Knife for BBQ/smoking prep (brisket, pork butt, and so on)

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post_meridiem
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Knife for BBQ/smoking prep (brisket, pork butt, and so on)

Post by post_meridiem »

1)Pro or home cook?
Home

2)What kind of knife do you want? (Gyuto, Santoku, Petty, Paring, Sujihiki, etc.)

Filet/boning/butcher

3) What size knife do you want? Medium

4)How much do you want to spend?
Up to$150

5) Do you prefer all stainless, stainless clad over reactive carbon, or all reactive carbon construction?
Carbon/some carbon

6)Do you prefer Western or Japanese handle?
Western (I'm a lefty)

7)What are your main knife/knives now?
Tojiro DP, CCK cleavers

8)Are your knife skills excellent, good, fair?
Good

9)What cutting techniques do you prefer? Are you a rocker, chopper or push/pull cutter?
Depends on task

10)Do you know how to sharpen?
Yes

I'm looking for a knife to help trim large cuts of meat for smoking: trim fat, silver skin, etc. on cuts like full briskets. My large chef's knives struggles particularly when the fat starts to warm a little. I've been considering this one -- https://www.chefknivestogo.com/kapsbunobukn.html -- but worry that it might be too stiff. Also been looking at this: https://www.chefknivestogo.com/katkho18fiha.html . Open to suggestions.
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Re: Knife for BBQ/smoking prep (brisket, pork butt, and so on)

Post by ChefKnivesToGo »

This is the knife that came to mind when reading your form. https://www.chefknivestogo.com/kabesu27leha.html

It has a little flex and it a good size for trimming but you could also portion and carve with it.
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Re: Knife for BBQ/smoking prep (brisket, pork butt, and so on)

Post by Jeff B »

This would be an excellent knife for trimming fat and silver skin on large cuts of meat. It's stainless but has western handle and within budget.

Takayuki Grand Chef AEB-L Petty 210mm
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Re: Knife for BBQ/smoking prep (brisket, pork butt, and so on)

Post by taz575 »

I agree with Jeff B. AEB-L is a stainless steel, but it is very fine grained, easy to sharpen and takes a wickedly fine edge like good carbon steels do and still is incredibly tough like carbon steels are. I have seen AEB-L described as a stainless O-1 tool steel. Nitro V and AEB-L make fine kitchen knives, especially if they may make bone contact. All of the benefits of carbon steel, but it's stainless.

The Suji Mark Richmond posted is another option if you don't mind a blade that long.

If I can get some projects cleaned off my plate in the next 2 weeks during my vacation, I may play with making some carbon boning/trimming knives in the Western styles.
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Re: Knife for BBQ/smoking prep (brisket, pork butt, and so on)

Post by aporigine »

Jeff B wrote: Tue Aug 09, 2022 10:46 am This would be an excellent knife for trimming fat and silver skin on large cuts of meat. It's stainless but has western handle and within budget.

Takayuki Grand Chef AEB-L Petty 210mm
I bought one last year! Haven’t used it very much, but my early impressions are that it splits the difference very nicely between a tough Euro knife and a sharp agile J-blade. It does feel excellent in my size L hand despite its small handle. I have four Sakai Takayuki, each a different steel, and fit&finish of all four strike me as above their price class

I haven’t taken it to a stone yet, so far stropped
(leather on wood, 1 micron CBN. Sometime soon it’ll have a date with my 5000 Cerax. This is tentative, but it seems to hold an edge almost as sharp as white 1 or 2, and lines frequent touch-up like those steels.

Disclosure: I think my knives spend more time being sharpened than being used. Part of that is that I am super slow, which makes it easier to manage some mild tremor.
“The knife is the most permanent, the most immortal, the most ingenious of all man’s creations.”
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Re: Knife for BBQ/smoking prep (brisket, pork butt, and so on)

Post by cliff »

I use the Kanehide TK for this, and it has been very practical.
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Re: Knife for BBQ/smoking prep (brisket, pork butt, and so on)

Post by salemj »

I'll second a few comments above: for these tasks - and especially your comment about fat - I would go with a tough steel that excels at taking a nice, toothy edge...which means there is no reason to go carbon, especially given that the task at hand is simply far more convenient with stainless or semi-stainless.

I'd trust history here: knife makers have long known that maneuvering and slicing tasks are helped by short heigh at the heel. So the suggestions above for a petty or sujihiki are great in that regard (both are shorter heel heights than other knives). The biggest difference between them is length, then, and you suggest medium length.

I actually find a 240 suji to feel "medium" in length when portioning large items (9" or more) on a large board. But when trimming fat specifically, I would go 210 or shorter...but I would still aim for a suji rather than a petty given the sizes you are working with.

Finally, I also find that the best warrior for fat is a softer steel with lots of teeth that revives easily with a steel. Many butchers feel the same (even when using harder steels, they still seem to prefer edges under 1000 grit that revive easily with a steel).

In sum, I'd look for knives like the above (stainless or semi-stainless, HRC ~58-60), but either in a 210mm gyuto with a heel 44mm or shorter, or in a suji @ 210mm. My feeling is that most petty knives with Western handles are a little too short at the heel to allow for the versatility you want, but that is just my impression. For me, this might include the following:

https://www.chefknivestogo.com/fufkmgy21.html
https://www.chefknivestogo.com/katkho18fiha.html

I'd also look off-site for a Masamoto molybdenum series, Misono 440, or a MAC sujihiki that is 210mm, just to give you a tiny bit more knuckle clearance than a 210 petty while keeping some heel height. For example, this might be my top recommendation (not an endorsement of this site):
https://www.hocho-knife.com/misono-440- ... iki-210mm/

There are a few other lines of knives that fit this category (stainless or semi-stainless, Western, HRC 58-60) , as it is a hugely practical for actual chefs. So beyond Kanehide, Takayuki, Misono, Masamoto, Mac, and Fujiwara, you can explore less common brands, too...including Tojiro's monosteel lines and even Victorinox, which I think could be an excellent choice here to be honest.
~Joe

Comments: I'm short, a home cook, prefer lighter, thinner blades, and own mostly Konosukes but have used over a dozen brands.
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Re: Knife for BBQ/smoking prep (brisket, pork butt, and so on)

Post by Radar53 »

cliff wrote: Wed Aug 10, 2022 8:55 am I use the Kanehide TK for this, and it has been very practical.
Yeah, this was what came to mind for when I read your post. You can find it here https://www.chefknivestogo.com/kapsbunobukn.html along with a Quick-look video from Steve.

Good luck with your choice.
Cheers Grant

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Re: Knife for BBQ/smoking prep (brisket, pork butt, and so on)

Post by post_meridiem »

Radar53 wrote: Wed Aug 10, 2022 2:46 pm
cliff wrote: Wed Aug 10, 2022 8:55 am I use the Kanehide TK for this, and it has been very practical.
Yeah, this was what came to mind for when I read your post. You can find it here https://www.chefknivestogo.com/kapsbunobukn.html along with a Quick-look video from Steve.

Good luck with your choice.
Which one though -- there's the Forgecraft and the 20mm fillet/boning one.

Thanks for the recommendations, everyone -- I'm going to have some comparing to do. I kind of wish this one -- https://www.chefknivestogo.com/katkhokn15fi.html -- was available in lefty, as it's a shape that has worked well for me.
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Re: Knife for BBQ/smoking prep (brisket, pork butt, and so on)

Post by Robstreperous »

post_meridiem wrote: Wed Aug 10, 2022 8:37 pm
Thanks for the recommendations, everyone -- I'm going to have some comparing to do. I kind of wish this one -- https://www.chefknivestogo.com/katkhokn15fi.html -- was available in lefty, as it's a shape that has worked well for me.
Funny you should mention that.

My immediate reaction was the Forgecraft as I really appreciate a bull nose when I'm breaking down brisket but.... I also keep out a Rapala (really great under $20 fish fillet knife) on the board for the cleanup. The Rapala would never work in a pro environment or if you're doing several briskets --- doesn't hold an edge past one packer but for home use? It's great. Even comes with its own handy dandy V Sharpener!

I agree with you on that Gokoju. I like that shape too. Never noticed it before. I might pick one up and give it a drive.

What was your concern with the Gokoju? It seemed like an ambidextrous handle to me.

If I were in your shoes and only doing one brisket at a time I'd go for the Kanehide and find one of those cheap Rapalas or possibly the gokoju if I could swing the extra $ for the second knife.

If I were in your shoes, could only have one knfe, and was only doing one brisket I think I just might give that gokoju a try. I know what you mean about the blade sweep. 2nd choice would be the Kanehide... Feeling here is I can get the bullnose to do what the fillet knife does well a little better than vice versa.

If I was doing more than one brisket and could only have one knife.... well.... that'd be a really tough choice..... for me it'd be the bull nose but.... I get it if anyone's thinking it should be the fillet.
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Re: Knife for BBQ/smoking prep (brisket, pork butt, and so on)

Post by cliff »

I just use a 270 suji with a mid-grit edge for slicing and a honesuki for cleaning things up.
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Re: Knife for BBQ/smoking prep (brisket, pork butt, and so on)

Post by post_meridiem »

Robstreperous wrote: Thu Aug 11, 2022 6:40 am

What was your concern with the Gokoju? It seemed like an ambidextrous handle to me.
The handle is, but it appears to be a single-bevel knife.
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Re: Knife for BBQ/smoking prep (brisket, pork butt, and so on)

Post by Robstreperous »

post_meridiem wrote: Thu Aug 11, 2022 10:54 pm
Robstreperous wrote: Thu Aug 11, 2022 6:40 am

What was your concern with the Gokoju? It seemed like an ambidextrous handle to me.
The handle is, but it appears to be a single-bevel knife.
I see what you mean. I shot Mark an email and asked. It might just be a short bevel on the left hand side. I'm kind of curious myself. I really like the profile on that knife. Don't remember the last time I was interested in a fibrox handle knife....
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Re: Knife for BBQ/smoking prep (brisket, pork butt, and so on)

Post by taz575 »

I didnt see any mention of the Gokujo being a single bevel in the reviews or anywhere else online? It looks like a double bevel?

You guys like bull nose blades for trimming? I didnt think it would have enough point to it! This one os a 10" Dexter carbon blade I did a nicer handle on. I think I still have it around somewhere?
KIMG1615.JPG
Did this 8" AEBL blade a while back. Handle is too small, so I will do up a western shaped hidden tang for it eventually
20210802_134214.jpg
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Re: Knife for BBQ/smoking prep (brisket, pork butt, and so on)

Post by Robstreperous »

Here's the reply from Mark about the gokoju:

"It’s kind of a tweener knife. It’s flat on the back side but not concave like a traditional ground deba or yanagi. Technically I would call this double bevel."

@Taz you're right about needing a point - I find - if you're doing fine cleanup work. That's one of the reasons I keep my Rapala out. For breaking down big stuff... full brisket and up and digging out the hard fat I love having that bull nose.
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Re: Knife for BBQ/smoking prep (brisket, pork butt, and so on)

Post by Jeff B »

I have 180mm and 210mm petties and both are great one knife solutions for me when it comes to cleaning up a large piece of meat.
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Re: Knife for BBQ/smoking prep (brisket, pork butt, and so on)

Post by Radar53 »

Robstreperous wrote: Fri Aug 12, 2022 6:14 am
post_meridiem wrote: Thu Aug 11, 2022 10:54 pm
Robstreperous wrote: Thu Aug 11, 2022 6:40 am

What was your concern with the Gokoju? It seemed like an ambidextrous handle to me.
The handle is, but it appears to be a single-bevel knife.
I see what you mean. I shot Mark an email and asked. It might just be a short bevel on the left hand side. I'm kind of curious myself. I really like the profile on that knife. Don't remember the last time I was interested in a fibrox handle knife....
Looking at it I didn't think it was a single bevel. I thought that it was either just a variance in production or maybe an intentional say 70:30 grind. I'm interested to see what the consensus is.
Cheers Grant

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Re: Knife for BBQ/smoking prep (brisket, pork butt, and so on)

Post by post_meridiem »

taz575 wrote: Fri Aug 12, 2022 7:04 am I didnt see any mention of the Gokujo being a single bevel in the reviews or anywhere else online? It looks like a double bevel?
Maybe we’re looking at different knives? The blurb states:

“ The Kanehide TK Gokujo Boning knife features a single bevel grind which dictates that right-handed users are the target audience”
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Re: Knife for BBQ/smoking prep (brisket, pork butt, and so on)

Post by taz575 »

LOL, you are right! I was looking at the Tojiro Gokujo! https://www.chefknivestogo.com/todpbokn15.html
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Re: Knife for BBQ/smoking prep (brisket, pork butt, and so on)

Post by post_meridiem »

Which is also a great looking shape for this task. I’m just … kind of tired of Tojiro and want something else?
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