel Wa-Petty Knife Negoro, Japanese SAKAI Carbon Steel Kama-Usuba Vegetable Knife, Peter Lorimer hand made herb rocker, Peter Lorimer Hand Made Chef's Knife, Cheap Sth American Chef's Knife (about $15, i have about 6 of them, take a good edge, strong and take rough treatment.) Random Bread knife

Kelsey · January 2013

Nice find Brett!

Kelsey · January 2013

There's a special on Zwilling today: Zwilling J.A. Henckels: http://www.catchoftheday.com.au/smallfish_info.php?event_id=2717&utm_source=cotd&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=dailydeal_20130115

Brett H · January 2013

Holy cheap as chips batman! Obviously these are the Wusthof Gourmet competitors and very keenly priced at that! Henckles are a decent blade in general.

Kelsey · January 2013

I'm re-evaluating the 'no knife block' idea that I had. Limited space and nowhere to mount a magnetic block is causing me concern re: having a super-sharp gyuto lying around. The knife block is at least a lot easier to keep out of his reach. Are the Henckles any good? Haven't heard much about them...

coffeehorse · January 2013

on 1358309703:

I'm re-evaluating the 'no knife block' idea that I had. Limited space and nowhere to mount a magnetic block is causing me concern re: having a super-sharp gyuto lying around. The knife block is at least a lot easier to keep out of his reach. Are the Henckles any good? Haven't heard much about them...

The Henckel knives are a direct competitor for most other 'german style' knives, but come in a whole heap of different qualities, with some of the cheapest ones being stamped rather than forged, and a few of the lines being high carbon (HC). They're a massive company, Zwilling JA Henckels now owning brands like Staub as well, and produce stuff that's to a decent standard, if a little heavy. A very typical 'what you expect for the money', traditional european brand. Be careful of retailers selling the cheaper lines at highly marked up prices and trading on the name though. Have you considered a knife wrap or silk/cotton lined drawer? If you're using Japanese knives then you should be cleaning and oiling after every use to prevent rust spots and suchlike - i know someone who built softwood wedges with bamboo cotton sleeves for drying the knives and kept them in the top drawer of the kitchen... such a lazy and elegant solution. I'm of the opinion that a magnetic knife rack looks good but is more practical with lighter and blunter knives - carefully sneaking the base of the gyuto onto the rack while turning the blade away and then stopping the knife 'slapping' the raw metal is faffy at best. Having said that, I covered the last mag. holder I had in silk + bamboo cotton (alternate wrap, silk for dry knives and cotton for wet ones) and the knives stuck well - plus it prettied up an ugly IKEA rack. Also stopped the knife sides scuffing.

Kelsey · January 2013

I like the idea of the cotton/wood wedges. Currently the top draw is a nightmare - everything we don't want Ollie getting into is all shoved in. Ideally I want to clean the whole thing out, throw out all the randoms and just get a couple of decent knives to work with. When I finally get around to a decision, the prime consideration has got to be safety - it's not enormously practical to have a kiddie lock on the main cutlery draw, but we might just have to do it. That's why the magnetic knife block is being considered... But... For the moment all purchases are on hold by order of the finance minister!

coffeehorse · January 2013

This might sound silly, but all my knives came in boxes. Have you thought about getting a santoku, gyuto and petty and keeping them in the boxes? It certainly gets rid of 'kitchenware overkill', and apart from a chinese cleaver & a tuna knife, they're the main things I can think of wanting.

Kelsey · January 2013

I hadn't thought of that, but that's probably the best idea. This was the main all purpose knife I was thinking of starting with: http://www.japanesenaturalstones.com/Zensho-Yoshikane-SKD-Kasumi-Gyuto-240-mm-p/613.htm

coffeehorse · January 2013

If you're 'starting', I have to admit that while I like nice things too, and it is a nice thing, I'd start with a knife that's a better all-round value proposition. Don't get me wrong, but i'd start cheaper and build a collection or splurge on a 'really nice knife'. The price point on that knife is somewhat high for a stainless steel, traditional handled wa-gyuto. Bear in mind that a Hiromoto high carbon gyuto (western handle) is $161 on JCK and the 'normal steel' version is about $15 cheaper at $145. Essentially my take is that the knife is a poor copy of a lot of knives I'd love to own (Masamoto, Honyaki, Mr. Itou) and the more traditional handle isn't something that adds a lot of value. At 180-190g for a 240mm gyuto, I'd expect you to find it a bit light - I'm no WotB but have worked in professional kitchens and my take is that you're better off getting a knife professionally sharpened than mucking around with stones. What you think is a 'sharp edge' is something I would put a wager on is 'blunt' by the standards of someone like http://www.japaneseknifesharpening.com/ I'd rather budget for a Hiromoto AS knife or similar, some nice oil and a decade of sharpenings (including a re-handling with a wa- handle) than buy a $300+ knife and let it go blunt. If you're wanting to buy your own stones, then have you thought about using JCK, shipping to JKS and getting stones + art of sharpening DVD? I know that's what I'd do.

Kelsey · January 2013

Thanks, good advice. Just a few months ago my idea of awesome knives was globals - but then looking around a bit more I got to play with both globals and shuns and realised how ridiculously light the globals were. Shun was much more to my taste, but I instantly recognised the price tag as an example of both the Australia Tax and a canny marketing ploy. That's when I started looking at Japanese imports, but I've been so flat out (and worn out!) I haven't had the time to do my research yet. I was advised to look at JNS and it seemed pretty reasonable to get the 'genuine article' for about the same price as a shun. I'm more than pleased to find that I can get something decent for much less. As to the lightness, I didn't enjoy the weight of the wustofs when I was trying them against Shuns - felt a little heavier than I'd want to work with. At this stage I'd probably rather get it sharpened when needed than deal with it myself - although it's almost certainly something I'll want to get into at some stage. Any further recommendations are most welcome.

frame

Howdy, Stranger!

Howdy, Stranger!

Categories

In this Discussion

Knives.... what to get

Comments

foot

Policies

Social

frame

Howdy, Stranger!

Howdy, Stranger!

Quick Links

Categories

In this Discussion

Knives.... what to get

Comments

foot

Policies

Social