Hi all,
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)?
150mm Petty (set on it, don't try to change my mind)
Are you right or left handed?
Right
Are you interested in a Western handle (e.g., classic Wusthof handle) or Japanese handle?
I'm fine with either
What length of knife (blade) are you interested in (in inches or millimeters)?
150 mm
Do you require a stainless knife? (Yes or no)
I require carbon - preferably white 2, but anything with decent sharpenability.
What is your absolute maximum budget for your knife?
Not more than $400, but I'd like to stay on the cheaper side of things.
KNIFE USE
Do you primarily intend to use this knife at home or a professional environment?
PRO
What are the main tasks you primarily intend to use the knife for (e.g., slicing vegetables, chopping vegetables, mincing vegetables, slicing meats, cutting down poultry, breaking poultry bones, filleting fish, trimming meats, etc.)? (Please identify as many tasks as you would like.)
My petty is my daily driver and beater for Japanese style cooking. I'm teaching a bunch of chefs and jump between a dozen tasks a minute. One minute I'm fileting aji, the next I'm breaking down a chicken. A second later I'm peeling something on the fly, and the next second I'm taking silver skin from a loin. All the time I'm showing young guns that you can do katsuramuki with good technique and that the knife shape itself, while helpful, is no substitute for practice (which is to say that I also katsuramuki daikon with this knife).
What knife, if any, are you replacing?
Heiji, TF, Shiro Kunimitsu, Mizuno Tanrenjo, Takamura VG10, Togiharu Molybdenum, generic nihonkou (sk whatever)
Do you have a particular grip that you primarily use? (Please click on this LINK for the common types of grips.)
Depends on the job I'm doing.
What cutting motions do you primarily use? (Please click on this LINK for types of cutting motions and identify the two or three most common cutting motions, in order of most used to least used.)
Really depends on the job I'm doing.
What improvements do you want from your current knife? If you are not replacing a knife, please identify as many characteristics identified below in parentheses that you would like this knife to have.)
For the love of god, stop chipping.
Better aesthetics (e.g., a certain type of finish; layered/Damascus or other pattern of steel; different handle color/pattern/shape/wood; better scratch resistance; better stain resistance)?
The more vanilla the better.
Comfort (e.g., lighter/heavier knife; better handle material; better handle shape; rounded spine/choil of the knife; improved balance)?
Don't care.
Ease of Use (e.g., ability to use the knife right out of the box; smoother rock chopping, push cutting, or slicing motion; less wedging; better food release; less reactivity with food; easier to sharpen)?
Don't care.
Edge Retention (i.e., length of time you want the edge to last without sharpening)?
Really don't care.
KNIFE MAINTENANCE
Do you use a bamboo, wood, rubber, or synthetic cutting board? (Yes or no.)
It's a pro environment. You all would cry if you saw what I was cutting on.
Do you sharpen your own knives? (Yes or no.)
Every day
If not, are you interested in learning how to sharpen your knives? (Yes or no.)
lol - I can sharpen.
Are you interested in purchasing sharpening products for your knives? (Yes or no.)
extra lol.
SPECIAL REQUESTS/COMMENTS
I need a knife that can run through the fires of hell and laugh at me while I whip a bunch of a*&holes in to shape. It's gotta be tough and be able to handle a bunch of abuse. It's also got to be able to take a classic carbon steel edge. The softer, tougher stainless (like the molybdenum and inox, etc) were tough enough, but not keen enough for the jobs I do. Meanwhile the ones that are sharp enough chip way too easily. I get the feeling like I'm asking for the impossible, but I thought I'd post this anyways in case anybody has some good options. Adding a microbevel helps, but still not quite enough. Is there a petty out there that I don't know of that will satisfy me? Summoning the other pro's I see on the forum who aren't afraid to use their knives @panda and @stringer for their words of wisdom.
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)?
150mm Petty (set on it, don't try to change my mind)
Are you right or left handed?
Right
Are you interested in a Western handle (e.g., classic Wusthof handle) or Japanese handle?
I'm fine with either
What length of knife (blade) are you interested in (in inches or millimeters)?
150 mm
Do you require a stainless knife? (Yes or no)
I require carbon - preferably white 2, but anything with decent sharpenability.
What is your absolute maximum budget for your knife?
Not more than $400, but I'd like to stay on the cheaper side of things.
KNIFE USE
Do you primarily intend to use this knife at home or a professional environment?
PRO
What are the main tasks you primarily intend to use the knife for (e.g., slicing vegetables, chopping vegetables, mincing vegetables, slicing meats, cutting down poultry, breaking poultry bones, filleting fish, trimming meats, etc.)? (Please identify as many tasks as you would like.)
My petty is my daily driver and beater for Japanese style cooking. I'm teaching a bunch of chefs and jump between a dozen tasks a minute. One minute I'm fileting aji, the next I'm breaking down a chicken. A second later I'm peeling something on the fly, and the next second I'm taking silver skin from a loin. All the time I'm showing young guns that you can do katsuramuki with good technique and that the knife shape itself, while helpful, is no substitute for practice (which is to say that I also katsuramuki daikon with this knife).
What knife, if any, are you replacing?
Heiji, TF, Shiro Kunimitsu, Mizuno Tanrenjo, Takamura VG10, Togiharu Molybdenum, generic nihonkou (sk whatever)
Do you have a particular grip that you primarily use? (Please click on this LINK for the common types of grips.)
Depends on the job I'm doing.
What cutting motions do you primarily use? (Please click on this LINK for types of cutting motions and identify the two or three most common cutting motions, in order of most used to least used.)
Really depends on the job I'm doing.
What improvements do you want from your current knife? If you are not replacing a knife, please identify as many characteristics identified below in parentheses that you would like this knife to have.)
For the love of god, stop chipping.
Better aesthetics (e.g., a certain type of finish; layered/Damascus or other pattern of steel; different handle color/pattern/shape/wood; better scratch resistance; better stain resistance)?
The more vanilla the better.
Comfort (e.g., lighter/heavier knife; better handle material; better handle shape; rounded spine/choil of the knife; improved balance)?
Don't care.
Ease of Use (e.g., ability to use the knife right out of the box; smoother rock chopping, push cutting, or slicing motion; less wedging; better food release; less reactivity with food; easier to sharpen)?
Don't care.
Edge Retention (i.e., length of time you want the edge to last without sharpening)?
Really don't care.
KNIFE MAINTENANCE
Do you use a bamboo, wood, rubber, or synthetic cutting board? (Yes or no.)
It's a pro environment. You all would cry if you saw what I was cutting on.
Do you sharpen your own knives? (Yes or no.)
Every day
If not, are you interested in learning how to sharpen your knives? (Yes or no.)
lol - I can sharpen.
Are you interested in purchasing sharpening products for your knives? (Yes or no.)
extra lol.
SPECIAL REQUESTS/COMMENTS
I need a knife that can run through the fires of hell and laugh at me while I whip a bunch of a*&holes in to shape. It's gotta be tough and be able to handle a bunch of abuse. It's also got to be able to take a classic carbon steel edge. The softer, tougher stainless (like the molybdenum and inox, etc) were tough enough, but not keen enough for the jobs I do. Meanwhile the ones that are sharp enough chip way too easily. I get the feeling like I'm asking for the impossible, but I thought I'd post this anyways in case anybody has some good options. Adding a microbevel helps, but still not quite enough. Is there a petty out there that I don't know of that will satisfy me? Summoning the other pro's I see on the forum who aren't afraid to use their knives @panda and @stringer for their words of wisdom.
I took you for a stainless savant
