says 15 degrees. There is a technique using a Sharpie that helps with the angle alignment. My son does it by feel.
I’m very much a novice when it comes to kitchen knives but I certainly have a favorite, my Masanobu VG-10 Santoku:
This one. I have a couple of his. I’ll do my full collection sometime.
quote=Rob_S post_id=2365141 time=1507741604 user_id=20026]
Dan Prendergast a smith out of the UK just made this for me. 230mm, 1.2519 WCrV Steel (similar to 52100), Walnut Burl handle.
Straight out of the forge before finishing:
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I can see that. I wanted to include the whole thing for Mike’s benefit, to make sure it was the same knife & maker and same information he was referring to.
I also do it by feel, though I might go back to the sharpie technique after having not sharpened for several months because of a “frozen shoulder” I acquired late last year.
Thanks, we have the same knife, down to the patina on the edge.
Piggybacking on this thread.
I’m looking for a long slicing knife.
I am a lefty, wife is a righty (but I do the cooking)
Suitable for crudo, carpaccio, slicing scallops thinly etc.
Some questions:
- Budget?
- Is carbon steel OK, or do you prefer the ease of stainless?
- Do you sharpen yourself, or use a service?
- Do you use plastic cutting boards?
- Will guests use the knife, and maybe treat it roughly?
1—several options would be great
2–can sharpen but have also used service.
3–no plastic
4–no one better touch my knife
![[berserker.gif]](/uploads/db3686/original/2X/8/8600bbd4810d342b8fbd4ffb62b4f0026275fd37.gif "berserker"){kind=small}
Same here. My 8" Wusthof chef’s. I can, and do, use it for most things. I dislike paring knives, and would much rather simply use a pinch grip on a chef’s knife spine for most applications that stereotypically call for a paring knife.
Perhaps if I ever started to explore “nice” kitchen knives my answer would change once I found one I liked more, but – luckily for my pocketbook – that is a path on which I have not yet stepped foot.
Many of the better options seem to be sold out. This has been common among J-knives since the start of the pandemic.
Best currently available option, price-no-object: this Suisin Inox Honyaki 210mm wa-petty. Long and very thin, the knife is very light and takes a great edge and holds it well. Stainless. I own another knife from this range, and use it often.
A little heavier and carbon steel: a 210mm sujihiki from JKI. BTW, Jon at JKI is really helpful on the phone – just giving him a call to talk about what you’re looking for in a knife could be the best move.
Another light knife, in carbon steel with a western style handle: this 210mm petty. That ebay seller was noted positively on the knife boards, back when I read them, so don’t be afraid of dealing with a second-rate operation there.
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My favorite knife is probably the knife I use the least - a 2-1/2” Global sheepsfoot paring knife. Extremely light, very thin blade. A great maneuvering knife
Love my Globals. everyone one of them
Get a Konosuke GS laser. Mostly stainless, wonderful for ultra thin cuts, easy to use, doesn’t kill the wallet.
I have lots but this is probably my favorite - Misono UX10 Swedish Stainless Japanese Chef’s Gyuto Knife 180mm. Misono UX10 Swedish Stainless Japanese Chef's Gyuto Knife 180mm | Japanese knives
I don’t really think of a gyuto as a “long slicing knife,” even though I do most of my slicing with a gyuto. That raises a great question to Scott: do you really need a dedicated knife for this, or would you be just as happy putting the extra cash into just the best general purpose chef’s knife that is sharp enough to serve as a slicer? I mean, I’m the guy who mostly slices his bread with a super-sharp gyuto.
If we’re going the gyuto route, my top recommendation (but it involves some waiting) would be a “semi-stainless” gyuto from English | 伝統の打刃物 中屋平治. Not to knock Rob’s recommendation – Konosuke is definitely a top maker, and you couldn’t go wrong there – though I’ve only used a knife from their older HD line (HD2 would be a great choice, budget & availability permitting).
My favorite knives are Yoshihiro, Global, and my ancient Wusthof santoku. For boning, my go-to is a flexible Victorinox curved boning knife.
I also adore Kyocera ceramic knives and use them all the time for fine slicing work (tomatoes, fish, etc.) They have been surprisingly durable, but Kyocera discontinued their lifetime sharpening service a few years ago. Now it’s really expensive to get them sharpened compared to a steel knife.
A couple of knives I have had bad luck with: Lamson sharp meat cleaver (terrible steel) a every lower-end Shun.
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I mean a suji is going to be the best but a narrow gyoto will do it too. I have the below as a meat slicer and it’s great but not universally useful.
quote=Rob_S post_id=3263780 time=1621273538 user_id=20026]
Got this today, 300mm Sakimaru styled suji, Aogami #2, pretty as hell to my eyes and I need a better slicer than I have.
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If anyone wants to buy me a Father’s Day present, please consider the following:
I am NOT the good chef in the household and do not use our best knives. This is the one my wife loves the most. Just a fantastic blade, great edge, and easy to sharpen. I learned about it here. The odd shape actually helps as one can scrape stuff the off the cutting board with the square shaped end. That ensures one does not dull the blade with that action which is usually the case. All our “nice” knives are Japanese of varying pedigree.
Another option is to use the knife’s spine for scraping stuff off the board. (bonus points for the fact that this works with all knives)