How to Pick A Knife
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- Опубликовано: 23 окт 2020
- 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?
The ergonomic and looks of Japanese knives are amazing and really a joy to use.
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.
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.
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 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!
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
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.
One of the better knife videos I've watched. Appreciate both your knowledge and honesty.
just keeping it real and 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.
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.
Thank you for all of the hard work. I have really benefited from your videos.
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?
@@damon4557 Sadly so..
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 bought one of your Ryky knives and it is so beautiful. I almost didn't want to use it. It's really sharp. I'll definitely buy again from the burrfection store.
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 😅
I completely agree. Great video!
Awesome! Thank you!
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!
Again I agree with your viewpoints. I like that you are not locked into a particular agenda. Keep em coming! Thanks
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
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!
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 i love your channel...to your question....sharpness out of the box is irrelevant to me...funny story, when i told my wife cca year or 2 ago i´m going to buy whetstones to sharpen our knives, respond was like "whatever/isnt it a waste of money?" now she is like "darling can you check the knives, the food is not splitting a part on its own like it does after freshly sharpened knife?"....:-D....we are now discussing investment in the proper knife (from your store) and she is again "whatever"....:-D i guess ppl never learn.
regarding the paper - its so nice to see that i use it for the exact same purpose as you do...to check if the whole edge is cutting cleanly and its not tearing the paper....I´ve learnt so much from your videos.
Lots of good points dude.
thank you!
Lots of love for that first sentence.
Just like a car needs an oil change after several miles, a knife will need to be sharpened after several onions. Love your channel! Even though I messed up my edge on the one knife I tried to sharpen. I keep looking at videos and learning from my mistakes 🙂
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!
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
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.
Thx good information i agree what you said
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!
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
Love this video, thanks
Glad you enjoyed it!
Very nice informative video. Thanks for this I learned a few things.
Glad you enjoyed it!
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!
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
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 RUclips 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.
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
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
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
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....
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
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.
100% agree I can always sharpen the knife if needed.
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.
I use a 9 Inch Interpur japan stainless steel chefs knife i found while dumpster diving for my cooking needs. It works for me.
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.
That reminds me, I have a couple knives I really want to smooth the spine of.
So many projects to procrastinate on.
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
Agreed man hope your well!
thank you
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. 😏
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
Fans From Malaysia ❤❤❤
i learn a lot from u.
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.
You didn’t tell about the most important thing...
...the knife must be BEAUTIFUUUUUL 😁
I have a pasel of knives of all sorts (all relatively inexpensive-$75-130 or so).I’m a mediocre sharpener, but I also don’t have a “go-to” knife I always use. So edges, when sharpened, stay that way for a while. Steeling matters. And what I’m cutting. Eggplant isn’t tomato. Sometimes skill is more important than tool specifics, like when cutting squash-method is as important as blade. Some of the cacophony of knives I like better than others. Can’t remember them all, but there’s miyabi and internet knives. I’ve also been experimenting with wet polishing with sander I have for marble polishing, which seems like it’s more cosmetic than functiona. But now I need another martini-no knives involved. 😜 love your stuff and info.
Hello. I just stumbled upon your channel. Great info. Would like to learn more about purchasing some handmade knifes, will you restocking on certain knives anytime soon? Some are amazing but its too late since they have been sold. Thanks
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
Hi! Love your chanel! So pleasing to see all The japanes knives! Im interested to get one of my own! Have you ever tried a Satake Ame knife? If not have you any thoughts or what do you know about them?
Great video!! I’m new to sharpening. I can get the knife sharp but it gets dull pretty quickly. Even running it on a steel hone didn’t help. maybe I’m not thoroughly removing the burr? Too low angle?
I agree with your hierarchy. Why sweat over things that are easily changed.
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
Hello, I want to get into sharpening and am torn between what to get and I would like your opinion on my picks. I have watched your king kds 1000 vs cerax 1000 and cannot decide if I should get a combi stone or just a sharpening stone. I know virtually nothing about sharpening besides having watched a few sharpening videos. I am considering getting the Sabitoru rust eraser and Naniwa holder. Do I need to get a strop? I'm looking for the bare essentials to get started. Great videos keep up the great work.
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.
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
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.
What are your thoughts on the Miyabi Birchwood Rocking Santoku? I held one the other day and it just felt right thinking of making the purchase. Appreciate the videos and the work you do. Thanks
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.
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.
Hey Ryky, what are your thoughts on the Kai line of budget knives? Would it be possible to make another budget knife video comparing these to the Mercer brand?
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😩
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! :)
Great video, as always! Could you review Takeda knife, please? ;D
Great down to earth post about real world application, thank you :) I agree with you about people loosing sight about what is important about a knife when shopping around. At the end of the day it's a tool and while it comes in many shapes, sizes, styles and looks, it needs to hold it's value for it purpose of cooking. While I'm new to the sharpening and knife world myself, it has been a pleasure leaning from your many years of experience and helpful tips. I'm super happy to be one of your patron peeps and even more so to be a customer who has purchased from your online stone (FYI you made it easy to support you with great pricing when I was shopping around including delivery for your Aussie customers).
Slightly off topics question, do you have a helpful rule of thumb tip for maintaining correct angle of a knife when sharpening on a stone? I don't have any angle guides to help me when sharpening so im just going off feel but, it would be great to have some fundamentals I could use as a check point to make sure I'm not raising the angle too much or little. Thanks and keep up the great work!!
Vash - Maintaining a consistent bevel angle is one of the biggest things to get right. An average person can do amazing things with enough practice. For beginners (like me, just a year into it), I finally found that it is indeed possible to gently rock the edge until it feels flat against the stone, and it is possible to keep just the right amount of pressure to keep that flat as you move it. Sight also helps, and listening carefully helps. Initially, I also watched the water movement against the edge. Practice! Practice! Buy a "cheap" knife, and practice! Eventually, it will come to you.
@@davesmith5656 Thanks for the info Dave and I think you are spot on!! I have been using my stones only for a couple of weeks now but have been stropping my chefs knife after daily use (it really makes a difference as it's a 58 Rockwell and the practice has been very helpful to work at getting the hand movement flowing smoothly). While I have decent results, I guess without having a teacher present it's hard to make sure I'm getting the most out of my sharpening or if I'm hitting the sweet spot. I guess its why I was seeking any helpful tips for Ryky and the community that they have come across. In the end you don't know what you don't know, so any tips are always welcome and thank you for the ones you have provided :)
thank you for supporting what i do. as for sharpening angles, just practice. it will take a little time, but start with an angle you find comfortable to hold, and can do it consistently without scratching the blade during sharpening. then over time, you can bring the knife's spine closer to whetstone as you get more comfortable. also, keep an eye on cutting performance of ingredients - if you are happy with the performance, then just keep that same angle for a while. if you feel you can go shallower, try it, and see how cutting performance is affected.
@@summit505 ---- You are entirely welcome! One more possibly helpful positive, if you should feel a bit demoralized sometime because you didn't get a razor sharp knife right away, or it wasn't as sharp as the previous one, I think the Japanese apprenticeship to qualify as a master sharpener is something like three years. So if you can already get a knife sharp, you're doing great! I broke down and bought a set of plastic angles, and discovered that after a while, when pausing to check, I had it right, and discovered that if I set the edge down where I thought it was right, then checked, it was flush with the plastic. So I think a part of it is confidence. If you remember learning to ride a bicycle? Seeing and feeling the right angle, and not falling off it.
I don't know if you read my reply to "Demokraati" on this thread, but you're definitely right on stropping your chef's knife to maintain that sharp edge. Using a stone is maybe once every few months, or if something happened to the edge. Like dragging it over a brick 20 times or something (joke). A strop with 0.5 micron diamond spray will get a knife razor sharp; going as Ryky describes, working down from 10 strokes per side to alternating, light, smooth, strokes. (I do less, but I don't use my two or three favorite knives a lot.)
Not everyone has the courage to try freehand sharpening on whetstones. Ryky's videos put together a solid background!
@@Burrfection Very happy to support you mate and thank you for the info. I'll keep plugging away and skill up with with trial and error.
Ohh I love sharpening knives
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
Dear Ryky:
This may be your best (yes most subjective) video. Its combination of terminology, with real knives named, with real (food) testing - as opposed to rope or paper cutting - and adding some erronous user comments really hit home. Just an excellent short video.
Two other comments:
I just acquired a "Kiwi" brand knives, made in Thailand (of all places). It has no, repeat no, ergonomics. It looks like a 99¢ knive. However it is, by far the sharpest knife, I have seen (and otherwise have) "out of the box". I don't know how they can do that, considering the cheapness of the knife (which sells for under $10) and the fact that of hundred or so knives I have used (and have in storage, A little crazy I am), it by far the sharpess.
Secondly, I finally figured out a way to sharpen that Martha Stewart chef's knife to reasonable sharpness, and usability. I use a cermanic coffee cups unglazed bottom - which actually sharpens the edge ( as it makes the cups edge black, with filings), followed by a honing on a rod, followed by a stroping on a leather belt. It has made the knive " work" for the first time in the twenty or so years I had the knife and never been able to use it.
Thank you!
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
Excellent insights, it will certainly make a difference the next time I buy a knife, actually looking for a good sized cliver right now. Any suggestions?
most makers just make 1 size, or 2 max. Sugimoto makes some of the best, if not the best and offer lots of sizes store.burrfection.com/collections/chuka-bocho
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!
"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.
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
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 !
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.
10:15 that YU KUROSAKI looks stunning :O
I love your videos. I love cooking. I am 57 as of July 3rd. I work at Home Hardware, here in Fort.Saint.John, British Columbia , Canada on the Alaska Hwy. I have been here for 30years. But my real passion has always been cooking .I did cook in a Guiding camp and in the Forces, and loved it. I really want to leave sales behind and become a real cook .I always take some of my home made soups and dishes to work. I even cook for the staff once a month. I am healthy and just want to live my passion. Is this wrong? at my age. And I would love to learn how to cook real Japanese food. Sadly covid has effected my pay checks like everyone else here in Canada. When I can, I would love to buy some decent knives. Thank you for your videos. They make me really think about my true calling, which is cooking. William Vipond from the Great White North, in Canada.
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.
New to your channel; having small,skinny hands such as yourself; what knife would you suggest I use? Can you show me the best way to sharpen my knife's? And finally I would like to know what the best tool is to sharpen knife's?Thank you
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?
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
I have really good luck with sharpness and lasting edge retention for a hunting knife from a Norwegian blade named Brusletto. Just a great comfortable blade for my hunting needs and always sharp with minimal stropping to maintain edge for next time.
The stuff out of Scandinavia is usually pretty sweet. I've been impressed with Swede and Finn blades, been wanting to try one from Norway but just haven't got around to it.
That paper test vs ingredients is an interesting point. I just bought a Kramer Meiji 8 chef knife, and the first one that came cut paper like it wasn't even there, but then I went to cut up an apple and it was fighting me! Returned it and got another and all is good now, but I was so confused by that
interesting. never heard something that extreme before, but i'm glad it has worked out
@@Burrfection definitely puzzling, but yeah, got it from cutlery and more and they were very helpful. Between the Meiji and my shun Hiro, I think I'm set for chefs knives for a while. Though there is a sale on wusthof epicures...lol never ends
Hello! Not sure if you’d read this, but I am looking for nice steak knives. I have been shopping for a few options, I love the drama of having the layered damascus knives on the table, but won’t this brittle VG type steel edges be obliterated when slicing on ceramic or porcelain plates? Thoughts?
As someone who used to sell high end knives, it can be real hard to get people to look past "out of the box" edge sharpness (we never sharpened our demo units) and so would often overlook the best options because they had been shown so much and had been dulled more than others.
appreciate the input.