Thinking about getting my third and fourth J-knife, advice?

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cilucia

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Last month I purchased my first Japanese knives (western style) with wedding gift money from Korin. Now I see they are running a 15% off promotion this month and I feel the strong urge to go and buy more knives (maybe tomorrow on my day off!) :shocked:

I purchased a 210mm gyuto and a nakiri, both of which I am loving (though since I tend to cook a lot of vegetables for dinner, the nakiri has gotten quite a bit more use than the gyuto so far).

I'm thinking for my 3rd and 4th knives of getting: a 15cm petty and a honesuki/boning knife.

I typically cook a whole chicken once a week (I remove the wings with a paring knife and cut the backbone out with shears), but would like to start breaking down chickens more (you can only eat so many roasted spatchcocked chickens!) In particular, I want to learn how to debone chicken thigh meat, but retaining the skin.

I don't cook much fish at home (limited access, basically).

Talk me in or out of a petty and honesuki? Am I overlooking a type of knife I should get before these two? Not really looking for specific recommendations since I would be shopping in-store at Korin and going with what feels best in hand.

Thank you :D
 
I would get another Gyuto and a petty. I would pass on honesuki tbh.
 
If you're just taking meat off the bone a Zakuri sabaki or a deliberately-stout Takeda 150 petty (which ends up being something similar to the sabaki) is really nice to use.

If you're going to go through the ribs to take the spine out, then a honesuki/garasuki is nice single-tool to use for the whole bird. In this case, if you're going to be scraping meat off the bone rather than just "cutting it off", I'd go with a double-bevel one rather than a single. Tojiro DP is very practical and not too pricey - though I got mine a while back and I've heard occasional murmurings that they aren't what they used to be. Others will know more about this than I do though.
 
The more you are able to identify your needs in the kitchen, the easier it will be to pick out your next knife. It sounds like the nakiri is working for you. The next step would be a cleaver. While not as easy to use or as precise as a nakiri, its strength is prepping large amounts of vegetables. Except for people who grew up with one, in their homes, most people find the cleaver to be heavy and awkward. It does take time to learn how to use one, but nothing chops like a cleaver.

Martin Yan as a video, where he breaks down a chicken in 18 seconds or less. Ever since seeing that video, I've been trying to figure out that technique. The Honesuki/Garasuki are ideal for this technique. The tip is good at breaking joints, and cutting tendons. The curve on the blade is for slicing. The wide part of the knife is to hold the chicken down, while peeling away the thigh or the breast.

From what I've seen, people who have purchased a honesuki, and used them in the western style, wonder what is so special about them? Besides having better steel, they have no design advantage when breaking down chicken in the western style.

Between a petty and a honesuki, I'd rather have the honesuki. It's got a bigger handle, and is more robust then a petty. For small misc tasks, then honsuki works fine.

Jay
 
I would get another Gyuto and a petty. I would pass on honesuki tbh.
I was also considering a 7 inch santoku, since the only shortcoming I find with the Nakiri is dicing onions (the roundish tip isn't great for getting close to the root end of the onion). I know santokus are not popular here, but my 210mm gyuto actually feels too long for me to chop onions with (I have small hands / am a small person).

If you're just taking meat off the bone a Zakuri sabaki or a deliberately-stout Takeda 150 petty (which ends up being something similar to the sabaki) is really nice to use.

If you're going to go through the ribs to take the spine out, then a honesuki/garasuki is nice single-tool to use for the whole bird. In this case, if you're going to be scraping meat off the bone rather than just "cutting it off", I'd go with a double-bevel one rather than a single. Tojiro DP is very practical and not too pricey - though I got mine a while back and I've heard occasional murmurings that they aren't what they used to be. Others will know more about this than I do though.
Thank you for your input! I'm definitely thinking there will be bone-scraping action.

The more you are able to identify your needs in the kitchen, the easier it will be to pick out your next knife. It sounds like the nakiri is working for you. The next step would be a cleaver. While not as easy to use or as precise as a nakiri, its strength is prepping large amounts of vegetables. Except for people who grew up with one, in their homes, most people find the cleaver to be heavy and awkward. It does take time to learn how to use one, but nothing chops like a cleaver.

Martin Yan as a video, where he breaks down a chicken in 18 seconds or less. Ever since seeing that video, I've been trying to figure out that technique. The Honesuki/Garasuki are ideal for this technique. The tip is good at breaking joints, and cutting tendons. The curve on the blade is for slicing. The wide part of the knife is to hold the chicken down, while peeling away the thigh or the breast.

From what I've seen, people who have purchased a honesuki, and used them in the western style, wonder what is so special about them? Besides having better steel, they have no design advantage when breaking down chicken in the western style.

Between a petty and a honesuki, I'd rather have the honesuki. It's got a bigger handle, and is more robust then a petty. For small misc tasks, then honsuki works fine.

Jay
Hi Jay - thanks for your response.

Re cleavers, when I went to Korin, I tried the Sugimoto #6 cleaver (22cm). It was actually comical how huge it was compared to my head O_O I'm not sure if I'm supposed to look for a more size appropriate cleaver, or if one is supposed to adjust to that size O_O Even the cleavers my parents used (they are Chinese) were not nearly as large!

I'll see if I can find that Martin Yan video - sounds awesome. I am feeling more and more like buying a honesuki :9 (and subsequently eating some chicken)
 
I saw that Yan video, it was not too pretty as I recall. from what I remember all he did was: make a cut on either side of the sternum; one down the spine; literally tore the legs and wings off; and left half the breast meat on the carcass. He is a somewhat funny guy though, but that huge cleaver was what was really over the top.

Rick
 
Honesukis are great and all, use mine a lot, but not sure one is essential in a home kitchen. 150 Petty can deal with your one Chicken a week and boning out thighs wouldn't be a problem. I say definitely a 150 petty then how about a 240 suji, plenty of good uses for a 240 suji.
 
Honesukis are great and all, use mine a lot, but not sure one is essential in a home kitchen. 150 Petty can deal with your one Chicken a week and boning out thighs wouldn't be a problem. I say definitely a 150 petty then how about a 240 suji, plenty of good uses for a 240 suji.
What are some of your favourite tasks with a 240 suji?

I'll feel up a 150 petty and honesuki and see how they feel :)

ALSO - is your avatar the label from a jar of spicy red pepper sauce!??
 
What are some of your favourite tasks with a 240 suji?

I'll feel up a 150 petty and honesuki and see how they feel :)

ALSO - is your avatar the label from a jar of spicy red pepper sauce!??

Besides using suji to slice proteins it can be used to filet fish (though you dont cook much fish). I like to use sujihikis that are tall at the heel as my main knife in place of a gyuto to switch it up sometimes.

Yes, avatar is the angry lady from Lao Gan Ma Chili Crisp Sauce
 
Honesukis are great and all, use mine a lot, but not sure one is essential in a home kitchen. 150 Petty can deal with your one Chicken a week and boning out thighs wouldn't be a problem. I say definitely a 150 petty then how about a 240 suji, plenty of good uses for a 240 suji.

+1

As Jaques' example demonstrates just about any knife can be used for boning chicken. But a 240 suji is a go to knife for me. It is much better than a gyotu for cutting items in-hand (be careful there of course), and will do most of what a gyoto is typically used for.


Rick
 
Dropped by Korin before dinner (posted pics here) and ended up getting a petty and honesuki despite so many recommendations that a honesuki is not "essential" to a home kitchen. Hahaha... :) Briefly thought about a cleaver again, but saw I was reminded of its huge size in the display case and aborted.

I also got some new shears in the mail from Amazon. Hopefully they are better than my current OXO ones.
DSCF9776.JPG


Mari recommended the Misono over the other two honesuki's I asked to look at, so I went with her rec and also bought him a petty-friend. I ended up getting 130mm because 150mm felt a bit long to me. I'm not sure why I prefer shorter blade lengths.
 

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