Japanese VG10 Steel with High Carbon Stainless Steel. I am much more comfortable hacking through things with a chinatown cleaver or a European chef's knife and would never do that with a comparatively brittle Japanese knife. The carbon steel is like any other, and must be kept dry to stop oxidation and rusting, but it's not as if you're going to leave them loafing at the bottom of the sink anyway, right? Do you think the ad was racist? Well a big part of my learning always came from seeing what the more experienced chefs would have in their hands. /r/AskCulinary provides expert guidance for your specific cooking problems to help people of all skill levels become better cooks, to increase understanding of cooking, and to share valuable culinary knowledge. If you want to consider this route suggest you do the Cwees thing. I appreciate your time and words. The form of the Chinese-style knife takes some getting used to compared to Western and some Japanese knives—your hand is higher, the balance is different, and the blade has a minimal (and in some cases no) curve—but with practice, you can adjust to it. Of all these knives I use that one with the vegetables shown 98% of the time. The chefs knife is of course what you would consider typically German, and everything else within is functionally above average for the price tag. A natural selection. Japanese knives tend to be thinner and sharper, more useful for fine cuts on delicate fish. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts It holds an edge very well for a knife at this price, and makes a great first step into the world of Japanese knives. I don't routinely abuse my knives that much. Shen offer up some pan-Asian inspired knives that outright make certain jobs more than easy, and one of my personal favourites is the named Maoui Deba knife. Seems like a whole tome of information, right? Western knives are designed for cutting and chopping - downward or circular motion or sawing. First up we have a three-piece knife set which comes in a lightly colored and nature-inspired ash wood box. Most stores aren't going to offer try before you buy, so hopefully some of the links I gave you will encourage you to dive a little deeper on their sites, maybe you'll see something you like in your mind's eye and it'll resonate enough for you to try it. Just not a fan. My favorite chef’s knife is the Shun Ken Onion eight-inch chef’s knife. Shun give Japanese styles knives a bad name. And this is why I love reddit. What’s everyone’s opinion and what Japanese brand would you suggest? Not looking for brand suggestions, just general equipment advice.). For a utility knife, nothing beats Victorinox (Swiss made). German Vs Japanese Knives: The Big Difference To summarize: German knives are heavier and more forgiving, while Japanese knives are lighter, sharper, and require more careful handling. The steel is hardier and they do not require the level of care that many of the Japanese knives do. For the sake of simplicity I'll focus on the chef knife within a set as your nationality style, rather than go too deep on things like a turning knife or pairing knife. The chef/gyuto is considerably more versatile, has a tip for dicing, can be used for proteins, etc, etc, etc. I.E. All in all I find myself reaching for my European Victorinox Forschner knives most of the time. It is better to scrape food with the back of the knife than with the cutting edge if you want to use the side of the knife to sweep food. r/knives: Sharp and pointy stuff! What works for … Failing that, if you have a chef or a home cook in your circle of friends or in your family I'd prod the older people for their take. I have a couple more blocks of knives not shown in the pics. Every single knife they have is of course useful, but their bread knives are not as good as their pastry knives (Which are never included in medium sized sets). It's not often that you can get perspective from someone who can directly compare so many makes. Cutting heavier or tougher things, however, might be more of a challenge, and can even damage more specialized knives. This 8-inch Shun knife is light enough for … Their four piece set represents a great starter kit, and expect a razor sharp and pleasant experience using the knives within. When the edge is applying pressure against the cutting board it is not good to cant the blade from side to side, pivot it like a windshield wiper, or scrape side to side. They rarely need sharpening (note I said sharpening here, not honing) and will stand up better to the blunders and abuse that are more common with less experienced chefs or the average home cook. For me it's Japanese all the way. The very hard acute angles of a Japanese knife are not well suited to scraping bones. Thinner blades make Japanese knives easier to use because they require less pressure to slice through food. How much of a difference will I notice, not only in use but also in up keep. Did get a Tojiro (freebie) for a friend a couple years ago and after a few hours thinning and sharpening it didn't suck. Most chef’s knives you’ll find come in two styles: German, and a double-edged Japanese take on German knives (which are called gyuto). Kramer, Vnox and a host of Germans have this type of profile - Messermeister Meridian is my personal favorite among them. Most knife manufacturers make Japanese style knives, however, so you can find Wusthof and Henckels-made Santokus and Japanese-style chef’s knives. When choosing a set (I assume this is that, from the plurality of your post) it's important to know that you may be more interested in some European styles for some knives, and some Asian styles for others. Go to YouTube and look for "Japanology knives" for a fantastic 20 minute lesson on the utility and variety of knives. The slice happens on the pull stroke. 87.8k I started with a set of Henckel's that I hated. Personall I use German (Wusthoff as suggested earlier) because I know I'm not making fine, delicate, fancy restaurant-level cuts on fish. I don't recommend buying a huge set. Honing simply straightens the steel at the edge of the blade. Get a good chef knife, bread knife and a paring knife as well as a cheap Asian meat cleaver. The few western knives I own are a nice set of Wustoffs. I am more wary with my Japanese knives when taking apart birds or dealing with bones in general. Sharpening a knife removes material from the blade and if done incorrectly changes the angle of the edge. The knife is well weighted and comes sharpened at a lower angle to provide a more precise, sharp edge. It's very common for Japanese knife makers specifically to not sell their blades in sets, which includes Yoshihiro. They are readily maintained between sharpenings with a "steel" (rod), that will align the edge. I do have my own sharpening stone. Technically speaking they're British, based just outside of Milton Keynes. Their 4pc student set is not as cost efficient as some of its European counterparts, but the knives are solid. Potatoes and onions won't build up on the side. Common grades used in the production of Damascus steel include … They require far less sharpening than any of my Japanese knives, but that is down to the blade profile and metal chemistry. Now I pull out my Chinatown cleaver for that kind of slamming work. It would be for daily use at home, although I do love to cook and do most things from scratch. If you’re not convinced German-style knives like Wusthof and Zwilling are right for you, check out our recent articles, Shun vs. Wusthof, Cutco vs. Wusthof, Wusthof vs. I would rather have a decent chef's, paring, boning, and fillet knife and a couple stones than one very expensive Japanese knife and no stones for that matter. Hey! It's a razor and a work of art. If you cut with a rocking technique, (and most folks do) keeping the tip on or close to the board then a German (or French) style of knife will be more suited for you. sushi knives / yanagi).The feel of using a single-bevel knife is much different, and takes a lot of practice to get used to. This is very much the same with more modern sets from Japanese, Thai, Malay, and Filipino companies also. A place to talk about the use, maintenance, and acquisition of any bladed kitchen instrument as well as whetstones, cutting boards, and more! Now if I’m looking into buying a Nakiri - do you have any recommendations? Their classic line is considered to be one of the professional gold standards along with the likes of Victorinox F.Dick and Granton. A place for all things chef knives. If this knife is to be your main knife (or first good one) then I suggest dropping that coin on the more versatile chef knife or gyuto. But for the German knives, do not get one with a full bolster, that is a hard no. I learned that it matters what you need to make Japanese knifes are good for like sushi or very fast and light and sharp but not great for like big meats and they need to not be put under alot of pressure. Durable, stay sharp, not too fragile, and definitely feels good in the hand, this knife and its brethren are a delight to use for most jobs. 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