What is your opinion on using expensive carbon knives in fast paced professional kitchens?

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Hamso k

Hamso k

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I'm curious to know how many of you that work in pro kitchens actually use your nice knives there. In my experience, I feel like I have to baby carbon and it's not worth the hassle. Even if you're careful, accidents happen. IMO my mind is much more at ease using softer stainless while at work. I still have some fairly expensive knives that I use there but nothing compared to my carbon knives.
 
Totally depends on the kitchen, your role, and the carbon (and the price). The more hectic the kitchen, the more acidic the foods, the less carbon makes sense in my opinion. However, something with a good, strong patina can work well, again depending on your job. I find 52100 pretty stable. If you cut a lot of raw meat or do portioning of cooked proteins, carbon is usually pretty robust. A cow's worth of blood and fat play much nicer with carbon than a single lemon or a handful of onions.

All that said, peace of mind is always going to favor stainless and/or cheapness.
 
Renzwerkz said:
Basically, i always bring 2 sets of carbon steel and stainless steel knife... carbon steel for preps, and stainless steel for busy service...
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M1k3 said:
I'll use either my stainless clad SemiStainless or fully reactive 240mm Gyuto for 'make big stuff small stuff' prep. I have a ~210mm laser and Heiji, both stainless clad SemiStainless, for smaller stuff and during service.
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birdsfan said:
Up until recently, I didn't buy a knife that was not "kitchen capable". Eventually my curiosity got the better of me, and I bought a couple of higher performing knives that in my opinion might not react well to the way I use knives at work.
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I took my carbons home, only because we have a serious humidity problem in our kitchen. Had some fairly serious surface/flash rust develop once and decided to not risk any more damage.
 
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Not a pro, but I noticed that simply dragging expensive knives around (for example to family) gives me anxiety about damage in transport. So I stick to more mundane stuff when I'm lugging it around. Also makes me not have to worry about someone else committing atrocities upon them in an unwatched moment.
 
Hamso k said:
I'm curious to know how many of you that work in pro kitchens actually use your nice knives there. In my experience, I feel like I have to baby carbon and it's not worth the hassle. Even if you're careful, accidents happen. IMO my mind is much more at ease using softer stainless while at work. I still have some fairly expensive knives that I use there but nothing compared to my carbon knives.
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Depends on the cook, kitchen culture, etc. I know pro cooks that had regularly taken good carbons (Kato, Shig, Mazaki, Watanabe, etc) into work; cooks at bustling sushi bars and Chinese joints I eat at often use carbons. I’ve used carbons for big supper party’s feeding 20+.
 
I have used expensive carbon knives at work. But I mostly prefer to use more utilitarian stainless or semi-stainless stuff. Less risk of getting lost, broken, or stolen. And I do a lot more teaching, coaching, and training than chopping nowadays. So my work knives get used as much or more by others as myself. Just easier to hand them stuff that is less fragile and expensive.
 
For fab/slicing protein I usually use full carbon, chef knives are stainless clad so that really lowers the maintenance. I can't be bothered with iron clad or full carbon for chef knives-- too many off smells, too much acidic food, and too much time wasted babying them. Heaven forbid you forget to whipe your knife one time and it ends up a total mess.

I've seen people do it though, it just doesn't make much sense.
 
Just buy a Manaka stainless with ATS-34 or any other similar knife as there are so many options it’s virtually endless. Set the edge accordingly and cut on the correct surfaces. Take your knives home every night.
 
If using mono carbons in busy kitchen they develope a patina in couple days cutting all kinds of food. Just wash & dry blades at end of shift. Carbons with ease of touchups, thin grinds are exceptional for massive amounts of prep. My thin & more robust blades at work all carbon steel.

Didn't have more advanced stainless steel when I started in kitchens early 1970's. Used Forschner's for chef, boning, butcher, & carving knives.
They did the job could be sharpened many times & keep cutting. Edge retention & level of extreme sharpness couldn't compare to my first Masamoto carbon got in early 1980's. Most of my Forschner's collected dust after that. Still used stainless Forschner carving knives for buffet line stand up prime rib with bone or Steamship Rounds for large banquet buffets. Used couple very good boning knives Victorinox can't find same older boning knife designs my Forschner's.

The President of Masamoto would come to the Japanese Cultural Center in Honolulu. Cherry Japanese Imports would have food & drink items. Masamoto Knives. I bought another Masamoto & had my initials engraved on bolster western handle. Several guys from Masamoto there. I told the English speaking one that I preferred carbon knives at work he translated they all smiled & nodded their heads in agreement.

When I read later about carbon kitchen knives not good in commercial kitchens found most had never even worked in one.

Julia Childs knew better.
 
2 carbon steel knives I use at work regularly.
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I definitely agree about the bring 'em home at night...

I use a combination of carbon and stainless at work...some more expensive...some less...the more fragile will end up put away during service... I've seen too many bad things happen to knives over the years.

Does it lead to having a whole bunch of knives...yes it does...I wouldn't describe my setup as minimalist...but that's the choice I made.

I've found as long as you have a good patina and are reasonably diligent about wiping after cutting acidic foods carbon isn't a problem...and a rust eraser does come in handy if you aren't.

I generally use some "vintage" Sabatier and stainless misono during service... which will cause no tears and minimal swearing should anything happen...hell the Sabatiers will just laugh and 9 times out of 10 it's the tiles that get damaged if they fall...

Ultimately it is whatever you feel comfortable with...what you feel is an acceptable level of risk based upon the dynamics of the kitchen...

Take care

Jeff
 
start using carbon for prep first and see how they are doing
if u start to use them at busy service they will rust and make u feel horrible
u need to feel and see how and what is going on before u can make them your full time friend
also remember that there are lots of people who tells you be faster who doesnt know stuff
be calm, plan ahead, dont listen to cowboys
 
All prep with no acidic stuff is ok with carbon, within service it is a no go for all my chefs. So no one uses carbon stuff in my kitchen any more.. expect me. :eek: But in the last few years there where only a handfull of chefs really using carbon steel knives. Even in Japan most of them using stainless.

I am a guy loving patina, loving the ease of sharpening of the paper steels, but if it comes to serious action, the less can care about it in my opinion.

So you can do, depends on the stuff cut and the care. Btw. a monosteel 52100 Kramer is much more stainless then a Doi Shirogami Sandwich.

SirCutALot
 
I've had no problem with my carbons at work after they build up a patina. I do think it depends on the kitchen you work in. At the moment I work in a place where it can get very busy and hectic but you always have your own space, so I know that I'm the only one using my knives and it's up to me to keep an eye on them.

About leaving knives at work, again it depends on the kitchen you work in. I leave them on the wall magnet since there's a camera there but I've worked at shady places where I would always take them home.

In the end I share the sentiment about using the knives you like and feel good about using when you're at work. It makes work so much more enjoyable if you love the knives your using.
 
I work in high volume restaurant, and i use 80% carbon knives.

Prep time is use cheaper carbon, and more expensive carbon knives during service since i know i will be at the same station during service.

keep my knives clean all the time help keep the knives stain free
 
The Forgecraft must be your beater blade 😁. Those knives used to be able to pick up dirt cheap. Not anymore
 
Keith Sinclair said:
The Forgecraft must be your beater blade 😁. Those knives used to be able to pick up dirt cheap. Not anymore
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What if I told you the HSC on the bottom has cracked quite a few lobsters?

But yeah, the Forgecraft gets abused from time to time.
 
Keith Sinclair said:
The Forgecraft must be your beater blade 😁. Those knives used to be able to pick up dirt cheap. Not anymore
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Things have actually come full circle with Forgecrafts. I don't know about dirt cheap, but I keep an eye on them on ebay and have seen a bnch lately going for $30-40. There just must be tons of them out there unused. But good luck finding a 10" Old Hickory in good shape for less than $75. 6 or 7 years ago it was the opposite.
 
stringer said:
Things have actually come full circle with Forgecrafts. I don't know about dirt cheap, but I keep an eye on them on ebay and have seen a bnch lately going for $30-40. There just must be tons of them out there unused. But good luck finding a 10" Old Hickory in good shape for less than $75. 6 or 7 years ago it was the opposite.
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The Forgecraft 10" Chef knives used to get 25-35$ Now average examples 70+
 
What about new carbon Sabs? New ones used to be softer than vintages, but with recent K-Sabs it isn't the case any longer. Don't know about prices in the US, in Europe it's about €60 including VAT for a 23cm K-Sab or one sold under the name Dehillerin.
 
stringer said:
Maybe a few years ago. There are three as buy-it-now for under $50 on ebay at the moment. Lately, I have seen them go for $30-40. These are filtered by sold items.View attachment 224196
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I would pay under 50.00 for good example eg. no major pitting. I've seen them listed over 100.00. Check out deals on eBay.

My modern K Sab got last year easy to put a sharp edge on. 10" Olive Wood handle cost around 90.00
Well worth it, never thought it would see much use not the case use it all the time for duties wouldn't my thin edge carbons. When new repaired gap in pins & put nice finish on olive Wood. After a year well patina from
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cutting lots of frozen fruit for smoothies & other duties.
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