Chefknivestogo Forums

I love Lodge. They make a great enamelled Dutch oven.

For a big skillet, I use a Mafter carbon steel pan. It's similarly inexpensive but a bit easier to maneuver.

I find the Jones racks Mark has quite efficient space-wise, and they fit most of my knives. Some really thick Sanjo knives and anything over 270 is a problem, but otherwise they're great. For the big ones, I use a bamboo box with cork liners I threw together.

I've done mostly Sanjo knives, so the issue was filing out the tang hole. Once I did that and burned them in, I put some silicone around the opening. That's it. They've been perfectly secure. I got the hot melt glue but didn't feel like I needed it. If something goes wonky, I can always go there lat...

Agreed, I think hot melt glue is what you want. I've just burned mine in, and they've been secure. Glue would be better.

Like a heavy knife, cleavers do the work for you once you get used to them. I find it harder to use my lasers for bulk prep. Then, there's Takeda. It costs a fortune but is the best of both: light, nimble, and large, it plows through anything.

I use cleavers all the time, increasingly, instead of a 240 or 270 workhorse gyuto. If I have a bunch of prep, I'll grab one of the bigger ones. The only time I don't is if I have a big pile of greens to deal with. For that, I prefer a long gyuto. That one you mention looks great to me. ETA - They a...

I have a few. I think the most versatile is Shiro Kamo R2 at 270 -- but it's a full 270 and not a Sakai size. I've got a 300 Ashi Ginga in White no. 2. That little bit of extra length makes a big difference in feel. Keep in mind it won't fit in most knife rolls, if that's an issue. I think the first...

I worry especially about knives that come with a zero edge. I don't recall with Kagekiyo, but definitely Watanabe. Looks like a great repair!

270 Ashi Ginga Gyuto (mine is in AEBL).... I saw an Ashi Ginga when I was on the quest for a sleek 180mm gyuto. I found a 180mm in stock in stainless and White #2. I didn't order because I don't know enough about Japanese Knives to know quality vs fake. But it definitely has that sleek look I wante...

270 Ashi Ginga Gyuto (mine is in AEBL) and a Sukenari 165 Petty in Hap40.

Thinning will improve performance at the expense of some durability. The geometry right behind the edge is very important. Moritaka knives have pretty low shoulders, so easing them a little can give big performance gains.

Were the Moritaka's tuned, or was this the original geometry? This is an important point. I bought a second-hand 240 gyuto that was very well dialed in before I got it: bevels flattened and thinned, choil and spine nicely rounded, and a handle that balanced things out nicely. I also got a Chuka whe...

Moritaka AS, Munetoshi W2, Mazaki W2, Masahiro VC, Takamura R2

I think they're handy as utility knives, a kind of tall petty. Besides the Kamo, I have a couple others, including Yoshi SKD and Takamura R2 Gyutos and a Shibata Bunka. I reach for them for small jobs pretty interchangeably. There's just something about that Kamo Bunka that feels right to me.

Probably Shiro Kamo. Title says 170mm but the product listing says 180. I haven't measured, but I use it all the time.

https://www.chefknivestogo.com/shkar2bu17.html

I also have a couple of petty/suji's around that size that get a lot of use.

I am not a pro, so take with several grains of salt. From what you describe, stainless-clad AS sounds ideal. For the gyuto, Y. Kato makes an excellent, relatively affordable one (in stock here -- https://www.chefknivestogo.com/kawa21.html). You mentioned carbon, but R2 is worth considering. If you c...

I think a single-bevel gyuto is more of a curiosity. In Japan, the chef will use a full-size, single-bevel Kiritsuke for its versatility. But it is not as good at any specific task as a specialized knife. I use an usuba for some Japanese preparations -- still no expert with it by any means. I use a ...

I love my Masahiro VC for quick, messy jobs, but it's no match for a Toyama single-bevel. It feels at least twice as sharp. I do hesitate to pull out the Toyama when I fear being up to my elbows in guts and slime.

I like that yahiko and Kanehide here.

Dice an apple is my most important test. Some knives fail that are great at other things, but I want to know if it's thin enough to cut without splitting.