Kitchen knife

A

augostos

Joined
Sep 15, 2011
Messages
378
Hello!

I was wondering if you could recommend kitchen knife with following in mind:

  • length: 6-9 in;
  • usage: slicing veggies;
  • high end stainless or carbon steel;
  • production or custom;
  • price range: 70-200$

The knife will be used to cut/slice tomatoes, onions and etc. at a restaurant.

I'm not very familiar with kitchen knives, your help will be greatly appreciated!

Thank you very much!
 
i prefer a vegetable cleaver myself, try chefsknivestogo, they have many in your price range. a similar blade would be a nakari, about half the height of a cleaver.
scott
 
call up jon broida of japanese knife imports, he'll be more than happy to give you some advice on what to get.

Japanese Knife Imports
1501 Main St. #105
Venice, CA 90291
(310)399-0300
Click to expand...

he has a website too, if you wanna check out his wares.
 
I would check the feel of several knives. Get one that feels good. If the handle and blade design are not comfortable, you won't be happy. Buy a steel at the same time. If you're going to do prep work you'll need one.

Generally speaking, high carbon steel will sharpen easier and stay sharp longer the stainless. It also darkens rapidly and requires a bit more care - you can't use it then just leave it laying there for a couple of hours. All of the major manufacturers make good knives. Victorinox makes the best for the money. There is no limit to the amount you can spend. The best handle I have is on a Frost (Mora, Sweden). It also has excellent edge holding.

I use inexpensive ($20) to expensive ($3000) knives daily. I do not buy anything that is not comfortable for me to use.
 
Have a look at the different Fujiwara series with
Japanesechefsknife.com
Others there that might be interesting are the Hiromoto AS and JCK Kagayaki Carbonext series.
 
All hand work, traditional techniques, techniques that involve a high loss rate, expensive materials, a prestigious brand, all may explain prices up to some $500.
Above that, expect works of art. Precious, rare materials, difficult and unlikely techniques, niche markets.
Prices do not always reflect performance in general, and certainly not with an individual user. A production knife may be very well adapted to your specific needs, while a hand made may be better suited to someone else.
First you should find out what is best for you, with your preferences, your physiognomy, your technique and your usage. Get a relatively cheap, well made blade, find out what you prefer and from there continue your search.
 
I second the veg cleaver suggestion, more specifically the CCK 1303. Inexpensive and can be re-handled very easy if you don't like the stock barrel shaped one. The CCK is the thinnest blade you'll ever find and is the best thing I've ever used for just about any veg....onions especially.
Good luck!


002 by macmiddlebrooks, on Flickr
 
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