Anyone have Japanese chefs knife?

[Captante]

Needs a budget and a style of knife he wants, but I suggested r/chefknives as a great starting place for what brand knife and where to buy it. They have a greater knowledge of more brands at different price points. A good gyuto will start around $150 and go up from there, but I have no idea his budget.

But for a home cook as long as you don't chip it or get it sharpened by someone who doesn't know what they are doing and takes off too much steel, it should last you a lifetime.

IDK.... that "Ginsu" knife set from 25+ years ago says "Japan" right on the blade and as I mentioned it WILL cut nails/metal without being dulled. (just like on the infomercial lol)

Try doing the same with one of my Wusthof or Chicago Cutlery steak knives (which have fancy wood handles and cost 3-4x as much) and it will never be the same.

 

[kage69]

IDK.... that "Ginsu" knife set from 25+ years ago says "Japan" right on the blade and as I mentioned it WILL cut nails/metal without being dulled. (just like on the infomercial lol)

Try doing the same with one of my Wusthof or Chicago Cutlery steak knives (which have fancy wood handles and cost 3-4x as much) and it will never be the same.

You're talking serrations. Are they really shiny but the edge area looks frosted with something less reflective? I've come across cheap imports before like that, they are a very cheap alloy partially coated with a tool carbide to maintain an edge (which slowly comes off). You don't need good steel for serrated knives, they are typically optimized more for corrosion resistance than cutting ability. Every company has their own pattern pretty much, and the performance varies quite a bit. They still go dull though, some a lot faster than others. With the exception of Cutco and some cheap Chinese brands with really fine teeth, they can usually be redone with the edge of a slack belt and/or dogbone ceramic file. Cutcos have to go back.

I have a bunch of Cold Steel steak knives bought around 2002 and I've never sharpened them. They still work for their role, but it's a long way from effortlessly passing my stropped Kramer chef through a huge carrot, leaving two surfaces as flat and smooth as polished marble. I've never come across a steak knife that can pull off the standing roll of paper slice test, but I can do just that with high end steel honed to a 13 - 15 degree angle.

 

[Captante]

You're talking serrations. Are they really shiny but the edge area looks frosted with something less reflective? I've come across cheap imports before like that, they are a very cheap alloy partially coated with a tool carbide to maintain an edge (which slowly comes off). You don't need good steel for serrated knives, they are typically optimized more for corrosion resistance than cutting ability. Every company has their own pattern pretty much, and the performance varies quite a bit. They still go dull though, some a lot faster than others. With the exception of Cutco and some cheap Chinese brands with really fine teeth, they can usually be redone with the edge of a slack belt and/or dogbone ceramic file. Cutcos have to go back.

I have a bunch of Cold Steel steak knives bought around 2002 and I've never sharpened them. They still work for their role, but it's a long way from effortlessly passing my stropped Kramer chef through a huge carrot, leaving two surfaces as flat and smooth as polished marble. I've never come across a steak knife that can pull off the standing roll of paper slice test, but I can do just that with high end steel honed to a 13 - 15 degree angle.

Logically the original Ginsu's should be garbage I understand this .... however as I said they cut stuff easily that would ruin other serrated knives even very expensive ones. (why this is the case just isn't high on my "caring list")

In fact I bought a set of metal handle Ginsu-branded knives from Newegg of all places about 5 years ago based on how great the cheapo's were. The handles are much sturdier but the blades are relative crap.

 

[sdifox]

I still have a few knives left from an original "As seen on TV!" Ginsu knife set I received as a gift many years ago including one in my tool box! (it literally will cut the head off a nail)

The handles were cheapo plastic and had a tendency to snap off right above the blade but they cut better then any other serrated steak knife I own to this day. (figures)

Not mine but these are almost identical: *(from Ebay)

Ginsu knives are American xd

Ginsu - Wikipedia

en.m.wikipedia.org

 

[Kaido]

I cook 5-6 days per week and that entails chopping a boatload of vegetables. I use Wusthof or Henckels knives for everything from chopping vegetables to cutting poultry and beef. Is there any advantage to getting a Japanese knife for chopping vegetables? Is it that much easier?

So, I have weird opinions about knives. I have a very limited, hand-picked set right now. Most are fairly cheap. Normally, for stuff like a Chef's knife, I just recommend Dalstrong knives, which would get me flamed over on /r/chefknives, but they can be purchased right off Amazon & can take a beating! For vegetables, you may like a rocker knife as your next investment:

https://www.amazon.com/DALSTRONG-Vegetable-Knives-Damascus-Japanese/dp/B07G9TK3QV

A lot of it has to do with usage purpose, personal budget, and preference. I've gone through a few knives over the years. Like 95% of the time, I use a 9.5" Chef's knife. For the past year, my main knife has been an 8.3oz Gyuto (BEEF SWORD!!). It's White #1 steel, which isn't as strong as other knives, but it's really crazy sharp & I can be as precise as I want with it. Preference plays a big part too. Like, I don't like Shun knives because I don't like the metal handle, but my buddy LOVES his set & uses them daily! I like my current Chef's knife because it's stupid sharp & extremely lightweight. I don't have to chop because it's so sharp, so I can work methodically with it. Plus I think it looks awesome lol:



I only have a few other knives: a cheapo filet knife, mostly for cleaning up chicken cartilage. A cheapie paring knife, which I use rarely, only when I need to do something fairly small. Some Zyliss spreader knives, which are amazing. A Victorinox offset bread knife, which is amazing & way better than bread knives 2x or 3x the cost. I also have a set of cheap plastic cutting mats & that's it, I don't like having to lug out & clean anything else lol. I think maybe one or two other knives, but most of the time I use my chef's knife & then use like the bread knife for bagels & stuff.

I grew up with like, butter knifes. We had some kind of cheap, crappy block set & the butter knives were better than they were lol. One of the things that I didn't appreciate until I got older was the value of having good tools in your kitchen...it literally makes the work more fun, more enjoyable, and more approachable, particularly if you do the research & have the funds to buy stuff that personally tickles you, because then it's not just good equipment but's YOUR choice of good equipment, so now you have a highly-optimized system to live & work in! Oddly enough, my massive collection of kitchen tools has dwindled over the years as I've gotten things more dialed in...I mostly use my knife above, along with the Instant Pot, Anova Precision Oven, and a couple other tools for the bulk of my kitchen nonsense. The right tools can make a BIG difference in both enjoyment & output! Crappy knives are a barrier in ANY kitchen & was something I just didn't appreciate until I got some decent equipment haha!

 

[Captante]

Ginsu knives are American xd

Ginsu - Wikipedia

en.m.wikipedia.org

However they still have "Japan" stamped on the blade. (AND will cut through nails or the side of a PC case)

Not like I paid anything for them anyway.

 

[Moonbeam]

Kitchen Knives Handcrafted in Japan | Shun Cutlery

Incredibly sharp edges and unmatched aesthetics set Shun kitchen knives apart. Every Shun requires at least 100 handcrafted steps to complete. Stunning beauty, top performance.

shun.kaiusa.com

Read carefully. I saw something about factory defects in one I cLicked on.

Kitchen Knives Handcrafted in Japan | Shun Cutlery

Incredibly sharp edges and unmatched aesthetics set Shun kitchen knives apart. Every Shun requires at least 100 handcrafted steps to complete. Stunning beauty, top performance.

shun.kaiusa.com

I have a set of about 8 Shun knives in my house in Sacramento I left for two people I support who now live there. It was going to be my man cave.