What type knife for slicing sashimi ?

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ayumi_ishida

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What type of knife do you use for slicing sashimi ?
Just for cutting small blocks of fish already prepped .

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Nice excuse to have a single bevel. Mine are oldies, really fun to use.

Edit: I am far from being a pro but I guess anything sharp and long enough to cut in one pull would do for some simple slices.
 
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I think this is the reason yanagiba exist. It’s better than your garden variety suji ime.

I only use mine for portioning sashimi, and it sees more use than I would have thought at the time of purchase.
 
Are you just buying a knife to cut raw fish? Then get a yanagi. If it's for other things too, maybe a suji would be better. But since it sounds like a purpose-driven knife, get the right knife for the job.
 
Understood , but I think a sujihiki may be good enough .
And less expensive and easier to maintain / sharpen .
It's just small slabs of fish for myself .
 
Is there a local Hawaiian-style knife that is preferred for slicing poke? Maybe that might be of use too.
 
100% respect your position, suji will no doubt cut the fish in a satisfactory fashion.

Personally I would use it as excuse to try something new, for both use and sharpening experience.

Soooo which suji are you buying? 🤣
 
Are you righty? If yes, what do you think of these?

https://www.chefknivestogo.com/kovg5tssu27.htmlhttps://www.chefknivestogo.com/kapssu27.html
(They're at Chef Knives To Go.)

If you're lefty, you might check around for lefty variants of the Masahiro in the fashion of the ones M1k3 posted, or possibly a lefty Misono.

I agree with and Btbyrd, Pie, and the others regarding a yanagiba, but like them, if you seek something more multipurpose such as a sujihiki, I respect your decision.
 
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I’m probably one of the least qualified to chime in here, but there’s something to cutting fish with a yanagiba. Sure i use it less than a half dozen times a month and it’s a one trick pony but damn does it do it well. The magic is in the geometry- the spine is thick, it comes to a ridiculously thin point and the almost flat underside work together to gracefully separate the cut piece from the block as if it’s being gently laid down. No sawing, just one draw cut. Sometimes I use a suji or chef knife for something like Poke because I’m in hurry. it just doesn’t give me the pure joy of cutting a yanagiba does.

My suji doesn’t get used that much but it’s still fun. I bring it to cut a roast and big gathering events. Style points for long pointy objects. Get both.
 
I’m probably one of the least qualified to chime in here, but there’s something to cutting fish with a yanagiba. Sure i use it less than a half dozen times a month and it’s a one trick pony but damn does it do it well. The magic is in the geometry- the spine is thick, it comes to a ridiculously thin point and the almost flat underside work together to gracefully separate the cut piece from the block as if it’s being gently laid down. No sawing, just one draw cut. Sometimes I use a suji or chef knife for something like Poke because I’m in hurry. it just doesn’t give me the pure joy of cutting a yanagiba does.

My suji doesn’t get used that much but it’s still fun. I bring it to cut a roast and big gathering events. Style points for long pointy objects. Get both.
You make a good point . (no pun intended) :)
Can I get a decent 270mm Yanagiba for < $300 ?
 
On the odd occasion that I can get fresh enough fish, I use a carbon suji. But if I could get fresh fish easily, I'd buy a yanagiba to do it.
 
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< $300 yes! As long as you’re not left handed (add 50%?)

Aframes, you might be able to see this in person. B2 Kasumi. Looks sweet.
https://aframestokyo.com/collection...anagiba-kasumi-270mm-blue-2-steel-blade-knife
Chefknives toGo has a Sakai w#2 & b#2 that look like great values.

Knives and stones has a b2 KU, different sizes and shapes too (kiritsuke,takohiki)
https://knivesandstones.us/collecti...n-blue-2-kurouchi-yanagiba-240-270-300-330-mm
There are some super inexpensive options like a tojiro shirogami that could be a low cost try before u step it up. Plenty of big eye tuna to practice on in the 808.
 
< $300 yes! As long as you’re not left handed (add 50%?)

Aframes, you might be able to see this in person. B2 Kasumi. Looks sweet.
https://aframestokyo.com/collection...anagiba-kasumi-270mm-blue-2-steel-blade-knife
Chefknives toGo has a Sakai w#2 & b#2 that look like great values.

Knives and stones has a b2 KU, different sizes and shapes too (kiritsuke,takohiki)
https://knivesandstones.us/collecti...n-blue-2-kurouchi-yanagiba-240-270-300-330-mm
There are some super inexpensive options like a tojiro shirogami that could be a low cost try before u step it up. Plenty of big eye tuna to practice on in the 808.
The tojiro shirogami lines are a bit of a crap shoot. Really best with someone who is very familiar with single bevel sharpening as they often need significant remedial work on the grinds.

I had a deba that had a kireha like a country road. I fixed it on the disc grinder, would have been an absolute mission on stones.

Lovely knife now it's been sorted and choil rounded etc but took a significant amount of work to get there.
 
As a single bevel lover, I think the average home users should stay away. They're great if you're a pro or a knife fanatic. Otherwise they're too much hassle. I think a lot of people on this forum (myself included) sometimes forget what it's like for normal, non knife obsessed people.

In the spirit of recommending something that will get the job done well with minimal hassle, I would like to recommend this one:
https://knifejapan.com/moriya-munemitsu-ry-ba-yanagiba-210mm-gingami-3-stainless-steel/
Ginsan is a great steel - gets very sharp, sharpens easily, and is virtually stainless. The fit and finish isn't spectacular, but it's in your budget and from this manufacturer there are usually no problems. While it is true that yanagiba is better for these tasks, this knife can do sogizukuri, hirazukuri, and usuzukuri no problem!
 
As a single bevel lover, I think the average home users should stay away. They're great if you're a pro or a knife fanatic. Otherwise they're too much hassle. I think a lot of people on this forum (myself included) sometimes forget what it's like for normal, non knife obsessed people.

In the spirit of recommending something that will get the job done well with minimal hassle, I would like to recommend this one:
https://knifejapan.com/moriya-munemitsu-ry-ba-yanagiba-210mm-gingami-3-stainless-steel/
Ginsan is a great steel - gets very sharp, sharpens easily, and is virtually stainless. The fit and finish isn't spectacular, but it's in your budget and from this manufacturer there are usually no problems. While it is true that yanagiba is better for these tasks, this knife can do sogizukuri, hirazukuri, and usuzukuri no problem!
Thank you .
So what"s the difference between a Ryoba (double bevel) Yanagiba and a Sujihiki ?
 
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