Best food release?

I've searched some older threads, but wanted to start a new thread to ask, "Which knives have you owned or used that have the best food release?" (Assuming anything recommended is at least a good cutter as well.)

My Heiji gyuto probably has the best food release of the knives I have tried, but it cracks on root vegetables depending on the cutting technique. Watanabe also has nice food release and is much smoother through most products. I have a Dalman gyuto that also gives pretty nice food release, but I need to use it a bit more before I come to any stronger opinions.

Takeda.

Kato and catcheside

I have a cousin that swears by the hole punch method but he lives too far for me to bring knives, a bag of food, and my note book for keeping betting odds and tracking winnings.

@labor of love "KKF compatible takeda" or "battleship takeda"?

Also... for some reason, "chopped food doesn't stick to blade" and "knife doesn't tend to tear up precarious dicing stacks"* seem to be related but not identical...

*That is something where curiously, Kiwis do not fare badly (probably very little displacement within the stack due to the very thin blades, and the hollow grind+blade road design might direct stuff well away from the blade body) - though obviously, once something does stick to the polished surface...

LifeByA1000Cuts said:

@labor of love "KKF compatible takeda" or "battleship takeda"?

Also... for some reason, "chopped food doesn't stick to blade" and "knife doesn't tend to tear up precarious dicing stacks"* seem to be related but not identical...

*That is something where curiously, Kiwis do not fare badly (probably very little displacement within the stack due to the very thin blades, and the hollow grind+blade road design might direct stuff well away from the blade body) - though obviously, once something does stick to the polished surface...

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Haha. Yeah I wouldn’t really enjoy using any of the takedas I’ve owned for delicate work. Just regular food fall off all bade all the time time sort of thing. But I’ve never owned a real thin one.

I'd suggest Watanabe/Toyoma for workhorse, V2 Kochi for a wide bevel and for a thinner knife I'd say Tanaka.

YG420 said:

Kato and catcheside

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Yep exactly that, especially Catcheside Forged Geometry Sanmai!

I don't think the knife has anything to do with food sticking. I was slicing potatoes, ones from first bag no sticking. opened a second bag, almost every slice stuck. had same thing happen with cucumbers and other veg.

I cut potatoes in half lengthwise and then lay the halves flat-then pull cuts and stacking in whichever manner makes sense. Slicing with just the tip has always worked for me. If the tip has decent thinness that is.

Ashi honyaki

Well, I can tell you what not to get for food release...... sukenari Damascus cladded anything! Biggest food magnate ever!

Kato gyuto, Catcheside gyuto, Toyama gyuto

Munetoshi.

Also, and this could just be coincidence, I often find kurouchi knives to be really good at food release when cutting potatoes.

Wilburn Forge, his knives have the best food release i have ever used.

If you want to go for a custom knife, there's nothing better than Johan van Zantens double convex grind: https://japaneseknifereviews.wordpress.com/2017/07/24/johan-van-zanten-damascus-knife/

mark76 said:

If you want to go for a custom knife, there's nothing better than Johan van Zantens double convex grind: https://japaneseknifereviews.wordpress.com/2017/07/24/johan-van-zanten-damascus-knife/

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That's a double concave

Takeda

Of my knives my Tansu, Watanabe and Yoshikane have best food release overall. For thinner knives, Tristone (double convex grind), Dalman (S grind) and Gengetsu (not sure what the grind is) have better food release than other well executed knives of similar thickness.

How do these Wakui versions that have concave grind features fare?

Amongst the Europeans: the Prendergast's and the Haburn's I've tried had an excellent food release. Some Herders as well, others less. Same for old Sabs. One has to get used to a knife, and sharpen it properly.

LifeByA1000Cuts said:

How do these Wakui versions that have concave grind features fare?

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Oh they’re really great actually. Very thin behind the edge, nice food release and inexpensive.

takeda

Mazaki & Kato

--But this question needs to be more clear, most people here are responding w/r/t gyutos but a suji or yana is going to have much better release than a gyuto so a better question might be what knives have the best food release relative to thickness (and height). In that case something like wakui or takeda or munetoshi (like others have mentioned) begins to stand a chance. Also all handmade knives differ knife to knife, even makers that are relatively consistent vary, I've used a fat-arse Watanabe gyuto with very mediocre food release... rant could go on forever. and honestly knife skills is also an underrated supplier of food release but you can't buy that so who cares about it... rant rant rant :scared4:

proper takeda

Wdestate said:

That's a double concave

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I indeed made a mistake. Johan's knife is double concave. By far the best food release I've ever experienced. https://japaneseknifereviews.wordpress.com/2017/07/24/johan-van-zanten-damascus-knife/