Is VG10 good for single bevel Knife?

[nblitz]

Hi, I'm just looking for single bevel kiritsuke multi-purpose knife (not yanagiba type). I found Sakai Kikomori KIWAMI VG10 ( ä‹eŽç@‹É KIWAMI ‚u‚P‚O@‰Í‘ºn•¨Š”Ž®‰ïŽÐ). But I'm not sure, is VG10 is good for single bevel?

 

[Se1ryu]

A lot of knife maker make a single bevel out of VG10 steel but for me personally I will go for high carbon steel for single bevel. But Kiritsuke (Real Kiritsuke) is a multi purpose knife that you will use to cut and slice everything, including some acidic food. Find R2 or Ginsan if you can but VG10 is also hard steel with around 60 HRC. Some blacksmith even doing it at 62 HRC. So the choice is in your hand. Do you need all around stainless knife or razor sharp high carbon steel knife?

 

[Qapla']

I don't have any experience with single-bevel VG-10 knives yet, but I'd be interested in seeing what you end up choosing.

 

[HumbleHomeCook]

I don't hate VG10 but I'm pretty sure I'd hate sharpening wide bevel VG10.

 

[Harrison Cutlery]

I prefer a laminated setup for single bevel, makes sharpening quicker/easier.

Also vg10 isn't the toughest of steels so it will be pretty chippy/fragile at low edge angles found on a single bevel.

To give you an idea white #1, a common core steel for single bevels is twice as tough as vg10 both at 61 RC and the same toughness as 61rc vg10 at 65rc.

Vg10 is a good steel but better suited to double bevel imo

 

[Benuser]

If it lacks toughness, the lack of edge stability is another issue. I would wonder how the steel holds a single bevel. Remember the dulling curve with VG-10 double-bevels: crazy sharp fresh from the stones, holding this sharpness only a very short time, dulling almost instantly to a much lower level of sharpness, acceptable in Western cuisine, holding it for a very long time.

 

[Jovidah]

That's probably why ginsan is more as a stainless single bevel?

 

[Se1ryu]

That's probably why ginsan is more as a stainless single bevel?

Ginsan or R2. Yu Kurosaki X Myojin SG2 yanagiba look beautiful. But I prefer Blue no.2. People I know who own a Ginsan sakimaru Yanagiba said that he prefer high carbon steel over a stainless steel.

 

[mpier]

Every single time my friends and relatives bring me VG10 to sharpen the edge has micro chips and they are double edge knives. I can only imagine that a single bevel would be worse. My only single bevel is W2 and with stainless cladding, no problems with it.

 

[Jovidah]

Every single time my friends and relatives bring me VG10 to sharpen the edge has micro chips and they are double edge knives. I can only imagine that a single bevel would be worse. My only single bevel is W2 and with stainless cladding, no problems with it.

That sounds more like a 'friends and relatives' problem than a VG10 problem.

 

[mpier]

That sounds more like a 'friends and relatives' problem than a VG10 problem.

Could very well be lol, but I have sharpened plenty and from that standpoint only I personally wouldn’t buy it on I single bevel knife.

 

[nblitz]

A lot of knife maker make a single bevel out of VG10 steel but for me personally I will go for high carbon steel for single bevel. But Kiritsuke (Real Kiritsuke) is a multi purpose knife that you will use to cut and slice everything, including some acidic food. Find R2 or Ginsan if you can but VG10 is also hard steel with around 60 HRC. Some blacksmith even doing it at 62 HRC. So the choice is in your hand. Do you need all around stainless knife or razor sharp high carbon steel knife?

It is quite hard to find Kiritsuke with R2/SG2 with no Yanagiba type. Do you have some suggestions?

 

[Se1ryu]

It is quite hard to find Kiritsuke with R2/SG2 with no Yanagiba type. Do you have some suggestions?

If you don't find in R2/SG2 maybe Ginsanko is better choice. I know korin has Ginsanko Kiritsuke

Edit: I didn't know you are from Thailand . You can search for Ginsan Kiritsuke online and I think Ginsanko are easier to find than an R2 steel.

 

[nblitz]

Actually, my Minamoto Petty VG10 double bevel always has micro chips, even I didn't cut through the hard vegetable. That's why I need your opinion is VG10 suitable for a single bevel or not.

 

[nblitz]

If you don't find in R2/SG2 maybe Ginsanko is better choice. I know korin has Ginsanko Kiritsuke

Edit: I didn't know you are from Thailand . You can search for Ginsanko Kiritsuke online and they have more in Ginsanko for single bevel knives I believe.

I can try to find it from Japan. Because is easier to ship to Thailand. Thanks
Edit: It also hard to find multipurpose kiritsuke from Japan. Mostly found Yanagi type.

 

[Benuser]

I can try to find it from Japan. Because is easier to ship to Thailand. Thanks
Edit: It also hard to find multipurpose kiritsuke from Japan. Mostly found Yanagi type.

@nblitz , what is the reason you insist on stainless?
https://japanesechefsknife.com/pages/search-results-page?q=kiritsuke+single+bevel+edge+240mm

 

[adam92]

I have some experience with different steel in yanagiba. Including blue two, blue one, white two, white one & white three honyaki, ginsan & my first yanagiba is sekizo stainless steel, sekizo stainless steel is a crap. I found I prefer ginsan over white two, because when during busy service night I don’t need to pay extra attention to look after the knife, but even though is stainless for ginsan. I still wipe the knife after every cut.

For edge retention, ginsan last longer than my blue two, maybe because I cut lemon with the knife. Blue one is harder to sharpen, much harder than blue two. by the Way blue one is make by Shiraki, blue two is make by nakagawa. Probably because of heat treatment.

Can’t compare these steel with Honyaki yanagiba, edge retention is different level. I say depends on your working environment, if you work in restaurant & workplace is high humidity, stainless is your go, otherwise carbon is easier to sharpen.

 

[Se1ryu]

Maybe because he need a Kiritsuke (real Kiritsuke) which used for slicing, cutting, everything, including acidic food. It's like a chef's knife/ multiple purpose knife for sushi Chef. Also stainless steel is easier to handle for commercial use and they are not highly reactive like high carbon. Maybe this is why he prefer stainless steel. Let the man answer himself

 

[nblitz]

@nblitz , what is the reason you insist on stainless?
https://japanesechefsknife.com/pages/search-results-page?q=kiritsuke+single+bevel+edge+240mm

Edit: Remove reply from forgetting some quotes. Please refer below one.

 

[nblitz]

I have some experience with different steel in yanagiba. Including blue two, blue one, white two, white one & white three honyaki, ginsan & my first yanagiba is sekizo stainless steel, sekizo stainless steel is a crap. I found I prefer ginsan over white two, because when during busy service night I don’t need to pay extra attention to look after the knife, but even though is stainless for ginsan. I still wipe the knife after every cut.

For edge retention, ginsan last longer than my blue two, maybe because I cut lemon with the knife. Blue one is harder to sharpen, much harder than blue two. by the Way blue one is make by Shiraki, blue two is make by nakagawa. Probably because of heat treatment.

Can’t compare these steel with Honyaki yanagiba, edge retention is different level. I say depends on your working environment, if you work in restaurant & workplace is high humidity, stainless is your go, otherwise carbon is easier to sharpen.

Thanks, it is very clear.

 

[nblitz]

@nblitz , what is the reason you insist on stainless?
https://japanesechefsknife.com/pages/search-results-page?q=kiritsuke+single+bevel+edge+240mm

Maybe because he need a Kiritsuke (real Kiritsuke) which used for slicing, cutting, everything, including acidic food. It's like a chef's knife/ multiple purpose knife for sushi Chef. Also stainless steel is easier to handle for commercial use and they are not highly reactive like high carbon. Maybe this is why he prefer stainless steel. Let the man answer himself

Actually, I'm no professional chef in a restaurant. I'm home cook, cooking is my hobby. Se1ryu you're right, I need real Kiritsuke (not Yanagiba) for multi-purposes. I avoid carbon steel from my location is quite high in humanity (RH60%+) and I also cut a lot of acidic food&citruses.

 

[Se1ryu]

Yes, I think Sakai Kikumori Kiwai VG10 mirror finish Kiritsuke it's good for home cook if you cannot find any Ginsanko available. You don't have to worry about rust or anything. Just make sure to keep the blade dry after use and you will be fine.

 

[btbyrd]

If you don't already have a yanagi or usuba, I question the extent to which a kiritsuke is going to be useful. True single bevel kiritsukes, like most other Japanese single-bevel knives, are specialty knives with specific use cases in mind. If you're in charge of a sushi restaurant, it makes sense to have a single knife that can handle all the duties that a yanagiba or ususba can, to save space and time between switching cutting tasks. If you're a home cook who has no single bevel knives? I'm not sure this blade style is the right choice... unless your hobby is (specifically) making sushi and you can only afford a single knife. A kiritsuke is only a multi-purpose knife in the context of a traditional Japanese kitchen. In the context of world cuisine, it is very much a uni-tasking, single-purpose knife: a sushi knife.
If you're a non-sushi person cooking non-sushi, non-Japanese food, then you don't need this style of knife and would be much better served by a gyuto. If you started a new thread asking for suggestions for multi-purpose knives that can withstand cutting a lot of fruit and citrus, nobody would recommend getting a stainless kiritsuke.

 

[adam92]

If you don't already have a yanagi or usuba, I question the extent to which a kiritsuke is going to be useful. True single bevel kiritsukes, like most other Japanese single-bevel knives, are specialty knives with specific use cases in mind. If you're in charge of a sushi restaurant, it makes sense to have a single knife that can handle all the duties that a yanagiba or ususba can, to save space and time between switching cutting tasks. If you're a home cook who has no single bevel knives? I'm not sure this blade style is the right choice... unless your hobby is (specifically) making sushi and you can only afford a single knife. A kiritsuke is only a multi-purpose knife in the context of a traditional Japanese kitchen. In the context of world cuisine, it is very much a uni-tasking, single-purpose knife: a sushi knife.
If you're a non-sushi person cooking non-sushi, non-Japanese food, then you don't need this style of knife and would be much better served by a gyuto. If you started a new thread asking for suggestions for multi-purpose knives that can withstand cutting a lot of fruit and citrus, nobody would recommend getting a stainless kiritsuke.

I’m agree with you, I wouldn’t choose kiritsuke as my multi purpose knife, gyuto is better choice.

 

[Ochazuke]

If you don't already have a yanagi or usuba, I question the extent to which a kiritsuke is going to be useful. True single bevel kiritsukes, like most other Japanese single-bevel knives, are specialty knives with specific use cases in mind. If you're in charge of a sushi restaurant, it makes sense to have a single knife that can handle all the duties that a yanagiba or ususba can, to save space and time between switching cutting tasks. If you're a home cook who has no single bevel knives? I'm not sure this blade style is the right choice... unless your hobby is (specifically) making sushi and you can only afford a single knife. A kiritsuke is only a multi-purpose knife in the context of a traditional Japanese kitchen. In the context of world cuisine, it is very much a uni-tasking, single-purpose knife: a sushi knife.
If you're a non-sushi person cooking non-sushi, non-Japanese food, then you don't need this style of knife and would be much better served by a gyuto. If you started a new thread asking for suggestions for multi-purpose knives that can withstand cutting a lot of fruit and citrus, nobody would recommend getting a stainless kiritsuke.

I also agree. Unless you're a sushi chef, a real kiritsuke is a waste of money and is more difficult to use well than most people think.

My general go-to on the line is yanagiba + small gyuto or large petty (depending on my mood). Deba and usuba are for prep. Kiritsuke isn't a multi-purpose knife. The only time when I bust out my kiritsuke is when I'm putting out stupid amount of plates of sashimi. And that's because my jobs are making tsuma and slicing from saku. It's literally the only time I bother with kiritsuke because that's basically what it can do (and it's honestly less good than sashimi bocho and usuba).

My point is that I have a kiritsuke, I know how to use it professionally, and despite all that I still wouldn't choose it most of the time. At home I mostly use a 180mm gyuto or a 150mm petty.

 

[Qapla']

Actually, I'm no professional chef in a restaurant. I'm home cook, cooking is my hobby. Se1ryu you're right, I need real Kiritsuke (not Yanagiba) for multi-purposes. I avoid carbon steel from my location is quite high in humanity (RH60%+) and I also cut a lot of acidic food&citruses.

Is this for preparing Thai food? If so, then have you contacted any Japanese makers about a Thai-style knife of a suitable stainless steel?

 

[kpham12]

What kind of knife/knives are you currently using? Japanese or Thai?

Edit: saw you mention a petty in VG-10. If you’re just looking for an upgrade of similar size, maybe try this petty in R2/SG2. Will hold up to citrus all day.

https://www.knivesandstones.com.au/...products/sukenari-sg2-r2-hairline-petty-165mm

 

[Se1ryu]

If you don't already have a yanagi or usuba, I question the extent to which a kiritsuke is going to be useful. True single bevel kiritsukes, like most other Japanese single-bevel knives, are specialty knives with specific use cases in mind. If you're in charge of a sushi restaurant, it makes sense to have a single knife that can handle all the duties that a yanagiba or ususba can, to save space and time between switching cutting tasks. If you're a home cook who has no single bevel knives? I'm not sure this blade style is the right choice... unless your hobby is (specifically) making sushi and you can only afford a single knife. A kiritsuke is only a multi-purpose knife in the context of a traditional Japanese kitchen. In the context of world cuisine, it is very much a uni-tasking, single-purpose knife: a sushi knife.
If you're a non-sushi person cooking non-sushi, non-Japanese food, then you don't need this style of knife and would be much better served by a gyuto. If you started a new thread asking for suggestions for multi-purpose knives that can withstand cutting a lot of fruit and citrus, nobody would recommend getting a stainless kiritsuke.

Yup,
just like I said, a Kiritsuke (real Kiritsuke single bevel) is a multi purpose knife for a sushi chef. But he's looking for a single bevel Kiritsuke so you know...maybe he looking for that type of knife for cooking Japanese food at home. Maybe want to do some Katsuramuki for garnish, slicing sashimi, making some sushi and so on. Maybe he already have a Gyuto and other knives?

But for home cook who need a multi purpose knife I suggest get a Gyuto or K-tip Gyuto. It' more versatile

But it will be difficult if you want to try slicing fish for sushi or doing Usuzukuri using Gyuto

 

[Delat]

It is quite hard to find Kiritsuke with R2/SG2 with no Yanagiba type. Do you have some suggestions?

If you feel like supporting a local smith, check out Wanchana Kanrangsee - Knife maker Thailand

Unless you’re cutting sushi, single-bevel for general-purpose home prep probably has more negatives than positives.

 

[nblitz]

Maybe because he need a Kiritsuke (real Kiritsuke) which used for slicing, cutting, everything, including acidic food. It's like a chef's knife/ multiple purpose knife for sushi Chef. Also stainless steel is easier to handle for commercial use and they are not highly reactive like high carbon. Maybe this is why he prefer stainless steel. Let the man answer himself

If you don't already have a yanagi or usuba, I question the extent to which a kiritsuke is going to be useful. True single bevel kiritsukes, like most other Japanese single-bevel knives, are specialty knives with specific use cases in mind. If you're in charge of a sushi restaurant, it makes sense to have a single knife that can handle all the duties that a yanagiba or ususba can, to save space and time between switching cutting tasks. If you're a home cook who has no single bevel knives? I'm not sure this blade style is the right choice... unless your hobby is (specifically) making sushi and you can only afford a single knife. A kiritsuke is only a multi-purpose knife in the context of a traditional Japanese kitchen. In the context of world cuisine, it is very much a uni-tasking, single-purpose knife: a sushi knife.
If you're a non-sushi person cooking non-sushi, non-Japanese food, then you don't need this style of knife and would be much better served by a gyuto. If you started a new thread asking for suggestions for multi-purpose knives that can withstand cutting a lot of fruit and citrus, nobody would recommend getting a stainless kiritsuke.

Currently, I'm using 240mm Gyoto from Tojiro and Yanagiba (not sure of the brand, but not expensive). And also use kiritsuke petty from Jikko (Here). I think this petty doesn't real kiritsuke shape, maybe K tip? However I love this shape, it is suitable for my cut (for tip work). That's why I need to find some kiritsuke. I think KAWAMI kiritsuke still have some curve. But