On 22/01/2021 at 6:31 PM, Yamaha_man said:

What do you clean a razor with???

Just run it (both sides) under very hot water at some pressure during and after use. You will see when it's clear of any leftover debris.  I only shave twice a week these days but a Bic 3 blade lasts  12 months or longer.  Better than the Gilette contours I used to use.

 

I use a Baccarat chef's knife with a Scanpan tungsten / ceramic sharpener / honer. I only need the one knife. 

On 22/01/2021 at 6:31 PM, Yamaha_man said:

What do you clean a razor with???

 

1 hour ago, lemarquis said:

Just run it (both sides) under very hot water at some pressure during and after use. You will see when it's clear of any leftover debris.  I only shave twice a week these days but a Bic 3 blade lasts  12 months or longer.  Better than the Gilette contours I used to use.

 

I use a Baccarat chef's knife with a Scanpan tungsten / ceramic sharpener / honer. I only need the one knife. 

Ditto. And every 3 months or so, I use an old toothbrush while it's under the hot water.

Great info here on knives  

 

I started out with a Furi set.  Good starting point and 13 years later, they're still in good nick.  The Furi sharpening system is Ok, but you need to carefully angle the blade when sharpening otherwise it will chip off the cutting edge. 

Whetstones are the way to go with a 1000 and a 5000 grit to refine the edge.   I have a Miyabi birchwood set now, cant really confirm if the damascus pattern is true from folding or stamping.  Very sharp knives but need lots of care to keep thier edge sharp, so i sharpen them once every 2-3 months using 2 whetstones.   

 

As others have said, be very careful when handling these Japanese knives... 

Great advice here, thanks.

when I said knife block I actually meant a set of knives. 
Leaning towards the magnetic holder. 

36 minutes ago, Yamaha_man said:

Leaning towards the magnetic holder. 

Good man.

1 hour ago, Yamaha_man said:

Leaning towards the magnetic holder. 

I bought a new much longer magnetic holder when I bought a couple of good Japanese blades. After putting it up I thought I might as well get all my knives up and ready for use. Then I had to put the smaller one back up alongside the longer one! It was amazing what I found sitting in the drawer not being used.

I even found my original carbon steel Sabatier and a hand made coconut cleaver!

I seem to have gotten more into kitchen knives over the last year or so, thanks covid, it's as bad on the wallet as getting into listening to music.  ?  So a journey...

 

I initially bought some Furi knives, as they seemed a reasonably priced upgrade (on my supermarket bought chefs knife I've been using for years ).  However the blade thickness of them just doesn't seem to work for me.  I haven't been able to get use to that, slicing stuff seems harder than it should be.  Plus they're a bit heavy for my liking.  However the handle is comfortable even using a couple of different grips, so that's a good thing.  I haven't used them enough to comment on the sharpness longevity though. 

 

Got a couple of Yaxell Mon knives which I liked more.  The blades were thinner, which seem to work better for me.  Plus sharp AF.  Although they seem to need a sharpen now, tomatoes are proving difficult...   However did just pick up a Victorinox serrated steak knife for a few bucks which does that job really well, so all my spending has proved pointless.

 

But upgradeitis is real no matter what you're talking about, so got a Tojiro, which I like almost more than my Yaxell, even if it's cheaper and not meant to be as good.  I don't know, the handle and blade profile feel better or something?  Got a Furiwara petty knife.  It's pretty good.  Very handy for lunches and small stuff when a full size chefs knife seems excessive.  And recently got a Japanese stainless steel clad carbon steel chefs knife with a wa style handle in the larger 240mm blade size which is pretty cool.   Still figuring out if  I can use a knife that size regularly, but it's certainly nice to use.  And looks cooler than everything else ha.  Will be interesting to see how carbon compares to stainless long term.

 

The problem with Japanese type styles and steels though is the 'restrictions' you seem to have.  You can't cut with bone.  You can't chop nuts.  You can't twist on the chopping board.  They're sharper, but more prone to damage.  You still need to have a beater knife around.

 

I also bought a whetstone, which on first use on one of my Kiwi knives made it blunter than it already was.    Oh, yeah, Kiwi knives are pretty awesome too.  But it's going to take a while to get sharpening via a stone down pat.

 

And then there's the whole chopping board usage.  Don't use glass, don't use plastic, don't use bamboo!  More things to play with buy.  

 

Well, ****, this was a ramble.  But I think it turns out knives are a personal thing as to what works best for you?   Although some steels are better than others for sure.  But yeah, you don't really need to spend a lot.  A combination of Kiwi and Victorinox knives would probably do it for $50.  Haha.

5 hours ago, MrBurns84 said:

<snip>I have a Miyabi birchwood set now, cant really confirm if the damascus pattern is true from folding or stamping. 

Most modern Japanese blades are not true damascus (made form wootz steel folded many times) but are 'pattern welded' steel (maybe up to 125 layers) as the outside of a san mai sandwich with something like VG10 on the inside. The VG10 can be quite hard, takes a good edge and is stainless. The outside steels are usually softer to protect the VG10 which can crack or shatter.

 

The Miyabis are this.

 

'Stamped' damascus has only one steel and the pattern is just stamped on. Cheap, but may be pretty.

11 hours ago, Monk said:

And then there's the whole chopping board usage.  Don't use glass, don't use plastic, don't use bamboo!  More things to play with buy. 

Regarding bamboo, not strictly true.

If it's all made of "cut across the grain", then there's no more issue than with a wood board.

If you have one made of lengths of bamboo, then it's good for carrying around cheese and biscuits.

  

13 hours ago, Yamaha_man said:

Great advice here, thanks.

when I said knife block I actually meant a set of knives. 
Leaning towards the magnetic holder. 

We've actually got one of those plastic straw ones. If you're not careful, then they're good for blunting your edge. If you are careful, then your knives will stay just as sharp as they will in free air.

 

Edited January 24, 20215 yr by Cloth Ears

On 23/01/2021 at 8:43 PM, Peter the Greek said:

We had knife blocks in our last 2 homes. never again. Magnetic timber strips are the way to go IMHO. Take up no space, convenient, easy to keep things clean etc. Here's our current kitchen. Next knife I buy will be a custom made jobby from a local guy. Anthony Bourdain has a page in his book on knives. Reckons Global are the go - softer and easier to keep an edge on.

 

I spy  a handful of Tridents there, Classics and Grand Prix?

3 hours ago, joz said:

I spy  a handful of Tridents there, Classics and Grand Prix?

 

Shun and Henckel and some old [shudder] Mundials - I hack the pumpkin with those. I also have a set of F-Dick butchers knives I use for field dressing. They're good, they keep a great edge. I'd really like this guy to make me one....or several....but at close to a grand each that aint happening.

On 18/01/2021 at 3:43 PM, Assisi said:

I have a bit of a penchant for knives.  I have many more than I can ever use.  My most expensive knife is hand made damacus and is very serious money. It was  made at Torquay near you.  Have a look this link.

 

https://www.metalmonkeyknives.com.au/collections/available-knives

 

I have couple of early Furi knives.  They are in the cupboard and will stay there! 

 

If the black thing is the sharpner it will probably do more damage than good.  For sharpening there are many options.  Eze Laps are worth a try and or a good wet stone.

 

Kiwi Brand Knives come in various types.  Amazingly inexpensive.  Wooden handles and they keep a great edge and are easy to sharpen.  My Furi do not hold an edge well in my experience.  Kiwi may not be as “fancy” as some but they are great to use.  I have given them to friends.  One said to me last night that is all she uses now.  Your local $2 shop will have some but not the whole range.  Search online.

 

You can make a great knife block out of two bits of old red gum paling fence posts glued together dressed, sanded and the slots cut.  I have some it you want some.

John

 

My mother gave me 3 Kiwi  knives awhile ago, I came across them at the back of a draw and have been using the Bunka lately. I’ve got to say it’s not bad at all, given it one run with a steel and it’s pretty sharp. Been thinking about dropping some money on an expensive Japanese Gyuto, don’t know if it’s worth it now!

Funny you should mention... Picked up a few Kiwi knives myself after reading this thread. Bought a large chef's knife and 2 smaller ones for less than $30 incl shipping on ebay.. They certainly are very sharp and did a great job of dicing up a pork shoulder. The smaller ones are also handy for cutting open large packages 

 

Certainly worth a try.

I've had a set of Global knives for over 20 years now and have them up on a magnetic strip which I've installed on an angle because the wall next to our kitchen prep area is pretty small. I have a 2 wet wheel sharpener and a diamond "steel" an old boarder left behind. I can get them reasonably sharp myself but recently bought a Leatherman Surge multi tool and holly f&*k that thing is amazingly sharp straight out of the box. The bread knife is just about out of serrated edge now, but I would like to get all of them professionally sharpened.

 

Any recommendations for Melbourne Eastern suburbs???

 

23 hours ago, blybo said:

I've had a set of Global knives for over 20 years now and have them up on a magnetic strip which I've installed on an angle because the wall next to our kitchen prep area is pretty small. I have a 2 wet wheel sharpener and a diamond "steel" an old boarder left behind. I can get them reasonably sharp myself but recently bought a Leatherman Surge multi tool and holly f&*k that thing is amazingly sharp straight out of the box. The bread knife is just about out of serrated edge now, but I would like to get all of them professionally sharpened.

 

Any recommendations for Melbourne Eastern suburbs???

 

 

Guy at work has a knife sharpening business so a potential solution is  drop them off to me and i'll get him to sharpen them at cost price.

 

Otherwise you're welcome to grab my Warthog V-Sharp Classic II Professional Diamond Knife Sharpener and DIY which is super easy and simple to use (and is my now go to)

13 hours ago, Tubularbells said:

 

Guy at work has a knife sharpening business so a potential solution is  drop them off to me and i'll get him to sharpen them at cost price.

 

Otherwise you're welcome to grab my Warthog V-Sharp Classic II Professional Diamond Knife Sharpener and DIY which is super easy and simple to use (and is my now go to)

I'll be in touch.