Troble Posted January 17, 2021 Report Share Posted January 17, 2021 I need to upgrade my game. Not trying to break the bank but I need to get a better Santoku knife, chefs knife and a sharpener. would move to hear some recommendations from you fine folks. thanks in advance 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Basher Posted January 17, 2021 Report Share Posted January 17, 2021 Troble I do have a weakness for a good knife.First decision is stainless or carbon steel.Stainless requires less maintenance- more rust resistant, however, carbon steel is harder and will hold an edge longer.I’d reckon you could look after a carbon steel knife. I have a few and just wipe them down after use and immediately dry them to store them.If you decide on carbon, pick the steel. I am a big fan of Aogami blue super steel. Holds an incredibly sharp edge for a long time and easy to sharpen. I’ve just purchased a ginsan steel knife- technically it’s a Japanese stainless, however, it has a Rockwell hardness around 62- 63. Too early to rate this knife yet. Out of the box it’s very sharp as most knives are.I struggled with plenty of sharpeners until I purchased a whetstone. They give the best polished edge and with a little practice you can pick it up easily.There is a Russian diamond sharpening system that’s extremely good- it takes a little longer to set up and sharpen knives.I’ve just purchased the Ken onion work sharp tool that sharpens with a belt to get a slightly convex edge. Theoretically this will be a stronger edge. It’s easy to use and quick.Stay away from draw through ceramic discs, I’ve found these to be very inconsistent.I’ll be interested to see what you choose.I have found the French cook Jaque Peppin entertaining lately.Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk 3 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
5698k Posted January 17, 2021 Report Share Posted January 17, 2021 Can you give an idea as to what you’d like to spend? Knives are a whole new rabbit hole, so budget helps with suggestions. Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk 2 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tyrus Posted January 17, 2021 Report Share Posted January 17, 2021 Troble, it was 5-6 months ago I purchased a Misen knife on line. I was constantly seeing the infomercial pop-up between videos so it was one day I decided to watch it and since then I haven't regretted that decision. Many, many knives to choose from and as Basher stated Carbon or SS, this particular knife is a high carbon stainless as described. It has half bolster allowing you to choke up higher on to the blade and a thinner blade than German knives. It is made in China though and it's cost is around $65 or less. I've sharpened it once with a Kota 1000x6000 stone and it came back pretty well. If I drop the knife., no worries the investment didn't break the bank. Handles are black, light blue and red. If your looking to purchase a Japanese or German knife someone else would better assist you there. This knife for my primary use checks the boxes and meets the need around the grill. It performs all the tasks...unfortunately, in my heavy hand a better quality knife would be a chance. Good luck, 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
5698k Posted January 17, 2021 Report Share Posted January 17, 2021 https://www.japanesenaturalstones.com/toyama-noborikoi-stainless-clad-blue-gyuto-240mm/This, or a 210mm depending on your preference as to length. It’s carbon steel, clad in stainless, so it’s almost the best of both worlds. In the Japanese knife world, Toyamas are some of the best available, particularly when compared to knives costing much more. Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Troble Posted January 17, 2021 Author Report Share Posted January 17, 2021 @5698k I’m willing to spend a few hundred dollars on a couple good knifes. Something good, that will last, but I don’t need the KK of knives. I’ve spent so much money this year on my house that my wallet needs a break. I was thinking of throwing up to $500 on the knife purchase. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Troble Posted January 17, 2021 Author Report Share Posted January 17, 2021 Thanks @Basher @Tyrus i appreciate your insight. I too am nervous about getting a super sharp knife as I like to imbibe while I cook, but currently drying out the liver and recalibrating after the holidays 😀 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Syzygies Posted January 17, 2021 Report Share Posted January 17, 2021 (edited) I maintain two kitchens (one I haven't seen in two years because of the pandemic). What do I consider essential? The acid test is whether I buy a tool for both kitchens. I have long relied on three sizes of Fujitake Japanese chef knives for nearly all knife work. There are similar brands; the key features for me are an ergonomic (not an eccentric, traditional) handle, and the use of the popular VG10 steel, which I don't manage to wreck and I've figured out how to sharpen. (Steel is a continuum; debating whether a particular composition is stainless or carbon is like debating the difference between triple cream cheeses and cultured butter. Yes, the question is obvious if one has only seen extremes, but there are also choices in the middle.) After a pre-pandemic trip to Japan I started finding Japanese sources for Chinese tools. For example, I've bought many woks over the years, but this flat or round bottom wok from GlobalKitchen Japan is the first wok I've loved. So I considered their offerings when researching cleavers, and ended up buying a Tojiro DP 3-Layer Chinese Cleaver 225mm. Same construction as my other favorite knives, I know how to sharpen this. Anthony Bourdain famously recommends using a single chef's knife. Somewhere he said about his restaurant days "They can't steal the knife in your hand". (This wasn't Kitchen Confidential; I looked.) I've barely used any other knife since the cleaver arrived. To be clear, I've left behind a comet's tail of abandoned cleavers as long as my abandoned woks. Like the new woks, this is the first cleaver I've loved, indeed that I haven't actively despised. There's something about its heft and the exact shape of its cutting edge that allows me to get more done, more quickly. If I managed to burn down my prejudices, I feel comfortable suggesting that others should burn down their prejudices. I do cringe when I see cooking videos where a famous author politely suffers the green germs in her host's garlic, as they both wield cleavers for everything. If I think of it, I might switch to one of my Japanese chef's knives for a head of garlic. I'm however just as fast with the cleaver, including using the tip to remove germs. I can see how relying on a cleaver might discourage this, but it doesn't have to. I have butcher block counters for active cutting. My French cooking teacher had a trough more than an inch deep in his. We're not there, but I can tell that mine has seen an order of magnitude more abuse since I switched to the cleaver. My Festool shop vac works well enough to use indoors, so I can easily restore a mirror finish to my butcher block with Mirka Abranet sanding fabric and a Festool finishing sander. My sharpening setup (Shapton Glass stones and various gear to suspend over the sink) cost more than most knife sets, and I've seen simpler systems that look appealing. Whatever one does, one needs to ask the "Who cuts the barber?" question. I don't sharpen enough to actually go through a stone, and the first few passes after flattening a stone with a diamond stone feel like waterskiing a lake at dawn, so I flatten between knives. Edited January 17, 2021 by Syzygies 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
5698k Posted January 17, 2021 Report Share Posted January 17, 2021 Check out Chefknivestogo.com, or Japanese natural stones, they both have good selections to choose from. I absolutely agree with your thoughts about getting a couple of good knives as opposed to a “set”, you only maybe 3 knives in your repertoire. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tyrus Posted January 17, 2021 Report Share Posted January 17, 2021 1 hour ago, Troble said: currently drying out the liver and recalibrating after the holidays Well I understand the dilemma and I was in that same hotel, checked out about a week back. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tony b Posted January 17, 2021 Report Share Posted January 17, 2021 3 hours ago, Syzygies said: I do cringe when I see cooking videos where a famous author politely suffers the green germs in her host's garlic, as they both wield cleavers for everything. If I think of it, I might switch to one of my Japanese chef's knives for a head of garlic. I'm however just as fast with the cleaver, including using the tip to remove germs. It amazes me how many "good cooks/chefs" don't remove the green sprout from their cloves of garlic?! I am "knife poor." I can't tell you how many chefs knives and Santoku's that I have. @Troble For your budget point, you can't really go wrong with Shun knives. My Shun Nakiri is one of my "go to's" for everyday tasks. Amazon.com : Shun Knives These guys have a lot of nice options, if you want to explore more traditional Japanese knives. They span a large price range, so don't freak out if the first one you look at is over $500. Shop All Knives | KORIN 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Troble Posted January 17, 2021 Author Report Share Posted January 17, 2021 3 hours ago, 5698k said: Check out Chefknivestogo.com, or Japanese natural stones, they both have good selections to choose from. I absolutely agree with your thoughts about getting a couple of good knives as opposed to a “set”, you only maybe 3 knives in your repertoire. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Yes currently I use a Santoku knife most of the time, but it’s from a set, old and not sharp anymore. It actually gives me elbow pain using it now. I bought a nice paring knife a couple months back, and I really only use a slicer knife and sometimes a chefs knife. I was thinking 3 knives total I also own a very nice Japanese sushi knife that I use to make sashimi Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BOC Posted January 17, 2021 Report Share Posted January 17, 2021 Agree with all above. Most important is to know what is important to you. This is hard to know when you don’t have much experience with quality knives. Carbon vs stainless is probably the most important stating point. For me, this decision was driven by laziness and the at home situation of battling a school of thought that everything goes in the dishwasher that is a mantra from some I live with (they shall not be named for the safety of me). The acid/corrosion test and edge retention is what was most important to me. Ended up with stainless. If you go VG10 with demascus or a better steel, I don’t really think you can go wrong. My only real suggestion...if you see one you think you like, just get it. If you get sucked into the the knife forums online, you will second guess all your moves but you could have been ignorantly happy with a great knife without knowing all of that.Shun and wusthoff are always good. Had a modem to give it a go, it is good. Kamikato was my least favorite of these I tried, but it’s my clever and I still use it all of the time. A lot of others that are really good at a higher price point too. Have a custom chefs knife on order that should become my go to. It was a luxury purchase to go with my KK, but otherwise not necessary for what I do most likely. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tony b Posted January 17, 2021 Report Share Posted January 17, 2021 Fortuitously I had this email from Milk Street (the Cooks Illustrated folks) about a new hybrid knife that they had developed - a cross between the Nakiri and a Chinese cleaver (you listening @Syzygies?) Milk Street Kitchin-to Knife | Milk Street Store (177milkstreet.com) 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MacKenzie Posted January 17, 2021 Report Share Posted January 17, 2021 Looks interesting. Thanks, Tony. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MacKenzie Posted January 17, 2021 Report Share Posted January 17, 2021 Tony, it doesn't seem to be available in Canada but I do have an inquiry into them to find out. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tony b Posted January 17, 2021 Report Share Posted January 17, 2021 Holla at me if you can't get it there and would like one - happy to ship one to you! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Troble Posted January 17, 2021 Author Report Share Posted January 17, 2021 @BOC I definitely want to be “ignorantly happy” I’ve never put any of my knives in the dishwasher. Just want something sharp that will last a decent amount of time and make it physically easier to prep my food. Appreciate all the advice from everyone 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tony b Posted January 18, 2021 Report Share Posted January 18, 2021 Repeat after me - I WILL NEVER PUT MY KNIVES IN THE DISHWASHER!!! (Note: this is one of those "line in the sand" positions that you sometimes have to take with the significant other!) Not only is it very bad for your knives (blades getting nicked up banging into the other silverware and dishwasher detergent is very harsh on carbon steel and can even pit stainless), but it's dangerous - very easy to get cut/nicked by a blade when removing from the dishwasher. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BOC Posted January 18, 2021 Report Share Posted January 18, 2021 Repeat after me - I WILL NEVER PUT MY KNIVES IN THE DISHWASHER!!! (Note: this is one of those "line in the sand" positions that you sometimes have to take with the significant other!) Not only is it very bad for your knives (blades getting nicked up banging into the other silverware and dishwasher detergent is very harsh on carbon steel and can even pit stainless), but it's dangerous - very easy to get cut/nicked by a blade when removing from the dishwasher. No disagreement. I have fought the good fight on this one and chalked one up in the loss column. I did not mean to make that’s key part of the decision just noted it is how I landed on what was important to me. Since it was inevitable, it pushed me heavily in one direction over the other.Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
