Reply With QuotePretty sure there is an extensive thread on the matter, already.
And I mean proper ones…….
I’m after something nice, and I’m a bit out of touch with what’s around and who’s good. I only like Japanese style knives, and I’m not interested in mass market stuff.
Anyone got any suggestions?
Pretty sure there is an extensive thread on the matter, already.
There probably is, and it’s probably full of people saying they like Wusthof :)Originally Posted by blackal
This thread and the links within?
https://forum.tz-uk.com/showthread.p...ghlight=knives
As I suspected :)
If you're into the good stuff, Japanese-inspired and UK made...
http://www.catchesidecutlery.com/
Ig Loubser of IL Knives is also doing some serious Japanese style kitchen cutters, but I'm not sure if he makes those for sale. They are jaw dropping though, and if they're anything like his folders, they'll be beautiful to behold in person.
On this website, click on "Brands" and then select "Japanese Blacksmiths" then select "Takeshi Saji" or "Hinoura Tsukasa"
https://www.knivesfromjapan.co.uk
Hugh (I believe) amongst others recommended Will last year when I was on a similar hunt. Hands down the best knife I own. Easy to sharpen as well as the best slicer I've ever had.
What do these do that a normal knife does not?
I’ve got a couple of Wills knives, he’s certainly on the list. I don’t know IL, I’ll have a look, thanks.
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Good shout, thanks. I’ve been looking at JCK, but the choice is bewildering, and my knowledge isn’t what it once was, since British blades disappeared.
Perform better
Is that a reasonable question to ask on a watch forum?
I resisted that particular reply
Sorry not to have a bespoke suggestion for you............................
Not a problem! There is a massive range of knives out there, just like watches.
Try a decent quality Japanese kitchen knife and you will see the difference. Honestly I have a few and the difference is night and day.
Robert is quite right!
I have a few Kai Shun Classics and they have given good service for the last 12 years
I like my knives, and have them in razor-sharp condition now.
It all comes down to self-justification, which has no logical parameters. I have spent £7k+ on a watch, but can't see me doing the same on a set of knives................
Don't get me wrong - with more disposable, I'd probably have a bespoke set of top knives - and they could be Japanese. A bit like the French and food - the Japanese artists know a thing about blades.
I think dropping an £800 on to a tile floor - the instant reaction would be to catch it with your foot, and the ensuing trip to A&E
If you don’t want mass market, there are plenty of excellent British companies / blacksmiths out there making hand made knives, just a few to look at:
Blok Knives
Nouko Knives
Blenheim Forge
Tog Knives
Brookes Blades
KWB knives
Gorse Knives
Here are a few of mine on a Tog Knives chopping board.
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I have a £400ish knife with a bent tip, cos Mrs Bert tried juggling with it, I'm still not over it.I like my knives, and have them in razor-sharp condition now.
It all comes down to self-justification, which has no logical parameters. I have spent £7k+ on a watch, but can't see me doing the same on a set of knives................
Don't get me wrong - with more disposable, I'd probably have a bespoke set of top knives - and they could be Japanese. A bit like the French and food - the Japanese artists know a thing about blades.
I think dropping an £800 on to a tile floor - the instant reaction would be to catch it with your foot, and the ensuing trip to A&E
Cheers, some names I don't know there, I don't like Blok, Blenheim or Tog, but I do like the look of that Nouko, I'll check that and the other ones out.If you don’t want mass market, there are plenty of excellent British companies / blacksmiths out there making hand made knives, just a few to look at:
Blok Knives
Nouko Knives
Blenheim Forge
Tog Knives
Brookes Blades
KWB knives
Gorse Knives
Here are a few of mine on a Tog Knives chopping board.
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I use Takamura. Some of them I had to wait for over a year ( like a watch) and some are available around four weeks after a full moon ( as the knife maker heats the steel until it’s a specific colour and the full moon provides the constant light to check the heat ( at least the story I bought)).
Some of mine I imported from NY. The brand is available from U.K. but they don’t usually stock the top end stuff.
Japanese knife company London
https://japaneseknifecompany.com
US outlet is:
https://mtckitchen.com
A good oilstone and a bit of sharpening skill will render an indifferent knife adequate , in my experience. My 20 year old Gary Rhodes (rip) tool is more than dangerous enough for minor butchery .
If the steel is good, and there are some really good stainless steels these days, and the sharpening is precise, then most kitchen knives will perform well. I find RWL34 and VG10 cover most bases. Of course, if you believe a knife made to an ancient recipe by a wizened old geezer in a cave has some mystical cutting abilities you will probably find it works well for you.
Started out with nothing. Still have most of it left.
Don't understand what you mean by a proper ones and why only Japanese knives.
I have two and rarely use them. I usually grab a ceramic knife for cutting vegetables or my fathers 30 year year old Nella for slicing brisket or roast and it takes an better edge than the Japanese ones.
Only time I use one of the two is slicing salami. Takes a better edge than the larger chopper style and don't need the longer Nella model
So many sellers of Japanese styled knives know. Hard to tell which are better than the others and many of these are not cheap. Last thing you want to do is get stuck with dud.
DON
https://www.ferrabyknives.co.uk
https://www.joelblackknives.com
Lusting after these at the moment
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I've managed to get some Kai knives from TX Maxx over the years and they've been absolutely fantastic. I've usually paid around £20 each for them and I think they're as good as Global knives I've had. You just have to be really careful in the washing up bowl as when you've sharpened them, they're like razors.
Not sure it counts as proper knife snobbery as buying a Japanese knife here in Tokyo is like buying cutlery from Sheffield in the UK, but I use 嵐 (“Ran”) kitchen, paring and bread knives.
I’ve used them daily for years, and don’t hate on me, but I've never felt the need to sharpen them yet. The company is the OEM for other brands too, so you might well be using their products under a different name.
I just bought one of these, after looking for a very long time for a balance of quality and price. I'm very happy indeed with it.
F.T.F.A.
Nice steel core, blue paper steel gives a good hardness and edge, although needing a little more maintenance than VG10.
Started out with nothing. Still have most of it left.
Bookmarked that site
Interesting thread this.
To me at least, some things are purely tools to do a job. For the avoidance of doubt. My obsession with watches is not due to my desire to tell the time. If that were the case, my solar, radio g shock would be all I need.
For a kitchen knife though... It just needs to feel nice, cut well and stay sharp... Doesn't it?
A knife... Does a job. Like a spanner or a door stop. Interesting that Wusthof has some haters. I recently bought some kitchen knives and for the things in life which are pure function, I tend to look at those people who make a living using the thing I want to buy. Chefs. Chefs (western) tend to use Hygiplas knives if really commercial or Global or Wusthof if a bit fancy. I liked the look and feel and shape of Wusthof (my wife wouldn't go for the colour coded Hygiplas) I liked the fact they're very sharp, and are easy to maintain (apparently globals have a much narrower and harder to maintain blade angle). I love them. They cut well. Feel substantial. If I was a massive sushi buff, I'd have probably bought something different.
Us nerds tend to search for that nirvana which ultimately you'll never find. If however, you want something which simply does something and does it well, look at the people who rely on the items day in and day out. You'll probably end up with a buy it for life item.
Good luck with your search. Don't overthink it.
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Lots to choose from Cutting Edge knives. Good service too
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I think that question can be applied to watches..... the reply will contan similarities.
I like using a well sharpened cleaver, (Nakiri) it will slice and skin cucumber, or make tomato roses, cut or dice meat, hard eggs, chop herbs and vegetables, I can even skin fish with it, but it does have to be as sharp as a paring or carving knife. Mine is. We have a set made up of various styles, but the cleaver gets the most use. The next most used is the 5" blade general knife. Ours are laminated Japanese full tang blades with mahogany handles. Bought a full, boxed set at a clearance auction for £110 including fees. Sold the large Gyuto style for £100, so they were cheap!
https://www.japanny.com/collections/...hoCmYAQAvD_BwE
Last edited by Kairos; 17th March 2022 at 00:13.
After a lot of research I finally bought an end grain cutting board to use with the Blue #2 santoku from Hatsukokoro Kumokage that I linked to earlier in the thread. Made from brown oak, American black walnut, American maple and English white oak it's from Skinner Designs. I just finished waxing it before it's first use . . .
. . . before waxing . . .
. . . after . . .
This forum just makes me want to spend money! I have always hankered after a nice knife. Spent the last hour looking, thinking about one of these, ideally want to spend under £100, any issues with any of these, they go up in price a little:
https://cuttingedgeknives.co.uk/coll...rouchi-santoku
https://cuttingedgeknives.co.uk/coll...-santoku-165mm
https://cuttingedgeknives.co.uk/coll...morado-santoku
https://cuttingedgeknives.co.uk/coll...blue-2-santoku
From a purely aesthetic point of view I do like the two tone look on the knives above.
Last edited by NikGixer750; 1st July 2022 at 12:34.
The knife in my picture above is the 4th on your list, the Hatsukokoro Kumokage , and the other 3 were all on my rather extensive list when I was looking. I got the HK because it met all of my criteria (blade style, length, depth and thickness) and also has the lovely teak handle. It was a little over my budget, but as Benjamin Franklin once said . . . "The bitterness of poor quality remains long after the sweetness of low price is forgotten” . You won't be disappointed with one of these. The supposed issue of caring for a carbon steel blade is a non issue, just rinse under the tap when done and dry with a cloth, a rub with a little oil doesn't hurt. I got a blade protector with it and wrap it in an old tea towel before putting it away. Having got the knife and a cutting board I am now proceeding further down into the bowels of the rabbit hole in pursuit of a whetstone . . . or two. ;-)
Thanks for the help, over budget but like the one you have or the £125 morado one, both look great. The £125 is super blue instead of the blue 2 of the £145 which is meant to keep its edge longer but not sure really.
Blenheim Forge.
I have had my William Catcheside for near enough a year now and cannot fault it. Precise and so easy to get an edge.
On the topic of whetstones, the guy that runs this is very helpful and he stocks an amazing selection of stones:
https://www.japanesenaturalstones.com/
Thanks for that link, it hadn't turned up in my searches for some reason. My plan at the moment is to start with a King 1000/6000 combi stone, which gets good reviews, until I hone my skills (pun intended) ;-), and then on to a couple of single grit stones when my skills justify the expense . The Naniwa range are well regarded from what I read.
Well I ended up with the same knife! well over budget.
Now on the topic of spending more money, they do a carbon care kit for £67 which has a whetstone, honing rod, leather strop, eraser and oil. is this worth getting or picking up better quality items?
1000 and 6000 whetstones (YMMV) and a strop are a better bet in my opinion. Plus something to flat the stones with e.g. a 300 grit diamond plate or similar.
I've decided to go for the King KDS 1000/6000 stone from Cutting Edge, it's quite enough to spend when starting out IMHO. I'm also getting this strop, I've been using a smaller one (leather area 155mm x 40mm) alongside my Lansky sharpeners and it's been fine, but a larger one will be better for regular use with longer blades. However I won't be putting any compound on the strop, tried it and didn't like it. I've been looking at sink bridges, but I'll be making my own from wood, easy to do and it'll be plenty sturdy enough. I'll also be getting something to keep the stone flat but haven't looked yet. The kits that Cutting Edge do look good value, but I don't need a rod and the King is a better stone. To be honest I can get anything from my Leatherman Micra up to a 210mm kitchen knife razor sharp with my Lansky kit, it's just a bit of a faff with longer, wider kitchen knives as the blade has to be done in 2 or 3 sections. Sharpening is much more about the skills than the equipment. Also, my Japanese knife deserves to be pampered! ;-)
Gratuitous Lansky sharpening shots, son's abused Leatherman before and after, kitchen knife after sharpening . . .
PS. I look forward to your thoughts on the knife.
Thanks again, I will prob just pick up the kit for £67, I have seen on some sites they sell angle guides, are they worth using? or just get a feel for it when using the stone. I do have some old cheap knives I can play with first.I've decided to go for the King KDS 1000/6000 stone from Cutting Edge, it's quite enough to spend when starting out IMHO. I'm also getting this strop, I've been using a smaller one (leather area 155mm x 40mm) alongside my Lansky sharpeners and it's been fine, but a larger one will be better for regular use with longer blades. However I won't be putting any compound on the strop, tried it and didn't like it. I've been looking at sink bridges, but I'll be making my own from wood, easy to do and it'll be plenty sturdy enough. I'll also be getting something to keep the stone flat but haven't looked yet. The kits that Cutting Edge do look good value, but I don't need a rod and the King is a better stone. To be honest I can get anything from my Leatherman Micra up to a 210mm kitchen knife razor sharp with my Lansky kit, it's just a bit of a faff with longer, wider kitchen knives as the blade has to be done in 2 or 3 sections. Sharpening is much more about the skills than the equipment. Also, my Japanese knife deserves to be pampered! ;-)
Gratuitous Lansky sharpening shots, son's abused Leatherman before and after, kitchen knife after sharpening . . .
PS. I look forward to your thoughts on the knife.
What about something like this Kit, seems decent for the price, with a angle guide and stand
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Japanese-Co...7006690&sr=8-7
Last edited by NikGixer750; 5th July 2022 at 08:44.
I'm not planning to use an angle guide, I'm confident enough in my abilities to be able to find and repeat the required angle. I'll be blunting a cheap but very sharp santoku I already have and when I get it where I want it with the whetstone I'll start sharpening the Hatsukokoro on it. Re the stone in your link, I've never been able to verify that it's the exact same King stone that Cutting Edge sells, so I'm happy to pay a few pounds more. Also I've seen a few people receive stones that are broken in transit, and should this happen I'm sure CE will be more than helpful in sorting any potential problems. The sink bridge I'll be making will be able to accept a stone without the need for a holder, but to be fair a piece of wood bridging a sink, with a wet cloth on it - house brick on the cloth - cloth back over the brick - whetstone on cloth - will probably be fine as well! Go to @ 3:40 in this video re angle guides, it's relevant as your knife has a curved blade.
Thanks again, cutting edge did me a deal with the same kit as above but with the Kingstone and the angle kit for £80 which seemed decent. I prob wont use the angle thing as per your link but just as a guide every now and then.
The knife came today, looks great, not as sharp out the box as I would have hoped tho.
I didn't try mine out of the box, I stropped it first and it's been fine.
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