Great video! Definitely demystifies a market that's far too filled with nonsense nowadays. However, there are a couple of inaccuracies I noticed: 3:30 - this is almost certainly due to improper / incomplete sharpening, rather than soft steel alone. Even aluminium is typically able to hold an edge better than shown here. The channel 'OUTDOORS55' has several interesting videos on this topic, featuring microscope images and in-depth explanations 9:08 - carbon doesn't make the steel more reactive, if anything it makes it slightly less so. Rather, it's the chromium and often nickel in stainless steel that protects the reactive iron from corrosion, whereas carbon steel has no such protection (especially in humid climates, it's typically recommended to apply a thin layer of oil to carbon steel knives to form a barrier against evil rust-inducing moisture)
Re: cheap knives not taking an edge, I've personally run into the phenomena depicted by this video as well. I can put an edge on any of my 7+ kitchen knives and 10+ woodworking planes and chisels, but I was once super-frustrated by my ability to sharpen a $4 knife. I'd put a satisfactory edge on it, turn around for 20 minutes, and come back to a dull (couldn't cut paper) knife again! I'd love for a metallurgy expert to weigh in here as to the exact reason why. Re: your correction about carbon stands, but I'm gonna nitpick your point about nickel. While nickel itself is corrosion resistant, and I'm sure it would add corrosion resistance to steel if added in sufficient quantities, my favorite knife nerd doesn't list a single stainless steel knife alloy (out of 30+ selected) where nickel is present: knifesteelnerds.com/2021/10/19/knife-steels-rated-by-a-metallurgist-toughness-edge-retention-and-corrosion-resistance/
@@prop4g4nd4p4nd4i'm definitely far from an metallurgy expert, it's been long since i engaged with the topic, but i'll try my best; soft steel knifes first and foremost won't allow for your standard acute angle sharpening since the edge is way too soft for it and will roll when used normally. therefore you need to sharpen it in a more obtuse angle, which also leads to low sharpness and bad edge retention, but at least the edge doesn't just roll. now to the point of max sharpness (which i understand way worse). different steels ( with different heat treatment and so on) will allow for different max sharpness. this has to do with the steel composition and the grain size of the involved materials. e.g white 2 steel is known for it's crazy max sharpness, most of it's other properties lack behind (slightly) more sought after steel like aogami 2, aogami super, r2, etc. though. you should be able to get any knife quite sharp for one cut. i can get my kiwi knife really sharp for a really really short time, but it will never get as sharp as other steels, not even for a single cut. for a better explanation you can go to the channel "knife steel nerds"
I gave my brother a miyabe gyuto as a graduation gift when he finished culinary school 8 years ago. My mom thought spending that kind of money on a knife was crazy. Recently I came over to visit and I saw that it still looks brand new, and the care he puts into sharpening it with a set of stones that he bought specifically to sharpen that knife. I hope it lasts him a lifetime.
I splurged a few years ago and bought myself a traditional santoku from Japan. It was not as expensive as some of the others I saw, but was still pretty spendy. Was it worth it? Definitely. It's perfectly balanced, and fits my small hand like a dream. A good knife should feel like an extension of your hand, and this one does. Best knife I've ever owned :)
There is no damascus steel. As you said when put together layers of any two different types of steel would get that damascus pattern. It has nothing to do with quality of edge... Core of that $400 knife is made of SG2 powdered stainless steel and that is why that knife is so good. Also people should know knives with core made out same material are less expensive because there is no damascus pattern. Damascus pattern looks good and manufacturers use it to leach more money out from their customers. That Messermeister Kawashima knife you mentioned is made out of same steel but it costs significantly less. It same with cars. Fancy paintjob will not make them run better.
This, I think pattern welding (what it's actually called) can make some cool patterns but all this does is make it harder to find accurate info on the actual Damascus steel and bury it's history with a marketing gimmick. It's also funny this video warn of potential scams while regurgitating a marketing lie.
while i mostly agree with your points, i have a few disagreements first, not just any types of steel can make a damascus pattern. in order to get a damascus pattern, you need to have one type of steel with higher levels of chromium in order to resist the acid etch which makes the dark parts dark. these high chromium steels are generally also high in carbon, thus making damascus knives generally high carbon, and having a high quality edge. (also who would go through the effort of pattern welding to make a low carbon knife lol) the other reason why damascus knives are generally better than most cheap knives is because they are hand made. when someone professional makes a knife, they can tweak different aspects over the course of their career in order to create the highest quality knife possible. however, i will admit that a high carbon knife made by a master craftsman will cut just as well as a damascus one. damascus does look nice though, and its not "leeching money from customers" if they chose that knife because of its looks, as it will also be a very high quality knife. if someone were trying to get a high quality knife for cheap, they would probably be sorely disappointed, as there isn't really any mid-price knives being made. its either manufactured crap, or high quality damascus.
The beauty of a fancy Damascus-like pattern is a selling teaser that will draw in a customer to buy... and then, after a while... do owners really notice it, or continue to appreciate it? Not when it fails to perform as well as other knives that cost less. The real genuine Damascus steel, made in the traditional way, is super expensive and antiquated. There's no point in wasting money on it.
Most middle-price damaskus-knives are mass-produced damaskus steel... usually softer laminated around a hard steel and used for the look. Which is totally ok, if you appreciate the look - there are decent (japanese) knives with VG10 in the middle for a good price, which will serve you well for many years. Just don't expect to get a set of these for 50$... then it is the cheap/fake damaskus.
@@cytherians people are going to spend lots of money on a high quality knife, no matter what its made of. there are no high quality knives that sell for cheap (always in the hundreds or thousands of dollars) Damascus isn't a bad steel, and it performs just as well as all other high carbon steels. if someone wants to spend extra money on a knife that they think looks good, that's their decision and not "wasting money". its basically just buying functional art, but that art still functions extremely well compared to manufactured garbage. imagine buying a lamborghini. its much faster than a regular honda civic, and it may be as fast as a cheaper supercar, but people buy it for its name and for its looks, not for its driving abilites. that does not however make a lambo inherently bad at driving.
edge geometry is absolutely more important than hardness.. as long as your hardness is over 54 hrc.. You can use a totally dull knife with great geometry and still cut through a tomato like butter, theres plenty of youtube videos about it and i encourage everyone to learn about how important geometry is between your apex and secondary bevels.
Exactly. Hardness is just one of many steel properties. There are steels that are brittle at 62 HRC and there are steels that are not brittle at 64HRC. The same steel can also be differently heat treated and have different properties at the same hardness. Many knives also lie about it. Basically hardness is only a very rough indicator of quality. Geometry decides the entire feel sharpness and behaviour of the knife even including things like comfort in use. Geometry is king. The theoretical best knife would be 1 atom thin and slice through anything without resistance.
while i agree with both of you, i think you overstate the importance of edge geometry just a little - edge geometry and hardness go hand in hand. a soft steel knife (HRC 54 for example) won't allow for a really acute angle, because, assuming normal usage, the edge will roll. shaving blades get away with it because they are only used for shaving, but a kiwi knife won't hold a 12° angle for a single carrot. it's been a while since i last engaged with this topic - you can gladly correct me if i'm wrong
@@CRO-Palacinke-D.C Hardness is only one little bit of the material properties, the deeper you go the more complicated it gets. You can 3D print a knife with good geometry from plastic and it will cut cucumbers just fine but obviously if you pry or torq or cut hard materials it will be gone after a single use. If you use an obtuse geometry, it will last longer in the abuse but will not cut anything at all. What you describe with hardness is what would happen if we changed the type of plastic. It will make a noticeable difference but not as much as geometry. You have hard shattering plastics and soft rubber plastics and everything in between but it is still only plastic. Maybe its easier to imagine that way.
@@magicshon again, i agree, but while what you are describing is rather theoretical, you have to consider practical application. edge geometry is the main factor for sharpness, fully agree, but a soft material will lose this sharpness almost instantly. in practical application you just wouldn't sharpen a really soft knife to a sharp angle, because it wouldn't hold the edge. i've sharpened knives from 54HRC to 65HRC (and steps inbetween) to quite sharp angles and every single knife was able to effortlessly cut paper, the 54HRC knife would be useless after a few tomatoes though.
@@CRO-Palacinke-D.C I mean sure but it would be useless to cut tomatoes even at the very beginning with a 90° angle. Material is what allows you to go to those sharper angles but its those angles that actually cut. You can make a large plastic wedge maybe about 3 cm size so we dont care about crystals and the difference in materials will be meaningless but the difference in angles will still matter when cutting a cucumber. When you go to micro scales, you get micro fractures, bends, size of metal grain matters etc. and obviously those will affect the edge. But how can you know? Only by sharpening at a very sharp angle and then seeing if it can hold it. And with good care and properly executed cuts without prying and ideally into soft materials, you will most likely still get a good run out of those sharper angles before it even gets to a level where the larger angles would be at the very start. That said, if you start cutting something harder or at more force, those will stress the material to its limit, these angles will have to be wider much faster (wire cutter, axe etc) because those microfractures will instantly cause the steel to chip or it will instantly flatten or bend as its not able to support itself and hence supersteels were created. (to cut steel at higher temperatures for example) I have carried the crkt minimalist which is like 54-55 hrc for a very long time and hated how quickly it lost its sharpness (stopped cutting paper) for a long time, but kept it at original angles because it would not hold those angles (i thought). Eventually i decided to regrind it to some extreme 10°-15 angle (both sides together) and i was astounded that i could keep cutting paper with it nearly forever and it even kept a shaving sharpness for a little bit (which it previously couldnt do at all) It went against my expectations but it really makes sense if you consider the physics at macro scale before the micro scale. The disadvantage? One day it fell onto gravel, hit one pebble with the edge and i got a nice 2mm chip in there. But hey i know that the heat treatment sucked because even though it was really soft at 55 hrc it instantly broke its tip when i THREW it 1 meter into some wood right out of the box. (yeah i was a stupid kid) AS long as it didnt have any accidents or abuse, the angle really didnt matter at all and when it did, it had other more important issues. I had a similar result when trying this with a sharpened butter knife. So yeah the material should be capable of at least withstanding the forces a knife can take and at that point, youre good to go. No angle is gonna save you from a bad heat treatment.
I could, but the short video version is rolling sharpeners are great (if you don't get a knock off), whetstones require time, practice and skills (that I don't have), and getting a local person or business to sharpen your knives costs around $8-$10 per knife. So if you just need one knife sharpened 1x-2x a year, I'd do that. In my opinion, Whetstones are pretty excessive and you need to train and practice.
Haha. If you don't know... You probably aren't. I've probably tried a dozen times on whetstones and haven't ever passed the paper test. Now I just use a HORL or get them sharpened locally. Let the pros do their thing. 👍
@@TriggTubeBrother I say this in encouragement as I just went through the same exact experience. And to put it bluntly (if it is something you wish to be able to do), you just gotta keep at it. I can’t tell you how many videos I watched on sharpening with a whetstone, how many reddit threads I read, but one day, it just clicked, and I was able to do the paper test (albeit not as cleanly as I’d hope so there’s still a lot of room for improvement). I tried on and off over the course of a few months (you could probably get it under 1 month if you try consistently, but I was frustrated so I just kept stopping and putting it off) but didn’t get any results and was left feeling frustrated each time as I always tried my best but got nowhere. If you do one day decide to pick it up again I hope my experience can help you. Happy to read you gave it a fair try at least as a dozen attempts is nothing to scoff at, but maybe on the 13th you’ll get it 😊
@@sarius2388 100% this guy. Get someone who knows how to sharpen on a whetstone to show you. And don't start on a grit that's too high. If your knife is really dull (like most people's knives, hasn't been sharpened ... ever), start on 200 grit. If it is appreciably dull, 400. If it just needs a touch-up, 800 or 1000. Your first time doing it ever you should probably start on 400 or you'll spend ages removing enough metal to bring the edge back to an apex.
Missed a few things not major but need to mention. 1) how often do you have the knife sharpened? If once a year on a $400 knife -vs- Monthly on a $10 knife- which is sharper-- the cheap one.2) what is the cutting surface nice cutting board or the kitchen counter as is just a few slices? If a harder surface then dulls faster than a cutting board that has some give. 3) are you chopping or slicing- slicing doesn't bend the blade like or nearly as bad as chopping. Other than those nice video. Take away is sharpen often and don't go cheap on that aspect.
What I learned about knives is that eventually the most important thing that needs to be done, whether you got a $30 one or $300 one, is to be able to re-sharpen it well. Otherwise the whole thing was always a limited-time purchase.
First video I saw from you was the Ossobucco recipe, that my mother made the same way. Your content is great. Knife information isn't common knowledge, people dont understand. Definitely subbing. I love my damascus knives, but they cost a fortune, I use them daily.
As a German Knife Maker i have to say this Video is Really good. It Shows the Most important things You have to know as a Customer. I found my own Style and make a Mix between the european Chef Knive and a Japanese gyuto. But i Prefer Carbon Steel With 63 HRC. Just handle With care and you have a Long time fun With that 😅
Super tiny nitpick, the "welding" that the guy is doing to make a stack of his alternating steel types for Damascus, is just to hold the metal together in a stack. After he does that, he will do what is called "forge welding", which is to say that he will heat up the stack in the forge to a particular temperature, and then hammer it so that the steels get welded together. This is what they mean by "welded". (And it's the same process to make traditional 2-ply or 3-ply Japanese knives by hand)
I found the chopper w/ little ball in a thrift once & bought it. I was almost homeless & couldn't afford better, $.25 was an unbeatable price! It served me well for almost 5 yrs, & made mincemeat out of EVERYTHING I put under it. Veg, meat, fruit, & some branches to boot! You just didn't see the potential!! 😂
@@iluminameluna The one with the ball and the serrated ones were the coolest and I still think the same when I look at them, it's not the potential, is that I have better knives and I lost my job earlier this year. If I had a list it would probably be Car first, then miracle blade set.😂
great video just want to say i cook all the time and I haven't cried chopping onions in ages as long as you don't chop of the root until the end (note you can chop it in half but not off) you wont cry
when you cut onions wash the onion first and peel it, split the onion in half and leave it in a well ventilated room for 10-15 min and then start chopping the onion in the well ventilated room with a draft of air, No more crying.....😁😁
We have 2 Zwilling. Very durable and not expensive. They still cut nicely after 20 years (of course still requires slight sharpening from time to time)
And then there's me, using my small serrated Victorinox Classic tomato and table knife for absolutely everything. 🤣 Sharp af and so practical, no need for anything else! I've had so many fancy knives, both self bought and gifted, but they've all ended up unused in the kitchen drawer. Now I only have my Victorinox left since I never use anything else anyway. 😁
Great informative video. You taught us a lot. I been working with Chef knife since I was fourteen at my family's restaurant. Child labor laws don't apply to minor when your family owns it.
One thing to mention is that stainless steel doesn't need to be hardened as much as carbon steel, as you have chromium (and vanadium) carbides which are much harder than what you have in carbon steel. Also depending on the stainless alloy, it is possible to harden the steel close, or to the same level as carbon steels.
Great video! We have a caidao (Chinese style) and a western style in our kitchen. Besides that, I think a fish fillet knife can be really handy sometimes.
I use different chefs knives depending on the purpose. Mostly my trusty old Wüsthof Dreizack Avantgarde 20cm, which serves me well all around and is pretty balanced in all aspects and fits well ergonomically. Otherwise I use a actually pretty cheap Kiwi Thai cleaver which differs a bit from the Chinese chefs knives, as it has a slightly rounded blade which allows it to be a good compromise between an Asian style and western style knife. It’s pretty good for its money if you take good care of it.
Short answer? Yes, but cheap-ish knives + whetstones or a roller are also worth it. I've been using a Henckels Classic 8-inch (the one that's made in Spain) for the last six years, and it's still in excellent condition. I got it for $40 on sale, and it's currently listed for $57 on Amazon. It has a very premium feel, but it's significantly cheaper than knives from its sister company, Zwilling. The Babish knife is also extremely good for $29 ($20 during sales). Bought one for my sister last year, and she says it's still as good as the day she got it.
Very informative video and your conclusion was spot on, you have to choose the knife that best serves your cooking style/requirements. All too often UA-cam videos about knives dictate what is “right” but yours was balanced and entertaining.
great video!! now i feel way more confident finding a great chefs knife when i get around to shop for one. i have cheap japanese knife now and i love the thinness and the lightness. i definitely will seek out good quality gyoko knife for myself. i'm trying to enter a culinary school in near future, you're one of my inspirations on my journey from drug addict to a chef. just starting out to kick the drugs, but feels good to have a direction and a purpose! thanks for the educational and inspirational videos!!! cheers from Finland! 🇫🇮
Wow. That means a lot. I'm glad you're replacing something negative with something positive. Cooking has changed the way I live, make friends, travel, and save money. It really can help fill up a lot of different areas of your life that can be empty for many people. Best of luck with school!
Some cheap Damascus knives actually have the pattern painted on. More recently, lasers are being used to burn in a Damascus pattern. None of these enhance cutting performance. However a true Damascus incorporates a better grade of steel in the core layer and is ground carefully so that better material is exposed as the working knife edge. The alternating layers on each which give the overall pattern also are usually intended to keep the whole blade from being too brittle under the heat treatments necessary fir the core cutting edge material. Today, knife makers are putting some of the best known powder metal materials in their most expensive knives. That usually is not used in the bulk of the Damascus stack. And often these knives are just made as a three layer stack with a single cladding layer on each side of that pricey core.
Really awesome video and I was just thinking of getting a new chef's knife. The Miyabi knives look amazing. Also fascinating to hear you were in the Peace Corps, I was going to ask what it was like but I see you have a video on that too!
Yeah. I'll talk about it more when I make Chinese food. Those Milano knives are LEGIT. You can totally feel how well made they are. Hopefully my explanation of Santoku vs. gyuto helps you choose the best one. They also have "rounded santoku", but that's kind of rarer.
Funny thing with onions. I use prescription glasses and soft contact lenses. I cry when I cut onions everytime, EXCEPT when I use lenses. Likely the lenses sitting on top of my retinas, block the acidic moisture from drifting into my retinas, which are the sensitive part. The whites around the retina is not as sensitive for me at least. Iv also found a waterwet blade, and a WET paper towel close to the onion helps a little.
Strangely enough, my favourite knife is by far not the most expensive. It is a santuko knife from Dille& Kamille. It wasn't expensive but it is very light with a thin profile and incredibly easy to sharpen.
The ease of sharpening is also something to consider when buying a knife. I have sharpened thousands of knives over the last decade and cheap stainless steel knives do not feel good to sharpen. they glide on the whetstone with a waxy feel and take longer to sharpen. On the other hand, carbon steel feels more gritty, quicker to sharpen and easier to get a good edge. That being said, good quality stainless steel knives do exist. Also knifemaking in a nutshell is a tradeoff game. Heat treating alone can make the same alloy hard and brittle like glass or tough and soft like clay. Blade geometry adds a layer of complexity. Let's say that your priority is the sliciest blade. It means that you will sacrifice on toughness because you want a thin geometry and with a thin knife, you need a hard steel that will not feel sprigny and the edge less prone to roll or bend.
@@TriggTube I followed your advice from the short form and got "his" and "hers" Zwilling Pros, the standard pro for myself and the white version for her. Thanks again, really appreciate all of your work on these videos.
I love cleavers, i prefer a slice chop method over rocking method of cutting (I can do both but rocking is slower and more inaccurate and results in triangle like pieces, also slides the knife dulling it out) however when using a chef knife you always get a little piece still attached so you have to go back and rip it off. And it’s the same height all around so when doing claw method near the end of the blade I have more than 2cm to work with
A) The two Zwilling knives may be made from the same steel, but in fact they're hardened differently, so the cheaper one is softer (54 HRC versus 57). B) Almost all knives in this video are stamped-metal knives, even the "forged" Zwilling. The blade shape is cut/stamped from sheets of metal, the blank just gets re-heated and mold-forged to create the bolster. All industrially-made quality Japanese knives are in fact stamped, including the Zwilling-Kramer. The quality is created by the steel itself, its heat-treatment and how it's ground. C) When you talk about and show how to take care of your non-stainless carbon-steel knife, use one and not a Miyabi knife that's made from stainless powder-metallurgic SG2 steel. D) 2:30 - the technique to cut an onion is only awkward with these silly horizontal cuts. That step is completely unnecessary as an onion is already pre-segmented by its layers. Just cutting it lengthwise and across is enough.
I know Trigg already gave the long-story-short of it under one of the comments, but I thought a sharpening video explaining whetstone versus rolling sharpener, which one fit your needs in terms of your skill level (plus stuff like the pull-through sharpener, what a honing rod is really used for, etc...) would be a great video. And yes I know there are tons of other videos like that already, but for some reason Trigg's video are easier for me to actually pay attention to 😅
Thanks so much. I'll have to do some research, but I agree that the internet is missing the actual "Trigg breakdown" of those ideas. Most are too technical nitty gritty for the average home cook. So I'll do my research and see what I can put together. 👍👍
You don't need to cut onions towards you. The natural breaks in the layers already take care of that and doing so is dangerous. Just cut them vertically (pole to pole, with the grain, and at a slight angle at the edges) then horizontally down to the root end.
Imo blade geometry is more important than hardness. You can always sharpen a knife, but you can't change the overall blade geometry. I'd rather cut a carrot or a squash with have a 4$ knife with a full flat grind that is really thin than with a 100$ knife that is really thick with a scandi or a chisel grind for example. I don't want to split the carrot, I want to cut it, and I also don't want the cut cut to wander to the side. Of course, more expensive chef's knives usually have better blade geometry, but in a pinch, I'd go for the thin cheap knife vs the more expensive knife with a more "niche" geometry. Also, overall blade geometry includes the shape of the blade, which is rarely discussed in detail. An gradual taper towards a fine tip vs a more rounded taper, a flat edge vs a rounded edge, the width of the blade, a 15cm long blade vs 20cm, etc. These things sound like nitpicking but these are the things that actually make me love or hate handling a knife most.
the thing is that if u use better steel u can actually make a knife thats less thick..eu knives tend to be a bit thicker and softer steel.. japansese knives are harder steel and more thin... thats just a guideline.. So ur cheap thin knife might just suck very bad.. compared to a bit more expensive japanese steel knife.. the harder steel makes the knife more rigid.. hold a edge longer.. can hold a more acute edge.. but also more brittle..
Thank you for the informations! Love your videos. I have a 4 dolar knife, kind of a cleaver, very good to pick up diced vegetables, but as you said, after cutting 1 onion becomes dull.... I like the versatility of a German chefs knife, it probably will be my first good knife, i'll try to see in person before buying, follow your advise and test the grip in my hands.👏🏻❤️🇧🇷
Sure thing. I'm so glad you're leveling up. Just make sure the knife lists the hardness (HRC) and doesn't hide it. Buying in person is a pretty nice luxury, but you'll for sure have a knife you like. 👍👍
Buy 50€ Wüsthof knife, go to a professional and have the blade thinned out. In the end, you will have a knife that can easily keep up with most Japanese knives and even has the advantage of being easy to sharpen. It also costs only a fraction of the price of expensive Japanese knives.
@@TriggTubethese are just Bob Kramer branded Zwilling knives that are made in Zwillings factory complex in Seki, Japan, exactly where Miyabi knives are also made. Other than the profile there’s nothing Kramer about these knives sadly. They are good knives but at that price point you can get really high quality handforged Japanese knives.
Interesting note. All knives have a serrated edge. Sometimes you just need a magnifying glass to see it. Sometimes the edge will get to the point where it’s unable to effectively cut tomatoes because it’s “too sharp”. I sell hand forged Japanese knives, that’s how I know :)
True! That also makes sense for the reason the "pull through" sharpeners aren't great. They sharpen along the blade and don't create the micro serrated edges. 👍
Well... I would say no. Unless you are looking for something very specific. My favorite knife is victorinox fibrox chefs knife, but I do have expensive Japanese knife too. Pro with these cheaper knives is that they are thin, so it actually cuts through quite a few things better, just due to smaller profile. I would actually much rather invest in professional automatic sharpener instead of knife, unless ofc you are dedicated with sharpening anyways. My sharpener is chefs choice, pretty expensive, and knife I use regularly is less than less than quarter of the cost. But you can easily get away with just regular pull trough with cheap knife.
I have a few very expensive japanese knives at home, but at my vacation property I bought some kiwi knives off amazon, 2 for 15 bucks a few years ago. One is a nikiri and the other is a kiritsuko style. Super cheap steel that I can sharpen in about 30 seconds every few days. They have very thin blades that make cutting veggies a breeze. Would I trade them for any of my home knives…..never. But I get a big kick out of using them and how close they come to being a good knife.
I am Serbian... From Serbia... And I had no idea this knife style was a thing. It probably gained popularity thanks to a very famous channel Almazan Kitchen that does those nature-cooking ASMR thingies, and they are using something similar in shape. And since it gained popularity from a Serbian channel, guess people started calling it a Serbian knife. Could that shape be of any use in real kitchen conditions if manufactured properly? Probably, yeah. I also lived in China for years and used their knives, it has its uses for sure. The shape of this "Serbian knife" is something between a Chinese knife and a classic knife. So there's potential there, 100%. Is It something we traditionally use over here? No. Not likely.
8:19 - Thats not exactly how that works, but functionally its close enough. All steels have carbon in them, including stainless ones. Adding carbon to iron is what makes it a steel to begin with. You did mention this, it just sounded like adding carbon was something one does only to make a high carbon steel. Likewise, alot of non stainless steels have chromium in them, but they dont start to take on stainless properties until theres a certain amount of it. Also, a stainless knife is not automatically cheaper nor softer than a carbon steel one. I have a stainless magnacut knife at 64 hrc for instance, which is much harder than most of my japanese carbon steel knives. Damascus steel is not one thing, its basically just layering any kind of 2 steels and the process mentioned here is one of several ways to make it. Personally I refuse to buy anything called damascus unless both steels and the process used are specified. The term damascus is completely useless on its own, it could be anything. To be fair, the material science and metallurgy in all this is very complex and one could easily do a PhD in the subject, so it is far outside the scope of the video and would probably only serve to confuse more. I think not going too much in depth on this is a good thing here. I do like the video though, the only thing I think is missing would be a section on cutting boards, because 90% of what dulls a kitchen knife is generally going to be the surface you cut on and not the food you cut through.
Thanks for the comment. I'm glad we see eye to eye on the mission of the video. As for cutting boards, I just made a few shorts about them, but it may be time to make a big long video too. 👍👍
A well made "Damascus" blade will have a hard core and pretty stainless layers on the core. My favorite is $50-$60 chef's knife from China with Japanese VG10 core (60-62 hrc) and 67 layers of SS Damascus (available on Aliexpress and/or Amazon). When sharpened correctly to the right edge geometry my knife will perform competitively to any other knife. Trust me, this test wasn't the real test IMO... you really need to put each knife into a pro chef's hand for a day and see what he/she says about it. Cutting tomatoes and paper is one thing... but sitting in my knife block and getting used almost every day for years is a totally different thing.
I found the chopper w/ little ball in a thrift once & bought it. I was almost homeless & couldn't afford better, $.25 was an unbeatable price! It served me well for almost 5 yrs, & made mincemeat out of EVERYTHING I put under it. Veg, meat, fruit, & some branches to boot! You just didn't see the potential!! 😂
It is actually not a German style knife but a French one, in the German style the part of the blade that meets the fingers is thick and serves as finger protection
The difference between a German-style and French-style chef knife is not the bolster (which is what the thick part between handle and blade is called), but rather blade shape. German knives have a more pronounced curve towards the tip (aka belly), on a French knife the tips points a little downward and the cutting edge is straighter with only a slight curve. The Zwilling knife, the knife he uses most often in this video is a rypical German knife in terms of blade shape but it's modernized as it does not have the (unnecessary) bolster.
Thanks for this. I'm looking at a couple Bob Kramer Euroline Damascus knives at the moment. And, I have no problem owning more than one bread/longer serrated knife. I find that they can be multifunctional.
The Kramer carbon is my favorite knife. And yes. There is no problem with multiple bread knives... you just don't NEED them. Haha. I'm guilty there too. But it's an unhealthy addiction.
@TriggTube Well, I believe we in Europe tend to use our bread knives more than those in the States. Although I've seen some cooks, Chef's abroad use them in ways I found truly inspiring. And getting the Bob Kramer knives over here, or finding them, has been tricky. I've only heard good things about the carbon steel line, but they're the hardest to find here. And so far, even though they don't slice as smoothly, effortlessly as the carbon steel, the Euroline Damascus are the only ones I can find that have both the Kramer knives I'm interested in.
Try the link on my channel page. It may work for you. If you're looking to use the knife on a regular basis, I would highly recommend the carbon. The euroline looks amazing, and is still a great knife, but the texture of the pattern makes the knife a bit rougher for pull through cuts. If that makes a difference to you. It's a pretty deeply textured Damascus pattern.
@TriggTube Yes, that's what I've heard about the Damascus Euroline of Kramer knives. I've also heard that the outer texture--in time-- isn't an issue anymore. I've found quite good prices for them over here, so not too concerned about the inherent roughness they come with at the moment.
At about 9:00 the info is pretty good but it is overly generalized, the carbon vs stainless is partly accurate. Some of the hardest steels ie:clad Ginsan, sg2, vg10 are a few examples of the harder steels which happen to be stainless
Soo many ah-ha! moments in this video! Which is expected, because I knew nothing about knives except how to use them (the basics of course). And I appreciate the long format, I always enjoy your lonher videos with the quirky sideshows 😅😊
one thing i would add is info on the hardness scale. you mentioned higher is better, but I don't know what the range of numbers is so looking at a knifes hardness number would mean nothing to me until i looked up the range
This is like asking "is an expensive car worth it?" Sure, so long as by "expensive" you mean "on the upper end of what you can afford and the range of reasonable options chosen by people doing the same thing you're doing."
In my own experience, the tomato test didn't help me at all. The reason I am saying this is because I sharpened my cheap 5$ knife on a sharpal diamond stone. I deburred it properly and the knife was blazing through paper and tomatoes. But when I was cutting through a carrot, the knife literally got stuck in the carrot and I had to put a lot , and I mean dangerous amounts of pressure just to get through the carrot. I julliened the entire carrot in the same way, thinking that my edge had gotten dull, but to my surprise the knife was still easily cutting to paper and tomatoes. I tried this experiment with my other knives which were still the same around 5$ price and the results again were the same. Unlike how, in many videos you see that a sharp knife is easily able to cut through a carrot with little to no pressure, but my sharp knife despite being shaving sharp, was unable to go through the carrot. 😢
Yeah. I OFTEN use carrots as the test for a sharp (and safe) knife, because they are also the most likely to roll or slide around when you apply too much pressure.
Great video! Definitely demystifies a market that's far too filled with nonsense nowadays.
However, there are a couple of inaccuracies I noticed:
3:30 - this is almost certainly due to improper / incomplete sharpening, rather than soft steel alone. Even aluminium is typically able to hold an edge better than shown here. The channel 'OUTDOORS55' has several interesting videos on this topic, featuring microscope images and in-depth explanations
9:08 - carbon doesn't make the steel more reactive, if anything it makes it slightly less so. Rather, it's the chromium and often nickel in stainless steel that protects the reactive iron from corrosion, whereas carbon steel has no such protection (especially in humid climates, it's typically recommended to apply a thin layer of oil to carbon steel knives to form a barrier against evil rust-inducing moisture)
Thank you so much for bringing the extra knowledge to this in a positive way. That's what is great about the internet.
Re: cheap knives not taking an edge, I've personally run into the phenomena depicted by this video as well. I can put an edge on any of my 7+ kitchen knives and 10+ woodworking planes and chisels, but I was once super-frustrated by my ability to sharpen a $4 knife. I'd put a satisfactory edge on it, turn around for 20 minutes, and come back to a dull (couldn't cut paper) knife again! I'd love for a metallurgy expert to weigh in here as to the exact reason why.
Re: your correction about carbon stands, but I'm gonna nitpick your point about nickel. While nickel itself is corrosion resistant, and I'm sure it would add corrosion resistance to steel if added in sufficient quantities, my favorite knife nerd doesn't list a single stainless steel knife alloy (out of 30+ selected) where nickel is present: knifesteelnerds.com/2021/10/19/knife-steels-rated-by-a-metallurgist-toughness-edge-retention-and-corrosion-resistance/
@@prop4g4nd4p4nd4i'm definitely far from an metallurgy expert, it's been long since i engaged with the topic, but i'll try my best;
soft steel knifes first and foremost won't allow for your standard acute angle sharpening since the edge is way too soft for it and will roll when used normally. therefore you need to sharpen it in a more obtuse angle, which also leads to low sharpness and bad edge retention, but at least the edge doesn't just roll.
now to the point of max sharpness (which i understand way worse). different steels ( with different heat treatment and so on) will allow for different max sharpness. this has to do with the steel composition and the grain size of the involved materials. e.g white 2 steel is known for it's crazy max sharpness, most of it's other properties lack behind (slightly) more sought after steel like aogami 2, aogami super, r2, etc. though.
you should be able to get any knife quite sharp for one cut. i can get my kiwi knife really sharp for a really really short time, but it will never get as sharp as other steels, not even for a single cut. for a better explanation you can go to the channel "knife steel nerds"
I gave my brother a miyabe gyuto as a graduation gift when he finished culinary school 8 years ago. My mom thought spending that kind of money on a knife was crazy. Recently I came over to visit and I saw that it still looks brand new, and the care he puts into sharpening it with a set of stones that he bought specifically to sharpen that knife. I hope it lasts him a lifetime.
I splurged a few years ago and bought myself a traditional santoku from Japan. It was not as expensive as some of the others I saw, but was still pretty spendy. Was it worth it? Definitely. It's perfectly balanced, and fits my small hand like a dream. A good knife should feel like an extension of your hand, and this one does. Best knife I've ever owned :)
There is no damascus steel. As you said when put together layers of any two different types of steel would get that damascus pattern. It has nothing to do with quality of edge... Core of that $400 knife is made of SG2 powdered stainless steel and that is why that knife is so good. Also people should know knives with core made out same material are less expensive because there is no damascus pattern. Damascus pattern looks good and manufacturers use it to leach more money out from their customers. That Messermeister Kawashima knife you mentioned is made out of same steel but it costs significantly less.
It same with cars. Fancy paintjob will not make them run better.
This, I think pattern welding (what it's actually called) can make some cool patterns but all this does is make it harder to find accurate info on the actual Damascus steel and bury it's history with a marketing gimmick. It's also funny this video warn of potential scams while regurgitating a marketing lie.
while i mostly agree with your points, i have a few disagreements
first, not just any types of steel can make a damascus pattern. in order to get a damascus pattern, you need to have one type of steel with higher levels of chromium in order to resist the acid etch which makes the dark parts dark. these high chromium steels are generally also high in carbon, thus making damascus knives generally high carbon, and having a high quality edge. (also who would go through the effort of pattern welding to make a low carbon knife lol)
the other reason why damascus knives are generally better than most cheap knives is because they are hand made. when someone professional makes a knife, they can tweak different aspects over the course of their career in order to create the highest quality knife possible.
however, i will admit that a high carbon knife made by a master craftsman will cut just as well as a damascus one. damascus does look nice though, and its not "leeching money from customers" if they chose that knife because of its looks, as it will also be a very high quality knife. if someone were trying to get a high quality knife for cheap, they would probably be sorely disappointed, as there isn't really any mid-price knives being made. its either manufactured crap, or high quality damascus.
The beauty of a fancy Damascus-like pattern is a selling teaser that will draw in a customer to buy... and then, after a while... do owners really notice it, or continue to appreciate it? Not when it fails to perform as well as other knives that cost less. The real genuine Damascus steel, made in the traditional way, is super expensive and antiquated. There's no point in wasting money on it.
Most middle-price damaskus-knives are mass-produced damaskus steel... usually softer laminated around a hard steel and used for the look. Which is totally ok, if you appreciate the look - there are decent (japanese) knives with VG10 in the middle for a good price, which will serve you well for many years. Just don't expect to get a set of these for 50$... then it is the cheap/fake damaskus.
@@cytherians people are going to spend lots of money on a high quality knife, no matter what its made of. there are no high quality knives that sell for cheap (always in the hundreds or thousands of dollars)
Damascus isn't a bad steel, and it performs just as well as all other high carbon steels. if someone wants to spend extra money on a knife that they think looks good, that's their decision and not "wasting money". its basically just buying functional art, but that art still functions extremely well compared to manufactured garbage.
imagine buying a lamborghini. its much faster than a regular honda civic, and it may be as fast as a cheaper supercar, but people buy it for its name and for its looks, not for its driving abilites. that does not however make a lambo inherently bad at driving.
The Onion Cell 😂 But seriously a pomegranate seed was such a cool way to demonstrate!! I liked that so much. Great video
Glad you enjoyed it! Yeah. I hadn't seen it before, so figured I'd add my spin.
It's called an aril
edge geometry is absolutely more important than hardness.. as long as your hardness is over 54 hrc.. You can use a totally dull knife with great geometry and still cut through a tomato like butter, theres plenty of youtube videos about it and i encourage everyone to learn about how important geometry is between your apex and secondary bevels.
Exactly. Hardness is just one of many steel properties. There are steels that are brittle at 62 HRC and there are steels that are not brittle at 64HRC. The same steel can also be differently heat treated and have different properties at the same hardness. Many knives also lie about it. Basically hardness is only a very rough indicator of quality. Geometry decides the entire feel sharpness and behaviour of the knife even including things like comfort in use. Geometry is king.
The theoretical best knife would be 1 atom thin and slice through anything without resistance.
while i agree with both of you, i think you overstate the importance of edge geometry just a little - edge geometry and hardness go hand in hand. a soft steel knife (HRC 54 for example) won't allow for a really acute angle, because, assuming normal usage, the edge will roll. shaving blades get away with it because they are only used for shaving, but a kiwi knife won't hold a 12° angle for a single carrot. it's been a while since i last engaged with this topic - you can gladly correct me if i'm wrong
@@CRO-Palacinke-D.C Hardness is only one little bit of the material properties, the deeper you go the more complicated it gets. You can 3D print a knife with good geometry from plastic and it will cut cucumbers just fine but obviously if you pry or torq or cut hard materials it will be gone after a single use. If you use an obtuse geometry, it will last longer in the abuse but will not cut anything at all. What you describe with hardness is what would happen if we changed the type of plastic. It will make a noticeable difference but not as much as geometry. You have hard shattering plastics and soft rubber plastics and everything in between but it is still only plastic. Maybe its easier to imagine that way.
@@magicshon again, i agree, but while what you are describing is rather theoretical, you have to consider practical application. edge geometry is the main factor for sharpness, fully agree, but a soft material will lose this sharpness almost instantly. in practical application you just wouldn't sharpen a really soft knife to a sharp angle, because it wouldn't hold the edge.
i've sharpened knives from 54HRC to 65HRC (and steps inbetween) to quite sharp angles and every single knife was able to effortlessly cut paper, the 54HRC knife would be useless after a few tomatoes though.
@@CRO-Palacinke-D.C I mean sure but it would be useless to cut tomatoes even at the very beginning with a 90° angle. Material is what allows you to go to those sharper angles but its those angles that actually cut. You can make a large plastic wedge maybe about 3 cm size so we dont care about crystals and the difference in materials will be meaningless but the difference in angles will still matter when cutting a cucumber.
When you go to micro scales, you get micro fractures, bends, size of metal grain matters etc. and obviously those will affect the edge. But how can you know? Only by sharpening at a very sharp angle and then seeing if it can hold it. And with good care and properly executed cuts without prying and ideally into soft materials, you will most likely still get a good run out of those sharper angles before it even gets to a level where the larger angles would be at the very start.
That said, if you start cutting something harder or at more force, those will stress the material to its limit, these angles will have to be wider much faster (wire cutter, axe etc) because those microfractures will instantly cause the steel to chip or it will instantly flatten or bend as its not able to support itself and hence supersteels were created. (to cut steel at higher temperatures for example)
I have carried the crkt minimalist which is like 54-55 hrc for a very long time and hated how quickly it lost its sharpness (stopped cutting paper) for a long time, but kept it at original angles because it would not hold those angles (i thought). Eventually i decided to regrind it to some extreme 10°-15 angle (both sides together) and i was astounded that i could keep cutting paper with it nearly forever and it even kept a shaving sharpness for a little bit (which it previously couldnt do at all)
It went against my expectations but it really makes sense if you consider the physics at macro scale before the micro scale.
The disadvantage? One day it fell onto gravel, hit one pebble with the edge and i got a nice 2mm chip in there.
But hey i know that the heat treatment sucked because even though it was really soft at 55 hrc it instantly broke its tip when i THREW it 1 meter into some wood right out of the box. (yeah i was a stupid kid) AS long as it didnt have any accidents or abuse, the angle really didnt matter at all and when it did, it had other more important issues.
I had a similar result when trying this with a sharpened butter knife.
So yeah the material should be capable of at least withstanding the forces a knife can take and at that point, youre good to go. No angle is gonna save you from a bad heat treatment.
Do you think you’ll do a sharpening video next? Like the rolling ones vs the whetstones?
I could, but the short video version is rolling sharpeners are great (if you don't get a knock off), whetstones require time, practice and skills (that I don't have), and getting a local person or business to sharpen your knives costs around $8-$10 per knife. So if you just need one knife sharpened 1x-2x a year, I'd do that. In my opinion, Whetstones are pretty excessive and you need to train and practice.
This is a good idea, I never know whether I'm sharpening my knives correctly.
Haha. If you don't know... You probably aren't. I've probably tried a dozen times on whetstones and haven't ever passed the paper test. Now I just use a HORL or get them sharpened locally. Let the pros do their thing. 👍
@@TriggTubeBrother I say this in encouragement as I just went through the same exact experience. And to put it bluntly (if it is something you wish to be able to do), you just gotta keep at it. I can’t tell you how many videos I watched on sharpening with a whetstone, how many reddit threads I read, but one day, it just clicked, and I was able to do the paper test (albeit not as cleanly as I’d hope so there’s still a lot of room for improvement). I tried on and off over the course of a few months (you could probably get it under 1 month if you try consistently, but I was frustrated so I just kept stopping and putting it off) but didn’t get any results and was left feeling frustrated each time as I always tried my best but got nowhere. If you do one day decide to pick it up again I hope my experience can help you. Happy to read you gave it a fair try at least as a dozen attempts is nothing to scoff at, but maybe on the 13th you’ll get it 😊
@@sarius2388 100% this guy. Get someone who knows how to sharpen on a whetstone to show you. And don't start on a grit that's too high. If your knife is really dull (like most people's knives, hasn't been sharpened ... ever), start on 200 grit. If it is appreciably dull, 400. If it just needs a touch-up, 800 or 1000. Your first time doing it ever you should probably start on 400 or you'll spend ages removing enough metal to bring the edge back to an apex.
3:10 as a chemist, I do actually wear my lab goggles to cut onions 😂😂😂
And they wonder why people bully us scientists
Wait you don't cook inside a fumehood at home? Pretty risky
@@7784000
Yep, I’m thinking of getting a fume hood for my wife’s cooking and a dog to eat what she makes.😉
enjoyed learning about why I like one of my knives the most - this was very informational, thank you!
Great! I'm glad it helped you grow closer to your fave knife. 👍👍
I'm looking to buy my first proper chef's knife and a paring knife, and this definitely helped me settle on some things.
Right on! Glad it helped!
Missed a few things not major but need to mention. 1) how often do you have the knife sharpened? If once a year on a $400 knife -vs- Monthly on a $10 knife- which is sharper-- the cheap one.2) what is the cutting surface nice cutting board or the kitchen counter as is just a few slices? If a harder surface then dulls faster than a cutting board that has some give. 3) are you chopping or slicing- slicing doesn't bend the blade like or nearly as bad as chopping. Other than those nice video. Take away is sharpen often and don't go cheap on that aspect.
What I learned about knives is that eventually the most important thing that needs to be done, whether you got a $30 one or $300 one, is to be able to re-sharpen it well. Otherwise the whole thing was always a limited-time purchase.
For everyday cooking it doesnt matter much but for cooking/prepping holiday meals like Thanksgiving and Christmas it makes a world of difference.
8:00 lmao at the $4 knife slander!
Haha. That thing was a piece of sharp aluminum foil. 😂🗑️
First video I saw from you was the Ossobucco recipe, that my mother made the same way. Your content is great. Knife information isn't common knowledge, people dont understand. Definitely subbing. I love my damascus knives, but they cost a fortune, I use them daily.
Right on. Knives are definitely meant to be used. Even the expensive ones.
3:21 the secret hack to stop crying while cutting onions is to do so next to an open flame. Works every time for me.
Great video Trigg! You've really nailed both the short-form and long-form video styles
Thanks a ton! That means a lot. More to come!
As a German Knife Maker i have to say this Video is Really good. It Shows the Most important things You have to know as a Customer. I found my own Style and make a Mix between the european Chef Knive and a Japanese gyuto. But i Prefer Carbon Steel With 63 HRC. Just handle With care and you have a Long time fun With that 😅
Super tiny nitpick, the "welding" that the guy is doing to make a stack of his alternating steel types for Damascus, is just to hold the metal together in a stack.
After he does that, he will do what is called "forge welding", which is to say that he will heat up the stack in the forge to a particular temperature, and then hammer it so that the steels get welded together. This is what they mean by "welded".
(And it's the same process to make traditional 2-ply or 3-ply Japanese knives by hand)
Great video, simple and informative. Keep up the great work!
Glad you liked it! Thanks!
OMG the miracle blade set, to this day I still look at it and think "I could totally get it" but I completely know I need nothing from it.
Haha. Yeah. It's such a classic!
I found the chopper w/ little ball in a thrift once & bought it. I was almost homeless & couldn't afford better, $.25 was an unbeatable price!
It served me well for almost 5 yrs, & made mincemeat out of EVERYTHING I put under it. Veg, meat, fruit, & some branches to boot!
You just didn't see the potential!! 😂
@@iluminameluna The one with the ball and the serrated ones were the coolest and I still think the same when I look at them, it's not the potential, is that I have better knives and I lost my job earlier this year.
If I had a list it would probably be Car first, then miracle blade set.😂
Man, This is a high quality video! Nice work man.
Wow you’ve grown a lot!!! I’ve been here since 5k subscribers, congrats on 200k!!!!! I love your content
Yeah! Thanks so much for the check in! I'm so glad you remember me back at 5k. 300k here we come.
Great video, great conclusion! I'd love to see another on knife maintenance.
great video just want to say i cook all the time and I haven't cried chopping onions in ages as long as you don't chop of the root until the end (note you can chop it in half but not off) you wont cry
when you cut onions wash the onion first and peel it, split the onion in half and leave it in a well ventilated room for 10-15 min and then start chopping the onion in the well ventilated room with a draft of air, No more crying.....😁😁
We have 2 Zwilling. Very durable and not expensive.
They still cut nicely after 20 years (of course still requires slight sharpening from time to time)
And then there's me, using my small serrated Victorinox Classic tomato and table knife for absolutely everything. 🤣 Sharp af and so practical, no need for anything else! I've had so many fancy knives, both self bought and gifted, but they've all ended up unused in the kitchen drawer. Now I only have my Victorinox left since I never use anything else anyway. 😁
Great informative video. You taught us a lot. I been working with Chef knife since I was fourteen at my family's restaurant. Child labor laws don't apply to minor when your family owns it.
Nice. Well I'm glad that you still found it helpful.
One thing to mention is that stainless steel doesn't need to be hardened as much as carbon steel, as you have chromium (and vanadium) carbides which are much harder than what you have in carbon steel.
Also depending on the stainless alloy, it is possible to harden the steel close, or to the same level as carbon steels.
I got a Miyabi birch wood 8 inch chef's knife and I absolutely love it. I want to get more of the set for other kinds of cutting.
Yeah. That's the one I have. It's AMAZING!!!
Between the infomercials, and the floss I was balling laughing. I subbed, ty😆
Haha. I'm so glad!
Great video! We have a caidao (Chinese style) and a western style in our kitchen. Besides that, I think a fish fillet knife can be really handy sometimes.
I use different chefs knives depending on the purpose. Mostly my trusty old Wüsthof Dreizack Avantgarde 20cm, which serves me well all around and is pretty balanced in all aspects and fits well ergonomically. Otherwise I use a actually pretty cheap Kiwi Thai cleaver which differs a bit from the Chinese chefs knives, as it has a slightly rounded blade which allows it to be a good compromise between an Asian style and western style knife. It’s pretty good for its money if you take good care of it.
As someone interested in teaching, I admire the way you teach
Thank you! I just teach how I learn. 👍👍
Short answer? Yes, but cheap-ish knives + whetstones or a roller are also worth it. I've been using a Henckels Classic 8-inch (the one that's made in Spain) for the last six years, and it's still in excellent condition. I got it for $40 on sale, and it's currently listed for $57 on Amazon. It has a very premium feel, but it's significantly cheaper than knives from its sister company, Zwilling. The Babish knife is also extremely good for $29 ($20 during sales). Bought one for my sister last year, and she says it's still as good as the day she got it.
Great video! One can really tell the hard work you put into what you do
Thanks! I hope it helps som people understand the MOUNTAIN of details out there about knives.
Very informative video and your conclusion was spot on, you have to choose the knife that best serves your cooking style/requirements. All too often UA-cam videos about knives dictate what is “right” but yours was balanced and entertaining.
Thanks! That's what I was trying to do differently. Not everyone needs a Japanese wood handle knife.
great video!! now i feel way more confident finding a great chefs knife when i get around to shop for one. i have cheap japanese knife now and i love the thinness and the lightness. i definitely will seek out good quality gyoko knife for myself. i'm trying to enter a culinary school in near future, you're one of my inspirations on my journey from drug addict to a chef. just starting out to kick the drugs, but feels good to have a direction and a purpose! thanks for the educational and inspirational videos!!!
cheers from Finland! 🇫🇮
Wow. That means a lot. I'm glad you're replacing something negative with something positive. Cooking has changed the way I live, make friends, travel, and save money. It really can help fill up a lot of different areas of your life that can be empty for many people. Best of luck with school!
Some cheap Damascus knives actually have the pattern painted on. More recently, lasers are being used to burn in a Damascus pattern. None of these enhance cutting performance. However a true Damascus incorporates a better grade of steel in the core layer and is ground carefully so that better material is exposed as the working knife edge. The alternating layers on each which give the overall pattern also are usually intended to keep the whole blade from being too brittle under the heat treatments necessary fir the core cutting edge material. Today, knife makers are putting some of the best known powder metal materials in their most expensive knives. That usually is not used in the bulk of the Damascus stack. And often these knives are just made as a three layer stack with a single cladding layer on each side of that pricey core.
Really awesome video and I was just thinking of getting a new chef's knife. The Miyabi knives look amazing. Also fascinating to hear you were in the Peace Corps, I was going to ask what it was like but I see you have a video on that too!
Yeah. I'll talk about it more when I make Chinese food. Those Milano knives are LEGIT. You can totally feel how well made they are. Hopefully my explanation of Santoku vs. gyuto helps you choose the best one. They also have "rounded santoku", but that's kind of rarer.
Funny thing with onions. I use prescription glasses and soft contact lenses. I cry when I cut onions everytime, EXCEPT when I use lenses. Likely the lenses sitting on top of my retinas, block the acidic moisture from drifting into my retinas, which are the sensitive part. The whites around the retina is not as sensitive for me at least.
Iv also found a waterwet blade, and a WET paper towel close to the onion helps a little.
Fantastic way of presenting a ton of useful information
Strangely enough, my favourite knife is by far not the most expensive. It is a santuko knife from Dille& Kamille. It wasn't expensive but it is very light with a thin profile and incredibly easy to sharpen.
The ease of sharpening is also something to consider when buying a knife. I have sharpened thousands of knives over the last decade and cheap stainless steel knives do not feel good to sharpen. they glide on the whetstone with a waxy feel and take longer to sharpen. On the other hand, carbon steel feels more gritty, quicker to sharpen and easier to get a good edge. That being said, good quality stainless steel knives do exist. Also knifemaking in a nutshell is a tradeoff game. Heat treating alone can make the same alloy hard and brittle like glass or tough and soft like clay. Blade geometry adds a layer of complexity. Let's say that your priority is the sliciest blade. It means that you will sacrifice on toughness because you want a thin geometry and with a thin knife, you need a hard steel that will not feel sprigny and the edge less prone to roll or bend.
This is just the video I was waiting for! Thanks!
Bam! I hope you liked it. I wanted to make something helpful, but not too nerdy or prescriptive. Get the knife that works for you. 👍👍
@@TriggTube I followed your advice from the short form and got "his" and "hers" Zwilling Pros, the standard pro for myself and the white version for her. Thanks again, really appreciate all of your work on these videos.
Yeah. Thanks! That Zwilling pro 7" white deal is INSANE. I'm recommending it left and right while it's still a thing. You'll love them!
One major difference between many high end western chef knives and Japanese gyuto/santoku is the bolster which is absent on the Japanese ones.
I an thinking about buying one of these, great video and very informative!
Great video pacing, info and quality. Subscribed
Awesome, thank you!
Thank you.
I highly appreciate you for covering most information in this one video
Glad it was helpful!
I love cleavers, i prefer a slice chop method over rocking method of cutting (I can do both but rocking is slower and more inaccurate and results in triangle like pieces, also slides the knife dulling it out) however when using a chef knife you always get a little piece still attached so you have to go back and rip it off. And it’s the same height all around so when doing claw method near the end of the blade I have more than 2cm to work with
i got a Zwilling chefs knife since 7 years. its the best!
A) The two Zwilling knives may be made from the same steel, but in fact they're hardened differently, so the cheaper one is softer (54 HRC versus 57). B) Almost all knives in this video are stamped-metal knives, even the "forged" Zwilling. The blade shape is cut/stamped from sheets of metal, the blank just gets re-heated and mold-forged to create the bolster. All industrially-made quality Japanese knives are in fact stamped, including the Zwilling-Kramer. The quality is created by the steel itself, its heat-treatment and how it's ground. C) When you talk about and show how to take care of your non-stainless carbon-steel knife, use one and not a Miyabi knife that's made from stainless powder-metallurgic SG2 steel. D) 2:30 - the technique to cut an onion is only awkward with these silly horizontal cuts. That step is completely unnecessary as an onion is already pre-segmented by its layers. Just cutting it lengthwise and across is enough.
Depending on how exactly the knives are heat treated, forging can affect the hardness of the knives.
Pinch grip. Learned something new about my Zwilling knife. Thanks! 😊
You're welcome!
I know Trigg already gave the long-story-short of it under one of the comments, but I thought a sharpening video explaining whetstone versus rolling sharpener, which one fit your needs in terms of your skill level (plus stuff like the pull-through sharpener, what a honing rod is really used for, etc...) would be a great video. And yes I know there are tons of other videos like that already, but for some reason Trigg's video are easier for me to actually pay attention to 😅
Thanks so much. I'll have to do some research, but I agree that the internet is missing the actual "Trigg breakdown" of those ideas. Most are too technical nitty gritty for the average home cook. So I'll do my research and see what I can put together. 👍👍
You don't need to cut onions towards you. The natural breaks in the layers already take care of that and doing so is dangerous. Just cut them vertically (pole to pole, with the grain, and at a slight angle at the edges) then horizontally down to the root end.
You look like Robert Downey Jr and Chris Evans fused together.
To me he's the spitting image of political commentator and writer John Fuglsang.
Imo blade geometry is more important than hardness. You can always sharpen a knife, but you can't change the overall blade geometry. I'd rather cut a carrot or a squash with have a 4$ knife with a full flat grind that is really thin than with a 100$ knife that is really thick with a scandi or a chisel grind for example. I don't want to split the carrot, I want to cut it, and I also don't want the cut cut to wander to the side. Of course, more expensive chef's knives usually have better blade geometry, but in a pinch, I'd go for the thin cheap knife vs the more expensive knife with a more "niche" geometry.
Also, overall blade geometry includes the shape of the blade, which is rarely discussed in detail. An gradual taper towards a fine tip vs a more rounded taper, a flat edge vs a rounded edge, the width of the blade, a 15cm long blade vs 20cm, etc. These things sound like nitpicking but these are the things that actually make me love or hate handling a knife most.
the thing is that if u use better steel u can actually make a knife thats less thick..eu knives tend to be a bit thicker and softer steel.. japansese knives are harder steel and more thin... thats just a guideline.. So ur cheap thin knife might just suck very bad.. compared to a bit more expensive japanese steel knife.. the harder steel makes the knife more rigid.. hold a edge longer.. can hold a more acute edge.. but also more brittle..
He's like Dr. Mike but a chef
Try putting a wadded up damp paper towel right by your cutting board when chopping onions. Almost completely eliminates tears somehow.
Thank you for the informations! Love your videos.
I have a 4 dolar knife, kind of a cleaver, very good to pick up diced vegetables, but as you said, after cutting 1 onion becomes dull....
I like the versatility of a German chefs knife, it probably will be my first good knife, i'll try to see in person before buying, follow your advise and test the grip in my hands.👏🏻❤️🇧🇷
Sure thing. I'm so glad you're leveling up. Just make sure the knife lists the hardness (HRC) and doesn't hide it. Buying in person is a pretty nice luxury, but you'll for sure have a knife you like. 👍👍
very well done video, even for someone with moderate exp with knives and cooking! here is pittance the YT gods
Great video, easy to follow, hugely informative. I've been contemplating a new knife, and now I know exactly which one to buy thanks to this.
That's great! I'm so glad it helped!!
Probably the best detailed knife video out there!
Thanks! Just the details that count. Nothing more nothing less. 👍👍
I’m glad it’s not “Which knife is best” and it’s “which knife is best for you”
Incredibly well explained, excellent content once again.
Thanks!
Buy 50€ Wüsthof knife, go to a professional and have the blade thinned out. In the end, you will have a knife that can easily keep up with most Japanese knives and even has the advantage of being easy to sharpen. It also costs only a fraction of the price of expensive Japanese knives.
Clever trick there honestly. 👍👍 Like getting your suit tailored. Nice.
@@TriggTube Yes Sir ✌️👍
Of course, this only makes sense if you know what you want or need.
Where can you usually find a professional knife sharpener? I’m having trouble with this in the Austin area.
Most informative video I've seen in ages.thanks
You're welcome
I was just gifted a decent western knife set and now I find out I need a santoku knife!
Never would have expected Bob Kramer knives to be made in Japan! Nice blades😎
Yeah. I wonder the story behind the decision. It's a great knife though.
@@TriggTubethese are just Bob Kramer branded Zwilling knives that are made in Zwillings factory complex in Seki, Japan, exactly where Miyabi knives are also made. Other than the profile there’s nothing Kramer about these knives sadly. They are good knives but at that price point you can get really high quality handforged Japanese knives.
This guy just drops banger after banger
😂😁👍 thanks
Interesting note. All knives have a serrated edge. Sometimes you just need a magnifying glass to see it. Sometimes the edge will get to the point where it’s unable to effectively cut tomatoes because it’s “too sharp”. I sell hand forged Japanese knives, that’s how I know :)
True! That also makes sense for the reason the "pull through" sharpeners aren't great. They sharpen along the blade and don't create the micro serrated edges. 👍
Get a decent knife and keep it sharp. I prefer Global it’s not too expensive and keeps an edge.
I love seeing those photos of your early chef days! ha ha. Miracle Blades..
Well... I would say no. Unless you are looking for something very specific. My favorite knife is victorinox fibrox chefs knife, but I do have expensive Japanese knife too.
Pro with these cheaper knives is that they are thin, so it actually cuts through quite a few things better, just due to smaller profile.
I would actually much rather invest in professional automatic sharpener instead of knife, unless ofc you are dedicated with sharpening anyways.
My sharpener is chefs choice, pretty expensive, and knife I use regularly is less than less than quarter of the cost. But you can easily get away with just regular pull trough with cheap knife.
I have a few very expensive japanese knives at home, but at my vacation property I bought some kiwi knives off amazon, 2 for 15 bucks a few years ago. One is a nikiri and the other is a kiritsuko style. Super cheap steel that I can sharpen in about 30 seconds every few days. They have very thin blades that make cutting veggies a breeze. Would I trade them for any of my home knives…..never. But I get a big kick out of using them and how close they come to being a good knife.
I am Serbian... From Serbia... And I had no idea this knife style was a thing. It probably gained popularity thanks to a very famous channel Almazan Kitchen that does those nature-cooking ASMR thingies, and they are using something similar in shape. And since it gained popularity from a Serbian channel, guess people started calling it a Serbian knife. Could that shape be of any use in real kitchen conditions if manufactured properly? Probably, yeah. I also lived in China for years and used their knives, it has its uses for sure. The shape of this "Serbian knife" is something between a Chinese knife and a classic knife. So there's potential there, 100%. Is It something we traditionally use over here? No. Not likely.
That's hilarious. Good to know. I think it's just a social media manly man trend thing. Pure hype. Haha
Excellent lesson. Now that I know better I’ll buy better & use more easily & joyfully. Thank you🙏
You're welcome!
8:19 - Thats not exactly how that works, but functionally its close enough. All steels have carbon in them, including stainless ones. Adding carbon to iron is what makes it a steel to begin with. You did mention this, it just sounded like adding carbon was something one does only to make a high carbon steel. Likewise, alot of non stainless steels have chromium in them, but they dont start to take on stainless properties until theres a certain amount of it. Also, a stainless knife is not automatically cheaper nor softer than a carbon steel one. I have a stainless magnacut knife at 64 hrc for instance, which is much harder than most of my japanese carbon steel knives. Damascus steel is not one thing, its basically just layering any kind of 2 steels and the process mentioned here is one of several ways to make it. Personally I refuse to buy anything called damascus unless both steels and the process used are specified. The term damascus is completely useless on its own, it could be anything.
To be fair, the material science and metallurgy in all this is very complex and one could easily do a PhD in the subject, so it is far outside the scope of the video and would probably only serve to confuse more. I think not going too much in depth on this is a good thing here.
I do like the video though, the only thing I think is missing would be a section on cutting boards, because 90% of what dulls a kitchen knife is generally going to be the surface you cut on and not the food you cut through.
Thanks for the comment. I'm glad we see eye to eye on the mission of the video. As for cutting boards, I just made a few shorts about them, but it may be time to make a big long video too. 👍👍
Blade thinness is very important.
Thank you so much for this wonderful information 🙏🌹
You’re a great educator, subbed immediately. Keep it up ❤
Thanks!
Good one. Detailed and simplified 👍
Thank you!
Vidéo très intéressante. Merci pour le travail fourni. Les informations sont complètes et objectives.
Merci. Je suis content que tu l'aimes bien
A well made "Damascus" blade will have a hard core and pretty stainless layers on the core. My favorite is $50-$60 chef's knife from China with Japanese VG10 core (60-62 hrc) and 67 layers of SS Damascus (available on Aliexpress and/or Amazon). When sharpened correctly to the right edge geometry my knife will perform competitively to any other knife. Trust me, this test wasn't the real test IMO... you really need to put each knife into a pro chef's hand for a day and see what he/she says about it. Cutting tomatoes and paper is one thing... but sitting in my knife block and getting used almost every day for years is a totally different thing.
I found the chopper w/ little ball in a thrift once & bought it. I was almost homeless & couldn't afford better, $.25 was an unbeatable price!
It served me well for almost 5 yrs, & made mincemeat out of EVERYTHING I put under it. Veg, meat, fruit, & some branches to boot!
You just didn't see the potential!! 😂
It is actually not a German style knife but a French one, in the German style the part of the blade that meets the fingers is thick and serves as finger protection
The difference between a German-style and French-style chef knife is not the bolster (which is what the thick part between handle and blade is called), but rather blade shape. German knives have a more pronounced curve towards the tip (aka belly), on a French knife the tips points a little downward and the cutting edge is straighter with only a slight curve. The Zwilling knife, the knife he uses most often in this video is a rypical German knife in terms of blade shape but it's modernized as it does not have the (unnecessary) bolster.
Thanks for this. I'm looking at a couple Bob Kramer Euroline Damascus knives at the moment. And, I have no problem owning more than one bread/longer serrated knife. I find that they can be multifunctional.
The Kramer carbon is my favorite knife. And yes. There is no problem with multiple bread knives... you just don't NEED them. Haha. I'm guilty there too. But it's an unhealthy addiction.
@TriggTube Well, I believe we in Europe tend to use our bread knives more than those in the States. Although I've seen some cooks, Chef's abroad use them in ways I found truly inspiring.
And getting the Bob Kramer knives over here, or finding them, has been tricky. I've only heard good things about the carbon steel line, but they're the hardest to find here. And so far, even though they don't slice as smoothly, effortlessly as the carbon steel, the Euroline Damascus are the only ones I can find that have both the Kramer knives I'm interested in.
Try the link on my channel page. It may work for you. If you're looking to use the knife on a regular basis, I would highly recommend the carbon. The euroline looks amazing, and is still a great knife, but the texture of the pattern makes the knife a bit rougher for pull through cuts. If that makes a difference to you. It's a pretty deeply textured Damascus pattern.
@TriggTube Yes, that's what I've heard about the Damascus Euroline of Kramer knives. I've also heard that the outer texture--in time-- isn't an issue anymore. I've found quite good prices for them over here, so not too concerned about the inherent roughness they come with at the moment.
At about 9:00 the info is pretty good but it is overly generalized, the carbon vs stainless is partly accurate. Some of the hardest steels ie:clad Ginsan, sg2, vg10 are a few examples of the harder steels which happen to be stainless
My FAVORITE youtuber is back🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏
Thanks! 😁👍
Soo many ah-ha! moments in this video! Which is expected, because I knew nothing about knives except how to use them (the basics of course).
And I appreciate the long format, I always enjoy your lonher videos with the quirky sideshows 😅😊
Glad you enjoyed it! More long videos to come. Happy you learned from it.
one thing i would add is info on the hardness scale. you mentioned higher is better, but I don't know what the range of numbers is so looking at a knifes hardness number would mean nothing to me until i looked up the range
this channel is underrated as hell
🫶
Really useful. Thank you!
Glad it was helpful!
Wearing contact lenses stops the crying from the onions for me
Holy shit, I also watched that commercial as a kid.
Classic!
This is like asking "is an expensive car worth it?" Sure, so long as by "expensive" you mean "on the upper end of what you can afford and the range of reasonable options chosen by people doing the same thing you're doing."
Excellent explanation - thanks!
You're welcome!
In my own experience, the tomato test didn't help me at all. The reason I am saying this is because I sharpened my cheap 5$ knife on a sharpal diamond stone. I deburred it properly and the knife was blazing through paper and tomatoes. But when I was cutting through a carrot, the knife literally got stuck in the carrot and I had to put a lot , and I mean dangerous amounts of pressure just to get through the carrot.
I julliened the entire carrot in the same way, thinking that my edge had gotten dull, but to my surprise the knife was still easily cutting to paper and tomatoes.
I tried this experiment with my other knives which were still the same around 5$ price and the results again were the same.
Unlike how, in many videos you see that a sharp knife is easily able to cut through a carrot with little to no pressure, but my sharp knife despite being shaving sharp, was unable to go through the carrot. 😢
Yeah. I OFTEN use carrots as the test for a sharp (and safe) knife, because they are also the most likely to roll or slide around when you apply too much pressure.