kiridashi- recommendations for a cheap one?

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Colorado_cutter

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Hey folks- My wife gets a lot of packages. Usually, I hand her my Opinel #8 (opened and locked) in an effort to keep her from using our nice kitchen scissors! But, recently she confessed she hated the Opinel. She felt like it would close on her. I guess I see her point- it might fold if you don't lock it. My other package-opening level of cheapness knife is a Victorinox paring. On the plus side, you don't have to unfold and lock it. On the minus side, it's a little flexible for the task.

Which leads me to a kiridashi. Is this a good type of knife for opening packages? Does handedness matter? I'm a lefty and my wife is a right. Looking for a cheap one- under $20 would be great.

Thanks for any help!
 
The vast majority of kiridashi's are single-bevel and thus handedness does matter. In practice, I've found that a single-bevel kiridashi is a pretty poor box-slayer; you gain no benefit from the single-bevel design and suffer its steering. (Overall, a kiridashi used for such is only as nice as the carbon-steel is easy to sharpen.)

Double-beveled ones do exist, however.

Something that fits the description and price that you seek does seem to exist (but I know nothing about it and have no experience with double-bevel kiridashi's):
https://www.metmusic.com/tools/knives/kiridashi-knives/29146-kiridashi-knife-double-bevel-18mm
If folding/locking is undesired, then another possibility would be a low-cost western fixed-blade knife. (IMHO this is a more practical choice.)
A possible few ideas I'll throw out there (I have no experience with these knives):
https://www.coldsteel.com/mini-tac-bowie/
https://www.knifecenter.com/item/SC...an-polypropylene-and-tpr-handles-nylon-sheath
 
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I’m glad that I chose a robust little parer (ryusen blazer) many moons ago. It’s probably cut more parcel tape than veg over the years. I’ve leant that it’s tough enough to cope and try manfully to ignore the frequent misuse without wincing

I like the idea of a dedicated knife for anything in general - hell I’ll seize on any half-cut excuse to buy knives - but I suspect a packaging knife may be a step too far. Above all, I suspect the parcel knife will get lost/.buried under the flood of post and general chaos of our hall, notable others in this household will then go for the obviously placed knives a few steps away in the kitchen. Which is why that parer’s pretty much the first thing on display

I just bought a couple of other petties and small knives to compensate tbh. The small blades are the most likely to get abused and misused by visitors ime, plus the easiest to misplace, so I tend to keep more than.a few (and the best/Carbons hidden away in drawers)
 
Okeya is cheap and accessible from a number of vendors. The steering is really something to contend with. You can mitigate that by turning them upside down, or that's what I do with mine.
 
JNS has a handful of ones from the 70s and 80s. How much do you love your wife? They only range from 3k to 6k. Lol
 
I have a Morihei Kiridashi from Carbon. For $45 i like it fine. Gave my wife a selection to choose from and she liked it the best. She uses it for slashing bread. Otherwise it opens letters/boxes/SV bags, whatever, and is fun for coring strawberries.
 
If you're talking mainly about cutting through the tape, then lefty righty doesn't seem very important to me.
I also often use a Okeya kiridashi for these things
 
I use my Higonokami. Perfect for the job, can just put it into your pocket and is cheap
 
I had this little double bevel shirogami knife years ago. If you like the kiridashi look but want something more practical I would suggest this.

kane-tsune-yama-knife_2.jpg


Kanetsune Yama White Steel Fixed Blade Knife (knife-depot.com)
 
Find something outrageously expensive for the job; there must be a thousand dollar KATO letter opener or something silly like that. Suggest her that, which she'll (hopefully) decline. Then offer to compromise, only using half that budget, and getting two knives for it; one for her boxes and one for you.... Win-win!
 
If you are still interested in a Kiridashi, less expensive ones ($20 - 30) can be found at woodworking stores. They are used as marking knives. I bought one from Hida tools but theirs are all out of stock.

Single edge, can be purchased in both left and right versions

https://www.leevalley.com/en-us/sho...10952-japanese-woodworking-knife?item=60N0703
https://www.woodcraft.com/products/...ue-steel-woodworking-knife-kiridashi-kogatana
Spearpoint

https://www.leevalley.com/en-us/sho...panese-spear-point-marking-knife?item=60N0704
https://www.woodcraft.com/products/blue-steel-marking-knife-5-8
 
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