Your work horses?

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Still-edo

Still-edo

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Sorry if this is a repeat. But that thread about stainless knives in restaurant kitchens had me wondering.

What do you guys use for your pro kitchen duties?

I know some kitchens have different policies. Just in my family, my uncle supplies all that stuff. He is paranoid of the health code and believes in keeping things cheap and disposable. While in my aunt's kitchen she straps her dexter to her back like she's he-man. And tells everyone to get their own. Needless to say her kitchen is like the wild west compared to my uncle's concentration camp.
 
I have used everything I own at work. Mostly I end up using gyutos, which lately has been offerings from Devin, Gengetsu, and Marko.
 
For days where I know I will be really really busy, I bring my Shigefusa 240 Kitaeji Gyuto.

*edit* I should add why.

It matches my style seemlessly and the edge refreshes well. I don't have problems with it. If I could change anything, I'd want it to be the exact same knife, but magically stainless.
 
Tanaka R2's and Kono HD's seem to be my main go to's... Toss a little Takeda and Moritaka in for fun.
 
For prep, Lamson 8" chef and Nenohi 150mm petty. On the line, a dull Dexter 10" chef.

-AJ
 
My DT was my main workhorse. I would use the AEBL because "Mis Chicos" didn't seem to get the whole carbon knife thing and I would find my Ealy O1 or DT 52100 in the dish area. I wish I had my new DT line knife back then...life would have been really good.
 
Knives beside my board primarily are Yoshihiro Hagane 270mm gyuto, Tojiro DP Nakiri and Tojiro White #2 Petty. Wait for a Pierre Mid-Tech so I have a Good Stainless Gyuto for line work.

Fowler, Fujiwara make it out time to time.

Can't forget the Indestructible 8" Wusthof Classic, I work in GM so I cut a fair amount of cheese.
 
My kitchen is a bit unconventional, I have extra room on the line so I use a 12inch carbon sabatier and a tougher 10inch new west knifeworks chef knife.
 
So I'll throw one out there Zakuri 150 petty in blue super. For many days now I have basically used only this knife at work.
 
I was using a New West Knife works chef knife for a while, but I hated trying to touch it up all the time. So I gave it to my sister when I was visiting. I am using primarily Tanaka Petty that I have posted pics of, Tanaka santoku and Zhen 287 guyto. I just choose for what purpose is needed.
 
Crothcipt said:
I was using a New West Knife works chef knife for a while, but I hated trying to touch it up all the time.
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Heheh. I rocked one for a week or two. His profiles have gotten a lot better in the last few years (the one above is way better than the one I bought 2 years ago) and apparently he's doing his Phoenix line in 52100 now... steps in the right direction!
 
I primarily breakdown/clean proteins now, so my single bevel Konosuke 150 white petty sees a lot of use, as well as my Takeda 150 mioriboshi(I like the heft and thick spine for doing less detailed stuff), and I use my CCK for random stuff, like veg and portioning meat for grinding. I rarely work service any more, but if I'm on grill I'll use my Azai 270 white yanigiba for slicing steaks, topping quail eggs, and quick garnish needs. Its surprisingly nimble, and I like a the thick spine. I'm not a big guy, but I have bigger hands so a little more to grab onto is nice. That doesn't extend to my choice in women however;)
 
210 Stephen Fowler petty in 52100 line slicer, a Murray Carter blue super little 135 funayuki, and a mac boning knife as a boxcutter, all in sheaths on my waist. Prep is a whole different story depending on what I am working on from different cuts of meat to fish, to veg. I have no 'workhorse' gyuto really, nothing that does it all. Only a few stainless knives, and they are tadatsunas I don't use on line. I like the Fowler in 52100, it can take a beating, can get decently sharp, but gets sharp very fast, slight flex, but you can bang food with it, it is a very tall petty, so you can chop an onion no prob. It doesn't mind a good workout. I wouldn't mind a Fowler gyuto, but some of his profiles are funny and I have too many knives. Also, to many flavours to sample, I know what Fowler 52100 tastes like.
 
doesnt come down to name so much as shape, and kitchen. my station only requires a 210mm gyuto for space reasons now, i rotate from Aritsugu A type, to ******** Artifex and if i have to ill steal my retired Yoshikane from home, although my GF loves the Yoshi and resents it when it goes missing. Slicers are the same thing, if i cant keep up with my service protiene slicer ill go with the Fowler, then the Takeda, and then my Hattori. It just comes down to hours worked and time to maintain at home. a little roataotion goes a long way, i just dont have it in me to come home after a day of work and spend 45+ mins sharpening, just to use the same knife every day, so it gets done on days off, when knives are dull, they get swapped out for the next in line. then taken care of on a day off.
 
I've heard the term work horse a few times on the forums and always wondered.

Is this (A) your most used // go-to // regular day knife, or your (B) we normally do 10k$ but valentines is 14k$ // all the fine prep is hopefully done, now its time to get crushed.

(A) Carter // DT ITK -- especially after getting advice from you all about long term maintenance... These work a little differently, but are best cutters for varied tasks on a regularly paced day.

(B) Fowler -- It grind is thicker, but when I'm supper behind and want to bang on an edge a little harder or mostly do on line carving. I might say that it doesn't get to 100% like some of my others.. (and this is a fairly early grind when he first went full time), but it will carry at 90% all weekend even when I'm being angry and abusive.

Most of us are in no way scientist about this, and me less than most, but knives have up sides and down sides for different tasks. Seems to me like many enthusiasts discuss the "sharpest" edge. Comparatively I enjoy these threads, because I love when cooks put out amazingly perfect plates...but they're useless as submarine doors if they can't get themselves out of the weeds.
 
I'm pretty much back to french knives now. The three main guys are a Lion Sab 10" chef, TI **** 10" chef and a (TI?) Canadian 12" antique chefs. The Lion is just for heavy stuff, splitting mud crabs and the like; the nogent is my line and most other tasks knife and the canadian is for heavy prep, i.e. finely dicing 2 boxes each of field and pine mushrooms when I was already behind before I even got into work :surrendar:. It's funny, I've always loved my Sabs but only used current production models, it's not until you try the old, old Sabs that you realize just how awesome they can be.

Cheers,
Josh
 
For prep suisin inox guyto and suji, and a 12 inch carbon scimitar. And on the line usually my glestain guyto and a wusthoff 6 inch utility.
 
I have my 270 Yoshihiro gyuto or my 255 Monzaburo Kiritsuke. I use them both for prep and line work. Just depends on my mood. Although most of my prep tasks I use the Kiritsuke for since I have a great number of veg items and garnishes that require thin/precise cuts
 
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