Brainfreeze!
I got the blade lengths completely wrong, should read 6.5" and 9".
I love 10 inch chef's knives, and use my Messermeister and my Shun ten inchers regularly. Those, and the Glestain vegetable slicer, do most of the work when I'm in the kitchen.
link to Shun
link to Glestain
(you can find MUCH better pricing if you search the web for 45 minutes -- but these have the best photos)
BTW I'm a sharpening hobbyist too, so these knives provide two sources of pleasure: using them, and resharpening them. If you like sharpening you will LOVE the Knives Plus Strop Block (link 3)
_
link to Shun
link to Glestain
(you can find MUCH better pricing if you search the web for 45 minutes -- but these have the best photos)
BTW I'm a sharpening hobbyist too, so these knives provide two sources of pleasure: using them, and resharpening them. If you like sharpening you will LOVE the Knives Plus Strop Block (link 3)
_
Last edited:
My paring knives and 10" chef are workhorse Forschners; the santoku is this, which is nothing crazy esoteric: Masutani VG1 Santoku 170mm
Although every time my mom has used the latter she loves how it fits her, so either I have an easy Christmas gift or I'm going to be doing a swap with their Shun santoku.
I strop on old newspaper using a pulling stroke. The paper is sufficiently abrasive that everything polishes up handsomely.
Although every time my mom has used the latter she loves how it fits her, so either I have an easy Christmas gift or I'm going to be doing a swap with their Shun santoku.
I strop on old newspaper using a pulling stroke. The paper is sufficiently abrasive that everything polishes up handsomely.
Specifically mine are these:
Kitchen knife - 4138 / 16 cm - WUSTHOF
Carving knife - 4522 / 23 cm - WUSTHOF
They are relatively recent replacements for this one Carving knife - 4522 / 20 cm - WUSTHOF which after 25 years was just worn a bit too much.
Came as part of a block set but it turned out that I never used the paring, utility or cook's knives and without german bread there is no use for the bread knife.
Kitchen knife - 4138 / 16 cm - WUSTHOF
Carving knife - 4522 / 23 cm - WUSTHOF
They are relatively recent replacements for this one Carving knife - 4522 / 20 cm - WUSTHOF which after 25 years was just worn a bit too much.
Came as part of a block set but it turned out that I never used the paring, utility or cook's knives and without german bread there is no use for the bread knife.
This is my everyday knife and has been for almost 20 years. I don't know the brand, it was made in Japan. It was cheap as chips at a shop that caters to professional cooks. The handle is very plain wood, maybe bamboo if it comes that thick, very straight coarse grain. The bolster is cheap plastic, and the tang is not very long. After about 12 years the handle became loose and fell off, but I cleaned up and stuck it back on with Gorilla glue, it seems fine and goes through the dishwasher all the time. The steel is very nice, not "stainless" but some sort of alloy, visually it reminds me of CrMo bike parts. It is very light weight and takes a very good edge, and stays sharp. Not at all like a Wusthoff or such, but a great knife for daily use.
There are some Japanese characters on the side of the blade, and "Made in Japan" on the other side.
PS: The cutting edge is about 6.5", overall length is about 11.75".
There are some Japanese characters on the side of the blade, and "Made in Japan" on the other side.
PS: The cutting edge is about 6.5", overall length is about 11.75".
Last edited:
Here are a couple of other beauties which my wife inherited, both stainless. Both are carving knives and come with mtching csrving forks with guards, and steels. The one with the horn handle is from Birks and just says "Stainless Steel Sheffield England" (8" blade). The one with the ivory handle (yes, ivory) is from W H Humphreys & Co. also of Sheffield and has a 9" blade.
Both do a very good job on a joint of beef.
Both do a very good job on a joint of beef.
Is it "handed"? That is as shown in the photo if the other edge is flat it's right handed. It's hard to get Japanese knives left handed so there are many that make Western style symmetrical blades for export. It's fairly easy here to get a card that gets you into "trade" only shops, the deals are great.
No not handed, hollow ground both sides. I didn't have a card, they asked me if I was "in the trade", I said no, maybe would have got an even better deal if I was.
Asafoetida powder stores OK and has no aroma to speak of. I have never used the real asafoetida resin. I have seen recipes that called for sticking a small piece of the resin on the inside of a pot lid. I have a little shaker of the powder, it is fine until heated. The aroma of asafoetida when it hits hot fat is unique, and is the aroma of Brahmin communities in southern India.
![DSCN3133[1].jpg](/community/data/attachments/632/632087-e69ca3f15ab7836d0f1dab647125dc17.jpg)
![DSCN3132[1].jpg](/community/data/attachments/632/632110-994da991e9ffef70c804ce495c6edd67.jpg)