Lefonque
Even more clueless than you
Love me a good Japanese knife.
I decided to venture into the world of Japanese kitchen knives
- Thread starter tsellati
- Start date
I love my Shun Classic knives. Bought them years ago. They can hold an edge forever which some touch-up on the honing steel, and the free lifetime sharpening reduces the need for doing the work myself. I’ve often thought of upgrading to named makers, but have decided that my Shun work perfectly and I don’t need to get anything different.
Don't fear the ceramic rod... but I'm too late. Angle is everything when honing and sharpening. I've had an Idahone rod from CKTG for years and use it daily without issue. Everyone with a J-Knife in my kitchen uses it daily also without issue. But YMMV- this soap vs that soap vs this blade with that soap... This cigar only tastes good with cognac not bourbon blah blah blah.
The King 1k/6k stone can be had for $40? You can put it on a wet towel to use. If you're only using it to sharpening every now and again it shouldn't dish and won't need flatted. Push come to shove and it need flattened, a cinder block or sidewalk can get the job done. I've given many as a gifts to line cooks/apprentices. They get the job done.
I can use the unglazed portion of a coffee cup and brunnoise onions after I need an edge touched up but you need a 12k shapton GS to be able to split hairs and really show that tomato what for. (I have the Shapton 1k, 4k, 8k and love them but they were also gifts. They are lovely but home use are overkill.)
Jon at JapeneseKnifeImports is awesome to work with and has great knives. Great customer service and quick to answer questions and emails. He helped with some group buys here years ago as he was starting up his shop in Beverly Hills but a child and a backlog of sharpening and repair service I'm sure monopolizes his time to stop by and say hello again.
Mark? @CKTG and his staff are quick to answer emails.
Someone else mentions Doavau from CKTG. I have a large cleaver. I got it on a whim. It is softer steel than I would like but sharpens up very nicely. I had an 8" chef knife style but someone liked it more than I did at work. They bought it after I used it for a day. Conparing the softness of the steel, my go to is Aogami Super (Blue #3 ? /Super Blue) and it very hard so saying the leaf spring steel is soft is
For someone wanting to venture into water stones, the little three sided Wusthof is pretty good. The coarsest stone is only used when reclaiming a long neglected or dinged up knife, but a little time on the other two every several weeks keeps my Tojiro ITKs and ancient carbon steel Sabs in perfect shape for a hard working kitchen. The Sabs are sharpened less often and are honed between uses. I know it is time for the stones when a very ripe tomato fails to yield a thin and perfect slice to a draw cut.
- Thread starter
- #25
OK, I decided to venture a little deeper into my new rabbit hole (no surprise there). I picked up a Cerax New Combination 1K/3K whetstone and a whetstone holder.
Will start off practicing on the Anolon santuko that I replaced with my recently aquired Tuo santoku. I figure if I 'kill' the old santoku it's not such a great loss. Right now it cannot slice through paper let alone tomatoes.
Tim
Will start off practicing on the Anolon santuko that I replaced with my recently aquired Tuo santoku. I figure if I 'kill' the old santoku it's not such a great loss. Right now it cannot slice through paper let alone tomatoes.
Tim
You won't kill the old knife. You just won't have it sharp. The only way to get better is to practice. I know I never sharpened an edge on a few knives when I was learning but now people pay me to sharpen their knives. So practice, practice, practice!
Sharpies are useful... Youtube is useful... CKTG has some videos, Jon at Japanese Knive Imports has some great videos. His Single bevel knife videos upped my game.
But practice! Worth the time. Worth the headache, worth the learning curve.
I had to ignore a lot of what I was told as a boy scout and what was told to me in culinary school. Consistent angle, and figuring out how to keep the angle consistent through the tip is the hardest part.
Sharpies are useful... Youtube is useful... CKTG has some videos, Jon at Japanese Knive Imports has some great videos. His Single bevel knife videos upped my game.
But practice! Worth the time. Worth the headache, worth the learning curve.
I had to ignore a lot of what I was told as a boy scout and what was told to me in culinary school. Consistent angle, and figuring out how to keep the angle consistent through the tip is the hardest part.
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- #27
Venturing a little deeper down the rabbit hole I decided to pick up an entry level Tojiro DP three-knife set
The Gyuto has a 210 mm blade, the boning/utility Petty knife has a 150 mm blade, and the paring Petty knife is the shortest at 90 mm.
Quite pleased with them thus far.
They certainly expand the number of tasks I can do in the kitchen beyond what I could do with my Tuo Santoku.
I also have a 165 mm Tojiro DP Nakiri on its way that should arrive today.
Tim
The Gyuto has a 210 mm blade, the boning/utility Petty knife has a 150 mm blade, and the paring Petty knife is the shortest at 90 mm.
Quite pleased with them thus far.
They certainly expand the number of tasks I can do in the kitchen beyond what I could do with my Tuo Santoku.I also have a 165 mm Tojiro DP Nakiri on its way that should arrive today.
Tim
Nakiri knives are a favorite of mine, surprisingly versatile.
- Thread starter
- #29
I can see why the Nakiri is a favorite of yours. I just used mine to chop some peppers and onions to mix in with rice. I could not believe how sharp and easy it is to use this Tojiro DP Nakiri.
I have a sneaking suspicion this is going to be my new "go to" knife in the kitchen.
Tim
Nakiri eh? The "poor man's Caidao"... 
- Thread starter
- #31
Wow, those are real beauties!
Some of them have quite unique looking handles.Tim
shavefan
I’m not a fan
Nice Tank.
Wow, those are real beauties!
Ta! That's actually kinda what I do - custom handles. I was only joking about nakiris obviously... they're great knives, we only have one but use it quite a lot. I just really love Caidao / Chinese Cleavers!
They may not be for everyone, but I love it - probably my favourite / most used knife. I've made a different handle since that picture to try to pull the balance back a bit. Looks seriously smart now I think:A cleaver in AO Super...Ta! That's actually kinda what I do - custom handles. I was only joking about nakiris obviously... they're great knives, we only have one but use it quite a lot. I just really love Caidao / Chinese Cleavers!
I don't need another knife, i don't need another knife.... I don't need another knife... ;(Right now)
A cleaver in AO Super...
I don't need another knife, i don't need another knife.... I don't need another knife... ;(Right now)
It's such a cool knife, though quite unusual; has a lot more belly than a standard caidao and is much thicker at the spine, and a lot heavier, than CCK / Leung Tim &c. while being insanely thin behind the edge. Someone else described it rather well as: 'Like a laser-y axe'. Certainly one for people not afraid of very heavy, forward weighted knives.
(Your wallet might be saved though because they're pretty difficult to get your hands on; long wait lists, and always out of stock with retailers. If you did want ever then best way is to try to get in touch with him on instagram. I was quite lucky and he made me one about 6 weeks later, but subsequently people have been told more like 6 months).
That much AO Super can't be cheap and I imagine it isn't the easiest to forge and heat treat. Especially being san-mai.
I have a Doa Vua that I spent $80. It is Vietnamese and made from salvaged leaf springs. Handle fell apart, its was for decoration but held on with glue and a brad. I lost a spacer but drilled out the two remaining pieces, set a dowel and glued it all together. Its held up. The pieces don't line up but it holds up. I could sand it down but my hand never touches that part of the handle so I don't notice it. Its my line knife. If it hits the deck, I'll cry but not as much as if it were a nicer one.
I can also leave it around the kitchen. No one else will use it. They hate the height. She preps it all thought. Biggest gripe is when I have to cut a double-decker club sandwich but its still manageable.
$80 may be high for the blade. It cuts well but it is has some dips and valleys near the edge making the bevel not perfect but she does what I need her to do and gets wicked sharp. The edge rolls some but you don't notice it while cutting. Then sharpens up fast if I do decide I need to get the stones out.
It wasn't horrifically expensive for that amount of steel from a very well respected maker - y30,000 without a handle, though I think it's gone up since.
I've seen a few people say that Dao Vua are pretty good in an un-fancy, workman-like way. I'll probably pick up one of their cleavers for myself at some point to add to collection
. I'm definitely a 'cleaver person' - I imagine I have more caidao + yanagiba than I have all other knives put together.
I’ve spent a lot of time in Chinese commercial kitchens, and I’ve seen the CCK be used for everything, from cutting pork, to boning chicken, to carving little carrot flowers. And those things are honed on the cheapest, nastiest Asian grocery store hones. Sometimes on the bottom of pottery vases.
The skill of the user can overcome, I guess.
The skill of the user can overcome, I guess.
Between this, the roos, the goats, and the clowns I have a number of questions about your employment history and / or company you choose to keep...
Ha, its a tangled web....
The Chinese kitchens were due to my ex's family owning restaurants, and her parents being chefs. Too often I found myself trapped, up to my elbows in dish water.
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