- Joined
- Apr 5, 2015
- Messages
- 258
- Reaction score
- 48
I was raised in a Chinese household where everything is done with a cleaver and a paring knife.
For the past 2 years, I've been trying to use a number of gyutos/chef knives over the past year, but I could never quite get used to it. I started with a Lee Valley peasant chef knife for a year (great knife, sharp, small). I bought a 255 mm Heiji SS Gyuto (very sharp, pleasure to sharpen, great knife).
I keep finding myself going back to my crudely made, soft-metal Chinese cleaver.
If you could have just one knife--a chinese cleaver--which one would it be?
I've pmed schanop--who recommended a Sugimoto OMS 6 and a Heiji with slab handles.
Andy likes his Tadatsuna #6 (with custom handle) or Suen VG-10.
grip: two finger traditional pinch (not sure how to describe it, look at Martin Yan)
LOCATION
[*]What country are you in? USA
KNIFE TYPE
[*]What type of knife are you interested in (e.g., chefs knife, slicer, boning knife, utility knife, bread knife, paring knife, cleaver)? Chinese chef knife/cleaver/chukabocho
[*]Are you right or left handed? mainly right
[*]Are you interested in a Western handle (e.g., classic Wusthof handle) or Japanese handle?--chinese handle.
[*]What length of knife (blade) are you interested? 210-225 mm
[*]Do you require a stainless knife? (Yes or no)--Semi stainless preferred. Non reactive carbon okay.
[*]What is your absolute maximum budget for your knife? $1000
KNIFE USE
[*]Home use
[*]What are the main tasks you primarily intend to use the knife for ( slicing vegetables, chopping vegetables, mincing vegetables, slicing meats, cutting down poultry, breaking poultry bones, filleting fish, trimming meats, ---everything except for chopping bones.)--mostly, I cook vegetables and sea food.
[*]What knife, if any, are you replacing? Thin HK vegetable cleaver
[*]Do you have a particular grip that you primarily use? (Please click on this LINK for the common types of grips.)
[*]
[*]What cutting motions do you primarily use? more used--push cut, chop, chop, walk, draw slice, rock --less used
[*]What improvements do you want from your current knife? Better edge retention (current blade goes dull after about 10-20 minutes of good use, fit and finish (mine is pretty ugly)
[*]
[*] aesthetics (No damascus please! I just don't want knife to discolor the food that I'm cutting. I had a sabatier turn my onions black)
[*]Comfort (lighter knife; don't care about handle--will likely rehandle the knife; rounded spine/choil of the knife--don't care, I can do that myself; improved balance--I will tweak the balance myself)?
[*]
[*]Ease of Use (I'd like it to cut at least as well as my Heiji SS Gyuto; Good food release is great, but this is a cleaver--not expecting much; less reactivity with food--a must; easier to sharpen is a plus)?
[*]Edge Retention (1 week to month as a home cook)
[*]KNIFE MAINTENANCE
[*]Do you use a bamboo, wood, rubber, or synthetic cutting board? (Yes.)--end grain maple, end grain chinese ironwood
[*][*]Do you sharpen your own knives? (Yes) Ceramic and natural water stones
[*][*]If not, are you interested in learning how to sharpen your knives? (Yes) Always would like to improve
[*][*]Are you interested in purchasing sharpening products for your knives? (Yes) Mainly for my chisels and planes. I build guitars for fun, and can appreciate a great edge.
[/LIST]
SPECIAL REQUESTS/COMMENTS: To my fellow cleaver-nuts, can you give me input on the perfect cleaver handle shape? I've heard a lot about Fish/Andy handles, but never used one.
I ordered a Sugimoto no 30 for my sister, so will have a sample of famous Sugimoto handle.
For the past 2 years, I've been trying to use a number of gyutos/chef knives over the past year, but I could never quite get used to it. I started with a Lee Valley peasant chef knife for a year (great knife, sharp, small). I bought a 255 mm Heiji SS Gyuto (very sharp, pleasure to sharpen, great knife).
I keep finding myself going back to my crudely made, soft-metal Chinese cleaver.
If you could have just one knife--a chinese cleaver--which one would it be?
I've pmed schanop--who recommended a Sugimoto OMS 6 and a Heiji with slab handles.
Andy likes his Tadatsuna #6 (with custom handle) or Suen VG-10.
grip: two finger traditional pinch (not sure how to describe it, look at Martin Yan)
LOCATION
[*]What country are you in? USA
KNIFE TYPE
[*]What type of knife are you interested in (e.g., chefs knife, slicer, boning knife, utility knife, bread knife, paring knife, cleaver)? Chinese chef knife/cleaver/chukabocho
[*]Are you right or left handed? mainly right
[*]Are you interested in a Western handle (e.g., classic Wusthof handle) or Japanese handle?--chinese handle.
[*]What length of knife (blade) are you interested? 210-225 mm
[*]Do you require a stainless knife? (Yes or no)--Semi stainless preferred. Non reactive carbon okay.
[*]What is your absolute maximum budget for your knife? $1000
KNIFE USE
[*]Home use
[*]What are the main tasks you primarily intend to use the knife for ( slicing vegetables, chopping vegetables, mincing vegetables, slicing meats, cutting down poultry, breaking poultry bones, filleting fish, trimming meats, ---everything except for chopping bones.)--mostly, I cook vegetables and sea food.
[*]What knife, if any, are you replacing? Thin HK vegetable cleaver
[*]Do you have a particular grip that you primarily use? (Please click on this LINK for the common types of grips.)
[*]
[*]What cutting motions do you primarily use? more used--push cut, chop, chop, walk, draw slice, rock --less used
[*]What improvements do you want from your current knife? Better edge retention (current blade goes dull after about 10-20 minutes of good use, fit and finish (mine is pretty ugly)
[*]
[*] aesthetics (No damascus please! I just don't want knife to discolor the food that I'm cutting. I had a sabatier turn my onions black)
[*]Comfort (lighter knife; don't care about handle--will likely rehandle the knife; rounded spine/choil of the knife--don't care, I can do that myself; improved balance--I will tweak the balance myself)?
[*]
[*]Ease of Use (I'd like it to cut at least as well as my Heiji SS Gyuto; Good food release is great, but this is a cleaver--not expecting much; less reactivity with food--a must; easier to sharpen is a plus)?
[*]Edge Retention (1 week to month as a home cook)
[*]KNIFE MAINTENANCE
[*]Do you use a bamboo, wood, rubber, or synthetic cutting board? (Yes.)--end grain maple, end grain chinese ironwood
[*][*]Do you sharpen your own knives? (Yes) Ceramic and natural water stones
[*][*]If not, are you interested in learning how to sharpen your knives? (Yes) Always would like to improve
[*][*]Are you interested in purchasing sharpening products for your knives? (Yes) Mainly for my chisels and planes. I build guitars for fun, and can appreciate a great edge.
[/LIST]
SPECIAL REQUESTS/COMMENTS: To my fellow cleaver-nuts, can you give me input on the perfect cleaver handle shape? I've heard a lot about Fish/Andy handles, but never used one.
I ordered a Sugimoto no 30 for my sister, so will have a sample of famous Sugimoto handle.