What to buy when you don't need anything?

So with the cleaver collection whittled down to 2 workhorses (plus a drawer queen), a new petty and a gyuto on the way I think my kit is basically where it needs to be. I don't have a slicer, but I've never used them in the past when I've owned them so I feel it's kind of a wasted purchase. A deba is the only thing I feel I'm really missing from my kit, but I plan to order one soon, so that's pretty much sorted.

So with that said, I was thinking on picking up something just for the hell of it. Something that's just fun to use and play about with, if it gets used at work that's a bonus but not really a concern. I was thinking either a Garisuke (sp?) or Takohiki as they're both styles that have interested me in the past, plus the garisuke would likely see some action at work. Alternatively, picking up another usuba or yanagi. Enjoyed using them in the past, but found it hard to justify hanging on to them.

So, if you were going to buy a knife for the sake of it, what would you get?

Cheers,
Josh

maybe get some new fancy custom handles, or start trying out jnats?

something from SpikeC

Gotta say, I'm actually a fan of basic handles. Perhaps if anyone knows of someone able to do rehandles down this way, I'd consider it. Otherwise it gets a bit excessive to send my knives over to the US for a rehandle. Stones are a good idea though, been thinking about picking up a new mid range stone and I need a new flattening stone anyway.

I'd been keen to have a play with a straight razor, I just prefer having a beard to being clean shaven :dontknow:

Sold something first

That 330 suji Marco is planning:viking:

I think I would go usuba and practice a lot with it. Try making some sayas yourself...that will teach you to appreciate other peoples work...i dunno.

different types of knives dont really interest me, where as i would gladly try any top flight gyuto i can get my hands on..

I have a "vintage" masamoto 330mm honyaki Takohiki if you're interested in going down that path, let me know, I'll do you a good deal

maybe a new board? btw what petty did you get?

Actually got a new board on the way too :doublethumbsup: . Picked up a Sugimoto HM petty with the cleaver, part of their basic carbon steel range. Handle is really nice and F+F is good; sharp ootb but it's just a pretty wide, rough bevel on one side, needs a bit of polishing but that's cool with me.

I have a "vintage" masamoto 330mm honyaki Takohiki if you're interested in going down that path, let me know, I'll do you a good deal

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I'll keep it in mind, might be a touch big though. What's the condition like?

Cheers,
Josh

Sugimoto's western handles are nice. Actually Sugimotos are cool, period.

Wonder if the SHM is a big upgrade? I've never seen anyone say anything about them.

Curious which 3 cleavers you kept?

I like Son's suggestion--Spike's pettysuki(?) that he just recently sold looks like a useful little beast.

Cheers

Lay your hands off my pettysuki!

how is that thing pavel?

How about a kiritsuke? Not the kensaki-tipped yanagis or the kiritsuke-gyutos, but a proper kiritsuke yanagi-usuba hybrid

What about a nice EDC? Rader has some AEB-L neckers that are supposed to come up pretty soon.

You could also get into fixing things up. Get an old Sabatier or Forgecraft and make it awesome. But not everyone likes fix-em-ups ad much as I do, so I wouldn't go straight out and buy a $3000 grinder. Start off simple and small to see if its for you.
-Mike

Kept the Fujiwara Teruyasu, Takeshi Saji and the new Sugimoto OMS#6. The Fujiwara is basically a #7 and the Saji stays at home so I'm well covered. The only other cleaver on the market I'd be keen to try is the Mizuno carbon. I was eager to try a Takeda, but I'm now convinced wa handles on cleavers just aren't for me.

I'm definitely considering the single bevel path. I never used them much when I had them, but I enjoyed having them around and they just look so freaking cool. I'd be interested to properly explore the nuisances of properly sharpening and looking after single bevels too.

Maybe some new books or pots and pans. Too many options, not enough money :dazed:

youve clearly used alot of cleavers...what is it about mizuno carbon that would make you curious?

I think Mizuno are one of those companies that have always had a certain appeal to me. Hard to quantify, just always thought their products looked great. I recall the carbon cleaver in particular getting great feedback from Andy and Curtis back in the day. I think they both mentioned that they felt the steel was some of the best they'd ever used on a cleaver, which is pretty high praise, especially from Andy, who's probably used every cleaver worth using.

Over the past few years, Andy's advice, to improve a cleaver, is to rehandle it. Fish pioneered a handle, that has a nice grove for fingers, and then rounds out, with a butt cap. Examples can be seen in the Fish thread. Andy has continued to refine the design.

Andy kept telling me, that it was amazing, how much a rehandle could improve the performance of a knife. While I appreciate custom handles, knives are tools and meant to be used. I don't want to be so concerned about a knife, that it distracts from my cooking.

Andy offered to rehandle a knife, at a very reasonable price. Being curious, I sent him a Mizuno. I got back a knife with a great looking handle, that is very comfortable to use. Andy also reworked the choil, so that the curve of the handle flowed into the choil. A nice touch that made the knife even more comfortable. In addition Andy rounded the choil and spine. It ended up being a rehandle and spa treatment.

The Mizuno has a similar feel to the Hattori FH in agility. Both have a heavy handle, so the center of balance is moved back.

The Mizuno is surprisingly light for being such a big knife. The advantage of the steel, is its edge retention. It just keeps going and going. The steel is hard, so it took a number of sessions on the stones, before the edge was cutting well.

The more I use the Mizuno, the more I appreciate the belly. It seems to help finish the cut.

Jay

Stones / sharpening gear? Upgraded transportation or storage system?

I've also been toying with the straight razor idea for years and am in the exact same position of realizing that I don't actually WANT to shave off my beard; I just want an excuse to play with more sharp things. Maybe I'll give the legs another try.... does feel pretty awesome in fresh sheets...

I know this is going to sound self-righteous, but if you truly don't need anything, maybe donate some money to help relief efforts in the Philippines? You could save a lot of lives. Just a suggestion.

I've been in these situations before and I usually ended up buying something "different", but would end up selling it a few months later because it would receive little to no use.

6 years later and I've tried most knife patterns with some multiple examples.

Now, if I have some disposable income and I feel like spending it on a knife I stick to the patterns I know, use and like i.e. chef/gyuto, paring and bread.

It's too easy to say, "oh look! I don't own a suji, cleaver or yanagiba" but what I've found in practice is that for example maybe the suji is theoretically a better slicer than a chef's knife, but am I going to pull out a 12" slicer in the middle of prep and dirty up another knife just so I can make one to a few cuts when my chef's knife will do just as good of a job with respect to the end result?

The good news is you can still buy many knives (if that's your thing), and those knives will actually get used if you stick to the patterns you know you like.

Great advise Canadian! Single Bevel knives are for single bevel work only. IMHO

Canadian said:

I've been in these situations before and I usually ended up buying something "different", but would end up selling it a few months later because it would receive little to no use.

6 years later and I've tried most knife patterns with some multiple examples.

Now, if I have some disposable income and I feel like spending it on a knife I stick to the patterns I know, use and like i.e. chef/gyuto, paring and bread.

It's too easy to say, "oh look! I don't own a suji, cleaver or yanagiba" but what I've found in practice is that for example maybe the suji is theoretically a better slicer than a chef's knife, but am I going to pull out a 12" slicer in the middle of prep and dirty up another knife just so I can make one to a few cuts when my chef's knife will do just as good of a job with respect to the end result?

The good news is you can still buy many knives (if that's your thing), and those knives will actually get used if you stick to the patterns you know you like.

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But how do you know if you'll like a 12" slicer until you use one! I'm glad I have one.

bahamaroot said:

But how do you know if you'll like a 12" slicer until you use one! I'm glad I have one.

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Oh I have owned one, and a few ten inchers. I just find them to be a one trick pony, and redundant with a gyuto around.

Canadian said:

Oh I have owned one, and a few ten inchers. I just find them to be a one trick pony, and redundant with a gyuto around.

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You have but what about that person that hasn't. Somebody must like them or nobody would make them.

bahamaroot said:

You have but what about that person that hasn't. Somebody must like them or nobody would make them.

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Absolutely. I'm not saying they don't excel at what they do. Precisely the opposite. They are a one trick pony and for me to pull one out to "slice" something that my gyuto will slice equally well is kind of redundant--particularly when my gyuto is already out. There are those rare exceptions of course.

There is one occasion where I use a slicer almost exclusively and that's when I am portioning large cuts of meat/game for the deepfreeze, but it's a different than the typical "suji" pattern we see here.