Need a line knife

[spaceconvoy]

I'm glad to see all the love for 210 pettys lately...I thought that spaceconvoy and I used to be the ones who saw value in them.

But after using my 210 Suisin regularly for six months, I'm really starting to think that a 240 suji with the perfect profile and yo-handle(can't believe I prefer a yo) would suit me better as my main knife at home--Gesshin Ginga I've been looking at you.

That's funny, I feel the same way. I just sold my 210mm wa-petty because I prefer a western handle. Larger petties with a typical 30mm heel height should give you barely enough knuckle clearance to chop (if you hold the knife with the tips of your fingers). But a wa-handle is much bigger and you can only chop with your hand off the board.

 

[Lefty]

The issue with knuckle clearance is the primary reason I extended the choil area on my Carter when I rehandled it. I like a slightly beefier handle, but sometimes this can lead to problems in other areas. By extending the exposed tang a bit, I have given myself room for my fat, multiple times dislocated/sprained/broken fingers to go where they feel comfortable.
In a roundabout way, I'm suggesting that a wa handle with a long choil area and a machi might solve the problem for you guys. Just a thought.

 

[Dubsy]

whenever im on the line i have two knives, a 270mm bread knife (tojiro ITK) and either a 240mm gyuto or a 270mm fillet/suji. i just keep them either on the top of the late shelves with spices or on the very back of the board against the coolers. i dont really see the need for a compact knife, whatever is comfortable to use. and anyway for slicing you want a longer knife. i really hate the different stroke marks in meat, its a pet peeve. ive been using my suji more, but the blades too thin and hurts my finger (the spine actualy cut me the first time i used it), and have been looking into the Misono UX10 suji. thats what id recommend as a line knife, long and thin.

 

[MadMel]

whenever im on the line i have two knives, a 270mm bread knife (tojiro ITK) and either a 240mm gyuto or a 270mm fillet/suji. i just keep them either on the top of the late shelves with spices or on the very back of the board against the coolers. i dont really see the need for a compact knife, whatever is comfortable to use. and anyway for slicing you want a longer knife. i really hate the different stroke marks in meat, its a pet peeve. ive been using my suji more, but the blades too thin and hurts my finger (the spine actualy cut me the first time i used it), and have been looking into the Misono UX10 suji. thats what id recommend as a line knife, long and thin.

I think it actually depends on how your workspace and kitchen is laid out. Where I used to work, my space was basically a couple of counter tops, chillers and a poly board. That's where a 270 gets a little awkward.

 

[heirkb]

Anyine know what the profile is like on the Sakai Yusuke? Lots of belly? It looks to have more belly than some of the other choices.

 

[TamanegiKin]

I think it actually depends on how your workspace and kitchen is laid out. Where I used to work, my space was basically a couple of counter tops, chillers and a poly board. That's where a 270 gets a little awkward.

+1
During prep hours I have my 270 gyuto out but during service anything above 210 is just too big in such a confined space. It's not impossible to do, just impractical in my tiny bubble of a station. Maybe its easiest to decide what size knife is suitable based on the size of the boards on the line. We only have a few tiny boards on ours.

 

[stevenStefano]

Anyine know what the profile is like on the Sakai Yusuke? Lots of belly? It looks to have more belly than some of the other choices.

I don't think it has much belly, but I don't have any other 210 pettys to compare it to. It is very thin if that helps you any

 

[mpukas]

I can sorta see the buzz about 210 suji/petty; honestly it seems like a bit of a fad. For me it appeals only as a "cool knife". It's too short for some tasks, too long for others. It seems like a good line knife if space is tight and your doing mostly in-hand work and slicing. The height of the blade, or lack there of, makes for little knuckle clearance and a small area for scooping things up with. With the narrow blade I catch my thumb on the heel and cut myself when using it for in-hand work - but that's a personal issue that I'm working through. Lots of guys like 'em, so hey, great!

Saying that, I think the Sakai Yusuke 210 gyuto - wa or yo - is a good option 'cuz it doesn't have depth of most "normal" 210 gyutos. The height of the blade seems proportional to the length - it's slightly taller than their suji, but not as tall as a 240 gyuto. This looks like a good GF knife as well as a good multi-purpose utility knife for me. For you guys that haven't used a Yusuke white #2, I find that the steel isn't highly reactive. It takes a good patina and I've never had rust problems even when cutting citrus and intentionally leaving it wet and not wiping it off.

 

[mpukas]

addendum to above: according to BWJ's info, the 210 yo-gyuto is 2.3mm spine @ heel, the 210 wa-gyuto is 2.2mm spine @ heel, and 210 wa-suji is 2mm spine @ heel.