jazzybadger
Active Member
- Joined
- Jan 13, 2013
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What type of knife(s) do you think you want? I am looking at a 10 1/2" Gyuto in the end.
Why is it being purchased? What, if anything, are you replacing? It's being purchased because I currently have a Chicago Cutlery knife set that I've owned for about five years now, and really in the end the one I use the most out of that is my Chef's Knife. I have some Forschner knives as well, but I am content with them for the time being. Since most of my food prep is done with the Chef's Knife I wish to upgrade that one first to a 'fancy knife.'
What do you like and dislike about these qualities of your knives already? When I first got the Chicago Cutlery knives I enjoyed them very much. Their edge retention didn't impress me whatsoever though, and the difference between them and my Forschner knives were night and day, and so I figure I might as well put in some good money into the knife I use most often, be completely blown away, and begin a new addiction. I gave up soda after all.
Aesthetics- Don't really care about aesthetics in the end, I want functionality.
Edge Quality/Retention- This is what I'd like most of all out of my new knife, I wish to get a good edge, and a knife that keeps that edge.
Ease of Use- I don't really understand this question, but for what it's worth I would like something that gets the job done, but I'm not too terribly worried about food letting go of the knife in the end if that's what this is asking. It would be nice, but I've been dealing with food sticking to my knives for years.
Comfort- My C.C. set is currently pretty uncomfortable in the end when I first started using it, but I adapted to it and have no issues with them now. I figure I can do the same thing with any new knife I purchase.
What grip do you use? Pinch grip almost always.
What kind of cutting motion do you use? Push cut by and large, but I also do the rocking method on shallow cuts. Celery and the like.
Where do you store them? Knife block, and a drawer knife holder. I also have some in their own separate drawer on the... rubber grippy stuff I lined that drawer with. Mostly the cheapo ones (yes, even cheaper than the C.C. stuff!) that the boys use for making their ants on a log and the like.
Have you ever oiled a handle? Never not once.
What kind of cutting board(s) do you use? Plastic/Rubber.
For edge maintenance, do you use a strop, honing rod, pull through/other, or nothing? Right now a pull through, but I am also looking at whetstones which will be a part of this request of knowledge.
Have they ever been sharpened? Beyond the pull through no.
What is your budget? 100-150 bucks for the knives, about 200 for the whetstones. In the end I can always have either of these budgets flex a bit if it gets me what I want.
What do you cook and how often? I cook a lot of different things. Lot of raw food prep, but only in a home kitchen setting. I cook multiple times everyday, at least four times a day. We are a family of eight, and I don't buy pre-cut or pre-mixed anything, so I do a LOT of knife work in the end. I make almost everything from scratch.
Special requests(Country of origin/type of wood/etc)? None really.
Okay, now as far as it all goes I've been looking at buying some knives for awhile now. I asked a fella whose opinion I respect a great deal on another forum to get me on the right track for knife purchases. He recommended to me at that time with my price point I should look into the Fujiwara brand of knives. My price point has changed recently and I can invest more money into them so I come to you to ask about these things now! I am really drawn to the idea of carbon steel, but my concern is that a lot of the cutting I do revolves around tomatoes and onions. My family and I love these freaking things, so they're in a LOT of my recipes along with citrus fruits and the like. I am looking for something that will either develop a patina, or reduce the amount of reaction that occurs. I have no issues with wiping down my blades. Since I started planning on this upgrade process I have begun wiping down my own knives between cutting, and every so often when cutting large amounts of veggies just to get into the habit of doing this. Better knives need better habits, so on and so forth. I've read here that some carbon takes patinas and reacts less over time much better than other brands. If I need to provide any additional information I will be glad to do so.
Now while I have this thread going I would also like to ask about whetstones. I have been digging through this site and honestly feel that my best bet is to go with the Gesshin Stones. I can flex a bit on my price point with the stones in the end, I'd much rather get good quality early on and get what I need. From what I've read since I am a newbie to this whole sharpening thing my best bet is to get a 2k Grit to start. Is this correct? I was also planning on buying the diamond lapping stone from J.K.I. as well. My oZzie friend from the other forum says lapping is for noobs, but well.. I am a freaking noob so I'm content with that, plus from what I've read I can also use that lapping stone for shaping knives and the like much further down the road when I can manage such things. Is there anything else I should get regarding whetstones right now? I do plan on getting the hang of this, and so I do plan on getting more stones down the line that have a higher grit and the like, but is this plan good for the immediate future, or should I plan on more?
Sorry for the long winded post, I am a fan of word salad.. it is a weakness o' mine. I appreciate any and all help/advice that is headed my way.
Why is it being purchased? What, if anything, are you replacing? It's being purchased because I currently have a Chicago Cutlery knife set that I've owned for about five years now, and really in the end the one I use the most out of that is my Chef's Knife. I have some Forschner knives as well, but I am content with them for the time being. Since most of my food prep is done with the Chef's Knife I wish to upgrade that one first to a 'fancy knife.'
What do you like and dislike about these qualities of your knives already? When I first got the Chicago Cutlery knives I enjoyed them very much. Their edge retention didn't impress me whatsoever though, and the difference between them and my Forschner knives were night and day, and so I figure I might as well put in some good money into the knife I use most often, be completely blown away, and begin a new addiction. I gave up soda after all.
Aesthetics- Don't really care about aesthetics in the end, I want functionality.
Edge Quality/Retention- This is what I'd like most of all out of my new knife, I wish to get a good edge, and a knife that keeps that edge.
Ease of Use- I don't really understand this question, but for what it's worth I would like something that gets the job done, but I'm not too terribly worried about food letting go of the knife in the end if that's what this is asking. It would be nice, but I've been dealing with food sticking to my knives for years.
Comfort- My C.C. set is currently pretty uncomfortable in the end when I first started using it, but I adapted to it and have no issues with them now. I figure I can do the same thing with any new knife I purchase.
What grip do you use? Pinch grip almost always.
What kind of cutting motion do you use? Push cut by and large, but I also do the rocking method on shallow cuts. Celery and the like.
Where do you store them? Knife block, and a drawer knife holder. I also have some in their own separate drawer on the... rubber grippy stuff I lined that drawer with. Mostly the cheapo ones (yes, even cheaper than the C.C. stuff!) that the boys use for making their ants on a log and the like.
Have you ever oiled a handle? Never not once.
What kind of cutting board(s) do you use? Plastic/Rubber.
For edge maintenance, do you use a strop, honing rod, pull through/other, or nothing? Right now a pull through, but I am also looking at whetstones which will be a part of this request of knowledge.
Have they ever been sharpened? Beyond the pull through no.
What is your budget? 100-150 bucks for the knives, about 200 for the whetstones. In the end I can always have either of these budgets flex a bit if it gets me what I want.
What do you cook and how often? I cook a lot of different things. Lot of raw food prep, but only in a home kitchen setting. I cook multiple times everyday, at least four times a day. We are a family of eight, and I don't buy pre-cut or pre-mixed anything, so I do a LOT of knife work in the end. I make almost everything from scratch.
Special requests(Country of origin/type of wood/etc)? None really.
Okay, now as far as it all goes I've been looking at buying some knives for awhile now. I asked a fella whose opinion I respect a great deal on another forum to get me on the right track for knife purchases. He recommended to me at that time with my price point I should look into the Fujiwara brand of knives. My price point has changed recently and I can invest more money into them so I come to you to ask about these things now! I am really drawn to the idea of carbon steel, but my concern is that a lot of the cutting I do revolves around tomatoes and onions. My family and I love these freaking things, so they're in a LOT of my recipes along with citrus fruits and the like. I am looking for something that will either develop a patina, or reduce the amount of reaction that occurs. I have no issues with wiping down my blades. Since I started planning on this upgrade process I have begun wiping down my own knives between cutting, and every so often when cutting large amounts of veggies just to get into the habit of doing this. Better knives need better habits, so on and so forth. I've read here that some carbon takes patinas and reacts less over time much better than other brands. If I need to provide any additional information I will be glad to do so.
Now while I have this thread going I would also like to ask about whetstones. I have been digging through this site and honestly feel that my best bet is to go with the Gesshin Stones. I can flex a bit on my price point with the stones in the end, I'd much rather get good quality early on and get what I need. From what I've read since I am a newbie to this whole sharpening thing my best bet is to get a 2k Grit to start. Is this correct? I was also planning on buying the diamond lapping stone from J.K.I. as well. My oZzie friend from the other forum says lapping is for noobs, but well.. I am a freaking noob so I'm content with that, plus from what I've read I can also use that lapping stone for shaping knives and the like much further down the road when I can manage such things. Is there anything else I should get regarding whetstones right now? I do plan on getting the hang of this, and so I do plan on getting more stones down the line that have a higher grit and the like, but is this plan good for the immediate future, or should I plan on more?
Sorry for the long winded post, I am a fan of word salad.. it is a weakness o' mine. I appreciate any and all help/advice that is headed my way.