Best Honesuki to break down chicken???

[KevinWood44]

Thoughts??

Any favorites to recommend?

Thanks.

[Captaincaed]

I don't a brand recommendation, but I've found that a smaller tip and the 99/1 bevel are helpful design features. A double bevel doesn't get close to the bone as easily, and a bit tip isn't nimble enough in the joints.

I ended up liking one with wood scale handles, made out of an unnamed semi stainless steel in the $75 range, and I've been really happy with it.

[sidpost]

Unless you break down huge amounts of chicken, I would test the waters with one modestly priced. Personally, I find mine useful for more than just chicken and boned meats but, I also notice it 'steers' some in hard items like cold cheese. The single edge nature of a Honesuki is nice to learn about the advantages of a single edge blade.

I wouldn't obsess over steel choices either, generally preferring a good utility grade stainless that doesn't need to be super hard. Keep in mind with bones and such, an overly hard Honesuki will chip easier than a softer one in a more forgiving stainless steel. I mention this because I use my Honesuki pretty hard and it nice to not worry about it when I bear down hard on a piece of meat or there are some frozen bits hiding deep inside.

[cliff]

First think about whether you want single-bevel or double. Most of the versions on the site are double-bevel. The single-bevel I believe is more traditional, but it will steer. Then decide if you want hard steel or softer. As sidpost points out, softer has its advantages if you are working around a lot of bone. Harder will hold its edge better. I've heard some people prefer Western handles because breaking down chicken often gets messy, and they're easier to clean.

[ronnie_suburban]

I have a "nice" one and an inexpensive one, both left-handed, single-bevel, and find the performance between the two to be about the same. They definitely do steer, which is exactly what I want in certain situations. Above and beyond breaking down chicken, I think it's also a great tool for dividing up racks of finished ribs, bone-in roasts, etc. For just about any bone-in meat where you need to get in close with some precision -- and have the ability to cut around joints, bones, etc. -- this is my first choice.

All this is to say that it's a very specific knife that dictates a certain style of usage. Considering that my two honesukis perform nearly identically, there's no reason not to start out with a less expensive one. If you absolutely love it, you can consider upgrading but you may find that the "lesser" one is totally fine for you.

[LaVieestBelle]

Let me piggyback on Ron's comments-- I was composing some thoughts and he just said everything I was thinking--only better!

Yup, a specific knife but when you need it, nothing else will do the same work. Nearly 7 years ago I bought the Masakage Yuki here. The combination of the very precise tip, the spot-on length, and the substance behind the edge are perfect.

I have always been curious about what Ron just said--the performance of these knives across different price points, and I was glad to read the comments. Because I have always owned only this one, I was not sure how performance varied (or not) at different prices. Sounds like it is not a huge issue, though I will admit to coveting a Raquin.....

My big questions involve bevel choices. Mine is a double bevel, and it would be fun to check out a single bevel to feel the difference.

Anyway, I have been very very happy using this to break down raw chicken and tackle cooked birds. Clearly after reading Ron's post I need to spread out and remember to use it for certain cuts of beef.....

[d_rap]

So that's my single bevel Ishikawa honesuki on one of the many days I used it to do something other than break down a chicken. Used correctly it rides along the backbone of a fish like a deba and filets something small or medium such as this snapper beautifully. Arguably not what it was designed for exactly, and it sure isn't what I'd use to, say, cut off the head of this fish (vintage cleaver in the background was more than up to the task) but it is a very fun, versatile knife. As Ronnie mentions above, a single bevel honesuki will steer, as it should, but that doesn't mean you can't compensate and use it some as a petty or small utility knife. For example, the tip and profile, now that I'm used to it, will cut the fuzzy choke out of a cooked artichoke half like nobody's business. That sort of thing. Again, as others have already commented, this knife has been a great introduction to single bevel knives for me, and for parting a chicken, which I do very frequently--fantastic.

At $220 it's not cheap, and Ishikawa makes rustic knives, so the fit and finish, as Mark says on the product page, isn't museum quality, but it is thin, White #2 steel, gets just ridiculously sharp, and has become one of my most used, beloved knives.

[Fender400]

I have to say, that while I love my Ishikawa honesuki (his imperfection is annoying, but my God can his knives cut) I tipped it the first time I used it trimming a brisket. The point hit the cutting board (hasagawa (sp?) rubber cutting board). It is the smallest of breaks...you can't tell visually, but run your fingers down the back and you can feel it. I haven't used it since, I grabbed a ginsan deba and the TK Bull nose butcher knife to wrap up the brisket.

Get a cheap honesuki, see if your like it, then drop some serious money on a nice one (but really...have you seen the Kanehide TK honesuki??).

[stevem627]

I have the same inexpensive Honesuki (left handed also) that Ronnie is referring to. I don’t see any reason to get something else. I used it for ribs also and wouldn’t see how you could go wrong with it.

[ronnie_suburban]

I have to say, that while I love my Ishikawa honesuki (his imperfection is annoying, but my God can his knives cut) I tipped it the first time I used it trimming a brisket. The point hit the cutting board (hasagawa (sp?) rubber cutting board). It is the smallest of breaks...you can't tell visually, but run your fingers down the back and you can feel it. I haven't used it since, I grabbed a ginsan deba and the TK Bull nose butcher knife to wrap up the brisket.

Get a cheap honesuki, see if your like it, then drop some serious money on a nice one (but really...have you seen the Kanehide TK honesuki??).

Oh, geez . . . tipped on a boneless piece of meat into a rubber board?! That is a really unexpected and annoying turn of events.

[d_rap]

Yeah, that's a shame, because can the Ishikawa ever cut!

For what it's worth that sounds fairly easily fixable.

[KevinWood44]

First think about whether you want single-bevel or double. Most of the versions on the site are double-bevel. The single-bevel I believe is more traditional, but it will steer. Then decide if you want hard steel or softer. As sidpost points out, softer has its advantages if you are working around a lot of bone. Harder will hold its edge better. I've heard some people prefer Western handles because breaking down chicken often gets messy, and they're easier to clean.

I wondered why so many had western handles. I found very few with octagonal wooden handles.

THanks for the advise

[KevinWood44]

I was looking at the Moritaka.

I do not own any of his knives. I love the look of his knives and I hear they are really good for the price. I believe the honesuki's he makes are 50/50 grind.

[gladius]

I wondered why so many had western handles. I found very few with octagonal wooden handles.

THanks for the advise

---
They are easier to keep clean.

[Robstreperous]

I wondered why so many had western handles. I found very few with octagonal wooden handles.

THanks for the advise

---
They are easier to keep clean.

Did not know that. What is it that makes them easier to clean? The full scales and bolster vs a handle stuck in a hole? Or something else?

[d_rap]

I wondered why so many had western handles. I found very few with octagonal wooden handles.

Although of the 45 honesukis or so Mark has listed (counting in and out of stock) only about one third are western handles.
The rest are wa, a mix of octagonal and oval.

Yeah, interesting on the cleaning. I have almost exclusively wa handled knives at this point and get into some pretty messy places with them and they all clean up fine. For sure you need to make sure the seal-up is tight.

[XexoX]

I wondered why so many had western handles. I found very few with octagonal wooden handles.

Although of the 45 honesukis or so Mark has listed (counting in and out of stock) only about one third are western handles.
The rest are wa, a mix of octagonal and oval.

Yeah, interesting on the cleaning. I have almost exclusively wa handled knives at this point and get into some pretty messy places with them and they all clean up fine. For sure you need to make sure the seal-up is tight.

What do you use to ensure a tight seal-up?

[LaVieestBelle]

The cleaning/handle discussion is interesting, but I don't think I would find a difference between western and non western handles. Lol...I do have to say that nothing I do in the kitchen gets a handle as slimy and fairly repulsive as breaking apart a chicken! I probably need a fabulous honesuke blade with a plastic handle.....

[gladius]

I wondered why so many had western handles. I found very few with octagonal wooden handles.

THanks for the advise

---
They are easier to keep clean.

Did not know that. What is it that makes them easier to clean? The full scales and bolster vs a handle stuck in a hole? Or something else?

—-
I have found them to be so: Poultry goop off bolster and handle compared to wa handle at the tangs entry point especially if wood is unsealed as many are.

I do have wa handled petty’s I’ve used but find myself being extra careful to keep the handle away from the meat, even those stabilized and sealed. Using western handled blades I don’t even think about it. Maybe just a mental thing.

[Robstreperous]

---
They are easier to keep clean.

Did not know that. What is it that makes them easier to clean? The full scales and bolster vs a handle stuck in a hole? Or something else?

—-
I have found them to be so: Poultry goop off bolster and handle compared to wa handle at the tangs entry point especially if wood is unsealed as many are.

I do have wa handled petty’s I’ve used but find myself being extra careful to keep the handle away from the meat, even those stabilized and sealed. Using western handled blades I don’t even think about it. Maybe just a mental thing.

Another mystery solved. I've wondered from time to time why there were so many western handled honesukis - even western handled single bevels.

It sort of seemed like being served a pastrami sandwich with chop sticks.