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  1. #91
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    Quote Originally Posted by rsser View Post
    My little lump gets most outings on the blue steel Gyuto; shortish bevel on both sides, and the most prone to corrosion (there's a new 'auto' jug under the knife rack and the bleeding thing takes too long to auto off. Steam beats camellia oil dammit.
    Meant to add this tip to my last post that I picked it up from a Japanese knife shop, which is to regularly use Jif to clean off any minor oxidisation. The knife is placed flat on a chopping board, the handle butted up against the edge of the board, add a dab of Jif (as in Unilever's kitchen paste cleaner) and then brush repeatedly and firmly off the edge. I wouldn't use Jif on any knife where I wanted to keep the 'forged skin' intact... it will eventually abrade through it... but that is not an issue on knives that came with a ground surface to the cladding.

    My preference is to use Cerapol (ceramic cooktop cleaner), which has no abrasive in the paste, so obviously chemicals do the business. It works quickly at removing any tarnish and then I thoroughly remove the Cerapol to ensure that none of the chemicals remain on the blade. As the chemical composition is not disclosed (but the the safety directions warn against contact with skin or eyes, so likely to be alkalis), you will need to decide on the risk of using it on an implement that comes in contact with food.

    Back on knife kits, my BIL & wife gave me the book 'Cool Tools: Cooking Utensils from the Japanese Kitchen', Klippensteen, K. & Konishi, Y., Kodansha Int., Yokyo, 2006. She (Noriko) is Japanese and knows of my knife passion from her visits with us. As can be expected, the book is full of eye candy with pared down accompanying information. Knives take pride of place in the first section. It contains the following advice from Aritsugu (who have made Japanese knives for 400 years) on their recommended quintet for the "five basic knives that every [Japanese] household should stock":

    • Petty (double bevel)
    • Yanagi-ba (single bevel)
    • Heavy Deba-bocho (single bevel)
    • Santoko-bocho (double bevel)
    • Nakiri-bocho (double bevel) or Nakiri-bocho (single bevel)

    I have never had or felt the need for a Yanagi, as I rarely prepare fish or sushi, but regularly use the other four. And. if you prepare a lot of red meat a Gyuto is a good substitute for the Santoku.
    Stay sharp and stay safe!

    Neil



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  3. #92
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    Jan 2002
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    Melbourne, Aus.
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    Thanks for the tips Neil.

    Between the heavy Deba and the Gyuto I've not missed my Shun Santoku 'cept for its spekky look.
    Cheers, Ern

  4. #93
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    Dec 2007
    Location
    Western Australia
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    Quote Originally Posted by NeilS View Post
    Might pass on that one.

    Caveat emptor... I purchased a natural stone from that seller which, in my opinion, did not match the HGAL rating given for the stone. I returned it to him saying that I was not satisfied and asked for a refund. His response was to not reply to any of my communications, ban me from bidding on all of his auctions and to keep my money!

    Ive had several items from him and never a problem. English is not his strong point however.
    "Entia non sunt multiplicanda praeter necessitatem"

  5. #94
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    Just back from 3 months in the country (cooking about 3 times a week; ... bachelor stuff - cook up a batch and reheat!).

    Took up the Tanaka VG10 Petty knife and the Watanabe Gyuto mentioned above.

    The Tanaka got the most use and has still come back with a usable edge. The Gyuto has come back with better than that.

    Bang for buck, the Tanaka has to rate as the best tool ever.

    In both cases, the blade geometry and the edge-holding make food prep a simple delight.

    I'd try to pass on this discovery to my kids, who are all cooks in their own way, but suspect they're not ready for the maintenance work involved.
    Cheers, Ern

  6. #95
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    Apr 2007
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    Adelaide Hills, South Australia
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    Quote Originally Posted by rsser View Post

    Bang for buck, the Tanaka has to rate as the best tool ever.

    .....

    I'd try to pass on this discovery to my kids, who are all cooks in their own way, but suspect they're not ready for the maintenance work involved.

    Welcome back from the High Country, Ern. It felt like I was up there myself yesterday; it snowed here in the Adelaide Hills, the last time it did that in October was back in 1895. Must have been quite a dump by the time it got over the Victorian Alps.

    Thanks for sharing your 3 month trial on the two knives, Ern.

    Yes, the kids won't look after the knives the way we do, but they do like using them. Just start them off on the cheapest easiest maintenance ones. My kids now have all their friends using them. I've had some shockers come back to me for re-habbing, but that is just part of the process. However, we are making progress; they all now make very disparaging remarks about any knife that isn't as sharp! I just have to teach them now how to sharpen them properly themselves.

    Back on the Tanaka, since getting your feedback I've been recommending Shigeki Tanaka knives (the VG-10, not the Blue #2, + SS clad) for first time users. Everyone has been happy with their knife.

    And, if someone is looking for a Japanese knife as a special gift I have also suggest the Yaxell Zen VG-10, not used one myself, but reckon it would suit a first time Japanese knife user with low maintenance VG-10 edge and SS cladding, and a very nice looking knife too (click on a close up image of the blade).

  7. #96
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    Thanks Neil.

    It's certainly been quite a front; 3 high country rescues needed in the last 2 days.

    That's a great looking Yaxell Zen knife and great value too. So that's dimpling on the blade?

    Yes, I guess I should leave out the Tanaka petty knife for the remaining kid-at-home to use. Then she'll feel the difference and may conclude in time it's worth the maintenance.
    Cheers, Ern

  8. #97
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    Should add that the other Tanaka knife in the kit is also very good value for money. This is the Damascus-style Nakiri which is a delight to use in finely slicing veggies.

    It gets used off a #3000 stone.

    The other day out of interest I 'polished' the bevels with a fine Iyo stone and on soft veggies it didn't perform as well. Clearly with those leaving an adequate serration is important.
    Cheers, Ern

  9. #98
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    Quote Originally Posted by rsser View Post

    The other day out of interest I 'polished' the bevels with a fine Iyo stone and on soft veggies it didn't perform as well. Clearly with those leaving an adequate serration is important.
    Yes, I find micro-serrations work better on knives that are used with a slicing action.

    I have been playing around recently with adding a micro-bevel to my knives with a #2000-4000 Tanaka Aoto (ie from the Tanaka stone quarry, not the knife maker). A relatively coarse grit to what I had been using. Edge durability may be not quite so good but nicer to use for slicing.
    Stay sharp and stay safe!

    Neil



  10. #99
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    Dec 2008
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    Default My kit of Japanese knives ... WIP

    I'm sorry, my question relates to a western bread knife and not a Japanese knife. But I thought that everyone reading this is a knife enthusiast!

    How can I sharpen my serrated bread knife? It's kinda dull. I have a steel.

    Ta

  11. #100
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    The sharpening 'bible' has gone west John but from memory there's nothing sacrosanct about those scalloped edges. Try a steel. Try a stone on the back. It doesn't have to be a fine edge as the serrations do the work.
    Cheers, Ern

  12. #101
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    Default My kit of Japanese knives ... WIP

    Quote Originally Posted by rsser View Post
    The sharpening 'bible' has gone west John but from memory there's nothing sacrosanct about those scalloped edges. Try a steel. Try a stone on the back. It doesn't have to be a fine edge as the serrations do the work.
    Ok. Thanks. I'll give it a go. If it works, I'll send you all a slice of fresh bread .

    (Well, I can't actually...my 2 little fairies will eat it all before I get to the post office!)

  13. #102
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    Default Bread knife sharpening

    Well the 'bible' has turned up thankfully. We've been moving books around to enable a big redecorate in two rooms.

    Lee advises honing the back (the non-scalloped side) with a stone to about 5 degrees.

    If you have a straight edged blade, he advises using a checkering file. This'd prob. be a bit hard to find and a coarse stone would do the job at a guess, just stroking in one direction.

    How did you go John?

    Have your fairies got suddenly plumper?
    Cheers, Ern

  14. #103
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    Ah, joy

    The Kid's now taking a serious interest in good knife work and is prepared to have a go with the Nakiri and Petty Knife and maybe the Gyotoh.

    Don't mind if she hacks them. As long as she 'gets' them.
    Cheers, Ern

  15. #104
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    Good'onya, Ern.

    Maybe the kids will give them a few dings here and there, however, besides the effort of rehabbing them, the knives themselves have years of use in them which none of us are going to deplete in our remaining time.

    I must say that it sure adds to the pleasure of using these knives when your kids (and their friends) take a shine to them. Besides, it provides somewhere for your not quite so loved knives to go... so you can buy and try other knives.
    Stay sharp and stay safe!

    Neil



  16. #105
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    It does indeed add an extra dimension when something you value is taken up by your adult kids.

    ...

    I hadn't thought about the new knives angle. That may come

    Have to say that the big Deba gets the least use given my cooking now. The Kid is a vegetarian so not much fish is being served and the experience with pumpkin was salutory.

    But it's such a gorgeous tool that it will stay.
    Cheers, Ern

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