Knifewear's "garage sale" is going on this week, where they sell unique and different things they've bought on trips to Japan. As part of it, they're doing a live stream to show you anything you might want to buy from the sale and answer any questions you might have (use case, steel types, weight, measurements, whatever you want). It's not only a great opportunity to get a great knife with advice from the people who know what they're talking about, but you're also supporting a local business.
__________________ "The great promise of the Internet was that more information would automatically yield better decisions. The great disappointment is that more information actually yields more possibilities to confirm what you already believed anyway." - Brian Eno
Knifewear's "garage sale" is going on this week, where they sell unique and different things they've bought on trips to Japan. As part of it, they're doing a live stream to show you anything you might want to buy from the sale and answer any questions you might have (use case, steel types, weight, measurements, whatever you want). It's not only a great opportunity to get a great knife with advice from the people who know what they're talking about, but you're also supporting a local business.
I thank you for this. My wallet and work productivity yesterday, however, think you're a real #######.
Yesterday was certainly worth tuning in for anyone in the market for a new kitchen knife of almost any kind. They're doing it again today, Thursday, and Friday I believe, though in shorter time frames.
I actually ended up going to the shop and picking up a honesuki, a long petty and a couple of xmas gifts for others. There are still some amazingly cool knives available and if you need a new knife, it's a good time as they have actually discounted a bunch of stuff (which doesn't normally happen during garage sale, and the don't do black friday).
Although if I was going to tell someone to go and buy anything as a "first good knife" right now, there is one 210mm gyuto on the table in the Calgary shop with a rounded ironwood handle that I believe is a Saji and it's one of the prettiest knives I've seen in a long time. I can't find it on the website, I think it was 470 or so.
__________________ "The great promise of the Internet was that more information would automatically yield better decisions. The great disappointment is that more information actually yields more possibilities to confirm what you already believed anyway." - Brian Eno
I'm still trying to figure out what one might use that Tojiro 345mm Nakiri for. Some of the most interesting knives you can get, certainly in Calgary, some going for over $1000, and all I can think about is a stupid long $89 Nakiri.
Actually, that big Nakiri is one knife I wouldn't bother buying from them... they want 89 bucks for it, Amazon has it for 64. Just in case that 25 dollar difference pushes you over the edge (sorry) in terms of buying it.
__________________ "The great promise of the Internet was that more information would automatically yield better decisions. The great disappointment is that more information actually yields more possibilities to confirm what you already believed anyway." - Brian Eno
There you go... It's basically a novelty item. I have no idea what you'd cut with it. On the stream the only thing they could come up with was that it would be good for watermelon.
__________________ "The great promise of the Internet was that more information would automatically yield better decisions. The great disappointment is that more information actually yields more possibilities to confirm what you already believed anyway." - Brian Eno
Depends on the knife shape and edge... plenty of 12" (or even longer) sujihikis out there. If you do a lot of BBQ you probably want a long knife.
I find as time goes on I prefer short knives more and more. I gather that most people find they go the opposite direction, but I basically never feel like my 180mm bunka is too small.
__________________ "The great promise of the Internet was that more information would automatically yield better decisions. The great disappointment is that more information actually yields more possibilities to confirm what you already believed anyway." - Brian Eno
This is my collection, all bought from Knife Wear in Inglewood (along with the magnetic stone). I do have a Henckels 8" chefs knife as well for tougher cuts (you're not supposed to use the Japanese knives for bone or anything hard). They're all incredible and I've cut myself on every single one of them. Highly recommend.
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I do have a Henckels 8" chefs knife as well for tougher cuts (you're not supposed to use the Japanese knives for bone or anything hard). They're all incredible and I've cut myself on every single one of them. Highly recommend.
Nice stuff. However, it's worth noting regarding your point about keeping a chef's knife for cutting close to bone (obviously no knife should be used to cut through bone unless it's a cleaver), there is actually a japanese knife that is for that purpose: the honesuki.
That one is the one that the staff there suggested was the best, because the finish (which only knifewear gets apparently) not only makes it so food doesn't stick as easily, but it also requires that they start with a thicker blade, so it's even more rugged for ripping up carcasses. Also, those ishime ones are carbon steel, so particularly good edge retention, and the downside of carbon (which is reactiveness and tendency to rust if not carefully taken care of) isn't as big a problem with a butchery knife, because meat isn't acidic. Plus, the handle looks like it already matches your knives.
__________________ "The great promise of the Internet was that more information would automatically yield better decisions. The great disappointment is that more information actually yields more possibilities to confirm what you already believed anyway." - Brian Eno
Last edited by CorsiHockeyLeague; 11-17-2020 at 03:41 PM.
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Cheese wires are for hacks..... just take my money I'm to dumb to operate a knife. Sorry.
Bought it for a gift for a senior citizen that spends about 6 minutes in the kitchen a week, most of that is spent deciding what's for supper, the roast chicken from Costco or opening up a can of something.
Loves cheese and kitchen gadgets though so I'm fine spending a whole $30 on it.
I really think it's a good call, if you're the type of person who likes to have a menu of tools to use depending on the job in front of you.
I mean, I bought two knives for myself yesterday and both were 150mm, which seems like an odd decision. But despite being the same length, they couldn't be any more different in function. The honesuki I bought weighs about three times as much as the petty, and while I'm sure I could cut up a chicken with the petty if I really wanted to (I do not), I would have to be careful and delicate and light with it, whereas that is simply not necessary with a honesuki.
__________________ "The great promise of the Internet was that more information would automatically yield better decisions. The great disappointment is that more information actually yields more possibilities to confirm what you already believed anyway." - Brian Eno
Yeah I mean I'm not really that upset with the decision.
In a money saving effort, I swore up and down I did not need a deba, or a honesuki. That a meat saw and shears were enough. And here we are.
Yeah, my money-saving decision is just to buy stuff that I'm actually going to use as opposed to stuff I think is cool.
I agree though, I don't think a deba is particularly necessary. Maybe I'll see something that changes my mind but frankly I'm going to use this honesuki for fish as often as ribs or chicken or anything else. And if I need something thinner for delicate filleting, well, lots of knives can do that job. A sujihiki is also pretty marginal for my needs, particularly since I don't love long knives, so I've talked myself out of going that route so far but it's probably a matter of time.
And while I understand the appeal of a super flat nakiri like the Moritaka ones but in order to justify it I'd need to find one that's lightweight and flat to the board, and in a nice stainless. I wouldn't want to deal with the upkeep from carbon that's constantly exposed to fruit and veggies. Maybe something like that will come along. I've seen some bad-ass usubas (actually they have a killer deal on one in the shop right now if anyone is in the market for that) but I'm not sure if I would want to dive into single bevel stuff, particularly for any purpose besides a carving knife.
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Which petty did you get? I have a 120mm that I use much more than I had anticipated.
Kotetsu R2. I'm pretty much slowly just buying my way through Shibata's whole lineup. If they manage to get another order of tinker tanks, I'm going to feel that hit in the wallet.
__________________ "The great promise of the Internet was that more information would automatically yield better decisions. The great disappointment is that more information actually yields more possibilities to confirm what you already believed anyway." - Brian Eno
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