Workhorse Gyuto for harder vegetables?

[deskjockey]

Hmm, don't see the "what knife to buy template" so, here goes ...

I am looking for a workhorse profile Gyuto in a semi-stainless or stainless-clad format in a classic low tip format. I am thinking 240mm to 270mm range with a classic Japanese WA-handle.

I am looking to cut hard Winter Squash, Watermelon, Cantelope, and similar large tough vegetables and fruit. I want good weight to help with the cut and to have ZERO FLEX when I really bear down on a hard squash or some root vegetables. I want low reactivity of the blade, so no raw iron blades please though, stainless clad is fine but, I tend to think more along the lines of semi-stainless options.

Gihei brand knives seem to be along the lines I'm looking for but, the availability seems to be a problem. Sanjo region knives appear to be where I need to look but, I am open to other options in the ~$250 range or a bit more. Over $400 knives are not an option unless I win the lottery or inflation quits punishing me at the grocery store and when the utility bill shows up (over 200% right now )! At least gasoline is only up ~50%!

TIA,
Sid

Update: How does the stainless clad Gihei work in this sort of usage?

 

[Choppin]

Gengetsu comes to mind… not exactly a WH in terms of total weight, but it’s 100% stiff, blade heavy and cuts carrots like they are cooked.

Maybe a thinned Heiji SS?

 

[M1k3]

Gengetsu comes to mind… not exactly a WH in terms of total weight, but it’s 100% stiff, blade heavy and cuts carrots like they are cooked.

Maybe a thinned Heiji SS?

Gengetsu, Yoshikane, Masashi or Wakui.

 

[blokey]

Aframe Wakui or Masashi, good white 2 with nice grind
https://aframestokyo.com/collection.../products/wakui-toshihiro-nashiji-gyuto-270mm

 

[Luxman]

imo, brand isn't the issue but rather look for something that has some spine thickness (w/wo taper). The key to good cutting thru dense things is taper from tip to heel from mid blade down to edge or so. Go for something with a smooth convex grind into a thin behind the edge geometry.

 

[Jville]

I’d think you would be very happy with the gihei 240 stainless clad blue 2. Extremely confident and tough not crazy thin behind the edge, so it feels very carefree and tough. I bet would beast hard squash.

 

[deliyski]

Have you actually tried cutting those hard veggies with a very thin aka laser knife? It's a whole lot easier. Just don't need to be a brute and twist and torque. My ¢2.

 

[deskjockey]

I reserve my laser Gyuto for things like leafy greens, tomatoes, celery, and similar stuff. With them being so thing BTE, I'm not wanting to potentially damage it with a bad cut or hitting some hard vein in something.

Yes, the thicker edge and blade section will take more force but, it doesn't have to be a wedge if the edge is keen and, I feel more comfortable pressing on the thicker spine to help with the cut.

 

[btbyrd]

The Anryu aogami 2 240 is a classic recommendation for hard veg.

 

[Dan-]

I cut winter squash and other hard **** with my Sukenari HAP40 gyuto. It could probably open #10s and not flinch.

 

[blokey]

One laser I think would stand up to the task is Ashi/Gesshin Ginga, surprisingly tough steel.

 

[SwampDonkey]

I cut a lot of butternut/acorn squash and have had several rounds of Squash Bustin championships. The 240 Tanaka ginsan is my preferred squash buster, midweight and stiff. Kochi/Wakui is also a great option, the Kochi is thinner behind the edge and cuts a little cleaner but the Tanaka feels more confidence inspiring which I think you're after. For what it's worth, the stainless clad Kochi are apparently a little thicker than the ironclad one I have.

 

[M1k3]

One laser I think would stand up to the task is Ashi/Gesshin Ginga, surprisingly tough steel.

The stainless is AEB-L.

 

[jwab]

Hmm, don't see the "what knife to buy template" so, here goes ...

I am looking for a workhorse profile Gyuto in a semi-stainless or stainless-clad format in a classic low tip format. I am thinking 240mm to 270mm range with a classic Japanese WA-handle.

I am looking to cut hard Winter Squash, Watermelon, Cantelope, and similar large tough vegetables and fruit. I want good weight to help with the cut and to have ZERO FLEX when I really bear down on a hard squash or some root vegetables. I want low reactivity of the blade, so no raw iron blades please though, stainless clad is fine but, I tend to think more along the lines of semi-stainless options.

Gihei brand knives seem to be along the lines I'm looking for but, the availability seems to be a problem. Sanjo region knives appear to be where I need to look but, I am open to other options in the ~$250 range or a bit more. Over $400 knives are not an option unless I win the lottery or inflation quits punishing me at the grocery store and when the utility bill shows up (over 200% right now )! At least gasoline is only up ~50%!

TIA,
Sid

Update: How does the stainless clad Gihei work in this sort of usage?

 

[blokey]

The stainless is AEB-L.

Yeah and a good treated one at that

 

[blokey]

I think @stringer probably has the largest collection of squash killing videos on internet, this Ginga petty is pretty tough

 

[stringer]

I think @stringer probably has the largest collection of squash killing videos on internet, this Ginga petty is pretty tough

Softer lasers work best for hard squash no doubt. Anything with a thick spine is going to wedge. And anything too hard behind the edge will chip no matter how "workhorse" and sturdy it feels if you torque it.

 

[enrico]

Kono skd and HD2 are my work knives atm. They slay anything

 

[M1k3]

Munetoshi works also

 

[Choppin]

I’m considering a 270 Ashi gyuto for the same application…

 

[gentiscid]

Kono skd and HD2 are my work knives atm. They slay anything

Couple years ago, Kono HD2 was very sought after, now its kinda shadowed by more high end stuff. But I still haven’t heard anyone complain about HD2. Def, a machine!

 

[SwampDonkey]

Munetoshi works also

Munetoshi was my first suggestion but he wants stainless or clad. Though my Munetoshi is not reactive afte the initial patina

 

[coxhaus]

I have no trouble cutting spaghetti squash even my wife cuts them using my German knives.

 

[nightslayer]

Would it be ok to hijack this post to ask about a struggle I’m having with hard produce and a laser knife (discussion seems fairly on point) or should I start a new one? Happy to repost outside.

Have had a 210 Wakui rehandled by a KKFer and it’s been the knife I’ve started the journey on from a complete noob. Sharpening has gradually gotten better, but now I’m worried I may have flattened out my bevels in my earlier days of not knowing what I’m doing.

Issue is that the knife sticks on everything, but hard produce in particular. Was going through butternut squash and it sticks to the blade like glue. Knife also seems to wedge when I’m trying to push or pull it - it is particularly bad when I’ve cut the squash into slices and am trying to get stacked slices into sticks - it goes through the first, then the rest under don’t stay in a pile because it sticks to that slice and doesn’t go all the way through. Have the same issue with carrots, which doesn’t make sense because everyone says lasers aren’t meant to wedge and this knife is crazy thin behind the edge (as far as I can tell).

Easiest way for me to cut the squash or carrots is to put my hand on the spine and push the knife through without any horizontal movement, but I’m wondering if that’s bad technique and if I should be able to bisect a squash with a push/pull cut.

So all in all, unsure if the issue is my cutting technique, my poor sharpening or the knife (photos attached and can provide more if helpful!). If it’s a knife profile issue, it doesn’t seem like there’s much behind the edge that I can work with to convex the blade?

 

[gc0220]

I have a Sukenari HAP40 K-gyoto I use for this purpose and it's quite nice. Absolute beast for this use. The HAP40 doesnt take or hold a fine edge especially well but it's working egde lives up to the "voodoo" hype. Really nice knife too. As it should be for $350+

 

[blokey]

Would it be ok to hijack this post to ask about a struggle I’m having with hard produce and a laser knife (discussion seems fairly on point) or should I start a new one? Happy to repost outside.

Have had a 210 Wakui rehandled by a KKFer and it’s been the knife I’ve started the journey on from a complete noob. Sharpening has gradually gotten better, but now I’m worried I may have flattened out my bevels in my earlier days of not knowing what I’m doing.

Issue is that the knife sticks on everything, but hard produce in particular. Was going through butternut squash and it sticks to the blade like glue. Knife also seems to wedge when I’m trying to push or pull it - it is particularly bad when I’ve cut the squash into slices and am trying to get stacked slices into sticks - it goes through the first, then the rest under don’t stay in a pile because it sticks to that slice and doesn’t go all the way through. Have the same issue with carrots, which doesn’t make sense because everyone says lasers aren’t meant to wedge and this knife is crazy thin behind the edge (as far as I can tell).

Easiest way for me to cut the squash or carrots is to put my hand on the spine and push the knife through without any horizontal movement, but I’m wondering if that’s bad technique and if I should be able to bisect a squash with a push/pull cut.

So all in all, unsure if the issue is my cutting technique, my poor sharpening or the knife (photos attached and can provide more if helpful!). If it’s a knife profile issue, it doesn’t seem like there’s much behind the edge that I can work with to convex the blade?


View attachment 231517

You can try sand the finish off, sometimes it helps, tho personally I never had problems with 240 Wakui.

 

[nightslayer]

You can try sand the finish off, sometimes it helps, tho personally I never had problems with 240 Wakui.

Am I understanding that you think it's a finish issue? It's got a fairly (what I would have thought of as) commonplace hairline finish, but most of the lower blade road has been hit at some point by my 1k cerax..

 

[gc0220]

Am I understanding that you think it's a finish issue? It's got a fairly (what I would have thought of as) commonplace hairline finish, but most of the lower blade road has been hit at some point by my 1k cerax..

Having just used that stone and others in the line for past couple hours extensively...,. that's basically just a side effect of using the damn thing. It makes such a mess... its quite difficult to avoid errant scratches on whatever you're working on.

 

[nightslayer]

Having just used that stone and others in the line for past couple hours extensively...,. that's basically just a side effect of using the damn thing. It makes such a mess... its quite difficult to avoid errant scratches on whatever you're working on.

Happy to live with scratches, but not if they're adhering produce to the blade.. But not sure if they're really the culprit or if its because my sharpening has taken away all convexity from the knife? Sticking/wedging? issue is more pronounced nearer the heel.

 

[GorillaGrunt]

Kemadi, might be able to find one at the top end of your price range. Also Togashi W2 although it’s reactive cladding; I haven’t looked but I wonder if there is a stainless clad counterpart.