Having a brother who works at a fancy knife place has its perks

"Textured Soy Protein" (texturedsoyprotein)
02/08/2016 at 20:19 • Filed to: None

Knives aren’t really something I nerd out on, but I do cook all the time, and hey, you need knives to cook. My brother has turned into a knife nerd, and now works at this cool knife shop !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! , so I checked it out on my recent trip to DC to visit family.

I have a selection of cheap & decent Victorinox knives: 8" and 10" chef knives, 9" serrated, and several random cheap/sharp paring knives. My 8" chef knife needs to be properly sharpened, and even though there’s a solid knife sharpening place here in Madison called !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! , I’ve been lallygagging on actually getting around to going to have the knife sharpened.

Anyway, I’d been thinking about getting something a bit fancier as my go-to 8"-ish chef knife, and was looking at stuff in the $50-100 range like a MAC or Tojiro. But when I picked up this !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! , it felt perfect in my hand, and I’m a sucker for the pretty damascus cladding (those wavy lines on the blade) and white corian handle. Little bro asked his boss to hook me up with a friends ’n family discount (out of courtesy to the store I’ll refrain from saying how much), and now it’s alllll miiiiine.

Since I was flying back home after my visit, I didn’t exactly want to pack a crazy knife in my suitcase, so they shipped it to me. I’ve already used it several times and holy hell is it sharp. Like yesterday I made guacamole and when I went to cut a lime in half it practically fell through the lime. I made the finest of fine ribbons of green onions. It is amazing.

Now, I’m not saying a knife this fancy is really necessary, because to be honest, it’s a total luxury item. But if you cook a lot and are good enough with a knife where you’re not likely going to slice off a finger, having at least one really nice knife is, well, really nice.

Now if only I could get my lazy ass to to take those Victorinoxes to be sharpened...

DISCUSSION (26)

Party-vi > Textured Soy Protein
02/08/2016 at 20:34

Let me know how it holds an edge after repeated use. Also, wooo Damascus cladding (makes exaggerated jerking motions with hand).

DrJohannVegas > Party-vi
02/08/2016 at 20:49

I believe you’re looking for this?

Kinja'd!!!

gin-san - shitpost specialist > Textured Soy Protein
02/08/2016 at 21:02

I want to get a good knife but there’s just so much out there. I usually use a standard chef’s knife or a santoku, but I really like those nakiri knives as well. I sure as hell don’t need to buy one of each, so I usually browse then resign myself to using the cheap knives I got at Costco.

Eventually, I’ll get myself something nice but I’ll probably end up wearing out the knives I have first.

Damascus is pretty, but I really like the look of those carbon clad knives that still have the black finish:

Kinja'd!!!

OPPOsaurus WRX > Textured Soy Protein
02/08/2016 at 21:22

thats cool, i’ve heard you are less likely to cut yourself because you dont have to try as hard to cut if its that sharp.

my next meal is going to be tom kha gai, its a thai chicken soup with a coconut milk broth.

CCC (formerly CyclistCarCoexist) > Textured Soy Protein
02/08/2016 at 21:24

Carbon steel is attractive to how sharp it is, but it won’t stay sharp for long compared to typical knives. Anything with a chrome finish:stay away. And if you get a knife sharpened, it will never hold the sharp edge as long as when you bought the knife. And family/friends discounts at knife shops are dooope

Jonathan Harper > DrJohannVegas
02/08/2016 at 21:31

Kinja'd!!!

PheeNoIVI > Textured Soy Protein
02/08/2016 at 21:34

But is it Valyrian steel?

BorkBorkBjork > Textured Soy Protein
02/08/2016 at 22:27

Most people think quality knives are way out of their reach, but the truth is you don’t need a full set of 20 or so kitchen knives to do damn near everything. A single, good chef’s knife and vegetable knife will do 95% of what you need.

wafflesnfalafel > Textured Soy Protein
02/08/2016 at 22:41

My wife got me a couple Globals, (before they got trendy and were in that horror movie,) and love them. A decent quality, well maintained knife makes cooking much more enjoyable. The only one thing I would look for additionally in a new knife would be those coves in the blade so that whatever you are cutting falls off the blade easier.

AMGtech - now with more recalls! > Textured Soy Protein
02/08/2016 at 23:50

That is a beautiful blade.

uofime-2 > BorkBorkBjork
02/09/2016 at 10:20

Pretty much the only time I don’t use my chef’s knife is if its dirty and I’m too lazy to clean it right that second or if someone’s helping me cook and I’ve given it to them.

Textured Soy Protein > OPPOsaurus WRX
02/09/2016 at 10:20

Sharp knives are safer partly because of why you said, and also because if you do cut yourself, it’ll be a cleaner cut that heals faster.

uofime-2 > CCC (formerly CyclistCarCoexist)
02/09/2016 at 10:24

Alot of caveats to your statement. If the knife was heat treated, is a low alloy steel (with a low red point) and they reach the red point while sharpening

Textured Soy Protein > gin-san - shitpost specialist
02/09/2016 at 10:44

Really if you are on a budget you can’t go wrong with Victorinox. Their 8" chef knife with a plastic handle is usually about 30 bucks. I have one and it’s very solid especially for the price.

Before I bought this knife, I was trying to choose between a Tojiro DP 210mm gyutou , MAC HB-85 8.5" gyutou , or Fujiwara FKM 210mm gyutou . Those are all in the $60-75 range. Which is probably all I should have spent, but hey, you’ve got to live a little sometimes.

I prefer a western-style chef knife or a gyutou over a santoku, but if you like santokus, I’d check out those same brands. Personally I wouldn’t mess with the fancier Victorinox stuff since you’re mostly paying for the nicer handle with a similar blade to the ones with plastic handles. Because if you step up to that price range you could get a Tojiro, MAC or Fujiwara.

Textured Soy Protein > CCC (formerly CyclistCarCoexist)
02/09/2016 at 10:46

Yeah I didn’t want to mess with carbon steel. With how frequently I cook I figured stainless is my friend.

Textured Soy Protein > BorkBorkBjork
02/09/2016 at 10:47

I totally agree. Knife sets are a great way to get a large variety of not-very-good knives.

Textured Soy Protein > wafflesnfalafel
02/09/2016 at 10:54

Does that make you a knife hipster since you had a thing before it was a thing? ;)

Dimples aren’t really my jam but if you want them, MAC has a couple nice dimpled knives.

Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo > Textured Soy Protein
02/09/2016 at 11:07

I geek on the finest tools and instruments in any trade or craft; I consider myself a craftsman, albeit a serious amateur craftsman. My favorite knife came from Business Costco and cost, as I remember it, around $6. 6-inch blade, holds an edge pretty well, and has a nice light balance in the hand.

Damascus steel is beautiful to behold. Please treat yourself to viewing this episode of Nova if you have not already:

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/anci…

Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo > Textured Soy Protein
02/09/2016 at 11:09

And the Ulfberht Sword...

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/anci…

CaptDale - is secretly British > Textured Soy Protein
02/09/2016 at 17:01

Seriously? I have asked my parents for good knives like these and a few others almost every Christmas, cause cooking is life. But they always think I mean the $150 set from Costco is the same... Ugg. Anyway, that is awesome. Can I be adopted?

Textured Soy Protein > CaptDale - is secretly British
02/09/2016 at 18:58

You don’t want to be adopted into my family, we’re all insane.

For something nerdy and specific, sometimes it’s best to ask for the exact one you want. Or at least give a few differently-priced options from which to choose where you’d be happy with any of them.

CaptDale - is secretly British > Textured Soy Protein
02/09/2016 at 19:18

I have, but I will try again. Though I did get a set of Cutco, which I LOVE!! Insane is a good thing.

Kinja'd!!!

wafflesnfalafel > Textured Soy Protein
02/09/2016 at 21:26

crap - it might... I’ll go get my glasses and flannel...

Nauraushaun > Textured Soy Protein
02/09/2016 at 21:48

I’m no knife nerd, but I bought a fancy Global knife a year or two ago and it changed my life. I couldn’t believe how much better it was!

Textured Soy Protein > PheeNoIVI
02/10/2016 at 00:38

I dunno if that’s supposed to be a reference to some fantasy movie or something, but I have no idea what you’re talking about.

(It’s VG-10 stainless with 33-layer Damascus cladding.)

PheeNoIVI > Textured Soy Protein
02/10/2016 at 14:45

Lol, its a game of thrones reference.