Getting a girly knife?

Dear Knife lovers,

When I pull out my 240 mm Heiji:
About 80% of the guys think it's cool.
The girls get really scared, and call it my "bear killer."
Ditto for my vegetable cleaver.

Do you guys have any recommendations for buying or making a "girly knife" that doesn't suck?

I don't mean a Rachel Ray thing.
However, I'd like to get something non-theatening but still useable.

For some reason the santoku seems popular?

My lady friend uses a 10" Wustie.

Mine uses 240mm Stainless Gesshin Ginga

Anything with a handle like this is sure to be a winner:
http://www.kitchenknifeforums.com/showthread.php/246-Stefan-s-Handle-Gallery?p=290408#post290408

My wife uses my parers....

Jon Broida carries an Ashi Home Set that may be suitable:

http://www.japaneseknifeimports.com...-knives-by-type/knife-sets/ashi-home-set.html



From Jon's description:

Ashi refers to this set as the “With Mother” set. They designed these knives to be very unintimidating and easy to use. Ashi hopes to encourage families to cook together in the home and hopes that this set will inspire people to do so. The 130mm and 170mm sized knives are very comfortable sizes for many home cooks. The shape of the blade is similar to the santoku knives that have become so popular recently. This set can be great for home cooks looking for easy to use and unintimidating knives, or for pros looking for a few comfortable line knives for cramped quarters.

Something like a 210 Hiromoto isn't very scary. It's longer than the typical chef knife in a German knife block, but less tall, lighter and more nimble. Not intimdating in the least.

I would definitely get this one http://www.japan-tool.com/zc/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=30_34&products_id=452

This one needs the questionnaire.

Is the knife for you to use around the ladies to not intimidate them? Is it for the ladies to use?

Takamura r2, small red handle. My girl likes it a lot.
There was one for sale at bst if u wanna check it out real quick.

My Girlfriend has been using the 210mm for 3 years now, she loves it
http://www.japan-tool.com/zc/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=30_34&products_id=453

I bought my wife this beautiful petty and she likes it a lot:

http://yhst-27988581933240.stores.y...-wa-petty-knife-damascus-150mm-sld-st150.html

A 180mm gyuto may be less intimidating.

Was thinking of buying a Takamura R2 Santoku and 150 Petty for the missus.

Stainless is good - just a shame they're not dishwasher proof.

Thanks for the fast replies!

I've left this open ended because I was thinking of more than one knife:

1. A capable knife to use around non-knife people--not to be sexist, but most anti-knife users that I know are woman fwiw.
I had a lady give me flack for pulling out my 1" Leatherman Squirt to cut a piece of salami!

2. A capable knife to introduce ladies (and non-knife men) to the joys of using a truly well-made knife.

3. A set of cooking knives for my little sister. I want to provide some beautiful, well made blades that she'll be proud to use.
However, she's even intimidated by my bread knife. I was going to get a great parer, small stainless chinese chef, and bread knife and make matching handles and saya. I very well may buy some decent blades (Calton small parer, not sure on the chinese chef--it'd have to be stainless and under 200mm in length, and possibly a mac ultimate bread knife (unless you have something better).
Currently, I'm having her look at whatever handle material strikes her fancy. It'll be oriented towards her individual comfort, but I'd really want to create something that looks like a Tsuoran crossed with a Radar. Marko is just a phenominam artisan.


Anyways, it'll take me a few days to digest your input. Please continue with the suggestions!

My sister loves using the Tanaka ginsanko petty with western handle. Cheap and tough little knife that can take a decent amount of abuse from non-knife people. Most non-knife people that I know of are afraid of using sharp knives no matter what size it is.

I think any knife with a Butch Harner Micarta handle or scales can make it a little girly...

More Harner Micarta...

krx927 said:

I bought my wife this beautiful petty and she likes it a lot:

http://yhst-27988581933240.stores.y...-wa-petty-knife-damascus-150mm-sld-st150.html

Click to expand...

Nice gift :bliss:

I have very little experience with this kind of interaction, but I do have one knife that a couple knife-shy people have been mildly interested in: a 120mm small nakiri. It's one of the sharpest knives I've got and nobody seems to be put off by that. It was much more appealing than even my Harner parer and Takamura petty.

Because it's undersized for most larger vegetable tasks, folks who enjoy it can seek something similarly nice but a bit bigger. I'd personally lean toward a 180mm lightweight gyuto, but a 180mm Chinese slicing cleaver works well too. I think the midget nakiri is a great confidence builder though, and would definitely move in stages rather than dumping a set on someone.

By default all my knives are girly knives. I don't find them intimidating.





I recently got a 165 mm gyuto that I like very much. I've been using it in place of a petty, and I like the extra finger clearance and the advantages of a taller blade. It's a little bitty thing that still manages to be useful. Might be attractive to someone who's scared of bigger knives. And if they want to "grow" their knives, it's still a handy size.

If I were in the market for a smaller knife, I'd look at this one--especially if it goes on a Black Friday sale:



(From epicurean edge: http://epicedge.com/shopexd.asp?id=91613)

Yoshikanes are great little knives, and knock your socks off beautiful.

Lucretia you are awesome.

My wife (and I) primarily use a Takeda banno bunka and a Mr. Itou 180 gyuto at home. When not at home she uses a Mac Pro 210 gyuto and a Del Ealy parer the most.

http://japanesechefsknife.com/Page3.html#Mr.Itou

https://toshoknifearts.com/shop/knives/takeda-bunka-banno-180mm

One of the first rules of knife club is always listen to Lucretia. It's not rocket science but if it were she would still be the first on the call list. You want a knife that is 165-180 in length with enough knuckle clearance and a handle that isn't oversized at all.

This Blazen is low maintenance and comes with a magnetic saya which is nice for easy proper storage.

http://www.epicedge.com/shopexd.asp?id=85484

If you have a higher budget this one was made by one of our vendor's daughters and would fit the bill nicely.

http://www.epicedge.com/shopexd.asp?id=93718

Out of all the knives I have offered her, my lady uses an old dirty carbon sab I had laying around.

As for girly knife recommendation , what about Misono Swedish Santoku w/ Cherry Blossom engraving

http://www.japanesechefsknife.com/images/Img597.jpg

easy13 said:

Out of all the knives I have offered her, my lady uses an old dirty carbon sab I had laying around.

As for girly knife recommendation , what about Misono Swedish Santoku w/ Cherry Blossom engraving

http://www.japanesechefsknife.com/images/Img597.jpg

Click to expand...

As a rule of thumb, go stainless. Not just for women, but trying to explain knife maintenance/hygene tends to be a losing battle. whether family or your Sig. Other or just friends.

For what it's worth, I wish the ladies around me had your tolerance for good knives.

Thanks for the suggestions.

-Matt

ps. Recently, I showed my sister (who is ambivalent about knives) some pictures of Marko's gyutos. Her eyes popped.
Sadly for me, she has great taste.

Lucretia said:

By default all my knives are girly knives. I don't find them intimidating.

I recently got a 165 mm gyuto that I like very much. I've been using it in place of a petty, and I like the extra finger clearance and the advantages of a taller blade. It's a little bitty thing that still manages to be useful. Might be attractive to someone who's scared of bigger knives. And if they want to "grow" their knives, it's still a handy size.

If I were in the market for a smaller knife, I'd look at this one--especially if it goes on a Black Friday sale:

(From epicurean edge: http://epicedge.com/shopexd.asp?id=91613)

Yoshikanes are great little knives, and knock your socks off beautiful.

Click to expand...

Ever considered a Nakiri?

I tried a nakiri, but it's too short for comfort.

Hope I'm not resurrecting an old thread.