Hello guys any suggestion for a decent Utility knife?

[sasdgl]

Hey guys I literally fell in love with handmade knives recently. I am looking for a nice handmade utility knife that's around 120mm to 135mm. I am a professional pastry cook, so I process fruits everyday. I really like to purchase a good utility knife. I don't really need any other knives for my everyday job, My budget is 1k I really want a unique piece that worth the price. I have looking at Shigefusa's petty knife but I guess it will be super difficult to get one. Also I was looking at Takeshi Saji and hinoura yusyoku's knives and they seem really nice as well and someone told me about Fujiwara Kanefusa 25th but I can not find any of their knives for sale. If you guys can give some suggestions about what to get that will be extremely appreciated. I am open to all knife makers and materials. Thank you guys again! Looking forward to see and learn more here!!

 

[blokey]

For fruit task stainless works well, I like Ryusen SG2 stuff, you can buy them from Miura, King Tak Kong, Strata and JKI, for the first two you have to contact them either through email or instagram. You can also just call Jon at JKI, he's very knowledgeable should have good recommendations for professionals. Fujiwara Kanefusa is sold at JCK, nothing special tho, good basic knives.
https://japanesechefsknife.com/collections/fujiwara-kanefusaAnother option is to commission a knife from custom makers, @MSicardCutlery makes some nice MagnaCut knives, worry free little workhorse.

 

[MrHiggins]

Butch Harner makes a damn fine utility knife. Here's mine:

 

[Delat]

From the budget it sounds like you’re looking for something both visually interesting and tough enough to be used daily?

For heavy daily fruit contact you might want to lean toward stainless or semi-stainless. In term of what you find visually appealing maybe you can share what you like about Saji and Hinoura? Or do you mainly want something rare and difficult to acquire?

Here’s a few examples that lean on damascus and/or tsuchime (hammering) for visual appeal.
https://www.japanny.com/collections/petty-utility/brand_yu-kurosakihttps://homebutcher.com/collections/shiro-kamo-knives/products/shiro-kamo-sg2-120mm-petty-custom-4https://japanesechefsknife.com/prod...-vg-10-tsuchime-damascus-petty-135mm-5-3-inch
I’m not a big petty guy but here’s the 3 I have. Middle is the blue clouds linked above, definitely a tough workhorse that could be used all day commercially. Left is a copper damascus custom, right is a Yoshimi Kato stainless clad blue super core; both are very thin and for more precise work. They’re all striking but each in a very different way. IMHO anyway.

 

[gentiscid]

Victorinox 6” best $30 ever!

 

[mockit]

I would 100% go custom as suggested with that budget. You will likely still be under 1k and end up with something truly unique. Cruise the Daily Knife Pic or Share Newest Buy threads and take a look at what’s possible. The Modern Cooking website or Eating Tools are great spots for inspiration as well. Most knives are 200mm+ but many styles can be miniaturized for a petty so the sky is the limit. Smiths are all over Instagram and you can reach out to them there to see if they are accepting customs. Personally I would suggest stainless or stainless clad stainless just for the sake of design and pair it with an incredible handle. How wild do you want to go? There are endless choices .

 

[sasdgl]

Butch Harner makes a damn fine utility knife. Here's mine:

View attachment 233868

Thank you for sharing it is really a beauty may I ask where did you purchase this please?

 

[sasdgl]

From the budget it sounds like you’re looking for something both visually interesting and tough enough to be used daily?

For heavy daily fruit contact you might want to lean toward stainless or semi-stainless. In term of what you find visually appealing maybe you can share what you like about Saji and Hinoura? Or do you mainly want something rare and difficult to acquire?

Here’s a few examples that lean on damascus and/or tsuchime (hammering) for visual appeal.
https://www.japanny.com/collections/petty-utility/brand_yu-kurosakihttps://homebutcher.com/collections/shiro-kamo-knives/products/shiro-kamo-sg2-120mm-petty-custom-4https://japanesechefsknife.com/prod...-vg-10-tsuchime-damascus-petty-135mm-5-3-inch
I’m not a big petty guy but here’s the 3 I have. Middle is the blue clouds linked above, definitely a tough workhorse that could be used all day commercially. Left is a copper damascus custom, right is a Yoshimi Kato stainless clad blue super core; both are very thin and for more precise work. They’re all striking but each in a very different way. IMHO anyway.

View attachment 233869

Hi Delat Thank you so much for sharing these 3 beautiful pieces! I love all three of your knives! especially the one in the middle. it really is stunning! You are definitely right. I am actually looking for a knife that looks stunning and can hold its sharpness. I like Saji and hinoura's dual color Damascus. being honestly the look of their knives is what really attracts me. But I'm totally ok if the knife looks very normal nothing stand out but it has a legit reason of worth 1k. My work requires me uses a utility knife on daily basis. I believe picking a unique knife definitely going to add some excitement to my work. Thank you Delat!

 

[sasdgl]

Victorinox 6” best $30 ever!

Yep I believe that

 

[sasdgl]

I would 100% go custom as suggested with that budget. You will likely still be under 1k and end up with something truly unique. Cruise the Daily Knife Pic or Share Newest Buy threads and take a look at what’s possible. The Modern Cooking website or Eating Tools are great spots for inspiration as well. Most knives are 200mm+ but many styles can be miniaturized for a petty so the sky is the limit. L Smiths are all over Instagram and you can reach out to them there to see if they are accepting customs. Personally I would suggest stainless or stainless clad stainless just for the sake of design and pair it with an incredible handle. How wild do you want to go? There are endless choices .

Hi Mockit I really appreciate your sharing, I just checked out the oakley knives it is really stunning but I have never done any customized knives before, is 1k enough for a custom one? I saw many blade smiths on youtube their works usually sell for thousands. Do you happen to know any bladesmith that accept custom orders at that price? Thank you so much!

 

[Jovidah]

I don't see the point in ordering custom when you don't know what you're actually looking for in a knife. I'd spend some time and money investigating that first, for example trying different lengths, heel heights, profiles, etc.

 

[Fellax]

If you want a beautiful utility in stailess and you are planning to spend money i would check for Mr Itou work.

https://japanesechefsknife.com/coll...s-gyuto-160mm-6-2-inch-ironwood-handle-it-152

 

[Jovidah]

I'll make an attempt to formulate some pointers / ways to narrow it down, especially since 'simply having a high budget' doesn't really help in that regard (if you have 1 million bucks to spend on a car you can buy a big SUV or a Lamborghini but what makes sense to buy depends on whether you want to go to a racetrack or on safari).

-Figure out what height you want. Lower blade height makes it more usable as a paring knife and more nimble while cutting 'inside' product, taller blade height makes it easier to chop with (due to extra knuckle clearance), though this is still possible with a lower blade when just doing draw cuts or push cuts with the front half.

-Figure out your preferred length. Longer is better on the board, shorter is easier in the hand. There's also a lot of personal preference involved here.

-Figure out your handle preference; western handles (sometimes referred to as yo-handles) are different both in balance and ergonomics from Japanese Japanese handles (usually referred to as wa-handles).

-Figure out whether your weight preferences; thin, thick, etc.

After that comes aesthethics, which is really quite seperate from these functional aspects. One thing I haven't mentioned because I think the answer is fairly obvious... steel. While I won't go as far as recommending a specific steel, for someone who says he's going to use it for pastry work, where I suspect a good amount of fruit-work and citrus is involved, and not a lot of 'wiping the blade clean straight away', I'd always go for a fully stainless option. Skip the carbons IMO.

There isn't necessarily an 'easy' way to nail down these preferences. You might have to just buy some cheap knives to see what you like or don't like. But to me it makes more sense to spend 300 dollars on a quiver of different petties to nail down your preferences than to spend 1k on a custom when you have no clue what you're really looking for.

 

[Mute-on]

I don't see the point in ordering custom when you don't know what you're actually looking for in a knife. I'd spend some time and money investigating that first, for example trying different lengths, heel heights, profiles, etc.

Best advice so far. You should spend under $300 (or less) on a good quality stainless petty, since you will be using it predominantly on fruits, and just get a feel for what a decent Japanese petty feels like. You may need shorter than 120mm or longer than 135. You might want three very nice knives, and not blow a pointless sum on just one. You are starting a journey. Nobody stops at one. Ever.

Edit: I see @Jovidah followed up the initial comment. A good summation.

 

[Mute-on]

Not stainless, but you could start with this Kawachi Kasumi Petty 120mm

 

[MrHiggins]

Thank you for sharing it is really a beauty may I ask where did you purchase this please?

I bought mine used, but if you Google Butch Harner knives, I think he has an online storefront (or maybe on Instagram?)

 

[HSC /// Knives]

I made this last year to order for a chef here out of MagnaCut steel

Utility paring

 

[blokey]

I bought mine used, but if you Google Butch Harner knives, I think he has an online storefront (or maybe on Instagram?)

He's mostly doing stuff on Instagram now, the online store is down and the facebook page is pretty slow. He's making a batch right now and they are going to be heat treated soon.

 

[HumbleHomeCook]

Yep, first thing is to understand how you intend to primarily use it. Many Japanese style petties are more oriented to board work over in-hand. And, if it's going to be a well-used tool, comfort and weight will likely be factor. That parer that @HSC /// Knives posted looks fantastic both in just looks but also function.

Ryan D. Geiger, @Illyria, is also a pro-chef and knife maker and does gorgeous, functional work. You could pick up a knife and one if his offset spatulas for your pastry needs. Maybe commission matching handles.

https://www.etsy.com/shop/RyanDGeigerKnives?ref=usf_2020

 

[Delat]

Hi Delat Thank you so much for sharing these 3 beautiful pieces! I love all three of your knives! especially the one in the middle. it really is stunning! You are definitely right. I am actually looking for a knife that looks stunning and can hold its sharpness. I like Saji and hinoura's dual color Damascus. being honestly the look of their knives is what really attracts me. But I'm totally ok if the knife looks very normal nothing stand out but it has a legit reason of worth 1k. My work requires me uses a utility knife on daily basis. I believe picking a unique knife definitely going to add some excitement to my work. Thank you Delat!

If you like the blue one, just grab it - it’s only $109 right now. This is a very reputable vendor and as I mentioned I have the exact same one. It’s our “beater” petty that my wife abuses and it’s held up really well. The scales shrank a touch making the metal tang protrude a bit, but it was a 5-10 minute job to sand everything back flush.

https://japanesechefsknife.com/prod...-vg-10-tsuchime-damascus-petty-135mm-5-3-inch
One thing that hasn’t been mentioned is sharpening. These knives really need to be sharpened by hand on stones, not by the guy in the mall with power tools. Although this particular petty is cheap enough (relatively) that shouldn’t lose too much sleep over how its sharpened while you figure out if you want something more expensive/nicer.

 

[Keith Sinclair]

Wouldn't spend big bucks for pastry utility knife. Damascus ups price & does not make knife cut better. Also pretty knives don't stay that way in production kitchens. I would see bake shop guys cutting on sheet pans with Victorinox. Not good for any knife. Would hope that your use would only be on wood pastry table or some type of smaller cutting board.

Understand your wanting a hand forged knife. Having a blade that is used a lot every day & is a joy to cut with is good. You could try a few cheaper blades to see how they feel for your particular needs, like peeling & slicing kiwi fruits. You can always get use out of cheaper knives even after you get a more expensive custom blade. Of course having a sharp blade is important small thin utility blade doesn't have much steel after many sharpening they will get smaller in size.

 

[parbaked]

I am looking for a nice handmade utility knife that's around 120mm to 135mm. I am a professional pastry cook, so I process fruits everyday. I am open to all knife makers and materials.

I would buy this custom RyuSen from Epic Edge ...
https://www.epicedge.com/shopexd.asp?id=87246

1. Great knife for fruit: stainless and holds it's edge.
2. Beautiful custom handle.
3. Kiri wood box!

Epic gives a 5% discount to KKF members. Just mention it in your order notes.

If you desire something more rustic and handmade, I like this one:
https://bernalcutlery.com/collectio...eim-forge-classic-range-120mm-petty-iron-clad
Bernal gives a discount to industry professionals. Just register on their site.

 

[parbaked]

Here are a few more nice ones from Epic:
Tsukasa Hinoura Yushoku but 150mm
Brian Hansen "real" damascus, not damascus clad
Yoshikane SLD a classic

There are a bunch more on that site:
Epic Utility Knives

 

[AT5760]

Are you looking for something that you will use in hand, or will it be board work? If you will be using the knife a fair amount on a cutting board, then I'd look for a little more heel height, ~35 mm+. Good luck with your search, there are tons of options out there.

With your budget, I'd think hard about buying two different, lower priced knives. Use those to evaluate exactly what you are looking for. Then, have something custom made in a wear resistant steel with a unique handle.

 

[chefwp]

Get @MSicardCutlery to make you one. I have one and use it for fruit a lot.

for example

 

[blokey]

 

[Delat]

Couple more interesting ones
https://homebutcher.com/collections...amono-110mm-super-blue-migaki-kiritsuke-pettyhttps://homebutcher.com/collections...amono-140mm-super-blue-migaki-kiritsuke-petty

 

[Steampunk]

1K for a 5" petty... Well, that certainly leaves the field open for unicorn-horn handles and steel that glows in the presence of Orcs... For this price, you could pick the custom maker of your choice from around the world, and have your dreams come true. For your application, a custom in a really nice Damasteel pattern (Stainless Damascus) if you're looking for something visually interesting, or a modern 'Super Steel' in something like Magnacut, Vanax, etc, would give you really long edge life around fruits if you were feeling like a bit of a steel geek.... As I said, you could pick a custom maker at this price point, and give the money to a craftsman who you consider deserving. They'd create a piece for you, that no one else will ever have.

May I ask how you intend to sharpen it? If you're a working pro, with that kind of budget, and aren't into sharpening your own blades, it might be better to get two at a lower price so you've still got one on hand when the other is out for sharpening to the mail-order sharpener of your choice. Halving the price, to afford two of them within budget, you might still be able to afford a mature custom maker using AEB-L / 14C28N (Both excellent steels for your application.), or maybe even Damasteel with a younger bladesmith.

If you intend to sharpen your own knives, that's a whole other kettle of fish (Maybe Sachertorte, in your case?)... Better to portion some of that for stones and sharpening tools, from equally deserving makers of traditional sharpening supplies, to make sure that knife stays as awesome as it will be out of the box.

If we're getting down to brass tacks, and your statement of "I want a unique piece that's worth the price."... You know, a Robert Herder K1 and K3 stainless combo would probably be a good fit for the sort of fruit-work you're doing, at a fraction of your budget, and would be knives you'd never see in anyone else's hands around you... They're the last small-production shop in Europe, making kitchen knives the old Solingen way, and are hard to get in the US... Exclusivity, and giving money to those who deserve it for their craft is an interesting thing. Get an F.Dick Micro honing rod, or F.Dick Rapid (The last maker of decent steels.), and you'd actually be able to keep a useful edge on them as you work for quite some time... "Unique pieces, worth the price." come in all shapes and sizes...

If you're looking for the ultimate tool for cutting fruit, that comes down to the sharpening more than a high-end blade in most cases... Many Japanese stainless petties under $120 can be tuned up to slay fruit like you wouldn't believe... Invest that money in a class or two with a good sharpener, and some stones, and you've got something else unique in your field. Just another way to look at it...

Sincerely, I offer my best wishes in finding someone to give you the experience you are looking for. There are various ways to achieve it.

 

[HSC /// Knives]

Here’s a knife in my collection from my friend Tim Wright. It’s PD#1 steel polished and ironwood with hardened stainless bolster. A similar knife is $700

 

[mockit]

@HSC /// Knives the detail work on that is off the charts!