gyuto or suji?

[monty]

On another thread Johndoughy (hope I spelled that right) suggested that a long gyuto would be something to consider when looking at a slicer. I'm not opposed to having too many knives, but the idea intrigues me because I know my wife would use a gyuto more than a suji. Those of you who do a lot of slicing, what do you think? My main purpose in going with a Japanese knife is to get a blade that will allow me to slice, not saw the brisket, and to minimize cell damage. The slices are usually 10" or shorter.

Maybe my problem is that I'm limiting myself to one knife this pay period. :thumbsup:

 

[Pensacola Tiger]

I'm just a home cook, not a pro or a competition guy, but I think that a gyuto would do for slicing, as long as you didn't have to turn the knife while making the cut. If you did, then the taller profile of the gyuto would work against you.

That said, I'll suggest that you take a look at a Pierre Rodrigue sujihiki up for sale at KF. It's 30cm, and the price is right:

http://www.knifeforums.com/forums/showtopic.php?tid/897977/

It doesn't hurt any that it's a good looking knife:

 

[mattrud]

I want both! Well obviously. You can easily get away with using a gyuto. I have a 300mm hiromoto hc I bring around to friends houses when i am cooking with them and we are roasting some larger items what need slicing, But i also have a bunch of sujihikis I use. You honestly could go either way.

 

[Cadillac J]

When I first started out buying j-knives, I didn't think I needed a sujihiki, so I purchased a 300 Hiromoto AS wa-gyuto thinking that it would work double duty...which it did for most things. However, after deciding to purchase an inexpensive suji in the 270 Fujiwara FKM to try out, I quickly fell in love with the narrow height and profile, and decided to upgrade to a better one just a short period later.

Since then, a suji has been my main knife for everything during the past year, to the point where I only grab a gyuto once in a while. Granted, this is personal preference based on my own experience and not everyone would agree, so maybe start out on the cheaper end of things just to see what works best for you with your style...or go all out and get high-end versions of both (as you probably will down the road anyway)

For home cooks, there really isn't a need for more than one or two knives...it is all about wants and having fun with it.

 

[99Limited]

I bought a Ashi 270mm suji a month ago and love it. You could use it as your main knife, mine has enough blade height to give me ample knuckle clearance. Last night I used it to portion a whole beef tenderloin. It was sooo nice how the blade just glided through the meat. I can't wait for Costco to start carrying whole prime rib eyes again. I love cutting up meat.

 

[Cadillac J]

Can someone tell the price of the custom Pierre that Pensacola Tiger showed above? I can't get on KF at work.

 

[echerub]

Asking $425

 

[WildBoar]

IMO, that Pierre suji is a steal. Mine is very similar, and is an absolute joy to use. It is basically a full custom at a semi-custom price point. And Pierre really nailed the suji geometry right out of the gate. :headbang:

 

[Eamon Burke]

My first J-blade was a suji my old boss picked up in Seki. I had no problems with it's design, but it was damaged to the point of needing a belt sander, so I got my own, and got a gyuto.

To me, the only thing a gyuto has going for it that a suji doesn't is belly at the tip. If you have one of those super flat profile gyutos, why do you need the big slab of metal? It's not really supporting the edge enough to make a difference. Put some belly on a suji, and you get a wierd trailing-point...hence the gyuto design. If I were getting several knives, I could easily see why to get a suji, a nakiri, and a deba. If you want the center of those things(without doing any of those things as well), get a gyuto.

Brisket is big, so I suggested a big one. The belly at the tip will help if you need the extra length to cut through something unexpected. The tip is nimble enough, while still being sturdy(sujis tend to chip IME). The key is not to over buff the blade, and it'll do a phenomenal job at brisket. But that's another topic, I suppose. oke1:

 

[Aphex]

You could go with a gyuto/suji type hybrid like the Masamoto KS. The KS gyuto's run a bit shorter than normal chef's knives and make great allrounders

 

[Gator]

If you have more gyutos than sujis then suji, if you have more sujis than gyutos, then gyuto. if their number is equal, then I dunno, whatever catches your eye first. That's what I'd do.

 

[festally]

Ideally the blade should be longer than what you're slicing, so a 10” brisket will likely need a blade that’s atleast 270mm in length (longer would probably be even better). I’d opt for a suji cause I don’t think I could handle a gyuto that long.

 

[Craig]

When I first started out buying j-knives, I didn't think I needed a sujihiki, so I purchased a 300 Hiromoto AS wa-gyuto thinking that it would work double duty...which it did for most things. However, after deciding to purchase an inexpensive suji in the 270 Fujiwara FKM to try out, I quickly fell in love with the narrow height and profile, and decided to upgrade to a better one just a short period later.

Since then, a suji has been my main knife for everything during the past year, to the point where I only grab a gyuto once in a while. Granted, this is personal preference based on my own experience and not everyone would agree, so maybe start out on the cheaper end of things just to see what works best for you with your style...or go all out and get high-end versions of both (as you probably will down the road anyway)

For home cooks, there really isn't a need for more than one or two knives...it is all about wants and having fun with it.

So if you're setting out to chop up some carrots, you'd reach for a suji?

Ideally the blade should be longer than what you're slicing, so a 10” brisket will likely need a blade that’s atleast 270mm in length (longer would probably be even better). I’d opt for a suji cause I don’t think I could handle a gyuto that long.

That's the crux of it for me. Suji's give me the length I want for certain tasks, usually proteins, with the weight and profile to make it manageable for me.

 

[mhlee]

Right now, I'm using a yanagiba to cut carrots because I want to get better at using the yanagiba and to learn what it can and cannot do. But, carrots are fun with a yanagiba.

 

[oivind_dahle]

I vote Gyuto!

 

[Cadillac J]

So if you're setting out to chop up some carrots, you'd reach for a suji?

Yup, I'll push cut them just the same than I would with a gyuto. I use my sujis in the exact same manner as gyuto, it is not only a dedicated slicer to me.

Less food also sticks to the narrower blade too (my love for them really started when I was cutting potatoes).

I'll also agree with Gator...get whatever you lack/have less of.

Pierre's suji has such an awesome profile!! That really is a steal, someone buy it! If I wasn't waiting for my Kono HD to arrive, I would of jumped on that in a heartbeat.

 

[El Pescador]

I'm just a home cook, not a pro or a competition guy, but I think that a gyuto would do for slicing, as long as you didn't have to turn the knife while making the cut. If you did, then the taller profile of the gyuto would work against you.

That said, I'll suggest that you take a look at a Pierre Rodrigue sujihiki up for sale at KF. It's 30cm, and the price is right:

http://www.knifeforums.com/forums/showtopic.php?tid/897977/

It doesn't hurt any that it's a good looking knife:

Sorry fellas...this ones mine!
Pesky

 

[Lefty]

Nice score Pesky!

 

[El Pescador]

Thanks...got a Del Ealy western chef I ordered more than a year ago coming soon. Serious knife blue balls here!

Pesky

 

[Pensacola Tiger]

Pesky,

Glad you grabbed that one!

Please take some better pics and post them in Pierre's subforum. That's the best shot I was able to get from John.

Rick

 

[Cadillac J]

Lucky guy! I hope that suji serves you well.

Please let me know how the steel is and how it compares with some other knives of yours...I'm very curious.

 

[Lefty]

I would love to see some pics of it too!
The handle is a huge part of the knife for me!
The profile of the blade looks great, but I want to see it all! Is that too much to ask? Haha

 

[El Pescador]

No problem guys pix and review to follow...

Pesky

 

[WildBoar]

I put mine to use on a nice 4-bone rib roast last Saturday night. We cooked at our neighbor's since we will not have a kitchen for about 5 more weeks. When it came time to rest the roast, they proudly pulled out a corian 'cutting board' to put the roast on to rest and carve :crying: I cut very slooooooooowly to make sure the blade did not have any substantial contact. :scared1:

 

[chazmtb]

At least it wasn't Granite.

 

[El Pescador]

I brought a ps gyoto to a bbq and they pulled out one of those glass cutting boards...***? Who thought that was a good idea?

Pesky

 

[NO ChoP!]

I would rather use a sujihiki to do the job of a gyuto, than use a gyuto to do the job of a sujihiki. So I, unbeknown to myself, until right now, will vote sujihiki!!!!!!