Recommend A Chef's Knife

[8ball]

Upgraded my knife sharpener. With the standard attachment it was good. With the bigger belt grinder it's next level.

Also got a new Japanese knife. It's a lot of fun.

View attachment 336386View attachment 336387

You make sashimi?

 

[UnderOpenSky]

You make sashimi?

I've not tried! Suspect the fish in Aldi probably isn't fresh enough.

 

[8ball]

I've not tried! Suspect the fish in Aldi probably isn't fresh enough.

Just wondering why you need such a sharp knife and that was what I thought of first (I’m not much of a cook).

 

[UnderOpenSky]

Just wondering why you need such a sharp knife and that was what I thought of first (I’m not much of a cook).

No need as such, but it's makes cooking more enjoyable when your blades are sharp. Even something as mundane as a curry where you want to chop a lot of onions, garlic, chilli and ginger is much easier.

 

[bellaozzydog]

Someone in the flat has thrown my global paring knife in the bin

Hovering between gutted and annoyed

Sniffing around cleavers at the minute

 

[8ball]

No need as such, but it's makes cooking more enjoyable when your blades are sharp. Even something as mundane as a curry where you want to chop a lot of onions, garlic, chilli and ginger is much easier.

Do you have something sharp enough to make peeling a butternut squash or sweet potato easy?

I could do with one of those…

 

[UnderOpenSky]

Do you have something sharp enough to make peeling a butternut squash or sweet potato easy?

I could do with one of those…

I use a decent spud peeler! Takes two passes for a good result, but it's the easiest I've found.

Not sure I'd trust myself peeling with a very sharp knife.

 

[Supine]

I have got a little collection of global knives over the last year or so. I had a look at the global magnet strip to put them on the wall but it cost £200. Fuck that for a game of soldiers!

 

[bellaozzydog]

I have got a little collection of global knives over the last year or so. I had a look at the global magnet strip to put them on the wall but it cost £200. Fuck that for a game of soldiers!

I like the cheap (ish) Joseph Joseph plastic horizontal knife blocks that fit in a drawer

Neat tidy doesn’t dull knives easy to clean

 

[UnderOpenSky]

I have got a little collection of global knives over the last year or so. I had a look at the global magnet strip to put them on the wall but it cost £200. Fuck that for a game of soldiers!

Mine aren't global, but I think look ok and whole lot cheaper! I actually paid more this time for wooden ones. Think the metal ones in my last house were even cheaper.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/d/B088JCFF27?psc=1&ref=ppx_pop_mob_b_asin_title

 

[telbert]

Most of my kit now comes from either Procook or Nisbets. Only really discovered them when i opened the cafe & bar last year but can defininately recomend them. Not too expensive and seem to be very good quality.

 

[UnderOpenSky]

Most of my kit now comes from either Procook or Nisbets. Only really discovered them when i opened the cafe & bar last year but can defininately recomend them. Not too expensive and seem to be very good quality.

I see them recommend along with Victorinox as good budget options.

 

[Virtual Blue]

I am in the market for a new knife and looking at either a 20 cm Bunka (ZDP189) or a 24cm Gyuto (Super Blue).
I'm pretty handy with blades and worked/ grew up working in Chinese kitchens.
I currently use an array of Japanese knives (domestic - mainly Kai Shuns, Mac Series and Tojiro Sharaku) with the exception of maybe the Mac Pro Santoku MSK65/ and a couple of Chinese Choppers.

I don't have a big knife in my collection (my biggest is probably the Mac Chef Series knife measuring at 21cm) and a 24cm Gyuto looks very appealing but I am tempted towards the Bunka as Santoku is the one I use most at home.

Question to existing Japanese knife users - what's the better all round knife? The 20cm or the 24cm?
I use the knife everyday and its for domestic work only.

 

[hash tag]

For fear of stating the obvious (about 4 or 5 down ) Angela Hartnett says get a good knife, not necessarily the best, but keep it sharp Buy a good knife and never say sorry: top chefs share the best cooking advice they ever had

 

[UnderOpenSky]

I am in the market for a new knife and looking at either a 20 cm Bunka (ZDP189) or a 24cm Gyuto (Super Blue).
I'm pretty handy with blades and worked/ grew up working in Chinese kitchens.
I currently use an array of Japanese knives (domestic - mainly Kai Shuns, Mac Series and Tojiro Sharaku) with the exception of maybe the Mac Pro Santoku MSK65/ and a couple of Chinese Choppers.

I don't have a big knife in my collection (my biggest is probably the Mac Chef Series knife measuring at 21cm) and a 24cm Gyuto looks very appealing but I am tempted towards the Bunka as Santoku is the one I use most at home.

Question to existing Japanese knife users - what's the better all round knife? The 20cm or the 24cm?
I use the knife everyday and its for domestic work only.

I don't have the luxury of buying any more knives at the moment and only have one "proper" Japanese carbon steel knife in the collection, which I love. It's probably more a reflection of my knife skills, but I don't find 24" to be that useful, other then for a few tasks, whereas I reach for the 20 all the time.

When I have more funds for purchases I don't really "need" I do look forward to adding more.

 

[Virtual Blue]

I don't have the luxury of buying any more knives at the moment and only have one "proper" Japanese carbon steel knife in the collection, which I love. It's probably more a reflection of my knife skills, but I don't find 24" to be that useful, other then for a few tasks, whereas I reach for the 20 all the time.

When I have more funds for purchases I don't really "need" I do look forward to adding more.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/d/B088JCFF27?psc=1&ref=ppx_pop_mob_b_asin_title

View attachment 336393

Is that the bunka? may i ask, what steel is it?

knife collection...i don't think you can have too many knives.
you can add at least 5 more onto your rack.

 

[existentialist]

Is that the bunka? may i ask, what steel is it?

knife collection...i don't think you can have too many knives.
you can add at least 5 more onto your rack.

I'm a knife minimalist. I like my choices to be easy.

Big knife. Small knife. Job done

 

[newme]

Victorinox Fibrox 8 inch version. Assume this has been recommended to death but its been the standard workhorse for every chef I know. They get a fancy one but thats the one that does the work mostly, or definitely the one that does when the other one is awaiting the sharpening person/chipped/dishie fucked it cos they trusted them to wash it/etc.

 

[newme]

Most of my kit now comes from either Procook or Nisbets. Only really discovered them when i opened the cafe & bar last year but can defininately recomend them. Not too expensive and seem to be very good quality.

Got a full set on the cheap from Nisbets when my daughter did her catering course and we just bought 2 sets, all works perfectly 4 years later.

 

[UnderOpenSky]

Is that the bunka? may i ask, what steel is it?

knife collection...i don't think you can have too many knives.
you can add at least 5 more onto your rack.

I totally agree, but I've reached the point that more knives are now very much luxery items. I will get there at some point

The Bunka is Blue #2 core cladded with soft iron. It sharpens up very quickly and love how thin it is. I probably use it for 80% of my tasks now.

Kyohei Shindo Aogami Kurouchi Bunka

Thin, light and a classic construction. If you're wanting to experience carbon steel at an excellent price then the versatile bunka is a great choice.

cuttingedgeknives.co.uk

 

[Virtual Blue]

I totally agree, but I've reached the point that more knives are now very much luxery items. I will get there at some point

The Bunka is Blue #2 core cladded with soft iron. It sharpens up very quickly and love how thin it is. I probably use it for 80% of my tasks now.

Kyohei Shindo Aogami Kurouchi Bunka

Thin, light and a classic construction. If you're wanting to experience carbon steel at an excellent price then the versatile bunka is a great choice.

cuttingedgeknives.co.uk

Proper carbon steel Japanese knives are luxury items. They're beautiful to look at and at the same time, nerdy as fuck (reminds me of the U75 watch collecting thread).
Utilitarian vs Mainstream vs Specialists.
Forge work? What's the history. Who is the maker. The steel, is it carbon - is it white/ blue? Is number 2 better than 1 and what about the super hardened stuff?
Then you have maintenance, whetstones/ stropping, leather vs ceramic vs steel. OMG it goes on and on.

That Bunka of yours is a steal! Great price.
One question, are you scared of the K-tip chipping?

 

[friedaweed]

I got two of these in TKmaxx for £5.99 each in the reduced section last year. Ones still in it's box. The other is still sharp as new with just the odd glide over the steel. For general home use I can't see the point in shelling out for expensive knives when there's stuff like this on the bargain shelves.

KitchenAid Cook's Knife

Kiwi and Kom Kom knives and peelers imported from Thailand to the UK home of the miracle knife and zigzag peeler

www.chopchopchop.co.uk

 

[UnderOpenSky]

Proper carbon steel Japanese knives are luxury items. They're beautiful to look at and at the same time, nerdy as fuck (reminds me of the U75 watch collecting thread).
Utilitarian vs Mainstream vs Specialists.
Forge work? What's the history. Who is the maker. The steel, is it carbon - is it white/ blue? Is number 2 better than 1 and what about the super hardened stuff?
Then you have maintenance, whetstones/ stropping, leather vs ceramic vs steel. OMG it goes on and on.

That Bunka of yours is a steal! Great price.
One question, are you scared of the K-tip chipping?

I don't mind spending proper money on knives, but not silly money, so it was about the right price point. I'm a total heathen and use a belt grinder so wouldn't want something which had to be sharpened on different angles at each side. I'm not scared as such, but wouldn't use it for things which felt to heavy, I'd use one my stainless blades instead.

 

[UnderOpenSky]

I got two of these in TKmaxx for £5.99 each in the reduced section last year. Ones still in it's box. The other is still sharp as new with just the odd glide over the steel. For general home use I can't see the point in shelling out for expensive knives when there's stuff like this on the bargain shelves.

KitchenAid Cook's Knife

Kiwi and Kom Kom knives and peelers imported from Thailand to the UK home of the miracle knife and zigzag peeler

www.chopchopchop.co.uk

Sounds like you got a bargain.

There's no "need" but I get a certain amount of enjoyment using good knives and I spend plenty of time using them. Similar to many things really.

 

[friedaweed]

Sounds like you got a bargain.

There's no "need" but I get a certain amount of enjoyment using good knives and I spend plenty of time using them. Similar to many things really.

Oh I get that mate and I wasn't scoffing them. I'm like that with other things but I wont think twice about butchering pheasants and chicken with my main knife so I'd be proper cheesed off with myself if I ruined a £200 knife quartering a bird for the pot.
If I had a few quid I'd probably invest but I get in enough trouble accumulating new fishing gear.

 

[bellaozzydog]

Has anyone gone down the cleaver route

I’ve always been intrigued about using one

Eta Christ on a bike I’ll need to save up

Chinese Chopper 20cm, 4.0mm

The G-49 17.5cm and the G-50 20cm are both Chinese chef's knives, whilst they look like cleavers, they are not suitable for this task. These rectangular knives, referred to in Chinese as Caidao are multipurpose knives. Chinese people and chef's will use these knives in the same way that Western...

www.globalknives.uk

 

[Supine]

Has anyone gone down the cleaver route

I’ve always been intrigued about using one

Eta Christ on a bike I’ll need to save up

Chinese Chopper 20cm, 4.0mm

The G-49 17.5cm and the G-50 20cm are both Chinese chef's knives, whilst they look like cleavers, they are not suitable for this task. These rectangular knives, referred to in Chinese as Caidao are multipurpose knives. Chinese people and chef's will use these knives in the same way that Western...

www.globalknives.uk

I was tempted to get a global cleaver until i saw the price

 

[Spymaster]

Has anyone gone down the cleaver route

I’ve always been intrigued about using one

I've got one but rarely use it. I was interested in trying to go down the Chinese route of using it for everything from chopping garlic to butchering whole lambs, but after getting it realised it would take far more skill than I had, and far more practice to learn properly than I was prepared to put in.

 

[UnderOpenSky]

Has anyone gone down the cleaver route

I’ve always been intrigued about using one

Eta Christ on a bike I’ll need to save up

Chinese Chopper 20cm, 4.0mm

The G-49 17.5cm and the G-50 20cm are both Chinese chef's knives, whilst they look like cleavers, they are not suitable for this task. These rectangular knives, referred to in Chinese as Caidao are multipurpose knives. Chinese people and chef's will use these knives in the same way that Western...

www.globalknives.uk

Think mine was £20 from Aliexpress and made from carbon steel. Its a very thin blade though so for veg rather then hacking up dead animals.

 

[friedaweed]

Has anyone gone down the cleaver route

I’ve always been intrigued about using one

Eta Christ on a bike I’ll need to save up

Chinese Chopper 20cm, 4.0mm

The G-49 17.5cm and the G-50 20cm are both Chinese chef's knives, whilst they look like cleavers, they are not suitable for this task. These rectangular knives, referred to in Chinese as Caidao are multipurpose knives. Chinese people and chef's will use these knives in the same way that Western...

www.globalknives.uk

I've got one but it never sees the light of day. They're great for blending herbs but an all round chefs knife and a small utility knife does all the jobs for me. I can't even remember where my one was last seen.

rather then hacking up dead animals.

I keep this nice and clean thinking one day I might have to dispatch of and butcher a bear.