Japanese kitchen knives...

overlandflyer

overlandflyer

Well-known member
i've been researching a good kitchen knife... in the long run, probably a few different sizes. tired of the standard fare from Target, etc that can't hold an edge or even be as sharp as i'd like. just wondering if anyone has any relevant comments. i see artisan knives in the up to $1000+ range but i'm looking at a few in the $250 range... less than insane, but well into a quality knife with good steel. right now i'm looking at the Miyabi Birchwood series .... cannot seem to find a bad review.

Bed, Bath & Beyond seems to have a club you join for $30/year, but then you get 20% off everything you buy with free shipping. going to give them a call to verify... almost sounds too good go be true and that's always scary, but even if i bought the one knife for $300, i'd still get $30 off that one purchase.
 
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I would love some quality kitchen knives but cannot honestly justify the cost, I am however improving my skill with sharpening using Japanese water stones.
 
i have a feeling that once i start using it i will be mad i waited so long. the sharpness of those knives is incredible. on a sharpness scale i saw, the edge is comparable to a double edge razor blade. i can see where a sharpening stone will also have to be something i will also look at, but that has been on my list even longer than a good knife. i have to chop up wood for my locomotive to burn and last time i used it, my hatchet was dull enough that it's starting to be dangerous.

btw... reading the fine print, there are dozens of products that the BB&B discount card does NOT cover and all the knives they sell are on that list. did find another source that gives you a 15% coupon on the first order. FYI.... i've also learned an internet shopping trick that usually works, though... if you go to a site and see a bunch of stuff you like, don't buy everything at once. after your first purchase, stores will often offer you a nn% off coupon after your first purchase so you return.
 
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Trusylver said:
..., I am however improving my skill with sharpening using Japanese water stones.
Click to expand...
what grit(s?) are yours...? i am looking at a dual sided stone... 250 on one side and 1000 on the other. i have heard about/ seen some stones that go up to 10k (for a few $100+...!!), but i have also seen video from a reliable source that says for 99% of the people (that sounds like me), 1000 is just fine.
 
I have a 1000/3000 stone and a 3000/8000 stone that I have not yet used. My regular kitchen knives are much sharper than they once were but still improving my skill. The knife I got from my local butcher seems to hold the best edge for longer. a 10k stone is out of my preferred price range and I don't think I will ever have the skill to use such a stone.
 
a good talent to have... lower grade steel knives can likely be brought to a very sharp edge, it's just that the quality/ hardness of the steel, etc that will dictate how long it holds that edge. i use a steel on my cheap knives and it does help for that session of use, but looking forward to seeing what a good wetstone can produce.
 
so after watching even more knife sharpening videos, i think i will invest a little more in a three stone package deal with 400, 1000 & 5000 grit stones. i can also see the use for a good base and this kit seems better in that respect, too. probably put it off for another month, though... my discretionary budget has been taking a hit recently with a woodworking project i need to complete.
 
i wound up getting the Miyabi Birchwood knives... the top two are their 6.5" Nikari and a 6" utility knives which i picked up about a week ago. the bottom knife is probably next on my list, a 3.5" paring knife...
Miyabi Birchwood 02.jpg
if i go for a 4th, it will probably be their 9" slicing (like a filet) knife.
i'm really being careful with these as they are literally razor sharp.
 
well i took a chance and it paid off... Zwilling was offering a deal on the Miyabi 3.5" paring knife with "visual imperfections" which i discovered only meant it didn't come with the presentation box. $25 off and sans a box i didn't want in the first place ... that's what i call a good deal..!

don't think i will look into the slicing knife. i've been working with the 6" utility knife to trim meat and, though i can see the 9" knife would likely be better with larger cuts, that's something i rarely have a need for and if i did, the utility knife would probably work in those situations, just taking a little longer.
 
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Beautiful looking knives, Flyer & you did get a very good deal. I have a cupboard full of packaging that I doubt I'll ever use.
 
i've have a pretty nice standard oak cutting board for years, but i'm always fighting with the size (about 6 x 9"). Japanese knife ads seem to praise Hinoki cutting boards. anyone have one of these? seems to be an indigenous wood to Japan so i'm wondering if this isn't the main reason. they are a little more pricey, but not ridiculously so. i could definitely use something bigger one way or the other.
 
since my nephew got married a short while ago, i'm still considering a gift. ok, why not a good set of steak knives...? i usually give my nephews gifts a bit off the wall. last Christmas it was a first aid and an emergency road kits for their car trunks.

anyway, i'm glad i saw a YouTube video comparing some relatively cheap steak knives to a set of Japanese steel knives. everything about the Japanese knives was superior EXCEPT when you consider how they'll be used. serve your steaks on wooden planks and no problem, but use china like most of the world, and the knives are going to take a beating on that hard surface. you might know how to handle them, but chances are your guests will not like being lectured on how to cut meat.

i decided on a German (Wusthof Classic Steak Knives) set. still pretty classy, forged, not stamped, but a few notches down on the Rockwell scale (think they are 56 compared to SG2 steel which is ~63) and will likely prove to be much better survivors in the long run.

btw... i just looked at Amazon and some of the sets for sale there looked suspicious. please do yourself a favor and buy any knife from a reputable source. there are too many reports of Chinese knock-offs. a ploy i've seen used ... they don't actually offer ridiculous discounts (even though for the quality, they should), just enough to lure you into thinking you're getting 10 or 15% off.
 
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some amazing decorative fruit and vegetable cutting techniques...

 
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