Chef Knives

making the world a great leader of the knives?

I do not want the weekend of the opinion of the leader is …. Professionally this is the world’s most absolute elite and sought after knives head? THE BEST!

Nobody does it better. Sorry:) I do not want to choose a Kitchen Knife, because it uses some head. But if you want the trend today, then Nenohi Nenox knives are used by lots of iron heads, starting with Morimoto. But they are not the best, or perhaps more accurately there are other knives that cut better and last longer or have something better elsewhere. The same Morimoto uses these knives Nenox only during the show. It has lots of Japanese knives from other manufacturers, as Aritsugu, Masamoto and dunno who else. My opinion (a collector of knives, and frankly, I’d trust very few heads of Choice Knife) Kitchen Knives more “efficient” are made by Japanese officials – Masamoto, Shigefusa, Aritsugu, Watanabe, Tadatsune, Hattori to name a few. They are more expensive than the basic knives West but compared to the lines of Wusthof and Henckels premium they are not very or sometimes cheaper. As regards the cut goes, Japanese knives cut much better. It Nenox is not cheap, head knife 240mm (Gyuto) can go up $ 600-800. Aritsugus Very good and Watanabe are much cheaper and better results, even if they seem less fanciful. Hattory KD line is over $ 1000 room for the largest up to 2K. I saw German kitchen knives tailor prices well beyond $ 1,000, the yield is far much Japanese knives, but you look pretty. Phil Wilson is exceptionally good kitchen knives, also custom. You can get Top Notch Custom Japanese kitchen knives for 1000 or more if you want … performance difference will be that much compared to, say 300-400 $ Knife. Are you tempted to buy? If so, there many questions you need answer:) The best is whatever works best for you, after all. Check this link for some info on kitchen knives and choices – zknives.com/knives/kitchen/misc/articles/kkchoser/index.shtml PS Regarding the cup goes, Japanese kitchen knives to cut German (and any kitchen knife in the West) on several occasions. They cut better quality and they are the sharpest. I have owned two and enough sharpening too. Simple facts – Knife through the western edge is 45-50 degrees. Japanese chef’s knife through – 20-30deg. Much thinner, thus cutting a lot better. Average steel is hardened to the West 54-56HRC on the Rockwell scale. Average 62HRC Japanese kitchen knife and more. quality parts to go 64-67HRC. Because Japanese knife metal disk can hold much thinner than the softer edges Western knives. I have a little on the edges 8-10 degrees, 4 times thinner from the edge of the plant on the western knives, which is thinner than razor.

Okay, so this is a flying tour. a few suggestions:

1. If you are a food tourist even slightly, you will almost certainly be visiting Tsukiji fish market in Tokyo. after the auctions and such finish, you can stop by Aritsugu Tokyo or Masamoto Tsukiji, whose shops are in the market. there are a few others, but these are the most famous. Aritsugu Tokyo has excellent prices and service, and highly respected knives.

2. in Kyoto, you will probably visit Nishiki Market, in which you will find Aritsugu Kyoto (no connection with the Tokyo branch since the mid 1920s, incidentally). Their service is wonderful, their knives are very good, and their prices are very high.

3. The only other place I know much about knife shopping is in Osaka, and I think is rather a waste of time, in the sense that it’s not someplace you’d otherwise consider visiting, and it’s kind of dirty and blah. Kappabashi in Tokyo is somewhat similar: you’re not likely to visit for other reasons, so skip it.

4. I would very, very strongly recommend against buying an usuba. It is perhaps the most irritating knife design you’d ever use, and it does not cut or handle the same way as any other knife. I do not think it is worth the investment of money and time that it would take, unless (a) you are a vegetarian or very close to it, and (b) you want this knife to be a major hobby unto itself. I would instead recommend purchasing a 240mm or 270mm gyuto, which is basically a Japanese-made chef’s knife. If you want something cool, buy a wa-gyuto, which means a gyuto with a Japanese-style handle, which looks great and makes very little difference — certainly nothing negative — when actually using the thing.

Aritsugu Tokyo makes these wa-gyuto’s primarily in their A-style, which means a semi-stainless steel that is notoriously tough; while hard-core enthusiasts generally think the knife is a little thick, I doubt very much that you will find much to object to here. The prices on the A-style knives are all very good, and those things withstand frightening abuse, so you don’t have to baby it. Of all the many and varied options available to you at this point, that would be at the top of my list.

The obvious alternative to a gyuto is a yanagiba, i.e. a slicing knife, but that will be considerably more expensive and less useful.

Aritsugu Tokyo, A-style wa-gyuto, 270mm — list price Y14,000

Aritsugu Tokyo, bottom of the line baseline yanagiba, 300mm — list price Y18,000 (they do make a cheaper A-style yanagiba, but the experts all seem to agree that this is not a good idea — I can’t really comment, personally)

If these prices seem very high, get used to it. I assure you, those are terrific prices; most places will be a good bit more.

Remember to keep your receipts so you get the taxes back!