Without an all-rounder like a Gyuto

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TaJ

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I'd like to know if it can be feasible and efficient to prepare non-Japanese kinds of cuisine with a set of Japanese (mostly single bevel) knives without the heavy use of some sort of all-rounder. If so, is anyone of you doing so?

Cheers!
 
Certain regions of Japan traditionally produce double bevel knives. Jon carries some knives like this from the Tosa region (Zakuri). There are a few knives like the sabaki, tosa knife and thinner debas that supplanted my gyutos for primary use long ago. I also did a good long stretch using a sujihiki for just about everything. I think a western kitchen really benefits from a heavier use general purpose knife but it doesn't have to be a gyuto.
 
I'd like to know if it can be feasible and efficient to prepare non-Japanese kinds of cuisine with a set of Japanese (mostly single bevel) knives without the heavy use of some sort of all-rounder. If so, is anyone of you doing so?

Cheers!

I did it for a while as a sort of an experiment. it takes some getting used to and you really get to know your knives. but I wouldn't recommend it unless you have some real commitment/reason for doing it. I certainly would not do this in a commercial environ.
 
tripleq, interesting. With Tosa knife do you mean the 'Tosagata Bocho'? If so do you use it as your go-to knife when the task does not demand a more specialized one? Looks like a nice type of knife for me as well for when i don't want to use a big 270mm Gyuto. Also, the relatively flat profile looks like it'd help me push cutting vegetables. I wonder if an Usuba (square) would be similar in handling and could be used for the odd non-vegetable task as well.

Hbeernink, i see, so it's possible to do so, but in the end an all-round knife of some sort seems to be more practical.
 
Hbeernink, i see, so it's possible to do so, but in the end an all-round knife of some sort seems to be more practical.

Certainly possible. They make 210 gyutos and even shorter santoku that work really well for all around stuf if you don't want a big double bevel, but I would actually say that a double bevel is really a good thing. Something like a nakiri will be good for veg when you don't need a sharp tip- and it doesn't feel like a gyuto.

Is there a particular reason you're looking to do single bevel only?
 
Completely unfeasible. 100% insanity. Every single kitchen must contain not one gyuto, rather no less than three. Six to ten is advisable. Ten or more may border overkill, but just slightly.
 
Phew! I just picked up my third. No wonder I was feeling so inadequate.
 
Completely unfeasible. 100% insanity. Every single kitchen must contain not one gyuto, rather no less than three. Six to ten is advisable. Ten or more may border overkill, but just slightly.

Well I have 7 if it means anything.... (And that's not including the western chef's knives)
 
Ya, three seems to be the lower limit for someone who is able to restrain oneself pretty well. And only if one gives away the surplus ones though.
:knife:

I was not looking to do single bevel only, sorry if it was understood this way. It was more about using more specialized japanese knifes, also double bevel like paring knives or slicers.

Since i'm only cooking at home when i can take my sweet time and don't have to worry about carrying the knives, i was wondering if there might be advantages using more specialized knifes most of the time.
 
It took real bravery to admit that. Thank you for sharing such a private and intimate truth.

This is usually the point where JohnnyChance chimes in and calls me an idiot for selling my Kato. THE one and only knife I regret selling. And I've sold quite a few in the last year. Including an ITK.
 
so, it was you selling that Kato :laughat:

Sorry. :angel2:
 
Ya, three seems to be the lower limit for someone who is able to restrain oneself pretty well. And only if one gives away the surplus ones though.
:knife:

I was not looking to do single bevel only, sorry if it was understood this way. It was more about using more specialized japanese knifes, also double bevel like paring knives or slicers.

Since i'm only cooking at home when i can take my sweet time and don't have to worry about carrying the knives, i was wondering if there might be advantages using more specialized knifes most of the time.

The specialized stuff is just that. Do you need it to produce 'traditional' Japanese cuisine? No. Will it make your life easier in some regards to own 7 knives that are highly specialized? Yes. Do you ever need an excuse to buy more knives? NO
 
One thought that crossed my mind was, given a Paring knife, a Sujihiki, a Honesuki, a Deba, a Yanagiba and some sort of Usuba are easy to reach on a mag bar in the kitchen, what food to cut would make you reach for a Gyuto? I can think of thicker cuts for some veggies but not much more right now. Maybe i'm wrong in thinking that i'd use an Usuba as the standard knife for vegetables (i don't own one yet).
 
One thought that crossed my mind was, given a Paring knife, a Sujihiki, a Honesuki, a Deba, a Yanagiba and some sort of Usuba are easy to reach on a mag bar in the kitchen, what food to cut would make you reach for a Gyuto? I can think of thicker cuts for some veggies but not much more right now. Maybe i'm wrong in thinking that i'd use an Usuba as the standard knife for vegetables (i don't own one yet).

Oh ok- so you're really asking if having "specialized knives" is ok. Absolutely - I have knives that I only use for one thing, about 2-3 times per year. Yet I love them dearly
 
I'm of the mindset that given time, and a good gyuto, you can be just as proficient with that one good gyuto as all the other knives(in regards to their specialization). It's definitely more fun to have all of those other knives... Hell, I've supremed blood oranges with a Giant CCK cleaver before:nunchucks:
 
Oh ok- so you're really asking if having "specialized knives" is ok. Absolutely - I have knives that I only use for one thing, about 2-3 times per year. Yet I love them dearly

Yes and if that would make people using them instead of reaching for the all-rounder mostly.
 
Double post, but the edit time limit was reached.

I'm of the mindset that given time, and a good gyuto, you can be just as proficient with that one good gyuto as all the other knives(in regards to their specialization). It's definitely more fun to have all of those other knives... Hell, I've supremed blood oranges with a Giant CCK cleaver before:nunchucks:

That's where i come from, but try to advance ;)
 
i dont own any gyutos and built my set around chinese cleavers with pettys, sujihikis, a honesuki and a western deba. but i dont like real single bevels.
 
So far I've been using my gyuto for just about everything, and there's been nothing that's given me any issues with cutting. I don't even bother bringing my boning knife or bread knife to work anymore. Keep in mind I'm very new to high quality knives.

I'm of the mindset that given time, and a good gyuto, you can be just as proficient with that one good gyuto as all the other knives(in regards to their specialization). It's definitely more fun to have all of those other knives... Hell, I've supremed blood oranges with a Giant CCK cleaver before:nunchucks:

Ahahaha, im curious as to why you decided to do that, seems a little ridiculous.
 
I have a watanabe, inox honyaki and masamoto ks on standby atm..guess that makes three. I really should sell one of them but I keep holding off. The ks is kinda like what I use to compare sharpness and profile to, the suisin is a solid stainless knife for if I end up somewhere where I don't feel like I should be using my carbons and my watanabe I'm slowly transforming and giving it my own flavour.
 
Ok, so what i understand, most people have a kind of go-to knife, which may be for instance a gyuoto, a satoku (or a similar one from a different region in Japan) or some Chinese Clever.
 

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