How many pros here use all of their knives at work?

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Jeffrey Kramb

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As a pro, I hate the idea of buying a knife that doesn't see real work. Currently at work I use Watanabe 165 Nakiri, Konosuke MM 210 Gyuto, Moritaka 150 Honesuki and Mizuno Tanranjo Akitada Santoku (for line use). Planning to get a fujiyama and a few other higher end knives which I will also take to work. How about everyone here? Do you take all your good stuff to work?
 
I have a big Husky tool chest at work. I have way too many knives, but make a point to try and rotate them, and use each specialty knife when the chore arises. Having numerous gyutos affords me to not have to sharpen but every month or two. But sharpening day can literally be a day.
 
I use a gyuto and a petty at work. Before I used to use yanagi for sashimi and suji for slicing tataki. The rest of th knives stay at home and they see use for me and my partner meals.
 
Samesies. I rotate fairly often. There’s definitely a couple that don’t get used as much as others. Not for any specific reason. Maybe because they’re “nicer” than others. But they all get used
 
Samesies. I rotate fairly often. There’s definitely a couple that don’t get used as much as others. Not for any specific reason. Maybe because they’re “nicer” than others. But they all get used
Agreed
 
I have used every knife I’ve owned at work. Some don’t get used much more than a couple times and those get sold towards something I’ll rotate in more. The two exceptions are my usuba - haven’t had much use for it any of the places I’ve worked, but I’m keeping it to mess around with at home and I’ve destroyed the resale value anyway while learning about those knives - and my 3” paring knife, though the latter might prove well suited to something in the future.
 
I'm no collector and the few knives I keep all get used at work. 2 gyutos, one petty, one honesuki. The only one I don't use a lot is an usuba I got just for the sake of trying one, but even that got a surprising amount of use at work
 
I buy all my knives with the intent of using them. I've also used all my knives at work. Nowadays I tend to leave my carbons at home so I don't have to worry about the care and others borrowing it, and also so I don't have to constantly dig into my bag between work and home. Ironically, I seem to take way better care of them at work than at home
 
At my current job I primarily make or work with chocolate so if I’m using any knife at all it’s often a softer steeled 12y/o hand-me-down beater for chopping large blocks. I eagerly bring my knives every day for the rare joyous occasions I get to slice a tomato or chiffonade some herbs or segment some citrus, but these seldom are my priority. Despite this I'm constantly itching to keep buying more knives in hopes that they’ll see a bit more professional use in my next gig.
 
I have lots of knives I don't take to work. Mostly vintage stuff. I enjoy fixing up old knives but they generally aren't the best for using at work with a few exceptions. I have one "nice" knife that I bought intending to use for work, but haven't taken to work yet. That's my Shihan 240 in 52100. I have just really enjoyed having it at home the past few months. It will get moved into the rotation the next time I have to bring my Watanabe home for a tune-up. A lot of times when I restore or make a knife I'm going to use it as a gift. Something I'm going to give to someone else definitely doesn't go to work unless I want to Destruction Test it before I gift it. There's just too much unnecessary risk of damage. But if it's for me then it's for work. And it will be damaged. And fixed. And damaged. I have to replace my main beater soon. Kanehide TK 240. It's getting too short from sharpening and I'm getting bruises on my knuckles when chopping. I will do a Morimoto side by side shot when I get it.
 
I use everything I own whether at home or at work, but at work the knives with the most action seen is a 300mm sujihiki, 230mm gyuto, and a 170mm nakiri. Rarely need a smaller knife as most of the work requiring it is done by one of my cooks.
 
I have a big Husky tool chest at work. I have way too many knives, but make a point to try and rotate them, and use each specialty knife when the chore arises. Having numerous gyutos affords me to not have to sharpen but every month or two. But sharpening day can literally be a day.
What no choo said!
 
One of the best parts of having a cool collection is deciding what goes in the roll on a daily basis. I’ve taken almost all my knives to work, but there’s a couple I don’t trust in that environment. I’m pretty sure you can guess which ones those are. But they all get used, just not all go to work.
 
Every knife I own has been to work though some more than others. Do rotate through them, usually have a "try me" knife and a standby for most tasks, then suji and bread. The specialty knives I use more at catering and at home than at the day job. Being older than dirt I do have a couple carbon gyuto, Marko, Haburn, that have been to work for a week but now live in my "retirement" roll.
 
X pro here. Everything got used at work besides one of my honyakis(used at home) and my HHH captain fancy pants gyuto (used at home). They never saw work because they screamed "steal me" and "I'm expensive"
 
I had an Oatley w2 Honyaki that was my daily knife for about 2 years; I bought it with the intention of using it. Now I use a mix; shun petty, Hunter Valley Blades chef knife, and a Chefs knife and Bunka that I have made, that haven't made the standard to being sold.
 
99% of the time If I don’t see myself using a knife at work I won’t purchase it. I can definitely understand the nerves of bringing an expensive blade into a pro environment. I take that into consideration when buying new ones. I would love to get myself a sweet gyuto just for home though one day. Thing is, I don’t cook at home often. Way too many hours at work lately.
 
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