Talk me out of a Sujihiki
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Talk me out of a Sujihiki
1)Pro or home cook? -> Home
2)What kind of knife do you want? (Gyuto, Santoku, Petty, Paring, Sujihiki, etc.) -> Sujihiki
3)What size knife do you want? -> 270mm? That's the max I can fit in my drawer where this will be stored (clean, dry, covered).
4)How much do you want to spend? -> Less than $200 unless there is a really good reason.
5)Do you prefer all stainless, stainless clad over reactive carbon, or all reactive carbon construction? -> No preference really. Less reactive is probably better for this one.
6)Do you prefer Western or Japanese handle? -> No preference.
7)What are your main knife/knives now? -> I don't have a slicer. I would probably use a gyuto (Anryu) and my wife would probably use a petty (Gihei) for this.
8)Are your knife skills excellent, good, fair? -> I think they are good.
9)What cutting techniques do you prefer? Are you a rocker, chopper or push/pull cutter? -> If I had to pick I would say a push cut, although I do it all depending on what knife is in my hand.
10)Do you know how to sharpen? -> Yes!
I walked into the kitchen the other day and saw my wife trying to take apart a fillet with her petty knife. I stopped in my tracks and stared then asked her how it was going. The answer was "not good". We have been eating more fish lately so we should probably get a fish knife. Or, probably just a general purpose slicer would be better than something for fish only. I like a good balance of high performance and low maintenance, but lean toward performance if I can afford it.
I looked at the site for a while and found these...
This one looks all around good: https://www.chefknivestogo.com/tagrchsu27.html
AS is nice: https://www.chefknivestogo.com/tsunehisa14.html
I am not sure why this one is so thick but I bet it cuts nice: https://www.chefknivestogo.com/tabata7.html
It's a sword! This one makes me smile: https://www.chefknivestogo.com/okwh2ta25.html
Also nice: https://www.chefknivestogo.com/harukazeg3.html
I am right handed and my cutting board is 20x15 inches. What do you think?
2)What kind of knife do you want? (Gyuto, Santoku, Petty, Paring, Sujihiki, etc.) -> Sujihiki
3)What size knife do you want? -> 270mm? That's the max I can fit in my drawer where this will be stored (clean, dry, covered).
4)How much do you want to spend? -> Less than $200 unless there is a really good reason.
5)Do you prefer all stainless, stainless clad over reactive carbon, or all reactive carbon construction? -> No preference really. Less reactive is probably better for this one.
6)Do you prefer Western or Japanese handle? -> No preference.
7)What are your main knife/knives now? -> I don't have a slicer. I would probably use a gyuto (Anryu) and my wife would probably use a petty (Gihei) for this.
8)Are your knife skills excellent, good, fair? -> I think they are good.
9)What cutting techniques do you prefer? Are you a rocker, chopper or push/pull cutter? -> If I had to pick I would say a push cut, although I do it all depending on what knife is in my hand.
10)Do you know how to sharpen? -> Yes!
I walked into the kitchen the other day and saw my wife trying to take apart a fillet with her petty knife. I stopped in my tracks and stared then asked her how it was going. The answer was "not good". We have been eating more fish lately so we should probably get a fish knife. Or, probably just a general purpose slicer would be better than something for fish only. I like a good balance of high performance and low maintenance, but lean toward performance if I can afford it.
I looked at the site for a while and found these...
This one looks all around good: https://www.chefknivestogo.com/tagrchsu27.html
AS is nice: https://www.chefknivestogo.com/tsunehisa14.html
I am not sure why this one is so thick but I bet it cuts nice: https://www.chefknivestogo.com/tabata7.html
It's a sword! This one makes me smile: https://www.chefknivestogo.com/okwh2ta25.html
Also nice: https://www.chefknivestogo.com/harukazeg3.html
I am right handed and my cutting board is 20x15 inches. What do you think?
Sam
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Re: Talk me out of a Sujihiki
Are you looking to remove skin from fillets or break down fish from whole? Suji work really well at slicing tasks, but may be a bit long to do small fillet work. For smaller fish filleting, maybe look at a 210mm petty? 270mm may be a bit unweildy.
Or this more flexible 240mm? https://www.chefknivestogo.com/tagrchswstfl.html
210mm petty: https://www.chefknivestogo.com/tagrchaepe21.html
Or this if you are a righty?
https://www.chefknivestogo.com/katkho18fiha.html
Or this more flexible 240mm? https://www.chefknivestogo.com/tagrchswstfl.html
210mm petty: https://www.chefknivestogo.com/tagrchaepe21.html
Or this if you are a righty?
https://www.chefknivestogo.com/katkho18fiha.html
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Re: Talk me out of a Sujihiki
I would like to get whole fillets (one whole side of a fish) then break them down. I am sure we will find other uses for something like this too.
Sam
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Re: Talk me out of a Sujihiki
How large a fish are you thinking of? Reason I ask is a good knife for a tilapia fillet probably isn't going to work for a tuna!
Seriously, this is one instance where size definitely matters.
Seriously, this is one instance where size definitely matters.
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Re: Talk me out of a Sujihiki
Maybe 18"? I am thinking trout and salmon, but we aren't catching it ourselves and the fishmonger can do some of the work.Robstreperous wrote: ↑Mon Nov 07, 2022 7:38 am How large a fish are you thinking of? Reason I ask is a good knife for a tilapia fillet probably isn't going to work for a tuna!
Seriously, this is one instance where size definitely matters.
Sam
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Re: Talk me out of a Sujihiki
Ah, ok! Any of the suji you mention will work well for those tasks or even drop down to a 240mm or 210 if you aren't removing the skin on the whole fillet.
I got used to skinning fillets with a stiffer blade, even using a mioroshi deba for that. Single bevel works well once you get used to it! If you want to try something different in a single bevel, look at this. You can also use it to break down whole fish yourself, too. I used to use a similar one when I was tuna fishing to break down tuna and mahi.
https://www.chefknivestogo.com/toshmide21.html
This will work well for skinning and portioning those larger fillets; some people like some flex to the blade for removing the skin:
https://www.chefknivestogo.com/tagrchswstfl.html
I got used to skinning fillets with a stiffer blade, even using a mioroshi deba for that. Single bevel works well once you get used to it! If you want to try something different in a single bevel, look at this. You can also use it to break down whole fish yourself, too. I used to use a similar one when I was tuna fishing to break down tuna and mahi.
https://www.chefknivestogo.com/toshmide21.html
This will work well for skinning and portioning those larger fillets; some people like some flex to the blade for removing the skin:
https://www.chefknivestogo.com/tagrchswstfl.html
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Re: Talk me out of a Sujihiki
This Takayuki Grand Chef knife uses Bohler N685 Stainless Steel. Can someone comment on ease of sharpening and edge retention compared to say white or blue #2?taz575 wrote: ↑Mon Nov 07, 2022 8:47 am
This will work well for skinning and portioning those larger fillets; some people like some flex to the blade for removing the skin:
https://www.chefknivestogo.com/tagrchswstfl.html
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Re: Talk me out of a Sujihiki
So I shouldn't get the sword?
I am thinking that a Takayuki would work very well and be a good value but I am not familiar with that steel. I also don't have any G3 steel for that matter and some people on the forum really like Harukaze. Hmmm...
EDIT: I am going to make a cardboard cutout of the size to check if I am going too big.
I am thinking that a Takayuki would work very well and be a good value but I am not familiar with that steel. I also don't have any G3 steel for that matter and some people on the forum really like Harukaze. Hmmm...
EDIT: I am going to make a cardboard cutout of the size to check if I am going too big.
Sam
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Re: Talk me out of a Sujihiki
I believe N685 is somewhat similar to steels like AEB-L or 19C27. I expect it to be easy to sharpen, pretty tough and have decent edge retention, and take a fine edge, similar to G3 or PS60. I am guessing it will be similar to White or blue #2 in terms of sharpening and edge retention. The only stainless steel in the Japanese knife market I don't care for is VG-10. Some makers do a really nice job with the heat treat, but most of the ones I tried were lower end and I just didn't care for it.
If you want the sword, go for it! It does look pretty cool!
I used to get a 8-9# whole salmon at the grocery store and butcher it myself. I used a deba to take the head off and a regular fillet knife (Bark River Kalahari Sportsman with just under a 7" blade length) to break it down and cut into portions. I have longer Suji, but rarely use them for breaking down fish. They work great at slicing roasts, breaking down larger cuts of meat (steaking out muscle groups like when I was butchering deer, cutting a pork loin into chops, carving a turkey, etc) where you want the blade length for a clean cut. The narrower Suji blade works well with less drag than a gyuto going through taller height proteins. Most fish proteins are fairly short height wise (salmon, cod, haddock, fluke, sea bass, snapper, trout are all fairly low height fillets), so even a gyuto would work well. The suji's advantage is you have a longer blade length when trying to slice through the skin in one cut. Longer blade length means you will have more sharp edge to use instead of making multiple passes with a small petty knife!
What part was the petty not handling well and how long was it?
If you want the sword, go for it! It does look pretty cool!
I used to get a 8-9# whole salmon at the grocery store and butcher it myself. I used a deba to take the head off and a regular fillet knife (Bark River Kalahari Sportsman with just under a 7" blade length) to break it down and cut into portions. I have longer Suji, but rarely use them for breaking down fish. They work great at slicing roasts, breaking down larger cuts of meat (steaking out muscle groups like when I was butchering deer, cutting a pork loin into chops, carving a turkey, etc) where you want the blade length for a clean cut. The narrower Suji blade works well with less drag than a gyuto going through taller height proteins. Most fish proteins are fairly short height wise (salmon, cod, haddock, fluke, sea bass, snapper, trout are all fairly low height fillets), so even a gyuto would work well. The suji's advantage is you have a longer blade length when trying to slice through the skin in one cut. Longer blade length means you will have more sharp edge to use instead of making multiple passes with a small petty knife!
What part was the petty not handling well and how long was it?
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Re: Talk me out of a Sujihiki
It's a 150mm petty. I am not sure exactly the problem but I think it was related to being just a little too small and having to make lots of little cuts. I do have a 200mm fillet knife she could try next time. I'll have to find a new excuse for the sword though, haha. Do I even need an excuse?
Sam
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Re: Talk me out of a Sujihiki
No excuse needed, if you have it, you will find a use for it! HAHAHA.
If the petty is dull, it will be a PITA to cut through skin and portion out fish.
If the petty is dull, it will be a PITA to cut through skin and portion out fish.
Re: Talk me out of a Sujihiki
270mm will be best to break down on any fish. 240mm can but sometimes u will feel to short. I only use cheap fujiwara 270mm dimple sujihiki. And work fine. If dull use the steel rod to align it. Then at the end of the week put on the stone. Really easy to sharpen it.
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Re: Talk me out of a Sujihiki
NEVER use a steel rod unless you are using a knife with softer Euro steels or cheap Chinese stuff.
If God wanted me to be a vegetarian he wouldn't have made animals taste so good.
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