- Joined
- Oct 3, 1998
- Messages
- 4,842
I have previously reviewed a Hattori Santoku. You can see the knife
here: http://www.fallkniven.com/shop/hattori-produc/sk170.htm
To refresh your memory, the Hattori kitchen knives are constructed of
a san mai style steel, with VG-10 as the inner layer to form a hard
cutting edge, and stainless damascus out layers.
THE GOOD: The knife is absolutely beautiful. It also handles very
well. The convex edge is extraordinarily thin. Plain and simple, it
easily outcuts any kitchen knife I've ever tried. Even my
mother-in-law, who never notices knives, insisted on strictly using
the Hattori after she tried it. It doesn't seem to get dull.
THE BAD: After a few weeks, I noticed some very very tiny chips in the
VG-10. Then I handed it to a friend who carved a turkey with it, and
hit some turkey bones with reasonable force a few times. No other
chefs knife I have has had problems with this, but the Hattori chipped
badly.
THE CONCLUSION: The Hattori Santoku is a gorgeous, very well-done
piece that cuts astoundingly well. However, its duties should be kept
to cutting vegetables on a cutting board, tougher jobs can cause
chipping.
Tom at Laganet then contacted me and offered to let me look at another
Hattori knife, seen here: http://www.fallkniven.com/shop/hattori-produc/th150.htm
It has a thicker edge, and Tom wanted me to try this out for more
general kitchen usage.
Regarding aesthetics, production values, and handling, see my old
Hattori review. This knife matches the Santoku: absolutely beautiful,
excellent fit & finish, handles like a dream. In use for everything
from chopping veggies, cutting meat, carving meat, it cuts like you
won't believe. Yes, the edge is thicker than on the Santoku. But it
remains fairly thin and performance continues to be outstanding. The
edge keeps from rolling or getting dull like no kitchen knife I've
used. The best news on this knife: no chipping! The slightly thicker
edge on this more general-purpose model has held up to everything I've
thrown at it.
My mother-in-law wasn't around, but my wife (who similarly has no
appreciation for knives) commented on it immediately, and how much she
loved cutting with it. I am constantly throwing new knives into the
block, and this is the first time she's ever commented on one (beyond
"What? Another new knife?").
Recommendations:
These Hattori knives are expensive, especially for production knives.
However, even going with customs, you'd be hard pressed to see great
improvements in aesthetics or cutting performance. My recommendation
for the Santoku continues to be: use it as a veggie cutter only, not a
general chef's knife. The knife I just evaluated (What is it? A
chef's utility knife?) works very well for more general purpose
kitchen usage. It's a little small for a chef's knife, so if you're
interested in a Hattori chef's knife, ask Tom or James Mattis if any
of the big Hattori chef's knives have the thicker grinds.
here: http://www.fallkniven.com/shop/hattori-produc/sk170.htm
To refresh your memory, the Hattori kitchen knives are constructed of
a san mai style steel, with VG-10 as the inner layer to form a hard
cutting edge, and stainless damascus out layers.
THE GOOD: The knife is absolutely beautiful. It also handles very
well. The convex edge is extraordinarily thin. Plain and simple, it
easily outcuts any kitchen knife I've ever tried. Even my
mother-in-law, who never notices knives, insisted on strictly using
the Hattori after she tried it. It doesn't seem to get dull.
THE BAD: After a few weeks, I noticed some very very tiny chips in the
VG-10. Then I handed it to a friend who carved a turkey with it, and
hit some turkey bones with reasonable force a few times. No other
chefs knife I have has had problems with this, but the Hattori chipped
badly.
THE CONCLUSION: The Hattori Santoku is a gorgeous, very well-done
piece that cuts astoundingly well. However, its duties should be kept
to cutting vegetables on a cutting board, tougher jobs can cause
chipping.
Tom at Laganet then contacted me and offered to let me look at another
Hattori knife, seen here: http://www.fallkniven.com/shop/hattori-produc/th150.htm
It has a thicker edge, and Tom wanted me to try this out for more
general kitchen usage.
Regarding aesthetics, production values, and handling, see my old
Hattori review. This knife matches the Santoku: absolutely beautiful,
excellent fit & finish, handles like a dream. In use for everything
from chopping veggies, cutting meat, carving meat, it cuts like you
won't believe. Yes, the edge is thicker than on the Santoku. But it
remains fairly thin and performance continues to be outstanding. The
edge keeps from rolling or getting dull like no kitchen knife I've
used. The best news on this knife: no chipping! The slightly thicker
edge on this more general-purpose model has held up to everything I've
thrown at it.
My mother-in-law wasn't around, but my wife (who similarly has no
appreciation for knives) commented on it immediately, and how much she
loved cutting with it. I am constantly throwing new knives into the
block, and this is the first time she's ever commented on one (beyond
"What? Another new knife?").
Recommendations:
These Hattori knives are expensive, especially for production knives.
However, even going with customs, you'd be hard pressed to see great
improvements in aesthetics or cutting performance. My recommendation
for the Santoku continues to be: use it as a veggie cutter only, not a
general chef's knife. The knife I just evaluated (What is it? A
chef's utility knife?) works very well for more general purpose
kitchen usage. It's a little small for a chef's knife, so if you're
interested in a Hattori chef's knife, ask Tom or James Mattis if any
of the big Hattori chef's knives have the thicker grinds.
