I didn't know Chicago Cutlery was a well known brand. I like mine.
Wanting to try a Carbon Kitchen Knife
- Thread starter Tomo
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Yeah Chicago Cutlery is the Stainless steel I was talking about here actually. We got a set for our wedding 26 years ago. Still have the set just not a fan of the stainless steel at all. Maybe there is a trick to sharpening them, but I have no issues with carbon. I can get the Chicago cutlery sharp it just takes forever and doesn't stay sharp for very long at all.
I sharpen mine on a saurat followed by a coticule and they hold an edge for a while if my wife doesn't put them in the dishwasher
My Chicago Cutlery knives were purchased in 1974.... I'm pretty sure they are not stainless steel. They don't look like they are.. and they hold an edge for a long time unless someone uses them and smashes the edges into a cutting board. I hate that sound.. a knife hitting the cutting board when someone cuts an onion and slams the knife all the way through instead of using a slicing motion or going a bit more gently. I know I'll have to sharpen that knife after the company has left the building. <eg>
Sometimes I'll throw them on a Charnley or llyn idwal for about 4 laps after they're finished to cut some teeth into the edge. Depends on what I'm cutting. I like micro teeth when I'm butchering big slabs of meat.
With stainless use a more obtuse / higher angle than you would with carbon. Also thinning behind the edge is more important with stainless because it cannot retain that initial edge sharp-profile as long as carbon.
My sister-in-law, loves quality kitchen cutlery and I sharpen her set from time to time. She has one Shun santoku in most likely VG Max which is a stainless with a well deserved crappy reputation. It is a weird steel that just smooshes. It needed about a 30 deg angle to hold an edge. It is also a thick grind behind the edge so once the initial edge fades it like pushing a 2x4 through the food. Second time I got it I spent a lot of time thinning it. Now it works well even if after the edge loses its profile. Sucks for a $100+ knife.
Newer generation powdered metal stainless is different story but prices are still high and generally blacksmiths don’t like working with it.
Or they cut that onion in reasonable and restrained fashion, then you hear that SCRAAAAAPE!!! noise that means they are holding the knife perpendicular to the board and scraping cut pieces off to the side, along with bits of the edge, probably.
I use mostly all carbon steel kitchen knives. I have 3 Master Shin Anvil knives"Korean" and 3 Sugimoto"Japan". I create amazing edges with soft Arkansas and a translucent Arkansas. There is extra step to maintaining them but it's second nature to me since I clean while I prepare a meal. I use Camila oil that i apply every 6 months to year. I do have a stainless Henkel chef knife that lent to my elderly mother that I sharpen for her every few months or so. I prefer carbon knives because from my experience, they keep keener edge longer due to the harder steel. Just my two cents.
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Oh speaking of maintaining a carbon blade. They are also easier to maintain with a patina. Either from using it and building it up or from a forced patina. It helps keep the nasty stuff away. Still wash and wipe dry right after use. I don't use my dishwasher since a lot of my dishes are old. The wife and I spent a lot of time in antique stores and flea markets back in the day. So washing and drying right away is second nature to me not extra work or maintenance.
There are also other combinations that are great alternatives. This for instance is Aogami Super blue carbon core with patina in Stainless cladding so the edge is carbon yet you still get some of the protection of SS without those draw backs. It gives a cool look too.
There are also other combinations that are great alternatives. This for instance is Aogami Super blue carbon core with patina in Stainless cladding so the edge is carbon yet you still get some of the protection of SS without those draw backs. It gives a cool look too.
Go big or go home. Under $50AU posted. Needed a little work on the hones on arrival, but it is a slicing machine afterwards. I’m sometimes tempted to put all the other knives away. Chinese chefs I have known use these for almost everything, and their honing I saw leaves a lot to be desired. With your collection of stones you could keep it a lightsaber easily.
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- Thread starter
- #51
I wouldn’t know where to start with one of those. There’s a Vietnamese sandwich shop near us and the guys use something like that to chop the roast pork. They take swings at the side of pork and smash it into the chopping boards. It looks like a good way to loose a finger nevermind rolling the edge.
I’m used to the rocking motion of a western knife with a smiling edge and have decided on the Gyuto as my first Japanese carbon blade. It should be similar enough to what I’m used to. It will be interesting to see if I can put better edges on on the Blue 2 than my cheapo stainless. The current ones are quite serviceable. I have no issues with slicing food or tomato’s. They slice paper cleanly and easily. The paper towel party trick has so far eluded me though.
You will be able to put a better edge on I would expect, or at least one that lasts better. That is my issue with stainless. I can get it sharp enough, but the edge on carbon lasts longer.
If the dude at the sandwich shop is smashing pork with it it is more likely a butchers type cleaver with a thicker grind. Your standard CCK is more of a slicer, like a taller version of the Japanese nakiri. For slicing vegies and boneless meat.
The best thing I like about it, after you dice a bunch of onion or tomato, etc, you just use the blade to scoop it all up for transfer.
I have to say you won't go wrong with either the gyuto or the Chinese cleaver. I have both and use them the most. For the cleavers I picked up a real cheap #2 $15 one from Wokshop and did a little project on it. Came out nice and it performs well for the price. I changed the handle, forced patina and added a saya. I also ebonized the handle and saya.
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- #54
That's how the are meant to be! What did you end up getting?
I sharpened a Nakiri yesterday, and normally I steer my wife away from my carbon knives, but when I was making dinner last night I told her to try it out, because I was pretty happy with the edge.
her reply was "woah. That is some ASMR ****, right there".
Looks like a nice knife.
- Thread starter
- #56
I went with the Shiro Kamo Blue 2 Kurouchi Gyuto 210mm from Chefs Edge in WA. This was one of their less expensive knives. It looks pretty nice to me. Feels good in the hand. I like it!
That seems like a great intro to carbon Japanese knives. No need for more than that. Of course now you face the rabbit hole of thinning, polishing, etc etc, but I'll let the people with more experience send you mad with that.
- Thread starter
- #58
I thought this was about cutting.
It is. Sucker!!!!
Welcome to the rabbit hole!!!!
The inexpensive pro tip seems to be, get yourself a king 800 and a BBW. From what I read, they will do most of what the expensive Jnats can do without sending you to the poor house. You have a SG500, so that will probably stand in for the king 800.
Yeah, I'm not able to wipe through a paper towel on knives that bite into everything they touch. I think bevel angle has something to do with that but I'm not sure. I'm no blade geometry expert but I did teach myself how to hone cuticle scissors this weekend. Those things have crazy geometry but a little Cretan stone followed by the combo barbers hone made quick work of it. I need to do a little grinding toward the back to the very tip meets firmly together, but to be fair they're cheap and I don't think the very tip ever met firmly.
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