Author Topic: Buying a Japanese nakiri  (Read 6496 times)

  • Offline Serious

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Buying a Japanese nakiri
on: March 09, 2020, 19:31:31 PM
Well at least I ordered one, and then realized there is no point...

/Waits for blank faces

I've stopped using a normal chef's knife cause I tend to stick the point in my other hand. If there is no point....

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Re: Buying a Japanese nakiri
Reply #1 on: March 10, 2020, 06:30:58 AM
I've always wanted a decent meat cleaver and santoku knife but never got round to getting either (plus I don't really trust the missus not to blunt them or lose a fingertip...) you can do pretty much anything with both of those.

  • Offline neXus

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Re: Buying a Japanese nakiri
Reply #2 on: March 11, 2020, 02:08:56 AM
Well at least I ordered one, and then realized there is no point...

/Waits for blank faces

I've stopped using a normal chef's knife cause I tend to stick the point in my other hand. If there is no point....


 :bow:

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Re: Buying a Japanese nakiri
Reply #3 on: March 11, 2020, 17:28:19 PM
I've always wanted a decent meat cleaver and santoku knife but never got round to getting either (plus I don't really trust the missus not to blunt them or lose a fingertip...) you can do pretty much anything with both of those.

Got a fairly decent £30 nakiri and this Chinese chef's knife. Yes, I know it looks like a meat cleaver...

Looks better than I first thought, decently sharp. Haven't cut my fingers yet but only arrived today.

https://smile.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B07Z2ZZ66X/

  • Offline zpyder

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Re: Buying a Japanese nakiri
Reply #4 on: April 01, 2020, 10:02:40 AM
Ooohhh, sharp things...

My best knife is my 30th birthday present from my wife, a Mcusta Zanmai Gyuto. It's super slicy and balanced so well. Vg10 steel core so keeps an edge nicely.

For xmas though my wife got me a baccarat brand set of knives. Here in NZ it seems most Australasian brands are overpriced junk. Sadly, these fall into that category, but I love them nonetheless as they were a gift. The steel is extremely soft, but at least it's easy to rehone and resharpen, plus corrosion resistant.

Should start a thread on pocket knives, which I collect. Mostly as mementos of special occasions...



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Re: Buying a Japanese nakiri
Reply #5 on: April 01, 2020, 10:12:39 AM
Do you find you have the same go-to kitchen knife out of those? I always end up using the same one or two knives.

I'd like to know what the deal is with the pocket knife on it's own in the red frame, is that a particularly sentimental/badass one?

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Re: Buying a Japanese nakiri
Reply #6 on: April 01, 2020, 10:14:50 AM
Jesus that Gyuto knife cost more than my whole Henckels knife block! :bow:

  • Offline zpyder

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Re: Buying a Japanese nakiri
Reply #7 on: April 01, 2020, 10:18:02 AM
Do you find you have the same go-to kitchen knife out of those? I always end up using the same one or two knives.

I'd like to know what the deal is with the pocket knife on it's own in the red frame, is that a particularly sentimental/badass one?
I thought I would have the same go to, but to be honest I use them all. Sometimes it's just because ones raw meat and the other veg, but other times it's because I'm slicing one thing, chopping something else, and carving pips out of something else so I'll go through the 4 front knives most dinners. The Gyuto was previously my go to till I got the set. Now it's my "if I want to cut something very very thinly" knife. Or special occasions, it's very versatile.

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  • Offline zpyder

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Re: Buying a Japanese nakiri
Reply #8 on: April 01, 2020, 10:21:15 AM
Jesus that Gyuto knife cost more than my whole Henckels knife block!
I lost a pocketknife that was gifted to me by my brother in law in Canada, less than 2 weeks after getting back from Canada. Said knife was a limited edition benchmade mini-griptilian, think it equated to about $750 nz dollars or about £300 or £350...

It pains me greatly, and I'm currently saving up money from selling stock photography to buy a replacement. Won't have the same production number but it'll do!

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  • Offline zpyder

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Re: Buying a Japanese nakiri
Reply #9 on: April 01, 2020, 10:28:30 AM
As to Red framed knife, it's a Fallkniven GP pocket knife. Quite badass, but very sentimental. It was bought when we found out I was going to be a father. The intention is to give it to my son when he turns 18,or some other responsible adulthood stage.

Other knives in the collection are for starting different jobs, moving to NZ, buying house, college, uni, holidays and birthdays. There's a couple that have no real memory attached to them which I find is a shame but they're nice enough :)




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Last Edit: April 01, 2020, 10:36:29 AM by zpyder #187;

  • Offline Serious

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Re: Buying a Japanese nakiri
Reply #10 on: April 01, 2020, 14:58:14 PM
I have 5 "ornamental" Japanese swords, blunt but look good on the wall. I then have a real one from the WW2 period and a folded steel one <love, love, love>.

I used to be able to practice with them, a long time ago, usually using the blunt ones. Now I can barely pick them up let alone swing one. Although I do still carefully oil the good two occasionally, no visible rust.

Strange thing with the UK law is you can still legally buy Japanese sword style blades under 50cm in length or ones made by traditional methods. Note that does not make them less lethal, plus you can still buy European, Asian or African style blades without problem. There are plenty of other weapons that are just as lethal, getting hit with a Lochaber axe would definitely spoil your day.

So far they have worked well enough, 56-58 Rockwell is hard enough for most uses. Best blades are 60+ Rockwell but are actually harder to sharpen. Usually the decent folded steel knives have a very hard 60+ core with a softer folded metal outside wrapped around it.

The best Japanese knives are all high carbon alloy steel and have thin edge angles, misuse one and it can break or become damaged. There are people who repair these but even they can only do so much.

Also watch out for cheap Chinese folded "steel" knives. often they are not hardened and will not hold an edge. When destructively tested a good high carbon steel blade will snap, a spring steel blade will bend a little and then spring back. These just bend and break.

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