Cai Bao veggie slicing tool

Straight from the mailbox to the kitchen. First impression is, it seems lighter than the one in the video, but is sharp and well put together. Definitely will take some getting used to, but I have always hated conventional peelers so anything will be an improvement.:o

[video=youtube;Z4FhFs7lk-8]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z4FhFs7lk-8[/video]

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PS - the bottom edge is "false edge" sharp (and might be dangerous if sharper), but can be used to cut the end off a carrot without having to reach for another knife.
 
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Good video Mr. Berkley. What do you think on potential sharpening. Doesn't look like that cutting edge piece comes off, does it look like it could be sharpend in place on the one side probably for sure, the inside edge maybe not so easy.

Thanks for posting that, helps to see it in action by a first time user although it looks like your getting the hang of it quite quickly.
 
Sharpening apparently isn't a big priority among designers of vegetable peelers, East or West.

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Notice that the cai bao folks claim never to have sharpened the one they use in their demo video after 20 years. Goodness knows I've never tried to sharpen any of my old peelers.
 
The Viets and Thais will make a believer out you on these. They used them for a lot more than peeling. It is their primary slicing tool for various salads and fresh spring rolls but I was happy to find out they also make left handled models. I was given one in a Viet cooking school but its right handed so it hasn't seen much use.
 
Hadnt thought about the fact that they have polarity. Guess youd have to cut towards yourself if polarity is wrong. Still doable.
You really cant sharpen them westerner peelers because they are sharpened first then bent. They dont come apart. The angle is wrong if you try and it wont cut for doo.
 
I'm going to briefly have a few bucks in my bank account tomorrow and I'm thinking of using them to buy one of these. For those of you who've already bought one, are they worth it?
 
Neither of us has used it a great deal yet, but my wife (who does most of the veggie prep) says it has promise. She thinks it would be most useful to her for stir-fry prep.
 
Buy one. I've only used mine a few times, but it's been good for peeling apples, carrots, and potatoes, plus making apple and potato slices. It has much promise, and was well worth it for under a Jackson
 
Dang I gotta find somebody with a wallet with paper money in it so I can see what a Jackson is. Any fool know's we ain't talking about Michael and the Jackson 5. Did I just date myself..........

Just to save anyone else the research time, my chief had a 20 and gosh durned if ole Jackson ain't on it, that was some quick research right there. He wouldn't let me hold it but he let me look at it kind of close. Might of been able to snatch it but he was wearing his duty gun and all I had was my wits and my bawanna bowie, close to a fair fight I reckon.
 
Sounds like I should get one! Only question is if I should get a left handed one for me or a right handed for her. She only peels veggies with an old hickory pairing knife. Refused to use an American style peeler. If I buy her a right handed one I'll probably be the only who uses it and it'll be awkward for a lefty like me.
 
Well I'm stuck with two idears.
1. Why take the risk, just send me the bucks and go with a sure thing. (how many bucks we talking about here?)

2. Get both his and hers. As I recall your young bride is of Mongolian decent and it just seems like this kind of a tool would fit right in. You could just use a little white lie (momma say a little white lie never hurt nobody) and tell her it was made in mongolia.

All I could think up for the moment. I too am in the same boat, with the righty/lefty thing. I guess if you went option 1 that would simplify things on my end.
 
She does stuff her old school nomadic ways. I buy an expensive dough mixer, she still kneeds dough by hand. I buy her a fancy knife sharpener, she still sharpens with the underside of our ceramic cups. I buy her a fancy veggie peeler, she'll still do it with a knife. I think I'll buy a right handed one and just learn to use it.
 
The left-handed versus right-handed problem:

Looking at my new cai-bao, it seems that it might not be hard to attach another handle on the other side. Easiest way might be to find an old handle from some junk kitchen utensil, something with a metal bracket. Drill a couple holes and mount the handle bracket at the end of the cai-bao. It might not look great, but the cai-bao is no beauty queen to begin with.

There might be an additional benefit to a two-handled cai-bao, as it could be used like a draw knife on larger vegetables.
 
The thing about being a lefty is you're used to working with backwards tools. I'd imagined be a little righty wouldn't be so used to it.
 
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I had a chance to use the cai bao tonight to make very thin slices. If I had tried it with the gyuto, it would have taken forever because of my lousy technique. If I'd used the mandoline, I would have had to take it apart, wash and dry the parts and reassemble, equally time consuming.
The cai bao easily made a pile of perfect thin slices in thirty seconds, a minute if you include time to rinse and dry.:thumbup:
 
Oh C'mon Berk! You aint done yet? Theres still half an inch of that carrot left;) Whatcha got over there in the other corner? Is that the Gyuto? Looks pretty nice!
 
Bawanna, I am guessing the last bit is the part he used in lieu of a stainless mesh glove to keep from having protein filled carrots.

Looks like it does an incredibly good job cutting even slices Berk, and quick cleanup too. Awesome!
 
khukoo head said:
Eat the peels. No Cai Bao. Peels have most of the vitamins anyhow...
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But when you got a Khul Gyuto like that id skin em too. Heck when my wife wants kindlin for the wood stove she gets toothpicks cause I have Khuks for everything:D
You will soon see the logic Khukoo! Hey your Texan! Were neighbors! Where else can you be eight hundred and ninety something miles away and still be neighbors:D
 
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