Anyone ever make Sushi knives?

Trace Rinaldi

Trace Rinaldi

Joined
Oct 3, 1998
Messages
1,774
I have become addicted to Sushi/Sashimi, and would like to build a few sushi knives in the future... Any information on design, material, grinding techniques, stock thickness etc. would be GREATLY appreciated!
If you told me a few years ago I would LIKE eating sea snails, giant clam, octopus, raw tuna, and salmon, I would have said you were F%$K*&G NUTS, but I now LOVE the stuff...
I only want to make some personal cutlery and maybe a couple blades for my favorite Sushi chef Meung at the Escondido Ca. "Onami"
I figured SOMEONE here would know how to make a GOOD Sushi knife...

MANY Thanks in advance
Trace Rinaldi http://www.pe.net/~thrblade/
 
Trace, everytime I go to a sushi bar I think about making one of those knives. I understand the best sushi knives sell for $500-800 in Japan.

They are deeply hollow ground only on the right side, with the left side left flat so that the remaining meat will be flat and even. I guess this always assumes right-handed sushi chefs. The edge is very fine, which if OK since they only cut soft flesh, no bones. Just guessing (my memory sux), the general size is about 8-10" long and a blade width of about 1-1/4". The point is elongated and relatively centered on the blade, maybe a little below center.

There are a couple Japanese websites that show these, but I can't seem to find one right now. Good luck with it.

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Jerry Hossom
www.hossom.com
The Tom & Jerry Show

[This message has been edited by GaKnife (edited 09-04-2000).]
 
they are all a little differnt but jerry has givin a good general description. i have made one for a sushi chef and he wanted a flat chisel grind. talk with the chef see what he likes? also this is one of the ways i develop my clinet base by doing sharping work, besides its quick cash.

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Laurence Segal www.RHINOKNIVES.com
 
Trace,
Jerry is right about the edge design. My mom has a Sushi knife that belonged to my dad. It was made in Japan of some sort of Carbon steel and Black Wood....No Pun intended
smile.gif


One other design feature is that the handle is quite high in relation to the blade. It also angles slightly upward. My dad, who was a self proclaimed knife/design engineer, said this was so that one could cut with the complete edge on the cutting board and still have plenty of room for ones knuckles between the handle and the cutting board!!

I found that the knife worked VERY well for steaking large salt water fish and other meat prep.

I'd like to see what you come up with!!

Neil

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Knives IN STOCK!!!!

blackwoodknives.com

[This message has been edited by Dr.Lathe (edited 09-04-2000).]
 
I have looked at a lot of them....there are a lot of Japanese restaurants here and I have been to Japan three times. Most of them are pretty thick.....suprisingly so....3/16" or more... some have a hollow in the flat side like some of the japanese chisels.....ALL are left side flat right side flat ground to the top....the very best ones are san mai....stubby hidden tang that is usually just pushed into the handle, no pins or glue of any sort. hope that helps.. they all rust too!! long and thin is the most favored shape with the actual shape being just two straight lines mostly.

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http://www.mayoknives.com


 
Can someone please post pictures of some of these knives? Or maybe direct us to a web site that has pictures? Thanks.
 
The chef at Daruma let me see his, they were fairly thick, as Tom said, but it was strictly chisel ground, with a 1/2" or so microbevel. Laquered bamboo handles on the set, single pin, like a tanto. They had writing chiseled into the side, next time I'll ask him to translate for me.
The sushi chef at Shogun used a midsized Solingen, I recognized it as soon as he popped it out. Both made GREAT sushi.

------------------
Oz

"I went to one of those so-called 'All you can eat' buffets last night, and I'm on to their little game.
They stop filling up the thousand island bucket after you empty it three or four times."
http://www.freespeech.org/oz/
 
Hiya Trace,
Still enjoying my 5" bg42 TTKK. I notice that the new ones have that semi-birds beak style at the end of the handle that we talked about.

In answer to your question, try asking Michael Fong http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/mfong/ He's over on the left coast also.

to see some sushi knives how about
http://www.knifemerchant.com/cgi-bin/masahiro_products.asp

or
http://home.socal.rr.com/sosb/koshino/

Happy Slicing
WAAAAAAAAASSSSAAAAAABBBBIII

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~ JerryO ~

Cogito Cogito Ergo Cogito Sum

[This message has been edited by JerryO (edited 09-05-2000).]
 
Sorry, double click

[This message has been edited by JerryO (edited 09-05-2000).]
 
THANKS for the responses!
The Sushi knives I have seen are like the ones you guys described. Right side chisel ground to dead zero, fairly thick stock 5/32"-3/16", and the funny cheap looking handles.
I dont know if I could bring myself to make a handle that is supposed to be replaced when it becomes loose as described in the URL JerryO provided though.
I happened to notice how they sharpen them the other night, they lay the flat side down on a large stone and push back and forth.
I figure when I get "TIME" to make some they will most likely be a bit different than traditional sushi knives. I am thinking 0-1, or A2, and at least ONE pin in some sort of wood handle:-)
JerryO glad to hear your TTKK is seeing use, and good to hear from you bud, thanks for the URL's.
Thanks again for all the replies, I think like Paul Bos says "I know just enough to be dangerous now" HA!

Take Care
Trace Rinaldi http://www.pe.net/~thrblade/
 
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