On Cutlery ...

grantmichaels said:
 
there's no hurry at all ...
 
i had been doing some window-shopping at korin ( http://korin.com/Knives) recently, but decided to hold off until i was able to do some more research ...
 
they have quite a range, for instance ... on the more expensive end:
http://korin.com/Nenohi-Shiro-ko-Honyaki-Mirror-Finished-Sakimaru-Takobiki-with-Corian-Handle?sc=27&category=280104
 
LOL.
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If spending waaay too much money on knives is your game, Shinichi Watanabe makes a good stabber. I have a custom deba of his. Beauty knife, though I don't have a use for it and bought it as a show piece, more or less. Really need to get on ordering a daily use knife from him and stop sounding like such a tool when I mention this.
 
Not mine. I've been a Victorinox guy for the past 5-6 yrs ...
 
They cost little, come sharp, and for a while I've been able to sharpen them back up w/ one of those V-groove shaper things ...
 
There are chips in the edge though, from use, and because Danielle is hell on blades ...
 
Mostly I've become used to using decent knifes in crappy condition, TBH ...
 
You can assume that I understand grit and polishing (I work w/ stone), but I have no idea what the proper technique or what grit should be on a block, or if I need two ...
 
We use like a half-dozen polishing pads from 80 -> 2000 for polishing stone/quartz, but the 'grit' is rubberized in those ...
 
Anyways ... *I* was just asking for a rec on a Youtube video and/or an example of the kind of thing to buy (Amazon is nice, but wherever is OK) for sharpening it, assuming I shouldn't use the V-style thing on the new one when it comes ...
 
But let's also be real, I got it for $55, so it's just another $50 knife at the end of the day (actually) ... like all of the Victorinox ...
 
Oddly enough, I know they are well-regarded by folks more skilled/knowledgeable than myself, but I don't like the Victorinox chef knife ...
 
I like the small santoku, and their meat-slicer is the best-in-class that's popularly available to my knowledge (I've tried a few), but I haven't loved the chef knives ...
 
So, I guess we're talking about a block? ... two blocks? ... a block w/ two sides? ... what grit? ... 4000 ... 8000 ...
 
The global just feels so nice in your hand and it looks sexy. Solid and heavy with perfect balance. I have a wushtof(sp) cleaver as well but like my global better. You can def. get a great knife for cheap. Just depends on what you like. I have a stiff dexter and Russell boning knife I keep razor sharp that gets used every week, cost $10 and love it. I have 5 or 6 chefs knives but use my utility the most.

That Rada^^ looks nice.
 
I have a Cutco set that the wife bought years ago and it is a good set of knives.  She bought me the two santokus and I use them more than anything.  For years I used my Heckel's chef's knife, I still have it and I love it, but I use the smaller Santoku much more.
 
JayT said:
I have a Cutco set that the wife bought years ago and it is a good set of knives.  She bought me the two santokus and I use them more than anything.  For years I used my Heckel's chef's knife, I still have it and I love it, but I use the smaller Santoku much more.
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I swear, you are my brother from another ...
 
Same here.
 
Have an old wooden-handled Henckles from when I was a teenager that I don't ever really use, because I use the damn santoku unless it occurs to me that I need otherwise ...
 
I use water stones for my knives ,  I have a combo stone  that is 250/1000  grit and a 4000  that is basically for polishing it pretty.  with the 4000 you tend to build up a slurry, usually using a smaller nagura stone, before putting the blade to it. 
 
you can see the homemade setup I came up with for them here   http://thehotpepper.com/topic/10820-your-favorite-kitchen-knifes/?p=879745
 
I would suggest looking at woodworking supply places for waterstones.  They usually have decent quality artificial stones at a much better price than they try to gouge you for at the high end knife places.   
 
 
for anyone in Canada   LeeValley Tools has a great selection for decent price. 
 
Ashen said:
I use water stones for my knives ,  I have a combo stone  that is 250/1000  grit and a 4000  that is basically for polishing it pretty.  with the 4000 you tend to build up a slurry, usually using a smaller nagura stone, before putting the blade to it. 
 
you can see the homemade setup I came up with for them here   http://thehotpepper.com/topic/10820-your-favorite-kitchen-knifes/?p=879745
 
I would suggest looking at woodworking supply places for waterstones.  They usually have decent quality artificial stones at a much better price than they try to gouge you for at the high end knife places.   
 
 
for anyone in Canada   LeeValley Tools has a great selection for decent price. 
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that was a good thread and your water stones look great the way you have them set up.
 
hottoddy said:
Cool. My understanding is good German-style knives are generally made of softer metal (less carbon?). They don't hold an edge as long, require frequent honing but are much easier to hone and sharpen.
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It's a fashion thing really. Now the hype is around hard steel as well (so you can make it incredibally sharp) or damast/damascus. With the recent cooking show hype here in Europe the selection of semi pro knives just exploded.

I love the japanese damast steel blades visually, but I really love my ceramic coated 26cm german blade. It ran me only 30 euro and it's just an premium amateur knife. I figure I simply don't have the skill to efficiently use the japanese ones. I prefer a wider blade as it helps with straight cutting.

We have some very nice products though. Especially a lot of french style blades, but also japanese style ones. It's also nice to see that amateur knives now list the used type of steel in supermarket ads etc. I just love damast, I have a pocket knife (damast) that is made from recycled G3 gun barrels.
 
Got this knife a few months back.  It's the one knife I use for everything in the kitchen.  Offset serrated knives are where its at imo. Complete multitasker.  
 
I prefer Japanese knives for the handle/blade shape. I find for myself, it is easier to feel the knife as a part of my forearm/wrist. There is usually more room for your hand and knuckles than with German style, particulary the distance between fingers and chopping board of a gripped handle..
 
Not a total convert though, and I despise how trendy they have become. I used to love watching a new cook show up right out of school, with shiney new Japanese knives, no idea how to hone, sharpen, or understand the difference between the two, but a real knack for burning everything they touched and running their knives the wrong way very quickly over a steel.
 
Henckel Cermax is my favourite large knife, German made, Japanese influenced :P It is very brittle though, far too thin for the high rockwell rating. Caught it in the air as it was falling towards a granite floor once. Not sure if my heart was beating for the few milliseconds it was in the air...
 
Only knife I need/use.
 
I let skill do the rest of the cutting.
 
zIMmuri.jpg
 
grantmichaels said:
Fair enough, but a loaf of bread would be tough, and a decent-sized turkey would suck royally ...
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thus the offset serrated.  the one knife that will do everything you need to do...
 
I hunt, kill, clean, and partition the cooked turkey into pieces that rival the monthly Playboy centerfold for sheer naked beauty.
 
Bread is cut like butter by that knife.
 
Once...
 
...it even cut the cheese.
 
I don't need no stinking knives, I hon my fingernails
 
I slice tomatoes, skin on, in to uniform 3 mm rounds in thirty seconds.
 
Turkeys weep when they see me coming.
 
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