Question About Points

[Noah]

Anyone know the intended purposes, advantages, and disadvantages of some of the point shapes used in (or left out of for that matter) traditional Japanese knives?

For instance, the bunka: The swift downturn and coming to a point distinguishes it from a santoku (and looks really cool imo) but why that particular way of coming to a point instead of something more similar to a gyuto? Is it just cosmetic? A savings of weight and/or steel? Some specific purpose(s)? And why, if it's useful to have that point would anyone make a santoku or a nakiri without one?


:dontknow:

 

[JaVa]

Nakiri is shaped as a rectangular shape without a tip because it's meant to be a vegetable chopper. As a pure chopper there is no need for a tip (of course you can use other cutting techniques too). It's very fast and easy to make because of it's shape it doesn't need much work with the profile blade and tip. There's much less need for distal taper too. Essentially you just need to cut the blank to shape and sharpen the edge. (I'm over simplifying of course.) Also it will keep it's shape more intackt compared other shapes. As it slowly wears down from use and sharpening, the length of the blade wont change ot the profile of the tip won't change either as there isn't one.

Santoku is a hybrid between the nakiri and gyuto. Just round of the corner of of the nakiri to create a a blunt tip and you got a santoku. It's mostly meant to be nakiri with a tip. Good for chopping, but slightly better than the nakiri at other stuff. The wear from sharpening will change the profile and length of the blade very slowly because the tip is shaped blunt and low.

The gyuto (cow sword) is the true all purpose knife that does it all with skills for handling meat too. It needs the most effort to make because of the profile of the blade, profile of the pointy tip, geometry and distal taper of the blade. All that equates to a knife thats good or almost everything. Sharpening will change the profile the fastest and it will shorten the fastest too as the tip starts moving back.

Bunka would be a better compromise between a nakiri and gyuto compared to a nakiri. The tip is pointy like on a gyuto, the tip is low like on a santoku and like the nakiri It's easier to make because the tip needs less work to make the profile as it can be just cut to the right shape, but sharpening will shorten the blade just as fast as a gyuto.

 

[Noah]

Excellent. Thank you much for the clarification!

 

[LifeByA1000Cuts]

I would assume classic japanese cuisine is less concerned with dicing, making vegetable cuts mostly a 100% through cut opposed to the 70+skill% cuts so prevalent in some other cuisines? A narrow tip (and that is where a K tip shines) is most useful for the second... Besides, there is a precision tip hidden in another place in the classic gamut: front of the deba

 

[Noah]

I would assume classic japanese cuisine is less concerned with dicing, making vegetable cuts mostly a 100% through cut opposed to the 70+skill% cuts so prevalent in some other cuisines? A narrow tip (and that is where a K tip shines) is most useful for the second... Besides, there is a precision tip hidden in another place in the classic gamut: front of the deba

Interesting. I'm not super-familiar with japanese cooking. I've watched it done some, but am far from being able to say I understand the style.

I have a guess at what you're getting at, but just to be clear, what do you mean when you say 70+skill% cuts? Referring to things like the standard way of cutting onions where you leave a portion uncut until the very end to keep it all together?

 

[LifeByA1000Cuts]

Yes. And I still find these frustrating to do with a rounded (nakiri) tip.

I don't know japanese cuisine well either, but it doesn't seem to feature loads of cooked aromatics a lot

 

[Noah]

Yes. And I still find these frustrating to do with a rounded (nakiri) tip.

Yeah that's sorta the reason I decided to go with a bunka for that position in my lineup. Tips are just too handy. (Plus the reverse tanto tip is, imo, just hotness. :bigeek Well, that and I sorta wanted it as a petty knife that had chopping clearance for my western hands.

 

[spoiledbroth]

I would assume classic japanese cuisine is less concerned with dicing, making vegetable cuts mostly a 100% through cut opposed to the 70+skill% cuts so prevalent in some other cuisines?

Not taking garnishes into account, this is probably accurate.

though the exceptions that come to mind require significantly more skill than dicing an onion... and those garnishes! watch out

I know of a number of classic chinese dishes however that do require alot more knife control, and they are typically executed with a gigantic veggie cleaver...!

[video=youtube;O5kW4_FJNpE]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O5kW4_FJNpE[/video]

:laugh: my word

 

[Noah]

Beautifully prepared dish, and great to see what they can do with those cleavers. They seem like a pretty useful knife style to me.

 

[merlijny2k]

I ate that when i was in Suriname last time. A friend told me i have to try it and it's really delicious!. We should really have a sticky post with usefull info on profiles and tips though. I've been around on the form for almost a year but i had been wondering about tip styles myself and JaVa really explains it well.