Why does a takohiki have a flat head?

I know it's because of the octopus' tentacles.

How does a flat, square head make it easier?

I can't find any videos showing one being used.

So that you can slice off a tentacle without risk of stabbing the ones in front that are still attached! I usually just use a yanagiba or gyuto for this cos I'm not good with a takohiki or any of the "maru" slicers but yeah I believe that's the general idea.

v647c said:

So that you can slice off a tentacle without risk of stabbing the ones in front that are still attached! I usually just use a yanagiba or gyuto for this cos I'm not good with a takohiki or any of the "maru" slicers but yeah I believe that's the general idea.

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If I'm understanding this correctly:

There are many tentacles, possibly some still wiggling about. You want to cut/process one and there is the danger that the sharp tip of a yanagi will be unintentionally jammed into other tentacles as you are working. The flat head of a takohiki won't unintentionally penetrate othe tentacles.

Sound about right?

khashy said:

If I'm understanding this correctly:

There are many tentacles, possibly some still wiggling about. You want to cut/process one and there is the danger that the sharp tip of a yanagi will be unintentionally jammed into other tentacles as you are working. The flat head of a takohiki won't unintentionally penetrate othe tentacles.

Sound about right?

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I'm sure there are others here who could give you a better answer based on actual experience but yeah that's the basis of the foundation of a takohiki's profile. I don't work with fresh octopus very often. I had the opportunity to do a 1 month stage at Kahala in Osaka last year. I used my gyuto for everything and the Chef (Mori-san) kept giving me **** for running the risk of stabbing ingredients when scoring them. He lent me his takohiki (it was honyaki. azuma minamoto no masahisa I think) and you know, it was just great for scoring stuff (akagai, hamaguri clams and squid) to give it a nicer mouth feel. You can do like 4 clams at once perfectly thanks to the completely flat profile and even weight. So yeah, that was my only real experience with the benefits of a takohiki...

No idea if this is correct, but I read somewhere it was something about the fact those lower on the kitchen totem pole would typically use them for the processing, and the tip is square and unsharpened because it is disrespectful to point a knife at someone more important like a chef.

khashy said:

If I'm understanding this correctly:

There are many tentacles, possibly some still wiggling about. You want to cut/process one and there is the danger that the sharp tip of a yanagi will be unintentionally jammed into other tentacles as you are working. The flat head of a takohiki won't unintentionally penetrate othe tentacles.

Sound about right?

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I understood this was the reason as well....

Wasn't there a historical reason that was more about bystanders that didn't truly appreciate a sharp tip pointing their way?

Maybe it's to increase the functionality as a screwdriver? :whistling:

These weren't originally intended to cut up octopus with, but to facilitate employing trained octopuses as kitchen personnel. While their chopping skills were unparalleled, tragic accidents made it seem a good idea to avoid giving them knives with pointy tips.

LifeByA1000Cuts said:

Wasn't there a historical reason that was more about bystanders that didn't truly appreciate a sharp tip pointing their way?

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Did they specifically process octopus in public?

I mean how would this be different than anything else that requires a knife with a sharp tip?

aboynamedsuita said:

No idea if this is correct, but I read somewhere it was something about the fact those lower on the kitchen totem pole would typically use them for the processing, and the tip is square and unsharpened because it is disrespectful to point a knife at someone more important like a chef.

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I could buy this argument.

What do you use yours for?

aboynamedsuita said:

No idea if this is correct, but I read somewhere it was something about the fact those lower on the kitchen totem pole would typically use them for the processing, and the tip is square and unsharpened because it is disrespectful to point a knife at someone more important like a chef.

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I think this might be bang on. I recall reading somewhere that it was a regional thing and that some chefs had to cut sitting down and the food was served to more prestige clients where pointing a sharp knife at them was not well liked upon.

inzite said:

I think this might be bang on. I recall reading somewhere that it was a regional thing and that some chefs had to cut sitting down and the food was served to more prestige clients where pointing a sharp knife at them was not well liked upon.

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So it's cultural rather than functional.

So can I use it as a slicer then?

Bystanders as in, anyone not involved in cooking or being cooked....

khashy said:

So it's cultural rather than functional.

So can I use it as a slicer then?

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both i think, the lack of curve might suit the sitting cutting posture more than a curved blade like yanagiba. ofcourse, as long as you are cutting something soft and boneless and crustless, i think takobiki are thinner blades overall and hence fragile edge.

LifeByA1000Cuts said:

Bystanders as in, anyone not involved in cooking or being cooked....

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Aha, understood

inzite said:

both i think, the lack of curve might suit the sitting cutting posture more than a curved blade like yanagiba. ofcourse, as long as you are cutting something soft and boneless and crustless, i think takobiki are thinner blades overall and hence fragile edge.

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Right, this discussion has convinced me that I absolutely NEED one

khashy said:

Right, this discussion has convinced me that I absolutely NEED one

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lol let's not see a "Repairing chips in Takohiki" post in the near future hahaha. btw, check out the other post for the hiromoto

inzite said:

lol let's not see a "Repairing chips in Takohiki" post in the near future hahaha. btw, check out the other post for the hiromoto

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Ha!

I started thinking about after I saw the post about the shig kitaeji 'sword'. Definitely need one.

Good humorous post :groucho:

Octopus being trained, bystanders being cooked! Love all of this...

Maybe they just ran out of steel? Maybe the excess is being used making all of those taller gyutos we are talking about 5 threads over? :tease:

Maybe we should institute a no pointing policy as we'll, can you immagine all of those new flat pointed kiritsuke's? :razz: ok, a flat kiritsuke is an usuba basically, right? You get the point (NOT!).

As I always say, it would be scarily logical if a knife store offered "brand new long gyutos and usubas, pre-owned yanagibas and thin debas, well used petties and fuguhiki only"

Having never handled an actual takohiki: All depictions seem to suggest a more fickle thickness profile indeed more akin to a fuguhiki than a tipless yanagi... is that an optical illusion?