see this

I don't see what the fuss is all about. IF you do something hundreds and thousands of times, you become good at it.

Look at some people in slaughter houses. They can process a cow in minutes. Thats more impressive than what this guy does with a fish.
 
point is if skill is most important (and IMO then geometry and then sharpening and last steel) why all fuss about steel?
just take your opinelSAKSwiboEKAforschnerwhatever and learn to use it.

or not?
 
That is just a person who has learned their trade well, through repetition, and mistake, and going back at it. All the other stuff is just that, stuff. Of course the knife is sharp, but a sharp knife is useless as a tool unless someone can wield it. Steel is dead last in the equation.
 
Looked like he didn't have much bone to deal with. Just skin and flesh. Could be deceiving though due to the speed at which he worked.
 
its skill and experience. buy a $500 and still cant do it like how he does it with a $15 knife. I do not think steel type matters a lot in kitchen knives. that fish havent got very hard bones.
 
Saying steel is dead last is kind of misleading in my mind. Of course steel choice will be last in processing one fish. However I come from the land of huge salmon runs. When dip netting in Chinta one ends up with a very large amount of fish (think buying 2 extra full size freezers to hold it all). Watching people deal with this amount of fish will quickly turn your attention to steel. When the guy next to you sharpens his knife 30 times for your one time you get it done alot faster. Alot of the chefs I worked with in the past are using VG-10 or SG2 blades now. They used to use 400 series steels. Does it help these knife skills? No, but they sure sharpen alot less. I dont think anyone here is trying to say you need a 500 kitchen knife but to say the steel choice isnt important is a bit outlandish. Most chefs I know have far more infvested in there cutlery than the average joe.
 
fish processors are different from chefs. Their knives are mostly standard issues and does the job. What processors cut more in a day than a chef might in 3. it probably wont hold and edge like how a VG steel would but they probably have a few at hand and are machine sharpened. I do not know what they might be cutting to see the difference in a VG10 over 400 series in a day.

Unless one is filleting them in 30s to 100s daily, one probably wont be able to see much difference. For tougher fish, i use M2 from a hacksaw blade or a carbon steel cleaver. For normal fishes, i wouldnt bother and just a common german steel knife or dexter would do as i probably wont be able to tell a difference but profile is important

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lWBa7CHP9Bg

thats an old carbon steel at work.. always nice to see carbon steel knives.
 
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