Register a SA Forums Account here!
JOINING THE SA FORUMS WILL REMOVE THIS BIG AD, THE ANNOYING UNDERLINED ADS, AND STUPID INTERSTITIAL ADS!!!

You can: log in, read the tech support FAQ, or request your lost password. This dumb message (and those ads) will appear on every screen until you register! Get rid of this crap by registering your own SA Forums Account and joining roughly 150,000 Goons, for the one-time price of $9.95! We charge money because it costs us money per month for bills, and since we don't believe in showing ads to our users, we try to make the money back through forum registrations.
 
  • Locked thread
deimos
Nov 30, 2006

Forget it man this bat is whack, it's got poobrain!
If it's a smooth steel hone it's fine, if it has ridges it'll dull your knife more than it'll help (if you got a pair of tojiros it might be better to use the spine of one to hone the other).

Adbot
ADBOT LOVES YOU

Kugyou no Tenshi
Nov 8, 2005

We can't keep the crowd waiting, can we?

deimos posted:

If it's a smooth steel hone it's fine, if it has ridges it'll dull your knife more than it'll help (if you got a pair of tojiros it might be better to use the spine of one to hone the other).

Do flutes count as ridges? The only hone we currently have is a fluted one that was part of "babby chef's first knife set" (a cheapish set we bought the kid so if he screwed up a knife on accident it wouldn't be a $100+ loss), and now I'm worried that even that hone could be loving the knives up worse than not honing (not that he uses it all that often, to be fair, but just curious).

Or is it OK for a cheap set of Sabatier knives that he'll replace with real working tools if/when he goes into culinary school?

deimos
Nov 30, 2006

Forget it man this bat is whack, it's got poobrain!

Kugyou no Tenshi posted:

Do flutes count as ridges? The only hone we currently have is a fluted one that was part of "babby chef's first knife set" (a cheapish set we bought the kid so if he screwed up a knife on accident it wouldn't be a $100+ loss), and now I'm worried that even that hone could be loving the knives up worse than not honing (not that he uses it all that often, to be fair, but just curious).

Or is it OK for a cheap set of Sabatier knives that he'll replace with real working tools if/when he goes into culinary school?

It's fine for softer steels, but when you put a razor's edge on a really hard steel a bad hone can do more harm than good.

Fo3
Feb 14, 2004

RAAAAARGH!!!! GIFT CARDS ARE FUCKING RETARDED!!!!

(I need a hug)

kirtar posted:

If I'm getting a Tojiro DP gyuto, will a steel hone still work or should I get a ceramic for when I inevitably go full sperg?

Buy a ceramic some time in the future, you won't even need to hone the tojiros for a while anyway if they are like mine.
Some steel ridged hones are designed as a 'sharpener' to remove knife steel from soft metal knives, ie not a 'hone'. They can do some damage if you're not very well practised at honing.

kirtar
Sep 11, 2011

Strum in a harmonizing quartet
I want to cause a revolution

What can I do? My savage
nature is beyond wild

GrAviTy84 posted:

It's a 50/50 bevel with a symmetrical handle, it works just as well for lefties as it does for righties. Unless you actually want a D handled asymmetric bevel knife, that is.

I just noticed this, but what I've found says it's a 60/40 unless it's the professional or supreme lines.

kirtar fucked around with this message at 17:48 on Aug 23, 2013

deimos
Nov 30, 2006

Forget it man this bat is whack, it's got poobrain!
Good loving god, every time I see a Don Nguyen knife I wish I was made of money.

This is his latest:
http://www.donnguyenknives.com/paring-with-sapele.html

Lichtenstein
May 31, 2012

It'll make sense, eventually.
I'm moving to my own small (well, microscopic) flat, so the days of stealing eeryone's knives are over. Thanks to this thread, i chose to get myself a proper knife (I went with Tojiro DP) and :aaaaa: cutting things never felt so good.

Thanks, thread!

Oxford Comma
Jun 26, 2011
Oxford Comma: Hey guys I want a cool big dog to show off! I want it to be ~special~ like Thor but more couch potato-like because I got babbies in the house!
Everybody: GET A LAB.
Oxford Comma: OK! (gets a a pit/catahoula mix)
Here is a video of a guy in NY who makes $500 knives. Its not the most in-depth video as far as technique or anything, but I enjoyed it:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OtyMrFMW3Fg

TATPants
Mar 28, 2011

Oxford Comma posted:

Here is a video of a guy in NY who makes $500 knives. Its not the most in-depth video as far as technique or anything, but I enjoyed it:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OtyMrFMW3Fg

Alton Brown likes this guy, so he's gotta be good.

dead gay comedy forums
Oct 21, 2011


Hey thread.

Been looking for a good chef's knife for a while already. As an amateur with not much to spend, who cooks pretty much every day and does the occasional "sophisticated" meal, are there any more versatile (dunno if that would be the correct word) types than the Forschner-Victorinox? I can't spend much, but I am willing to save a bit more to get something can be both a workhorse and a more refined tool for the every now and then indulgence.

Thanks in advance!

Goon
Apr 22, 2006
Twice the price of a forschner: http://www.chefknivestogo.com/shunsora8chef.html
Haven't personally held, but price wise, that's a good deal. Same steel as the more expensive Shun Classics.

GrAviTy84
Nov 25, 2004

8" is a pretty short chefs knife. Just get the tojiro DP.

ma i married a tuna
Apr 24, 2005

Numbers add up to nothing
Pillbug
I'm getting to the point that I'm ready to tell people to get just about whatever knife - as long as you learn to sharpen. I just bought an acquaintance's used Wusthof Classic 9 inch for 25 bucks after they bought a pricy new set of Shuns. They're now raving about how much better the Shuns are than the Wusthofs - and they're right in the sense that the Wusthof I got couldn't cut butter. I fixed that in 15 minutes, but they opted for the $300 replacement strategy.

At least I got a quality knife out of the situation for peanuts.

GrAviTy84
Nov 25, 2004

ma i married a tuna posted:

I'm getting to the point that I'm ready to tell people to get just about whatever knife - as long as you learn to sharpen. I just bought an acquaintance's used Wusthof Classic 9 inch for 25 bucks after they bought a pricy new set of Shuns. They're now raving about how much better the Shuns are than the Wusthofs - and they're right in the sense that the Wusthof I got couldn't cut butter. I fixed that in 15 minutes, but they opted for the $300 replacement strategy.

At least I got a quality knife out of the situation for peanuts.

you can get almost anything "sharp". The thing that changes is how sharp and how long it holds that edge. Shuns are stupid overpriced though so this is a bad example, and they probably bought significantly more knives than they actually need.

For someone starting out with no knives, you can do a lot better than wusthofs for the same price.

blacquethoven
Nov 29, 2003
Planning on picking up a new knife for work, but I can't decide between

http://www.amazon.com/Suisin-High-C...on+Steel+Gyutou

http://www.amazon.com/Yoshihiro-Cutlery-Hammered-Damascus-8-Inch/dp/B00D6DVTM6/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top

http://www.amazon.com/Misono-Molybdenum-Gyutou-8-2-21cm/dp/B000XT4GJO/ref=sr_1_2?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1380392024&sr=1-2&keywords=misono

I currently have http://www.amazon.com/MAC-MTH-80-Chefs-Knife-Dimples/dp/B000KXBSRQ/ref=sr_1_5?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1380392102&sr=1-5&keywords=misono but it's a little too small and it's been beat to poo poo due to poor upkeep. If anyone has any other recommendations in the 100-130 dollar price range I'd love to hear them.

GrAviTy84
Nov 25, 2004


The Suisun "High Carbon Steel" is probably SK4 or some other SK family, if you don't mind carbon steel upkeep I would look into something a bit better than SK. Tojiro ITK Gyutos come in shirogami which holds a better edge and is less stinky when cutting certain foods. http://www.chefknivestogo.com/toshitk24wa.html It may need a bit of edge thinning out of the box, but for the price it is a steal.

I have a Gekko gyuto, 240mm. It is the same knife as that Yoshihiro. I love it, it is a fantastic knife. VG-10 core means stainless upkeep but with super aggressive edge taking and keeping. That is a great knife. The one you linked is only 8 inches though and you said the one you have is 8 inches and is too short. Here is one for cheaper that is 240mm (9.5") http://www.ebay.com/itm/Japanese-GE...=item4d13190765

Misono is a moly steel. It will be closer to European steels in edge taking and holding than these other 3.

Chef De Cuisinart
Oct 31, 2010

Brandy does in fact, in my experience, contribute to Getting Down.
The Tojiro DP is literally the best bang for buck home/work knife.

e: however, that Gekko is hawt, and I really want one just for the looks. Don't like the handle though. Lefty D or octagonal for me.

Chef De Cuisinart fucked around with this message at 19:29 on Sep 28, 2013

ma i married a tuna
Apr 24, 2005

Numbers add up to nothing
Pillbug

GrAviTy84 posted:

you can get almost anything "sharp". The thing that changes is how sharp and how long it holds that edge. Shuns are stupid overpriced though so this is a bad example, and they probably bought significantly more knives than they actually need.

For someone starting out with no knives, you can do a lot better than wusthofs for the same price.

Oh, I agree - I'm not seriously advocating people use honed-down tin cans instead of good steel. I just keep meeting people who buy decent, overpriced knives (like Shuns and Wusthofs), then keep them in a drawer and cut on ceramic plates or glass cutting board, complain when their knife becomes unusable, and move on to the next brand.

GrAviTy84
Nov 25, 2004

Chef De Cuisinart posted:

The Tojiro DP is literally the best bang for buck home/work knife.

e: however, that Gekko is hawt, and I really want one just for the looks. Don't like the handle though. Lefty D or octagonal for me.

yeah Tojiro DPs forever.

and ask and ye shall receive :v:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Japanese-GE...=item4d131761eb

deimos
Nov 30, 2006

Forget it man this bat is whack, it's got poobrain!

GrAviTy84 posted:

yeah Tojiro DPs forever.

and ask and ye shall receive :v:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Japanese-GE...=item4d131761eb

GODDAMNIT GRAVITY I DO NOT NEED MORE KNIVES. Why do you do this to me?

The GEKKO VG10 Damascus is also very pretty.


Edit: Ok I guess I need a new slicer, a very pretty slicer.

deimos fucked around with this message at 00:44 on Sep 29, 2013

Chef De Cuisinart
Oct 31, 2010

Brandy does in fact, in my experience, contribute to Getting Down.

GrAviTy84 posted:

yeah Tojiro DPs forever.

and ask and ye shall receive :v:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Japanese-GE...=item4d131761eb

...ffffffffffff order to be placed when I get paid.

Spuckuk
Aug 11, 2009

Being a bastard works



Quick question, is this knife the Tojiro DP that everyones recommending?

Fo3
Feb 14, 2004

RAAAAARGH!!!! GIFT CARDS ARE FUCKING RETARDED!!!!

(I need a hug)
Yeah, that's the tojiro gyuto with the western style pakka/stamina wood handle.
If you're not in the USA where you can get them from chefknivestogo.com then you can get them from ebay seller bluewayjapan at good value http://stores.ebay.com.au/BluewayJapan/GYUTO-KNIFE-/_i.html?_fsub=18382163&_sid=84335187&_trksid=p4634.c0.m322
(CK2go doesn't sell them outside of USA for some reason - they export other knives, just not that brand, and they are a rip off for international postage anyway)


edit: Aussie ebay link before, USA link here: http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_odk...+gyuto&_sacat=0 in case you don't have or want an au ebay account, but have a US ebay account but still live outside of the USA and can't buy from CK2go.

Fo3 fucked around with this message at 16:42 on Oct 1, 2013

cryospam
Aug 4, 2013


Ok, well they're a bit more than the 130 dollar price range at 180, but with it's 66 rockwell hardness and the fact that they're a discontinued line of $300 knives, you would NOT be disappointed with the Miyabi 7000 MC or MCD line (good luck finding any MCD's in stock.) Don't get the 7000 Pro's, they kind of suck as the steel is much softer and not as resilient plus they are the same price.

They're a bit hard to find, (no stores with storefronts have them due to them being discontinued) but Cutlery And More has got some in stock still.

For a basic review on them check out The Make Sushi YouTube Channel and if you're looking for a much more in depth and technical review from Zknives.

I looked around for a while, and almost pulled the trigger on a couple of Konosuke Mirror blades but after reading a TON of reviews, the Miyabi's just seemed like a better set.


Chef De Cuisinart posted:

...ffffffffffff order to be placed when I get paid.

Have you read the very in depth zKnives reviews of the Tojiro DP's? They reviewed well, but were not considered amazing by any stretch of the imagination. If you're going to wait until Payday to get something, there are a TON of better choices no?

cryospam fucked around with this message at 19:48 on Oct 3, 2013

cryospam
Aug 4, 2013

deleted duplicate

kirtar
Sep 11, 2011

Strum in a harmonizing quartet
I want to cause a revolution

What can I do? My savage
nature is beyond wild

cryospam posted:

Have you read the very in depth zKnives reviews of the Tojiro DP's? They reviewed well, but were not considered amazing by any stretch of the imagination. If you're going to wait until Payday to get something, there are a TON of better choices no?

I think he may have been referring to the Gekko and not the Tojiro DP.

Dane
Jun 18, 2003

mmm... creamy.

Oxford Comma posted:

Here is a video of a guy in NY who makes $500 knives. Its not the most in-depth video as far as technique or anything, but I enjoyed it:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OtyMrFMW3Fg

A friend of mine visited his shop. He keeps beer on tap in the back room. And he works with sharp knives and belt grinders. I like him.

RagingTaco
Oct 21, 2008

No thanks, I don't like eggs.
What?
Eggs are your favorite!
Okay, then give me lots of eggs.
Because I hate money even though I can't afford to, I just got serious about water-stones and that led me here. Would these Tamagahane knives be a waste of money? Is vg-5 super different from vg-10? I know I'm paying 30USD more for an aesthetic effect and I'm okay with that. My buddy got a knife with the hammered effect after his knives were stolen (he chefs and had an amazing selection according to drunken chef buddies) and I really like the look.

It doesn't matter yet anyways and I'm sure I'll be scanning knife sites till Christmas. Partner and I decided that instead of Christmas presents this year, we will combine a set amount of green and buy sparkly new kitchenware! She wants a food processor and a juicer, I want cast iron cookware and knives.

GrAviTy84
Nov 25, 2004

8" is soooo small for a chef's knife, IMO.

RagingTaco posted:

She wants a food processor and a juicer

save money, get a vitamix.

Chef De Cuisinart
Oct 31, 2010

Brandy does in fact, in my experience, contribute to Getting Down.

cryospam posted:

Have you read the very in depth zKnives reviews of the Tojiro DP's? They reviewed well, but were not considered amazing by any stretch of the imagination. If you're going to wait until Payday to get something, there are a TON of better choices no?

I already have Tojiro DP's for work, along with a ton of other knives. I want that Gekko because it's pretty and... no, that's pretty much it.

RagingTaco
Oct 21, 2008

No thanks, I don't like eggs.
What?
Eggs are your favorite!
Okay, then give me lots of eggs.

GrAviTy84 posted:

8" is soooo small for a chef's knife, IMO.

What advantages does a longer chef knife add? I currently use a 7" POS and haven't yearned for anything much larger. Tiny counters also limit my space and I don't want to be stabbing everything near the cutting board.

GrAviTy84
Nov 25, 2004

RagingTaco posted:

What advantages does a longer chef knife add? I currently use a 7" POS and haven't yearned for anything much larger. Tiny counters also limit my space and I don't want to be stabbing everything near the cutting board.

More real estate for slicing which is important for more fragile things so that you can cut in one swoop instead of changing directions. More real estate just for prep, you can prep more in one go with a larger blade than you can with a small one. A larger blade feels more stable to me, too. It's not going to be affected by the thing you're cutting very much. If you need something small and nimble, that's what the paring knife is for. Chef's knife is for everything else. Don't get a blade that is longer than your cutting board though. :ohdear:

No Wave
Sep 18, 2005

HA! HA! NICE! WHAT A TOOL!

GrAviTy84 posted:

More real estate for slicing which is important for more fragile things so that you can cut in one swoop instead of changing directions. More real estate just for prep, you can prep more in one go with a larger blade than you can with a small one. A larger blade feels more stable to me, too. It's not going to be affected by the thing you're cutting very much. If you need something small and nimble, that's what the paring knife is for. Chef's knife is for everything else. Don't get a blade that is longer than your cutting board though. :ohdear:
I've been loving my HH stainless steel petty - something that doesn't get repped much here but few professionals I know go without a petty.

Agreed on getting a larger knife, though. Is it a big deal if it's longer than the cutting board? It doesn't really matter unless there's stuff behind your board.

RagingTaco
Oct 21, 2008

No thanks, I don't like eggs.
What?
Eggs are your favorite!
Okay, then give me lots of eggs.

GrAviTy84 posted:

More real estate for slicing which is important for more fragile things so that you can cut in one swoop instead of changing directions. More real estate just for prep, you can prep more in one go with a larger blade than you can with a small one. A larger blade feels more stable to me, too. It's not going to be affected by the thing you're cutting very much. If you need something small and nimble, that's what the paring knife is for. Chef's knife is for everything else. Don't get a blade that is longer than your cutting board though. :ohdear:

Makes sense. I'll consider the 10" and maybe build a larger counter-top. I wasn't much of a home cooker when I first built it but now I'm cooking every day.

Chef De Cuisinart
Oct 31, 2010

Brandy does in fact, in my experience, contribute to Getting Down.
Sup knife thread. Anyone know how well Ho wood stains? I've got my Tojiro ITK Kiritsuke looking nice with a great blue/purple patina from lots of butchering, but the handle is really bringing it down. I've considered getting a new handle, but I've never re-handled a knife before.

SubG
Aug 19, 2004

It's a hard world for little things.

Chef De Cuisinart posted:

Sup knife thread. Anyone know how well Ho wood stains? I've got my Tojiro ITK Kiritsuke looking nice with a great blue/purple patina from lots of butchering, but the handle is really bringing it down. I've considered getting a new handle, but I've never re-handled a knife before.
It'll take a stain in the sense you can make it darker, but there generally isn't much in terms of grain pattern to bring out or anything like that.

TATPants
Mar 28, 2011
I've read a few posts that suggest that VG-10 is notoriously difficult to sharpen. Why is this alloy more difficult to sharpen compared to other steels? Also, wouldn't that be an advantage, because the steel is harder? I'm obviously missing something here...

SubG
Aug 19, 2004

It's a hard world for little things.

TATPants posted:

I've read a few posts that suggest that VG-10 is notoriously difficult to sharpen. Why is this alloy more difficult to sharpen compared to other steels? Also, wouldn't that be an advantage, because the steel is harder? I'm obviously missing something here...
As a general rule VG-10 isn't particularly difficult to sharpen. That being said, difficulty in sharpening, like sharpness itself, is a property of individual knives and not, as is sometimes implied in discussions of such things, a property of brands of knives or varieties of steel---blade geometry, bevel, heat treatment, and so on all contribute substantially to the overall equation.

I'm not exactly in love with VG-10 as a kitchen cutlery steel---I tend to prefer very high hardness edges that can take a very aggressive grind or comparatively soft carbon steels that can be worked readily, depending on application---but I have a number of pocket knives in VG-10 that take and hold an edge perfectly well.

Chef De Cuisinart
Oct 31, 2010

Brandy does in fact, in my experience, contribute to Getting Down.


I felt like polishing my knife today.

Wonder how long it would take to do my CCK cleaver.

E: that's about an hour on the CCK, but I did have to buff out I dent I put in the edge, and then reshape the edge.

Chef De Cuisinart fucked around with this message at 20:14 on Oct 10, 2013

Adbot
ADBOT LOVES YOU

deimos
Nov 30, 2006

Forget it man this bat is whack, it's got poobrain!

Chef De Cuisinart posted:

I've never re-handled a knife before.

From what was explained to me when I had my brother's knife made, replacing a wa handle is not as easy, at least the first time because the handle often gets hammered into very hot tang which will often bend out of shape inside the handle, so rehandling might be more involved than just replacing a piece of wood.

But some other handles (specially some american bladesmiths) use a strong epoxy to glue the handle to the knife which would make the replacement easier.

  • Locked thread