Conquering the Usuba - help/advice much appreciated!

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apathetic

apathetic

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So I got a new Usuba recently and have just tested it on a cucumber. Am I being over cautious? :lol2:

Anyway, it was a great experience! This thing glides through it as if it was going through air! If anything it brought quite a few questions/observations:

- Is there any point in trying out/getting a Nakiri if you learn how to use the Usuba?
- Any tips ion learning Katsura muki? How to get started, videos, etc...
- I didn't feel any steering on this first attempt, is it because of the way I was cutting?
- This thing can make paper thin cuts, I am going to cut crisps/chips with it next! :hungry:

So far great first experience and I am looking forward to see how far this will take me. The Usuba is perfectly sharpened and in shirogami.
 
Thanks for starting this thread. I've had mine for a few months, and even with a slight warp it cuts wonderfully. And it is heavy! I'd like to know what it's really for.
 
The edge on an usuba is very sharp yet delicate. It is for making slow and precise veg cuts. This is not a "bang bang bang bang bang" on the cutting board type of knife.
I also love nakiris too. The edge can be a little tougher on a nakiri and you will not notice much steering when cutting through larger/and/or harder vegetables.
Good luck on Katsuramuki it's quite a difficult skill (IMHO)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2MT7PRopK08&list=PL8FA659765DC4698E
This is a Japanese knife society vid.
Google it man!, There are a few others out there.


In summation:
Take it slow, don't chip it!
And try not to cut yourself(too much)!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
 
Unfortunately I've given up on the usuba and I say unfortunately because I really like how they look. I don't need it for the intricate work it can do and like many others I find the edge a little finicky. I prefer a nakiri or even a laser santoku for light veg work. The one usuba I have last has been designated as my experimental single bevel finish knife. :(
 
In this video they really make it look easy. Going to have fun with carrots tomorrow :lol2:
As far as I get it, this is definitely not a knife to use to dice onions, unless you need them to be just perfect, correct?
Katsuramuki is definitely a daunting skill to learn, but that makes it all the more fun to at least attempt it :)
As for cutting myself, I will pray to the knife gods to protect me during this quest :knight:

@tripleq: I can see where you're coming from.


knyfeknerd said:
The edge on an usuba is very sharp yet delicate. It is for making slow and precise veg cuts. This is not a "bang bang bang bang bang" on the cutting board type of knife.
I also love nakiris too. The edge can be a little tougher on a nakiri and you will not notice much steering when cutting through larger/and/or harder vegetables.
Good luck on Katsuramuki it's quite a difficult skill (IMHO)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2MT7PRopK08&list=PL8FA659765DC4698E
This is a Japanese knife society vid.
Google it man!, There are a few others out there.


In summation:
Take it slow, don't chip it!
And try not to cut yourself(too much)!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Click to expand...
 
Japanese kitchen knives: Essential techniques and recipes. Excellent book.

Sent from my HTC Sensation using Tapatalk
 
FWIW I was advised to learn/practice with cukes and dakon rather than carrots. Water content varies so much in carrots that every one is a new adventure.
 
quantumcloud509 said:
hm. A knife and a book i didnt need until this thread popped up. nice. thanks guys!
Click to expand...

You're most welcome :lol2:
The guy on the second video you posted is really impressive!!

@daveb: thanks for the tip, will get some daikon and cucumber to practice as well!
 
I used some longish red radishes for my first practice. The red was a useful guide, once I determined it wasn't my blood. Never got them translucent.
 
I've used red radish as well, and I would stay away from carrots; they are just too hard. Cucumber worked well though I am still not super good at it. If you feel the knife binding, stop. If you don't, it will push through and hit your thumb. A two inch rather than larger will help in the early stages and I found that the first pass is the most difficult when you are trying to create a better cylinder.
 
Thanks for all the advice, it has proven very useful.

My first attempt yesterday was not... stellar, but it was a first step :)
I must admit it is actually quite scary to see that usuba gliding through the cucumber towards my thumb... :scared2:
Kind of like a shark gliding in the waters towards you, maybe next time I'll do Katsuramuki with Jaws music in the background :lol2:

That being said I managed to have a long enough strip to cut ot roll, but I would definitely not call it even. Will keep practicing!
 
Remember to move the blade toward and away from you and use your left hand to move/roll the food material toward the blade. That gives you control over the rate at which the edge moves towards your thumb :)
 
I don't know why everyone thinks this is so hard. All you have to do is this.....
[video=youtube;JjRUrkouudQ]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JjRUrkouudQ[/video]

Not even using an usuba. Easy.
 
ThEoRy said:
Not even using an usuba. Easy.
Click to expand...

like-a-boss-beaker-muppet-6bYEbW.jpg
 
Thanks, that helped boost my confidence :)
Still practicing.

echerub said:
Remember to move the blade toward and away from you and use your left hand to move/roll the food material toward the blade. That gives you control over the rate at which the edge moves towards your thumb :)
Click to expand...

@ThEoRy: Great video, tried that with a gyuto and was surprised at how well it went. Far from what you see in the video but still not so bad for a first attempt. Thanks for sharing!
 
Awesome thread: some great videos here both old and new faves.

As knyfeknerd already mentioned though usaba and nakiri are actually fairly different knives.
The usaba is far more specialized and while it excels at making very thin slices / shavings of veg, it's single bevel construction makes it less efficient at cutting thicker sections, especially of harder veg.

The double bevel design of the nakiri means that the edge can be stronger, but the over-all thickness thinner so it will wedge and steer less in harder veg. It's also better suited to faster work and more of an all-rounder. You could pretty easily substitute a large nakiri for a small gyuto, but it would be pretty painful (for both you and the knife) to do the same with a nakiri. I think of a nakiri as being more like a small chukabocho (slicing cleaver) than like a usaba.

Another nice thing about nakiri's is that if you don't care about cosmetics or putting in a little elbow grease, you can get a pretty good one for pretty cheap (sub $100). This is a totally rational justification for getting another knife :goodevil:
 
Thanks! Just the excuse I needed to get a nakiri :lol2:

Justin0505 said:
Awesome thread: some great videos here both old and new faves.

As knyfeknerd already mentioned though usaba and nakiri are actually fairly different knives.
The usaba is far more specialized and while it excels at making very thin slices / shavings of veg, it's single bevel construction makes it less efficient at cutting thicker sections, especially of harder veg.

The double bevel design of the nakiri means that the edge can be stronger, but the over-all thickness thinner so it will wedge and steer less in harder veg. It's also better suited to faster work and more of an all-rounder. You could pretty easily substitute a large nakiri for a small gyuto, but it would be pretty painful (for both you and the knife) to do the same with a nakiri. I think of a nakiri as being more like a small chukabocho (slicing cleaver) than like a usaba.

Another nice thing about nakiri's is that if you don't care about cosmetics or putting in a little elbow grease, you can get a pretty good one for pretty cheap (sub $100). This is a totally rational justification for getting another knife :goodevil:
Click to expand...
 
i have recently obtained an usuba and i have owned my shigefusa nikiri for quite some time now. I use the usuba for katsuramuki and thats pretty much it. the nikiri can grind out any vegetable task. if you are not looking for a task specific knife then do not get an usuba. It is made for extremely thin cuts and that is about it. The nikiri can be a workhorse and also do very delicate veggie cuts at the same time. I would recommend a nikiri as a house knife, and an usuba as a personal knife for a very specific task. a house knife, anyone can use and appreciate, is something amazing in itself. While an usuba is something that you keep for you own and use strictly for yourself in very specific tasks. these knives may be similar in shape and size. but they will never be equals.
 
Thanks for the explanation. I actually got the usuba as I was curious about katsuramuki and also how it behaves. Good point on personal knives, although for now I'm lucky enough to be able to keep my knives off limits to everybody. My gf is still afraid of them although she certainly doesn't mind what they can produce ;)



Brad Gibson said:
i have recently obtained an usuba and i have owned my shigefusa nikiri for quite some time now. I use the usuba for katsuramuki and thats pretty much it. the nikiri can grind out any vegetable task. if you are not looking for a task specific knife then do not get an usuba. It is made for extremely thin cuts and that is about it. The nikiri can be a workhorse and also do very delicate veggie cuts at the same time. I would recommend a nikiri as a house knife, and an usuba as a personal knife for a very specific task. a house knife, anyone can use and appreciate, is something amazing in itself. While an usuba is something that you keep for you own and use strictly for yourself in very specific tasks. these knives may be similar in shape and size. but they will never be equals.
Click to expand...
 
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