Chef’s knives?

[dan_pdx]

The best blade I own is Japanese, 80 years old and still in great shape. It hasn't had a lot of use though--it's a katana my dad brought home from WWII and a little unwieldy in the kitchen.

Most of those were modern blades that were made specifically for the military to issue to officers, but some were family heirlooms. Either way, people have had some success in finding the families of the officers that carried them and returning them. I guess there's some kind of registry in Japan of the military-issued blades; I'm not sure how it would work for the heirloom variety, but presumably there's some information on the tang that would help. Not saying this is something that you absolutely need to do - I understand that it's become a family heirloom for your family now - but it would make a hell of an interesting detour for your next trip to Hokkaido. "My vacation? Pretty good, I guess: 5 days skiing pow in Hokkaido and 2 days in Tokyo drinking sake with this Japanese family."

[neufox47]

My knife will fall through an over ripe tomato with only its own weight.

Cmon now. A razor blade with 8 oz on it won’t fall through a tomato. You still have to slice it.

[rideit]

Most of those were modern blades that were made specifically for the military to issue to officers, but some were family heirlooms. Either way, people have had some success in finding the families of the officers that carried them and returning them. I guess there's some kind of registry in Japan of the military-issued blades; I'm not sure how it would work for the heirloom variety, but presumably there's some information on the tang that would help. Not saying this is something that you absolutely need to do - I understand that it's become a family heirloom for your family now - but it would make a hell of an interesting detour for your next trip to Hokkaido. "My vacation? Pretty good, I guess: 5 days skiing pow in Hokkaido and 2 days in Tokyo drinking sake with this Japanese family."

Unless, of course, they murder you with it for killin’ their grand-pappy-san

[dan_pdx]

Unless, of course, they murder you with it for killin’ their grand-pappy-san

That would be a plot twist.

My buddy worked in a Japanese consulate when someone returned a blade there and asked them to get it back to the family. Japanese consulate employees apparently are pretty unmotivated to do anything that might be outside their job descriptions, so it languished in a closet in the consulate for years, which is crap. You would need to look for a group in Japan that's actively trying to get blades back to their families.

[Flyoverland Captive]

I prefer Cutco, but I know some don't like the sales rep thing.[/URL]

Aren’t they all serrated? Deal breaker for me.

Edit: Just looked them up; no longer serrated. A marked improvement, the old ones were shit.

[MakersTeleMark]

Only some are single beveled, usually for slicing fish. Far more are double beveled

No, sorry, wrong. Sure, there are many JP manufacturers making "western style knives", but if you know knives, they are just that.

Here is a reputable place to start with JP knives and such. Great tableware too. It's the only spam from a company that I let in my inbox.

Google their in house sharpener too, he's a master: https://www.korin.com/ He has a bunch of youtube videos you can learn all you need to know from.

[warthog]

Aren’t they all serrated? Deal breaker for me.

Edit: Just looked them up; no longer serrated. A marked improvement, the old ones were shit.

No, they have a mix of styles. Their serrated knives, mostly carvers are actually pretty nice, and never get dull. That may be because I don't use them much.
The one serrated I use the most is their utility knife. It is a chefs knife shape but a little smaller. Similar to the Santoku. It makes easy work when you have to do a ton of chopping and slicing. It also makes quick work of breaking down a chicken. The one I use the most is their 7" Santoku.
I went to college right near where these are made, so I like to support them. I will probably add a Global or a custom knife or 2 to the collection at some point. For me, it is all about the feel and the balance. The Cutco stuff had the most comfortable handle, and the balance was perfect for me. I think the sales rep/ kid of a friend model has served them well, but I think not enough people get to hold them in their hand and see how they feel.

[riser4]

Victorinox. And get a Chef'sChoice Trizor XV Knife Sharpener.

[warthog]

Anyone ever used this knife, or watched their videos?

https://www.almazankitchen.com/produ...SAAEgJD8fD_BwE

[I Skied Bandini Mountain]

Wusthof or Henckels.

Get a couple of good solid knives to start, a chef's and a slicer, and get some fancy knives to impress people later.

Also get a good diamond steel to keep the edges and find a good local sharpener for when they need to be resharpened.

[MontuckyFried]

We really like our Shun knives.

Shun's been our favorite too. We buy about one per year and have been slowly replacing our old knives. My latest addition was the vegetable cleaver. Kind of become my Jack of all trades knife. Their knives are not only wicked sharp but seem to hold a good edge for AGES! Which is great for me since I'm really bad about sharpening regularly.

Sent from my Pixel 3 using TGR Forums mobile app

[Cruiser]

Converted to global knives about ten years ago and sold off/gave away all of my wusthof and henckels.

But a big part of it is the fit. I don't have huge hands (an anomaly, evidently, as my johnson is enormous) and so I never realized that the traditional german knives didn't feel that great in my hand until I used a global. I'm no papapoop but I cook every day and, despite my propensity for hoarding I haven't felt compelled to play the field and acquire other knives. Ymmv.

[Timberridge]

https://blenheimforge.co.uk/

I have the Santoku. Holy fuck it makes my Wusthofs seem like plastic cutlery. I say a prayer that I won't cut my fingers off every time I use it. But if you need to slice something paper thin...

[bagtagley]

Single bevel is traditional, but double bevel has become relatively common in Japanese homes. A Gyuto is modeled after a western chefs knife, but still requires a different technique. Plenty of traditional Japanese blades (Nakiri, Sujihiki) are available double bevel, which would be the only thing making them "western". I love a sharp single bevel knife, but it takes a lot of work to get the hang of it, which I'm still not fully there. One thing to consider is that most Japanese knives are going to require a change in technique. They don't typically have the belly for rocking.

It's been a little while, but this was a great source and resource. Koki is a solid guy, super helpful, and he can get you just about anything. The CarboNext series is a relatively inexpensive intro into the hardness and blade shape, but with a familiar handle and no rust to worry about. Pretty soft as J-knives go, but less likely to chip and easier to sharpen. I prefer a Japanese-style handle, but the CN handles feel pretty good. https://japanesechefsknife.com/

Just like anything, you can dive into the rabbit hole with forums. On a quick scan, it looks like the CarboNext is no longer the go-to entry level suggestion, so probably worth taking a quick look. https://www.kitchenknifeforums.com/f...tchen-knife.4/

Dave Martell was my go-to for sharpening until I got my own stones. He used to have his own forum, but it looks like it's gone. Chef Knives To Go was another decent resource. He was able to source a lot of things that were hard to find, including big ass carbon steel Chinese cleavers.

Otherwise, get a Victorinox.

[Mazderati]

I bought a set of Zwilling Henckels knives around 10 years ago because they seemed like the best value at time. If I remember correctly, some part of the Zwilling Henckels name was sold off or licensed and being used to sell lower quality knives manufactured outside of Germany, meaning there were both 'real' Zwilling Henckels and a cheaper line just using the Zwilling Henckels name. Not sure if that is still the case but something to be on the lookout for if going with that brand.

[bagtagley]

I bought a set of Zwilling Henckels knives around 10 years ago because they seemed like the best value at time. If I remember correctly, some part of the Zwilling Henckels name was sold off or licensed and being used to sell lower quality knives manufactured outside of Germany, meaning there were both 'real' Zwilling Henckels and a cheaper line just using the Zwilling Henckels name. Not sure if that is still the case but something to be on the lookout for if going with that brand.

Zwilling is the top tier, made in Germany. J.A. Henckels are all over the board as far as quality. The Classic are forged in Spain and are virtually identical to the Zwilling, at least the ones I have. They can be identified by the branding.

https://bladeadvisor.com/zwilling-vs-henckels/

[tgapp]

tl;dr of this thread:

there are a ton of good knives out there. find one whose shape you like and keep it sharp.

[Timberridge]

It's like coffee.

[MontuckyFried]

Just get this bad boy and call it a day: https://shun.kaiusa.com/classic-vege...cleaver-7.html
It's my go-to for just about everything these days. Also called a "Chinese Cleaver" as in many Asian kitchen's it's kind of used for everything. SO versatile:
https://www.seriouseats.com/2019/12/...hen-knife.html

[tgapp]

It's like coffee.

no JONG there is a RIGHT way and a WRONG way to do coffee.

mine is obvs the right way

[Viva]

no JONG there is a RIGHT way and a WRONG way to do coffee.

mine is obvs the right way

[Timberridge]

no JONG there is a RIGHT way and a WRONG way to do coffee.

mine is obvs the right way

Obviously.

Also called a "Chinese Cleaver" as in many Asian kitchen's it's kind of used for everything. SO versatile

I like it for removing the delicate membrane on the bat's wings.

[californiagrown]

I bought a few of these knives from Ikea about 5 years ago. Molybdenum/Vanadium Stainless.
Have an 8" chefs, 10" chefs, and a paring knife. I wish i would have gotten a filet knife when Ikea still made these. Weight and ergonomics feel custom made for me (which IMO is by far the most important thing). Its a damn knife- they all dull and keeping it sharp should be a prerequisite to any conversation about them.

Not having the nicest most expensive stuff makes it tolerable when the wife decides to use the tip of the 10" to lever open a pumpkin, or decides the granite countertop makes a fine cutting board.

[I Skied Bandini Mountain]

I use my 12" henckel's chef to open cans all the time.

[Timberridge]

I'm not much into those knives but I'm digging the countertop you have there, california.