I volunteer in a kitchen that prepares primarily vegetarian meals for people that are recovering from difficult diseases like cancer. I work two - three days per week in 3 hour shifts. Our primary duties are to prep vegetables and some fruit. The prepped food is organized for the afternoon shift of mostly high school students that are taught to cook the food and an evening set of volunteers drive the meals to those in need.
The kitchens are organized and managed by professional chefs but the knives and plastic cutting boards are not sharp or ideal. I am new to Japanese knives and only have a few MAC knives in my home kitchen. I have followed several threads and found a couple of profiles and price points that I thought would work from Wakui, Mazaki, and Tanaka. I have exchanged a few emails with sellers that are known on the boards and several have raised concern over the cutting boards and the fact that I would likely experience chipping. I also have questions over materials. Prefer carbon knives and can wipe my knives and properly wash them, but need to be sure that I do not cause blackening on foods like onions or apples for example.
So after my initial excitement, I am now hesitant to move forward due to the concerns raised over chipping / damaging the knives. I do not have the choice of using a rubber / soft wood cutting board in the kitchen.
Any recommendations, suggestions are appreciated for a newby that is trying to sort things out.
Thanks,
Mark
LOCATION
What country are you in?
US
KNIFE TYPE
What type of knife are you interested in (e.g., chef’s knife, slicer, boning knife, utility knife, bread knife, paring knife, cleaver)? Chef
Are you right or left handed? Right
Are you interested in a Western handle (e.g., classic Wusthof handle) or Japanese handle? Japanese
What length of knife (blade) are you interested in (in inches or millimeters)? 240mm
Do you require a stainless knife? (Yes or no) Not sure
What is your absolute maximum budget for your knife? $300
KNIFE USE
Do you primarily intend to use this knife at home or a professional environment? Professional
What are the main tasks you primarily intend to use the knife for (e.g., slicing vegetables, chopping vegetables, mincing vegetables, slicing meats, cutting down poultry, breaking poultry bones, filleting fish, trimming meats, etc.)? (Please identify as many tasks as you would like.) Slicing, chopping vegetables and fruit
What knife, if any, are you replacing? Victorinox type
Do you have a particular grip that you primarily use? (Please click on this LINK for the common types of grips.) Pinch
What cutting motions do you primarily use? (Please click on this LINK for types of cutting motions and identify the two or three most common cutting motions, in order of most used to least used.) Chop and push cut
What improvements do you want from your current knife? If you are not replacing a knife, please identify as many characteristics identified below in parentheses that you would like this knife to have.) Sharp, made for pinch grip, balance, ease of chopping
Better aesthetics (e.g., a certain type of finish; layered/Damascus or other pattern of steel; different handle color/pattern/shape/wood; better scratch resistance; better stain resistance)? Scratch resistant
Comfort (e.g., lighter/heavier knife; better handle material; better handle shape; rounded spine/choil of the knife; improved balance)? lighter, balance, shape (longer flat spot), sharp tip for mincing
Ease of Use (e.g., ability to use the knife right out of the box; smoother rock chopping, push cutting, or slicing motion; less wedging; better food release; less reactivity with food; easier to sharpen)? push cutting, less wedging, food release, low reactivity
Edge Retention (i.e., length of time you want the edge to last without sharpening)? multiple shifts between sharpening
KNIFE MAINTENANCE
Do you use a bamboo, wood, rubber, or synthetic cutting board? (Yes or no.) required to use synthetic
Do you sharpen your own knives? (Yes or no.) yes
If not, are you interested in learning how to sharpen your knives? (Yes or no.)
Are you interested in purchasing sharpening products for your knives? (Yes or no.) no
The kitchens are organized and managed by professional chefs but the knives and plastic cutting boards are not sharp or ideal. I am new to Japanese knives and only have a few MAC knives in my home kitchen. I have followed several threads and found a couple of profiles and price points that I thought would work from Wakui, Mazaki, and Tanaka. I have exchanged a few emails with sellers that are known on the boards and several have raised concern over the cutting boards and the fact that I would likely experience chipping. I also have questions over materials. Prefer carbon knives and can wipe my knives and properly wash them, but need to be sure that I do not cause blackening on foods like onions or apples for example.
So after my initial excitement, I am now hesitant to move forward due to the concerns raised over chipping / damaging the knives. I do not have the choice of using a rubber / soft wood cutting board in the kitchen.
Any recommendations, suggestions are appreciated for a newby that is trying to sort things out.
Thanks,
Mark
LOCATION
What country are you in?
US
KNIFE TYPE
What type of knife are you interested in (e.g., chef’s knife, slicer, boning knife, utility knife, bread knife, paring knife, cleaver)? Chef
Are you right or left handed? Right
Are you interested in a Western handle (e.g., classic Wusthof handle) or Japanese handle? Japanese
What length of knife (blade) are you interested in (in inches or millimeters)? 240mm
Do you require a stainless knife? (Yes or no) Not sure
What is your absolute maximum budget for your knife? $300
KNIFE USE
Do you primarily intend to use this knife at home or a professional environment? Professional
What are the main tasks you primarily intend to use the knife for (e.g., slicing vegetables, chopping vegetables, mincing vegetables, slicing meats, cutting down poultry, breaking poultry bones, filleting fish, trimming meats, etc.)? (Please identify as many tasks as you would like.) Slicing, chopping vegetables and fruit
What knife, if any, are you replacing? Victorinox type
Do you have a particular grip that you primarily use? (Please click on this LINK for the common types of grips.) Pinch
What cutting motions do you primarily use? (Please click on this LINK for types of cutting motions and identify the two or three most common cutting motions, in order of most used to least used.) Chop and push cut
What improvements do you want from your current knife? If you are not replacing a knife, please identify as many characteristics identified below in parentheses that you would like this knife to have.) Sharp, made for pinch grip, balance, ease of chopping
Better aesthetics (e.g., a certain type of finish; layered/Damascus or other pattern of steel; different handle color/pattern/shape/wood; better scratch resistance; better stain resistance)? Scratch resistant
Comfort (e.g., lighter/heavier knife; better handle material; better handle shape; rounded spine/choil of the knife; improved balance)? lighter, balance, shape (longer flat spot), sharp tip for mincing
Ease of Use (e.g., ability to use the knife right out of the box; smoother rock chopping, push cutting, or slicing motion; less wedging; better food release; less reactivity with food; easier to sharpen)? push cutting, less wedging, food release, low reactivity
Edge Retention (i.e., length of time you want the edge to last without sharpening)? multiple shifts between sharpening
KNIFE MAINTENANCE
Do you use a bamboo, wood, rubber, or synthetic cutting board? (Yes or no.) required to use synthetic
Do you sharpen your own knives? (Yes or no.) yes
If not, are you interested in learning how to sharpen your knives? (Yes or no.)
Are you interested in purchasing sharpening products for your knives? (Yes or no.) no
