How to Pick A Knife
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- Опубліковано 26 вер 2024
- How to buy the best kitchen knife for yourself. Using my simple method will help you decide which type of knife will suit you best. Do not fall for marketing gimmicks, or influencers being paid by knife brands. Understand what makes Japanese knives special, and you'll know what works for you.
Do not overspend on a knife. Expensive knives may not be better for your needs. Sometimes, knives are artificially inflated because of short supplies, and not because of their quality. Many times, expensive knives are not worth it.
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Asking about sharpness out of the box is like buying a car and asking "How much gas comes in the tank?" Lol.
So good!
Sharpness and edge retention is very important. The knife must be sharp and hold the edge for some time. However there is always a sweet spot of the product parameters to make the best for your needs price is one of the parameters as well. The knife which most of the time feels slightly dull sucks in my opinion. But it is crucial to use the product which suits your needs and match your personality and is appealing esthetically for you. The same is with the cars or woman. All people are different and have different needs.
About the sharpness out of the box. Sometimes it is not matter sometimes it does. When I bought my first Japanese knifes I had only very basic set of stones, so I was happy that my knives was sharp, it was also a confirmation of theirs quality, it would be disappointment otherwise. But for experienced user which knows particular brand and kind of the steel is not a big deal because at the end of the day everyone who knows how to sharpen the knife will do the way which suits his needs so the angles, micro bevel and the grind finish will depend on personal preferences so factory grind will be irrelevant.
@@radoslawjocz2976 Japanese knives aren't cheap. I would suggest not buying one before a person could maintain it properly just like I'd say don't buy a Ferrari before they could maintain it. I spent a good amount of time practicing sharpening before i bought my first Japanese knife so i could make sure i was getting the best out of it. My comment concerning out the box sharpness was my brash way of saying learn how to maintain the knife before you purchase it and it won't be a problem because if a person is using the knife then it will get dull just like a driven car will run out of gas.
@@jamescampbell9699 It depends, some of Japanese knifes are cheap and some are expensive, but when the are sold abroad most of them are expensive, because import cost and other factors. Some Japanese manufacturers specialize in products for supermarkets which are mass produced and must be cheap, but I am not a fan of them. I have some knives which I would definitely buy again if present one would worn out or anything happen. My favourite knives I own are Victorinox Rosewood handle serrated cheef knife I use of for bread cutting. The good thing is about this knife that is possible to sharpen. Tojiro DP VG10 petty. Iseya Seto santoku and petty molybdenum steel. I had to polish the spines on my Iseya knives using diamond plate and also improve smoothness on Tojiro knife, but I would definitely buy them again. I am sure they are very affordable priced in Japan but quality is good and will last for many years.
A knife is nothing more than a tool, if it doesn't cut well it defeats the intended purpose. Drills, saws and shaving razors are made ready to be used, so should a knife.
Knives are tools that we sometimes abuse or use improperly.... the more we take care of them the better they work with us
yes!
Is there a way to communicate with you outside the public forum?
as a former chef and now someone who is expanding their life roll after 35 years and looking at Japanese knives, I have to say this is the best video I have seen and one comment I will take away is "the sharpness test on paper does not demonstrate how it performs on food "one of the most significant comments on your video and very very important for people who want to cut food and prepare food, card shop and slice food. Excellent video, informative, down-to-earth and the information I need when choosing nights for a kitchen over anything else. Thank you so much for being so sharp and focused on what knives are designed to do and where they are designed to do it.
The ergonomic and looks of Japanese knives are amazing and really a joy to use.
Great video. We really like the end when you explain that papertest is not a good indicator for cutting performance. We totally agree with your point and that is why we never made papertests on our knife review channel. As you said, if you want to test the cutting performance of a knife, you have to cut your vegetables or proteins as you normally would do in your kitchen.
Just keeping it real
Because in the end that's what knives are used for so might as well test them on the real stuff!
I would never expect the knife to be sharp out of the box. Taking good care of the knife, especially sharpening it, is the best part!
I think it comes down to a persons ability to use a whet stone. Somebody who can is not going to be to bothered about out of the box sharp.
true
I use carbide sharpener. Maybe it's not the sharpest, but it's sharp enough for me.
Yea, many people sharpen their knife right out of the box.
I always thought it was funny how its spelled “whet stone” and not wetstone”
@@antonio-yz9eu English can be funny.
A wet stone can be a type of whet stone, but a whet stone doesn't have to be a wet stone. Whetting basically means hand sharpening with abrasives, which does not always require wetting.
The similar sounding words makes for a lot of confusion.
Just found your channel today. I didn’t know there was so many things to consider when buying a knife. Going to buy my first knife soon!
Welcome
5 years ago I went to Tower Knives Osaka shop, I got some really good advice. As I am left handed they had a limited number of knives available. I was told to choose the most comfortable knife in my price range, then just look after the blade. I am so glad that I heeded the advice, I bought a Gyuto and Petty knife. They sharpened it for me in the shop before I paid for them. I have looked after the blades for 5 years and they are still so amazingly sharp as when I tried them in the shop. It is also interesting that it seems other knife shops do not sharpen their knifes before sending to their consumers, Tower Knives sharpened my knife so I could use it straight away.
The answer is yes. Get yourself a decent quality Santoku and never look back. Mine was a Shun Classic and I still use it. The next knife was a Masakage Nakiri. I haven't looked for another knife since. They're that good. Just make sure you don't lose a fingertip like I almost did 😅
Much appreciated! Thank you for your experienced commentary and ideas. I started getting into cooking knives back in the 1990s; I liked to cook and I'd heard of the Wusthov German knives being really good. At that time, I'd never heard of any Japanese knives. Silly me. We got a set of the Wusthov knives for a wedding present in 1990, but most of them have been relegated to the "spare" knife drawer or literally tossed out. In the last 10 years, I got a set of santoku style kitchen knives and I loved them. They arrived sharp enough, sharpened easily when needed, and probably the most important factor for me................... knife balance, holding it while using it. I did buy a larger santoku style knife, made in Japan, and I was somewhat disappointed, as the blade edge seemed uneven, although the knife was sharp. Also I've been interested in the Damascus blades, and the Japanese Damascus blades seemed to be top line for everything.
I think the Damascus blades seem to hold their edge better than just about any other type of steel. I'm no chef, just a low level cook and I typically just hone my blades with a ceramic tool. I'm not a skilled sharpener with the diamond stones, but I'd sure be up to it at some point if that would improve the blade sharpness and edge retention.
I actually have one of those knives from that TV show Forged in Fire, an 8" chef's knife, and even though it was fairly cheap as kitchen knives go, I absolutely LOVE this knife............. it's well balanced for me, super sharp, and I tend to be sort of the "knife nazi" at home, meaning I always clean up as soon as the cutting is done; wash, rinse, dry and put away in the block. I NEVER let a knife sit on the counter after being used or overnight.
Well thi svideo is i think one of the most valuable of the last 400 about japanease knives I''ve seen in th e past few days.
Man, dull knives are like a plague. My family and all of my friends... sharpening one's knives seems to be a foreign concept to them. I cringed so much every time I visited them, that eventually I bought myself a mini sharpening stone meant for outdoor use. To this day it rests inside my bag and I use it regularly to sharpen their knives. It's not the cleanest job but enough so they can at least cut into a tomato without almost crushing it.
The general mentality I see these days is that people would rather go buy a new set of knives rather than God forbid paying someone 1/2 of what they paid for the whole set of knives to put a new edge on them.
This comment is the real cringe. Stop shitting on your family for the sake of looking "cool" in front of other knife geeks. Buy them a set of stones and teach them.
😂👍
No wonder the knifes are dull. They are never sharpened and if so, then in completely inapropriate ways. They are thrown in a drawer together with other knifes, or cleaned with abrasive sponges or thrown into the dishwasher. I mean.. anyone surprised?
@@WoobAu Sadly so..
I agree that sharpness out of the box isn't as important as many "believe" but I see that it could be due to a misunderstanding that the factory sharpness is as good as it will ever get mindset. Especially for the vast majority of people who don't know a thing about sharpening knives or use some of those "easy" knife sharpening tools that you can buy for $30.
I for one am still learning and researching as I "graduate" from sharpening small pocket knives for years to larger kitchen knives. I recently have started sharpening a machete (for yard work) so that's interesting (& I just sharpen it with a file - for good or bad).
Great video, Ryky!
so true
I use a 9 Inch Interpur japan stainless steel chefs knife i found while dumpster diving for my cooking needs. It works for me.
Ryky you are completly right every blade has to be sharpen or resharpen. So it depends on the skill of the person behind the whetstone. Only the quality of knife, grind and steel can not be changed by the owner. This should be suitable for the users needs!
Great video! I think part of the reason people have an unrealistic expectation of knife sharpness is because of all the pocket knife geeks who make videos of knife tests, comparing how long different steels stay sharp, using microscopes to look at the edge, etc. It’s like the arguments for “best camera” or “best guitar,” the influencers usually have a high standard, but almost never address the question “What fits people’s actual needs?” Back to knives, I’ve come to distinguish between when these geek knife enthusiasts say a knife is “sharp” and when the knife is sharp enough for practical use. For me, if a kitchen knife can glide through most ingredients with a sliding cut, that’s good enough. Push cut sharp only lasts a short time, in my opinion, because by the time the knife hits the cutting board, you’ve lost that super sharp edge. I’ll strop our kitchen knives every month or so and then do an actual sharpening about twice a year. Those intervals seem to work fine for us.
yes, perfectly said. thanks for the great input
Lots of love for that first sentence.
Another great video Ryky, I wanted to make one comment some people might find insightful/helpful. I bought one of your "Burrfection Knifes" Sakai Takayuki by Ryky Blue #2 240mm Gyuto with Premium Ebony White Buffalo Horn Handle from the B-Stock Clearance inventory. When it arrived, the only thing I could find wrong with it was that the white buffalo horn octagonal handle was not flush with the blade and that bothered me, it was kind of set at an angle so it was not straight up and down with the blade. I found a UA-cam video by Knives and Stones that goes over two methods to remove a handle. One of the two is heating the oven to 190 degrees Fahrenheit (I put mine on convection) and letting it sit in there for 20 minutes. I placed it in a way which kept the blade straight (not laying at an angle on the cookie sheet I set it on). This worked like a charm, the glue became loose enough and I was able to reposition the handle to be flush with the spine and then let it cool back down. This method did not damage the knife or handle at all. Very pleased with the result and saved me a lot of trouble trying to completely remove the handle and re-do it.. so if someone gets a knife and doesn't like the position of the handle, this could be an easy way to try pushing it in farther, pulling it out a little, or changing the angle slightly.
Thank you for sharing your honest thoughts and experience.
I agree 100%. Too many people purchase knives and cry if they are not razor sharp. Perhaps they don't know how to sharpen them and are of the varity that have to send their knives back to the manufacturer to be sharpened.
Being extremely sharp out of the box isn't going to make me choose one knife over another but we can all agree we all like a very sharp knife we open up the box our new knife came in
One of the better knife videos I've watched. Appreciate both your knowledge and honesty.
just keeping it real and welcome
I love how on this channel you shed light on the areas a lot of us might not consider.. As far as out of the box sharpness.. I am happy with the out of the box sharpness from the knife I purchased from your store.. From here on out as I find project knifes from your B stock selection my goal is to bring the project knife to a similar sharpness at the end. beautiful clip per usual sir
thank you for supporting what i do
@@Burrfection any time sir..I spread the good word as well
Again I agree with your viewpoints. I like that you are not locked into a particular agenda. Keep em coming! Thanks
I only have 3 requirements for buying knives for my kitchen.
1. Steel.
2. Ergonomics.
3. Handle composition.
Honestly i prefer my knives to be duller out of the box, so i don't have to re-bevel the knives myself and are often cheaper. I sharpen all of the knives by hand in my industrial kitchen and will even sharpen personal knives of my employees. A dull knife is more dangerous than a sharp one. Paper test is fine and all, better test? Celery. See if it cuts clean or shreds. Cherry/grape tomatoes are also a great test.
Also getting a knife too sharp can also lead to chipping, so finding the right angle to make it last is as tricky as just sharpness.
simple. i like it
This is a video that needs to be seen for those "one star" reviews I have seen so many times from various online buyers who simply state: "Was not sharp out of box. One star!"
Lol ;D
That summed up maybe half of all knife reviews on Amazon. 😏
Agreed; OOTB sharpness shouldn’t be a big deal for someone that really appreciates knives. They should have the skill needed to attain the desired sharpness. Another wonderful and informative vid. Glad to see you up and running again. God bless.
Well said!
In my opinion the big two for buying a knife that's fit for your purpose
1- size, shape and edge geometry of the blade
That pretty much applies to any type of knife for any application you're using it for its intended purpose, but edge geometry carries so much bearing on the knife's ability to cut possibly more than any other factor including its material composition.
2- handle size, shape and comfort
Essentially your 'user interface' between the knife blade and the human on the other end. It has to be fit for purpose as well so it doesn't hot-spot, rub, get in the way or there's not enough of it. Plus its important to find a knife that suits your hand size and shape and like shoes, make sure it fits well
Going back to material composition, it is important, but its not the ultimate be all and end all of the tool. Provided its what it says when I order it from the supplier, I'll double check the engineers data sheet that comes with it and follow the instructions for its austenising temperature and also the amount of cycles and temperature it will need to reach the desired hardness. With thermocouple controlled kiln and ovens, this is so damn simple that a chimp could be trained to do it. Maybe back in the old days when steel was sketchy stuff made by basically anyone, heat treat was probably a lot more of a hit-miss and something to be very proud of if you got it right in a coal forge, but times moved on long ago that its not a mystery, its not hard to do and just a case of following instructions.
Put it this way, people used iron for knives for long after steel came into vogue simply because it was easier to sharpen, not necessarily because it held and edge longer like a steel knife would. By that we're talking into the mid 1900's with old school butchers using wrought iron knives in some parts of the world, it was cheap, easy to sharpen, could be made by simple blacksmithing and did the job.
Now, I'm not saying an iron knife is something you should get!
But it did work for its intended purpose over the years, regardless of it not being a better material.
That blue handled blade I remember on a cane knife Was most excellent in my hand but it was octagonal. I like to the handle because it allowed me to either use the knife as a machete or as a sugarcane axe Depending on which finger was maintaining the curve in the back of the handle. I also like the Japanese razor with a bobbish forgrip I believe that used for rocking the blade in your hand without actually maintaining the handle merely the angle of the blade but doing so in rapid succession such as making coleslaw.
I want to thank you for your very educational videos, I've started hand sharpening my knives on whetstones after watching your tutorials and it's going great.
I do use the paper-cutting test when doing my sharpening to see how clean I get the edge and it's very helpful.
As per your suggestions I also made a couple of leather strops with CrO and AlO compounds and I get razor sharp edges, both on my IKEA knives and on my new favourite the Yaxell Super Gou.
I am reminded of an advertising slogan that Bell motorcycle helmets ran quite some time ago - "If you have a ten dollar head, you'll buy a ten dollar helmet". It reflects attitude quite well.
You didn’t tell about the most important thing...
...the knife must be BEAUTIFUUUUUL 😁
I know I've gone through a few knives to find what I look for a knife. I totally agree how a knife feels in your hand is the most important then edge retention is my second.
thank you for sharin
Another great video Ryky. My knife shopping checklist when buying in person. Not from China, ergonomics, blade design, fit and finish. I primarily use carbon steel and the softer ones like white steel have to be wet stoned ever week anyway so sharpness out of the box is something I never even check, but I know if I buy the right knife I’ll be able to put a fantastic edge on it every time
appreciate the input
I definitely agree with everything you've said. I'm most concerned about ergos, design, f&f, and designer/brand. But I always appreciate a sharp edge out of the box because I see it as a sign of quality control and overall care put into a product. Obviously there are many factors put into a knife, but in the end it still needs to cut, and I appreciate makers that keep that in mind just as much as other aspects. However, out of the box sharpness is not a deal breaker by any means if its a good knife, its just the icing on the cake.
i hear you. thanks for the input. i think good edge sharpness should be expected when buying a quality knife. i just do not prioritize it over the other factors
Sharpness is definitely overrated out of the box. Got a knife for a gift that was fairly cheap, cut superbly out of the box but the edge retention is crap.
Glad you mentioned the paper test not being a great test for how well a knife performs in the kitchen. As I've been working on getting passable at sharpening, I've been disappointed at how I've done on the paper test, but my knives still perform well in the kitchen. We're getting there!
Agree 100%. You’re going to have to sharpen all knives. Might as well do it right out of the box. I just started a channel mostly about axes so far, and I get the same questions all the time about sharpness.
I have quite a collection of knives. Both kitchen, bushcraft, and folders. Every knife that I get, goes on a stone, before anything else happens. My sharpness requirement is a little more stringent, than any manufacturer.
Lots of good points dude.
thank you!
I agree with your hierarchy. Why sweat over things that are easily changed.
I am knife maniac myself.
For me who loves to cook and do it a lot in home, important thing is how versatile knife is, how well it's keep its cutting edge and how fast it can be resharpened. In other words I want a knives which I can use to as many things as possible, which will stay sharp as long as possible, and which I can resharpen easily.
Then for my hunting/survival knives a look other characteristics.
100% agree I can always sharpen the knife if needed.
Thank you for reminding us that the comfort and feel of the knife, while using it, is, in my opinion the first consideration among the key features of the knife. Then comes usages; then the type style of it. Also, various other factors. This is main reason I never bought any manufactures’ whole set…Many times individual ones from the same manufacturer. Thank you for this review.
thank YOU for the insightful comment
Thank you for all of the hard work. I have really benefited from your videos.
My dad use to make knives. I have a different understanding of what goes into them with the different steels, grinds of the blade, etc. there's a lot that goes into it.
yes. only someone who has tried to make one, or close to someone who has will understand
I think the most important factors are, 1. The feel of the knife in you hand forsure. Everyone is made a little bit different and the right tool is a comfortable one. 2. Workmanship with fit and finish. That will also vary depending on the perception of the persons making it, some makers just don't but the same emphasis on this as others. I know Rikky said you can improve some of this on your own, but then you modifing the original crafters intent, plus i don't think you should have too. And 3rd i think the integrity of the manufacturer is very important because that's what assures you your getting what your paying for. Brands like, Miyabi, Sakai T, Shun, Yaxell, Motomori, Wustoff and Zwelling and many small Artisians have a solid foundation and track record of a quality product. Sure there are exceptions to any of these but this is what I look for in a knive i buy. Great review and topic, Thank you .
great input. thanks for sharing your thoughts
The only thing I’d disagree about is the comfort comments. There can be some things like sanding the spine and choil that can be done to drastically improve comfort.
It is rare but wonderful when I get the perfect blade geometry, grind, handle fit, and knife ballance that also has that super sharpeness. It is also disappointing that I cannot yet justify sharpening the blade. But sometimes I do.
(Oh forgot, these are tactical or outdoor knives, not chef knives).
thanks for sharing
I know lots of people who either aren't able to sharpen their knives themselves, or have very "crude" tools and methods to do so. (none of them is a professinal cook/chef, or needs to use those knives for other professinal use)
Those people want/"need" out of the box sharp blades, because when they buy a knife, they want to use it for a period of time before they have to go to someone to sharpen the knife, or try to get some edge back with their own methods. Most of them also do not distinguish between edge retention and sharpness. They want to use the "sharpness someone who knows what they are doing achieved for as long as they can."
Me personally, i sharpen things since i am 10, so occasionaly relatives and friends give me stuff to sharpen. I use paper mainly as a fast and easy check if i got all the knicks out of the edge, so mainly for consistency and progress.
How do I buy an Japanese artisan knife. Where do I go and what do I have to do?
burrfection.com
Hey Daniel, this is Ryky's store. You can find great Japanese artisan knives here: store.burrfection.com/
Thanks you!
"You will have to sharpen it" -- I guess it depends on how particular you are. I've started going down the premium knife rabbit hole, and some of the stuff knife people say seems a little silly to this casual user.
When I got married I got myself a cheap Victorinox chef's knife for $40. It does come very highly reviewed considering the price, so it's definitely punching above its weight admittedly. That said, I didn't sharpen it for 10 years* and it was still completely usable. Was it absolutely lovely and luxurious to use after 10 years? No, but it was really completely fine. I replaced it for fun more than necessity. I didn't struggle with it at all or notice it being frustrating. So I think if a knife is half decent it can still be used for a very, very long time without sharpening.
(*To be fair, I cook maybe 2-3x a week for a couple of hours, so I'm not a professional using it for hours and hours a day. So this may be equivalent to 5 years for serious home cooks, or 1-2 years for a pro. Still a lot more than weeks or months though.)
Since then I've gradually added higher quality knives with better edge retention, and I imagine given their characteristics, if I found that old Victornix usable, I certainly could go 10+ years with the high qualify knives I have now.
I do now plan to start having my knives professionally sharpened yearly just to make my experience in the kitchen more fun. But the idea of doing it every couple of months seems both impractical for my extremely busy life, and unnecessary.
All of this to say, that if you're a casual home cook who cooks a handful of times a week, and is used to less sharp knives anyway, I can fully understand why sharpness out-of-the-box would be important to you. Given my particular situation and tolerances, edge retention is of greatest importance to me, but out-of-the-box sharpness is also important.
Great video! In my experience grind geometry and heat treat absolutely trump OOB sharpness, I have a VG5 knife that has a brilliant convex grind that cuts almost as well as some way more esoteric knives (Blue#2 and Silver#3). All sharpened on Naniwa Show White at 10 degrees (good stones are an important factor too)!
You are absolutely correct about ergonomics too - but it can take a while to figure out what ergonomics is best for you - e.g heavy knife vs light, Yo (Western) handles vs Wa (Japanes). In my case I initially refused to try Wa handles as I did not like the fit and finish. But when I got an (accidentally wrong) delivery of a Wa handled knife and actually used it - I realized it was awesome! I now have a few of each type.
Yes. So true
Best knife I've ever bought was a $7 chef knife at ikea. I use it on a $20 bamboo cutting board from ikea. I keep it sharp with the built in ceramic sharpener in my kitchenaid knife block from target(which comes full of knives for $100) every week or sooner sometimes. Love the videos keep em coming
Just ordered the Kaizan II selection from you. I can't wait to put em to the test!
thank you for supporting me.
@@Burrfection Kevin took excellent care of me. I'm so happy with them!
Nakiri, Santoku and Petty are now my prized possessions in the kitchen!
Thank you Ryky for all your hard work in your presentations.
I would be interested if you were to present us with 'how to use' 'what do you use this knife for' series!
For example, the Pankiri looks like a bread knife. What other suitable or specialized tasks can it perform?!
Overall, they are absolutely a pleasure to use. They are light, sharp, and easy to use even with my large hands.
these are extremely genuine points. knife sharpening gurus will get it. knife sharpening noobs, maybe not.
thanks for the input. you must be a knife sharpening guru
@@Burrfection maybe only after i get as far as to owning a katana ;)
Agree 100%, ergonomics, construction and steel type can't be changed after purchase...the rest to varying degrees can be. For those who can't sharpen well themselves, there are plenty of knife sharpening services out there!
yes. thank you !
Great video and yes, how it cuts the food you'll be using it for is more important than how it cuts paper.
Thank you....
The point about the cleanness of the edge is true. You can test your knife on paper and it can feel incredible, like you're cutting air, even when it's thick paper. But while the edge can be super polished and clean that doesn't translate into cutting ingredients, or specific kinds of ingredients like tough/fibrous/oily foods vs other kinds of foods. When you're actually cutting food that polish might not matter outside of specific ingredients and you might actually benefit from a rougher edge, or the knife might not hold that polish for long. Some knives i don't bother going too high of a polish cause it doesn't help or I can actually find that extreme sharpness encourages the knife to stick into foods instead of push through them fully.
Sometimes I prefer a heavier knife as well because with someone, also with small hands, and as gentle as myself, it applies force for me that is uncomfortable and unnatural for me to do, when that force would be very necessary on a light, highly polished knife to avoid trusting in the extreme sharpness too much, pressing too lightly, and getting caught in foods, though it is a great feeling when your knife is so sharp you don't have to apply any pressure, when you do need to apply some pressure it can throw off your cutting flow.
great points and thanks for the input
I love cutlery, I love the agility of the carbon steel Japanese gyuto, so light and sharp. I personally have one I use for 90% of my cutting, and the other 10% I use a softer european blade for my abusiveness. My Japanese knife was purchased dull, I sharpened it myself on shapton stones using your techniques and it is an amazing knife.
thanks for sharing
I really think this is the way to go. Semi frozen meat, set the Japanese knife aside and get out the softer knife.
same here well I have a Dexter meat cleaver for bone and stuff like that and prefer the lighter slicer features of Japanese knives for fruit, veggies and boneless meat.
Thx good information i agree what you said
Sharpness out of the box is not a deal-breaker, but it should be par for the course. If a maker went through all the steps of making a great knife, giving it a sharp edge is like dotting the is and crossing the ts.
appreciate the input. never said it is not important - simply said it is the last factor for me when purchasing a knife, since it is the easiest to address
@@Burrfection Completely agree. I can sharpen well and I don't mind, but I don't get it why some makers don't deliver sharp knives.
Well, I initially had no interest in owning, or having a collection of Japanese culinary knives. I have some made in Spain, Germany, and China that I'm happy with, then I came across a few KAI Shun knives that started interesting me greatly. So, had to watch this video. I agree with all you shared, but esthetics play a big part for me as well. If all of what you've mentioned here are good to go, too.
thanks for sharing your experience
I think the problem is not just people expect absolute razor sharp edge out of the box, but some think it hides bad heat treatment and steel composition (like larger carbides on stainless steels). But the thing is the opposite can happen where a ridiculously sharp edge can be setting first impressions and then either dull or chip easily. The former just knows that some of the buyers might be the sort who don't want to ship the knife back to Korin or CKTG, while most of the ones who want ridiculously sharp edges being the sort who don't mind sharpening it more often themselves are also likely to have lower grit stones to reprofile that edge (or pay CKTG etc to give it a finer edge and then just maintain it).
And hell, Shun isn't even hiding bad steel, but it's gained a bad rap not just among discriminating knife nerds but also among new cooks getting into such knives thanks to all the online store reviews from people who go Iron Chef chop on it on a stiff board or just from doing that Iron Chef or anime chef chopping action. There's a reason why Cooking Master Boy was set in China and he's using a fat cleaver while that more recent show where they're in a boarding school for chefs doesn't show onion flying everywhere (or at least I haven't seen that in the few episodes I've seen).
@Z020852 are Shun know we not very good knives?
What’s the best Japanese brands or top 3?
Maybe for those people the best choice is to buy a kyocera ceramic.
For us knife lovers and sharpening geeks offcourse a handmade artisan knife that needs to be resharpened once in a while. Just got a Yu Kurosaki gyoto, an amazing knife with an insane cutting profile.
nice....
To answer your question: Yes, I agree. Out-of-box sharpness is not a priority for me; ergonomics is more important, but probably not for the reason that you think. I used to buy knives in person based on feel, but now I like adapting myself to the knife rather than finding a knife that is adapted to me. Fortunately, I am just a home cook so using a knife is more of a brief spell of mental exercise than a prolonged physical task. I have my preferences, of course, and the Ryky 240 mm gyuto suits me perfectly, but then I'll use a Zwilling Pro chef or a Mercer Chinese cleaver or even a Shun usuba (despite being left handed), and another part of my brain lights up. I like that, just as I like different steels because of the different feel of a steel on a stone. I have 3 dozen knives but, if I had to move & take only one, I'd take the Ryky 240. A petty might be more practical, but then I could enjoy the challenge of peeling potatoes with a gyuto. Keep up the great work, Ryky!
Thank you for sharing and for supporting what i do
Cutting performance is metric dependend only on two factors primar and secondary bevel. That's it. The material needs to be hard enough to allow a very even flat secondary bevel strong enough not to deform and still ductile enough not to shatter in use. The more consistent and dialed in those properies are, the thinner you can grind the blade behind the edge (which directly translates into cutting performance) and the steeper you can sharpen your secondary bevel (which directly translates into edge retention and to a lesser part to cutting performance). This is the science. In old times they would say the quality in the steel.
Everything just gets more complicated if you are looking for good corrosion resistance. Then you are look at cryo treated stainless steels like AEBL (Zwilling calls it FC61) or powder steels. Both are very hard to machine and very expensive.
Everything else is the quality and time in craftmanship, the ergonmics, handle materials, profile the grind, rounded spine, distal taper etc.
So the old saying holds true. There are only two things that matter in knives, quality of the steel and the craftmanship.
While oob sharpness May not be super important, I think it shows attention to detail by the maker. Just my 2 cents
Hey Burr, I have a video idea from a woodworking point of view. I would love to see you sharpen a Bench Chisel or a Plane blade just for fun. It would be interesting to see you analyze the differences in angles, quality of steel, etc of a knife and a chisel/plane blade. Is that something you have ever considered trying, for fun?
Hmm... not until now...
@@Burrfection Give it a go! :)
Cheap knives can be hollow ground to be super sharp out of the box. That's great, for a little while...
Ohh I love sharpening knives
Great job, you should repeat these points every few months to everyone. Though I'd put geometry up much higher as it's kinda hard to change that at home especially if knives have fancy finishes. Too many people assume edge sharpness is end all be all.
appreciate the input
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i learn a lot from u.
Agree to all.
The sharpness of a knife depends on what task you want to do.
If the knife edge is too thin its not suitable for wood chopping(dulls easily)
If the edge is too thick its not suitable for a kitchen knife(hard to slice food nicely)
So it actually depends on what task you want to do. Thats why knife sharpening angle is important.
Even if you use a normal dual grit sharpening stone, you can get a razor sharp edge.
well-said
I relate this video to the old adage of dont cook with wine you wouldn't drink. There are subtleties in the statement. Use and cut with what you know until you know more. On that note ... have you ever considered a series of videos bringing pro cooks into your studio to refine thier skills? I have over 20 years experience using and sharpening my Japanese knives. Hmu. Ide love to learn from you.
I think out of the box sharpness serves the purpose of showing how sharp a knife can get. You would assume someone who's sharpening your knife before you get it knows what they're doing and so it should be the benchmark on where you should/can sharpen to. Not saying you can't sharpen further but just to show what's possible with the knife
For me when I buy a knife because I cook 9 hours a day 5 days a week I look at what steel is used I have a preference because it needs to hold a edge the whole day or the whole week etc: 2nd how the knife feels in my hand I have small hands so I go with light knifes with slim handles last thing I need is my hands to fatigue 3 hours in to my shift. # 3rd how sharp it is and how long it holds that sharpness the beginning of good food is a good cut . 4th how much maintenance is needed to maintain the knife and the blade I love my knifes but time is also precious so if I can spend 2 to 4 hours every 30 days to maintain my knifes that is a win in my book.
Sharpness is mostly the byproduct of the quality of the processes done by the knife maker.
So it's still indirect important factor of showing it's a good manufacturer
The best knife is that which works best for you. Ergonomics and style is essential. Steel and it's treatment is essential. Finish quality might be important but often is possible to improve it.
Buying my first entry level chefs knife to get started. Buying the Mercer Millenia 8” Chefs Knife for £15 😝
That reminds me, I have a couple knives I really want to smooth the spine of.
So many projects to procrastinate on.
Dear Ryky
What do you think of the Suisin Inox Honyaki Wa-Gyuto
Than was I chose first, but I see the Moritaka Kurouchi in burrfection store and I don't know to chose which one😩
Best test is harder veggies like sweet potatoes, carrots or radishes in my opinion 😛 but definitely agree with all your points here haha
I totally agree! sweet potatoes will test any knife to it's limits
Agreed man hope your well!
thank you
So glad I found you and your videos! Never had great knives but what I did have I lost in a move from my house to an apartment a few years ago. Finally getting far enough ahead I think...hope...too maybe get a couple good kitchen knives and cutting board and stones...I had some good Arkansas stones but they disappeared too. So kind of starting from scratch. I am far from rich on fixed disability income now but always appreciated a good blade and now because of my disability I find I need better cutting action to do a decent job making my own meals and want to make the best of all the food I do get. I have a slight loss of feel in my hands and weakness and it’s kind of crazy but my hands are sensitive so good comfortable handles are important as well as lightness for general use and of course a very sharp edge. Any suggestions on knives that would be good for me would be appreciated. I can figure out stones I think from videos but not sure on a truly suitable but not large board so I don’t damage the blades. Any advice? Thanks.
Hey man I see your hands are looking good! Lol if you remember my comment from months ago. Keep taking care of them and making just awesome knife videos!
If someone insists on purchasing a knife that's going to be stupid sharp out of the box, buy a blade from Kei Kobayashi. You'll still need to sharpen it after awhile. Otherwise totally agreed that sharpness isn't a critical selling point. The steel, heat treating, grind, f&f, shape, etc. are all way more important.
I think new knives out of a box should be sharp and ready to use. However I believe everyone should know how to care for and sharpen a knife properly as knives when used will go dull over time. Keep Cutting!
Amen. Sharpness is fleeting. If you want sharp, you have to keep it sharp. Doesn't matter if it's some kinda high-carbon $$$ frankensteel.
yes. so true
It has been far too long since I’ve watched your videos, I’ve had life happening. I absolutely agree that sharpness out of the box is pointless for me personally. Most of the time I end up changing the bevel and even sometimes I change the shape of the bevel like take out the shoulders and make a nice conical Edge The belt grinder. Other times are use my whetstones and make what I like to call my three shoulder edge, which is nothing more than a conical edge with shoulders like ribs along the entire blade. I don’t know that it helps it to cut better or worse I just like the way it looks LOL.
Cutting paper after you sharpen a knife well is fun though. I have lil shards of paper on my floor right now from yesterday! I need to vacuum.
I find that getting at least one knife that's good AND very sharp out of the box is very useful if you are getting started with sharpening. It will be your "control" knife. Since it came sharp and the steel is good, you KNOW that knife should be very easy to get back to optimal sharpness, so if you're having trouble, that knife will let you know whether you're working on a very poor knife or there's something wrong with your technique.
Hi,
I've been watching a lot of your videos lately and the really helped me getting started in knifesharpening by hand. So in first place thanks for that. I even got a new pair of knifes.
I ordered them just by appearence because I didn't wanted to spend too much money - they're from a big chinese site like amazon -
I think you know what i mean.
As soon as I got them the absolut most important thing was the overall finish and handling. After that was the cuttingperformance.
So like you said, there are some points that are really more important to a knife then others.
Leaving a subscribe, thanks for the cool vids!
thanks for the input
I'm not sure if my comment will get a response, but I would like your input. Quick background, my experience with knives revolves primarily around outdoor use and for SCUBA, but I do enjoy a good blade for those uses. My wife does most of the activities in the kitchen, and she mainly has a hodgepodge of mediocre knives and I would really like to get her a good set that I plan on maintaining the edges myself, because thanks to you, I now enjoy geeking out about sharpening on stones :) . We own our a SCUBA training business, so most of the our time and money goes toward that and I want to do something nice for her that would increase her enjoyment of cooking (she does already enjoy it). Anyway, my primary question would be, what would be the primary knives you would suggest looking into? And by that I mean the different knives serve different purposes (many of which I am unsure of intended use), so what would an essential set consist of with regard to style, ie rocker, pearing, carving etc.? And would you stick within a brand, or seek out particular brands that specialize in the different purpose built knives and put a set together on my own. I know this was a very long comment, and whether I get a response or not, I do enjoy your videos.
thanks for reaching out and for the beackground. i'm a veggies and meat, fish. i use gyuto/chef for 80% of my meal prep, but when i do lots of veggies, i'm a nakiri guy. lots of people like santoku, and so did my wife, but once she understood the nakiris and gyutos more, she no longer uses santokus. we also use petty knives quite a bit. those are the three primary knives in our home. have a look around when you are bored
store.burrfection.com/
Learned lots today 😊. Now I have an urge to check out the grind of my knife 😂
Nah. Just use the knife and sharpen when bored or dull
I have no problem sharpening knives.
Surely you can expect a new knife would arrive sharp.
Yes, out of box sharpness is important.
A manufacturer should be able to put a decent edge on a knife.
That being said, I bought a Japanese knife a while ago that had a 63-64 HRC using white #2 (actually takefu white #2, it's not true Hitachi white #2 but from another Japanese steel mill)
But it was only $28.
It was a stainless steel clad knife with a premium core steel and a phenomenal heat treatment.
The out of box edge was less than I would prefer, but who cares.
I sharpened it up and loved it ever since.
So is it important, yes. (Especially if you're paying a premium price 💰💲)
But it shouldn't be a deal breaker.
Hi Burrfaction,
Have you ever used ore heard of Nesmuk knife from Solingen? You might like them. They are on the premium side off german cutlery an i think they are cut above others. I visited they’re factory and they make pretty much everything by hand. Starting price is 350€ 🙃
Thanks for the video i do agree to your opinion.
Have a good one!
Best chef knives I’ve ever had is a good cook that I think was from Walmart. The thing takes an edge like nothing I have ever had even over some of my custom made ESSE knives. Had it 20 years and still cuts like a razor.
can you do a video of what TYPE of knife could be best for you? I've only ever used a Western chef's knife (Wüsthof) and it's a good knife but I feel reluctant to use it because the western style chef's knife doesn't suit me. I would like to see a comparison on chef's knife types (chinese, cai dao, nakiri, santoku...) out there so I don't need to buy one of each and find out through trial and error... What's the use like, what are the best cutting techniques for each knife, so the viewer can make a better purchase decision. Thanks!