Pocket Knife Vs Kitchen Knife

Horses for courses. Use the right tool for the job. Steel choice, hardness, grind, etc. on a knife meant for use on vegetables, is different than for one meant to go through fish, and different again for one used for boning and jointing. All are very different from those required for a woodcarving slipjoint, or heavy duty folder (or camp knife) - you make appropriate choices for the jobs you require of them.

Sure you *can* use a pocketknife for food prep. And for some tasks, it will do just fine. But just as I wouldn't use a paring knife when I need an 8" chef's knife (or visa versa), and wouldn't try to compare/contrast them at the tasks they are unsuited for - I wouldn't use the same criteria to judge the pocketknife versus the kitchen knife. Apples and oranges.
 
marcinek said:
I'd still really like for you to give us an example of a small pocket knife/high end kitchen knife pair that you are comparing...I think it would make what you are asking about much clearer! :thumbup:
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This is what I mean by "survival knivies". The whole range.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NxP48taPSsQ
There was a particular youtuber that I was watching but now I do not remember his channel.

When I say high end, I am talking about $300-500 (yes to the I have seen the $20k Japanese knives, so beautiful!!). To me that is high in my price range.

So survival knives rely on brute force to do the cutting (more like hacking) compared to a kitchen knife that does the slicing? Is that correct?

The world of knives is a big one indeed.
 
Cynic2701 said:
Take your pocket knife down to less than 8 degrees per side (16 inclusive) and let me know how much chipping you get. I've got a Konosuke HD2 Funayaki Wa-Gyuto that holds up just fine.
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Damn I am lacking so much knowledge and skill! :( How are you measuring your angles? What tools?
 
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mkjellgren said:
You'll find yourself looking for things to cut just to use the darn thing.
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That is me. I tend to cut things then I have to find a purpose for it. Ha ha!

I currently use a Shun gyuto 10" VG10. I was happy but I cant get the edge back to how it was with my 3k/6k combo. Do I need to step it up to 10k along with my skill level?

With steels like aogami super blue that have carbon, do you find rust being an issue (dumb question I know and I have done research.)

Do you have a favorite brand?
 
smilesenpai said:
That is me. I tend to cut things then I have to find a purpose for it. Ha ha!

I currently use a Shun gyuto 10" VG10 I was happy but I cant get the edge back to how it was with my 3k/6k combo. Do I need to step it up to 10k along with my skill level?

With steels like aogami super blue that have carbon, do you find rust being an issue (dumb question I know and I have done research.)

Do you have a favorite brand?
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That 10" shun is a good knife, in fact, I've got one just like it in my knife roll and it serves as my workhorse for when I've got a lot of prep work to do, or when doing things that require a long blade such as breaking down acorn squash. As far as Japanese knives go, the shuns are a bit westernized, but that's not necessarily a bad thing depending on your uses. Vg10 takes a nice edge easily and holds it reasonably well. They're a bit pricy for what you get (there are some lesser known brands that are a better value), but are nice knives overall and fit and finish is top notch.

Lately though, my go-to knife when cooking on the line is a Miyabi Artisan 8" gyuto with sg2 steel at 63hrc. It's a bit flashy, and being that despite being made in Japan, Miyabi's parent company is J.A. Henkel (a German company) meaning it's not exactly a true Japanese knife, it's proved itself to be a fantastic all around performer.

As for sharpening your Shun back to its factory sharpness, with your current stone setup, that actually shouldn't be too difficult, in fact, you should be able to get it quite a bit sharper than it was from the factory. Light touch and a steady hand are the key, combine with lots of practice of course. Obviously you can take it above and beyond with some finer grits (I go up to .25 micron diamond spray on kangaroo leather) but 6000 grit is plenty fine to get an absolutely screaming sharp edge.

With reference to the carbon steel knives, they're more work in terms of maintenance, but a joy to use and sharpen. They will patina naturally, but can be forced to patina in any variety of patterns with a little vinegar or mustard. Some people like the look of a patina, some don't, I happen to like it. You have to keep them clean and dry at all times though, red rust can appear in a matter of minutes depending on what you're cutting. If that red rust sits around too long, pitting will follow.
 
smilesenpai said:
Damn I am lacking so much knowledge and skill! :( How are you measuring your angles? What tools?
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If you sharpen freehand, use a ruler and a calculator. If you use something like an Edge Pro, you can use an angle cube--just be sure to take into account the angle of the primary grind if you are laying a flat ground flat down.
 
Helpful: Angle finder gauge (well, not this one -- too wide, but there are others) to check existing.

DSC01691.JPG
 
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smilesenpai said:
So survival knives rely on brute force to do the cutting (more like hacking) compared to a kitchen knife that does the slicing? Is that correct?

The world of knives is a big one indeed.
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Precisely.

First off though...anybody on YouTube who makes a video telling you what a survival knife is? Don't listen to that person. "Survival knife" is a term created by marketing departments to cash in on the current "survival guru" TV craze. It doesn't mean anything.

Back to the point. One of the more important characteristics of a knife is geometry. Very roughly speaking...how thick it is, and how the thickness changes going from the edge to the spine.

Geometry really, really matters. And a good knife will have the correct geometry for the job. "Thin" slices, "thick" chops/bashes/smashes.

And there is no geometry that does everything well.

And geometry is only one of the things that goes into a knife that does a job well.

There is a lot going on...so hang around here, ask a lot of questions, and have fun. :thumbup:

(The simplest answer to your original question is that folding knives have more parts than fixed blade knives.)
 
mkjellgren said:
As for sharpening your Shun back to its factory sharpness, with your current stone setup, that actually shouldn't be too difficult, in fact, you should be able to get it quite a bit sharper than it was from the factory.
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I agree that they are a bit price-y, especially in Australia. Thank goodness for online prices.

Perhaps I am deluded and it is just as sharp as when I got it. Just gotten used to it maybe. Strop, strop, strop.

Is it wrong for me to get hyped reading about other knives? :P

Your Miyabi Artisan8" is pretty~~ :).
 
my pocket knife is my kitchen knife haha. I actually dont own a set of kitchen cutlery, i use knives that i dont want to severaly dammage but dont want to sell. I think i own (kitchen knife wise) 1 med sized Honyaki for slicing and a meat cleaver that i found cleaning out a house.

to answer the question, its because there is more skill & different types of materials in making a pocket knife than a kitchen knife
 
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