Buying knives
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Those (the Worksharp guided system) are looking to be a very decent system, and some sellers also have the additional abrasives set for them, that expands on the basic kit.
That's very like the system I used today (Edge Pro Pro System) to repair my friend's Griptillian, which he dropped, and snapped a tip on.
I use diamond stones, the Edge Pro supplied stones, artificial water stones (Chosera and King), 3M polish tapes and 1 micron down to .001 micron diamond abrasive pastes to go ham on an edge.
My buddies knives are now all sharp and good to go, his Grip is also polished to .250 micron and is a crazy sharp thing. We could have gone to .001 micron, but I don't think that's a visible or perceivable change unless we go into microphotography.
I am using an Edge Pro, a Viel belt grinder, diamond plates, diamond pastes for stropping, EZE Lap folding sharpeners, Ceramics (Sharpmaker), wet and dry paper abrasives, oil stones...any and all can and do work.
My sharpening stuff has accumulated over time, no-one needs all the stuff I have bought!
It is nice to have options and a hobby though...
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Sounds like a lot more than I want to spend.
Here's the edge on my Kyocera ceramic knife, magnified a few times.
The glass knife.
A scrap piece of stainless steel and some fraction of a micron diamond lapidary polish.
Post edited by cnocbui on1 -
Have want to treat myself to a decent high-end knife for a long time so have gone off a bit of a deep dive into knife research the last while.
My main set are Richardson Sheffield that are pushing 25 years old now, they are fairly decent full tang european style handles and hold a reasonable edge. I paid £50 if I remember correctly. They were certainly at the top end of their range at the time. Bought a set for inlaws and my parents at the time too. Their knives were utterly f*****d in just a few years, mine actually still look in pretty good nick bar the pairing and utility knife which those who shall remain nameless damaged the tips on. My own family in particular utterly abuse knives, cut on plates and glass boards. Thrown in the dishwasher and loose in drawers. Which is strange as we grew up with a butchers in my dads shop so you'd think some knowledge of knife care would have rubbed off. I worked all my teenage years in the shop and spent a fair bit of time on the butcher counter so got fairly handy with knives. Victorinox fibrox and an oil stone to sharpen. I was cooking from that age too so used to borrow the butchers knives to prep with!
Always had a bit of a thing for knives was in the Scouts and fished so had reason to use them. Had a small swiss army knife at one stage but my favourite was a Opinel no8. Don't know where they went, what I have now is a Workchamp and a Morakniv companion. Must get really a another Opinel.
I looked at Wusthoff and Zwillings at the time I bought the set, just to get a chef knife and utility but liked the idea off of the bigger set in a knife block. In hind site I should have started to build up a collection. Did pick up a Wusthoff diamond steel at the time which is pretty much all I've ever used to keep my knives sharp.
I did pick up an Anolan 5.5" Santoku about 15 years ago that has become my main knife, holds an edge much better than the Sheffield's and I really like the handle. The scabbard is great it comes with me when ever I'm visiting anyone that expects me to help out with food prep and camping. It is a little short though and I do revert to the bigger chefs knife when I've a lot of prep to do. I always intended to pick up the bigger version of it but never got around to it, was discontinued soon enough and was always considering something better The new version had western style handles and no scabbard.
A Wusthoff Classic Ikon Santoku was always on my shortlist but they've crept up a good bit in price and at this point I decided I'd up the budget a bit and get something special. I really like the look of the Zwilling Miyabis and they on the list for a while. A lot of opinion does say while they are good knives they're is better for the money. On sale though they can be decent buys and they do look pretty!
Was leaning towards a 18cm Santoku 5000FCD series. I had checked them out in the Zwilling shop in Kildare Village, they only had the 5000FCD and 5000MCD lines. The Beachwood handled 5000MCD really are a thing of beauty but are very pricey at €300 plus and the handles are raw wood so need a lot more care. Really like the D shaped handle on it. Would like to get a knife with a Japanese style Octagonal handle but it's a bit of bit of a risk spending big money on one until I try a one.
They didn't have the Santoku FCD in stock though which in hind sight is probably a good thing as I would have bought it. The more I read I decided I was better going with a Gyuto. There isn't really anything that you can do with a Santoku that you can't do with the Gyuto and the extra length makes it more versatile.
Found this site in my searching that had some very good deals with 40-50% off various models. Need to buy two items to get the discount. Hummed and hawed about my options and some of the models discounted rates changed around, Was tempted to spend the extra and go with a 5000MCD and something cheaper with it, but even with the discount they are on the pricey side. It and the 6000MCT are both SG2 steels which rated as one of the best stainless steels for knives. The FCD is a slightly softer steel.
Ended up going with a 6000MCT 20cm Gyuto and a 5000FCD Nakiri, very pleased with them. They really are works of art. Didn't need to make dinner today but I've a ministrone planned for tomorrow so lots of veg to chop! Have a Hasegawa chopping board ordered. Rubber with a wood core that's dishwasher proof. I prefer wooden boards but we have an agreement that I cook the dinners and she cleans after them! The plastic boards I have are too hard for Japanese knives and are pretty much end of life anyways, I have them for years.
Next purchase will be a 1000 grit whetstone to learn to sharpen on. These aren't going any where near a steel so will need a strop too. Trying to decide between the Shapton and Naniwa Professional stones. Will practice a lot on my old knives first but I'll probably pick up a cheaper VG10 or Carbon Steel Japanese petty knife to practise the lower angle needed for Japanese knives too. Possibly a Tojiro Zen but considering my options
Don't think I'll need to sharpen them for a while though!
Magnetic knife rack is next job. Probably going to make one. Most I see for sale are too long, I only really want space for 3 knives. Have this Mango wood tray I could use. I'll keep an eye out for a nice small chopping board that might do the job either, I'll drill from back to within 3mm or so of surface and put magnets in.
Post edited by Ryath on4 -
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Those are some great knives, well wear!
Miyabi make a lot of knives for German marques "Japanese" lines, much harder and thinner knives than the Europeans.
Those mosaic pins in the handles are nicely done, not overly bling but very tasty.
The blade finishes are top notch, great contrast between core and cladding, temper lines showing, hammered finish.... beautiful knives.
I'd be cutting a ham and cheese toasty like I was a Michelin Chef, and those Nakiri are a great job for veggies.
Be careful you don't end up with a large pile of brunoise and chiffonade just because it's so nice to cut with.
For a sharpening stone, the Shapton or Naniwa are fine choices. splash and go are handier than soakers, but there's not a lot in it.
I use a good few King soaking stones as well, cheaper but decent stones. Except my 1,000 grit Big Red Brick ;-)
What I recently picked up but haven't used yet is the Naniwa 2,000 grit "Green Brick of Joy".
Apparently it's a soft stone that can be gouged, but gives good feedback, is coarse enough to sharpen but leaves a good polish as well.
Just something I fancy trying.
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Never got around to getting a sharpening stone, I've babied them and I got a Hasegawa composite board that is extremely kind to knife edges so they are still like razors. Didn't get a knife rack either but did find a local maker of live edge chopping boards so I'm going to get a nice piece of wood from him to make it with.
Was in Zwilling Store in Kildare Village last week and they had an extra 25% off with 5% cashback on revolut and I could not pass up the chance to get a Beechwood handled 5000MCD series. Was going to just get the smallest Shotyu but it wasn't that much more to get the 240 Gyuto as they had a bigger discounts on the longer knives. It does make my 200mm 6000MCT I bought last year slightly redundant but it's nice to have options. The extra length for Japanese style of slicing is better and I prefer it now.
Also got the 1000 Grit Miyabi stone in Kidare which is the same stone as the older Naniwa Chosera Pro, it's thicker and was cheaper than the Naniwa Pro you can buy now. Only practised with my old knives a bit. They are tricky sharpen as they have a full bolster but I did get my Anolan Santoku the sharpest it's been in years.
I did have to bring back the first Gyuto I bought as it was bent quite badly. I was rushing and store was closing so didn't check. They swapped it no issue. I was looking online again for a cheaper Japanese knife to practice sharpening but prices for them really are gone nut's. You are talking starting at €70 for a petty to €150 for a Gyuto/Santoku from a highly rated brand so the Miyabi I bought at discount were actually quite good value. Ended up buying the 13cm 5000 FCD when I was back swapping the first knife so that will be my practice sharpening knife.
The Beachwood handle really is a thing of beauty. Need to get some board wax to seal it so it doesn't stain. It will be babied and nobody else in the house will be let handle it. They'll be too scared to anyway with the size of it!
Doubt it will be the last Japanese knife I buy. I've researched a lot the last year. It probably will be something from a smaller knifemaker but first I'll learn to sharpen properly and see what style knife would be best. I do like Deba's and Bunka. Need I higher grit stone also and a better strop than an old belt!
Post edited by Ryath on4 -
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Victorinox really do offer the best bang for buck, they hold a decent edge, easy sharpen and stand up to abuse. Good value on them from amazon Spain and Germany for them. Trying to decide on buying some knives as a present for someone who just bought their first house. Couple of Victorinox are the practical option but I probably will just buy one good Wusthof for them.
For your average cook European style knives are better, they're tougher and can take abuse. Japanese do take a sharper edge but are brittle and need more care and a different cutting technique. If you are interested to learn though they really are a dream to use.
Tojiro DP is the one that constantly comes up as the best entry level Japanese knife.
Takumura R2 is the next most recommended upping the price range. R2 steel which is one of the best rated stainless steels. Western handle and maybe not as pretty as the classic Japanese knife by most accounts out performs most knives up to twice the price. They sell out quick so can be hard get hold of.
Thanks, they're a pretty photogenic family! The beechwood is the pick of the litter alright!
I think we're going to need a bigger board!
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My Fujiwara Teruyasu Deba.
Made from No 1 paper white steel, sandwiched between something softer.
I got it as I was intrigued about the whole mystique of Japanese knives and their reputed sharpness. Reputation confirmed, but...
On getting it, my enthusiasm started to wane rapidly when I was making a ratatouille and noticed the blade vissibly turning yellow and starting to rust when I was only about half way done. The amount of maintainance and care required equals the sharpness.
This is my daughter's translation of the care instructions that came with the knife:
How to care for your knife
Wash with water (This is to remove stuff like dry dirt, but if there’s rust, place the knife on a surface such as a chopping board, apply a cleanser and scrub off the rust with a scourer. At first, the rust should loosen. If you scrub well, the surface should be cleared.)
Wipe the knife with a dry cloth to remove moisture
Heat (as you would nori seaweed, hold 30cm above the flames of a gas burner)
When not in use for long periods of time, taking a little oil and rubbing it on with a towel should be sufficient.
This is not a knife I can just pick up and cut a few things up, rinse under the tap or wash, dry with a tea towl and put down, as it will rust. My Global knives get far more use and will continue to as they are sharp enough and less bothersome, but the Deba is nice to have and will be front runner for any big jobs.
As for the buying part: I bought it on the Yahoo Japan auction site via the Neokyo buying service, which is excellent.
Sharpening is the same as I use for everything else, a 35+ year old pocket Arkansas hard stone that broke (like most arkansas whetstones), and which I glued back together and stuck on a length of hardwood. Arkansas stones are a natural mineral called Novaculite.
Post edited by cnocbui on1 -
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Top to bottom-
Aritsugu deba hocho- used maybe once last year, incredibly thick chisel ground chopper that I pretty much only use for quartering foul.
Aritsugu petty and gyuto below it. Both used extensively, but mainly the gyuto, which is quite notched and hard-used.
Then a Fingal Ferguson chef's knife that has a lovely coloured micarta handle. It's a good general use knife, despite the size, because it's very thin. I have a bit of a sense that FF's knife business is "by the numbers", it feels a little like a production knife rather than custom.
Below that, three Rory Conner knives that are fully custom.
Bog oak handles, Damascus steel on the first three, which are a set. The chef's knife is the best knife we have, just the perfect all-rounder and takes a razor sharp edge.
The odd knife below is also Rory Conner and has black micarta for the handles and is a useful prep knife. It's a little eccentric but does get used.
Last knife is another custom, a little hand forged gyuto I got in Cambodia. Too short in the blade for all-round use, and too thick. But has a nice feel to it.
Below, a pic of the Aritsugu chef's knife that illustrates the stainless steel sandwiching the higher carbon steel.
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