Knife Thread

firstborn said:
Surely you have to get another TOG.
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I don't want need to spend that much, and the TOG I got on sale for like £80? Bargain considering it's £240 retail.

I want a Nakiri mostly because I find after slicing stuff, the surface area on a Nakiri is useful to pick up stuff like onions etc and then put into a bowl. I don't want a full-size cleaver.
 
Raymond Lin said:
I don't want need to spend that much, and the TOG I got on sale for like £80? Bargain considering it's £240 retail.

I want a Nakiri mostly because I find after slicing stuff, the surface area on a Nakiri is useful to pick up stuff like onions etc and then put into a bowl. I don't want a full-size cleaver.
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£80!! Real bargain. I have a £10 Procook Nakiri which gets the most use tbh.
 
Raymond Lin said:
I don't want need to spend that much, and the TOG I got on sale for like £80? Bargain considering it's £240 retail.

I want a Nakiri mostly because I find after slicing stuff, the surface area on a Nakiri is useful to pick up stuff like onions etc and then put into a bowl. I don't want a full-size cleaver.
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https://www.hocho-knife.com/kanetsune-kc-920-aogami-no-2-steel-hammered-nakiri-vegetable-165mm/

I've had a Kanetsune for over a decade, very well made and comfortable to use. <£100 is a good price for Aogami steel.
 
Raikiri said:
https://www.hocho-knife.com/kanetsune-kc-920-aogami-no-2-steel-hammered-nakiri-vegetable-165mm/

I've had a Kanetsune for over a decade, very well made and comfortable to use. <£100 is a good price for Aogami steel.
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I need to read up on the different steel, besides whether they rust or not.

There is AG10, I see AU10?, then some are 3 folds and some are white paper carbon steel or something, so many kinds and price doesn't really mean much in terms of steel either as i see expensive stainless and cheap stainless and cheap Blue Carbon and expensive blue carbon.
 
There are lots of different steels, for a nakiri I'd favour harder steel as it's primarily for softer food prep like veg, so you don't have to worry so much about chipping/breaking the blade:

Molybdenum Vanadium Steel - Used on cheaper Japanese knives, 57-59 Rockwell but very easy to sharpen and will take a decent edge. Usually quite flexible so not great for larger knives (IMO).
440c - Basic stainless steel. Can range from 57-60 Rockwell depending on heat treatments etc. TOG use a high-end version of this layered with copper and softer steel. The cutting edge is a good 440c steel.
AUS8 - Good all-around stainless steel, holds an ok edge. 57-59 Rockwell. Quite easy to sharpen.
VG10 - Also stainless, a bit harder at 60-61 Rockwell. Harder to sharpen but will take a slightly better edge and hold it well.
Aogami - There are a few different ones, white, blue, super etc. They range from 60-65 Rockwell. They're also reactive, meaning they can rust and will need to be hand-washed/dried after use. Generally will take a better edge than stainless and will hold it for much longer. Relatively easy to sharpen but also brittle, don't use them on frozen foods, bone etc. as they will chip.
SG2 - Stainless steel but 63-64 Rockwell, most of the advantages of Aogami but none of the drawbacks. Usually very expensive.

Past that you have some very specialised steels that can go up to 72 Rockwell, but they're very brittle, hard to sharpen and not generally needed beyond very specific uses.

Pricing is usually more about the fit and finish, handle materials, damascus layers (purely aesthetic).

You can get two knives using the same steel for £100 and £1000. But one will be produced on a larger scale, use materials like plywood in the handle and might have some rough edges relatively speaking. The other will be a 300 layer, damascus blade, with an ironwood handle and everything will be hand finished to perfection. Functionally they're about the same.
 
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Raikiri said:
There are lots of different steels, for a nakiri I'd favour harder steel as it's primarily for softer food prep like veg, so you don't have to worry so much about chipping/breaking the blade:

Molybdenum Vanadium Steel - Used on cheaper Japanese knives, 57-59 Rockwell but very easy to sharpen and will take a decent edge. Usually quite flexible so not great for larger knives (IMO).
440c - Basic stainless steel. Can range from 57-60 Rockwell depending on heat treatments etc. TOG use a high-end version of this layered with copper and softer steel. The cutting edge is a good 440c steel.
AUS8 - Good all-around stainless steel, holds an ok edge. 57-59 Rockwell. Quite easy to sharpen.
VG10 - Also stainless, a bit harder at 60-61 Rockwell. Harder to sharpen but will take a slightly better edge and hold it well.
Aogami - There are a few different ones, white, blue, super etc. They range from 60-65 Rockwell. They're also reactive, meaning they can rust and will need to be hand-washed/dried after use. Generally will take a better edge than stainless and will hold it for much longer. Relatively easy to sharpen but also brittle, don't use them on frozen foods, bone etc. as they will chip.
SG2 - Stainless steel but 63-64 Rockwell, most of the advantages of Aogami but none of the drawbacks. Usually very expensive.

Past that you have some very specialised steels that can go up to 72 Rockwell, but they're very brittle, hard to sharpen and not generally needed beyond very specific uses.

Pricing is usually more about the fit and finish, handle materials, damascus layers (purely aesthetic).

You can get two knives using the same steel for £100 and £1000. But one will be produced on a larger scale, use materials like plywood in the handle and might have some rough edges relatively speaking. The other will be a 300 layer, damascus blade, with an ironwood handle and everything will be hand finished to perfection. Functionally they're about the same.
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That is very useful, saves me hours of research, I will trust you and go for Aogami if i can, but looks like VG10 might also be good for stainless.

Do you apply some oil to the knife post clean to keep it from rusting? like i do with my carbon steel pan.
 
Raymond Lin said:
Do you apply some oil to the knife post clean to keep it from rusting? like i do with my carbon steel pan.
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You can, I don't for mine, I just make sure it's dry. It will also start to discolour slightly if you're prepping anything acidic (citrus, onions etc.) but it comes off quite easily.

The nakiri I linked uses an aogmai core but has a softer, less reactive steel around it so you shouldn't have to worry too much about rust etc. Same as the 3 layers you mentioned, otherwise known as a san mai.
 
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Raikiri said:
I believe that is the exact one I linked you, better price though!
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Your is 920, that is 923, not sure of the difference of the model number lol I just googled the brand and went to the first UK seller. I was thinking getting a traditional Japanese handle as it will be a veg knife so don't need a full tang but those seem to be either way cheap or too expensive.
 
Raymond Lin said:
Your is 920, that is 923, not sure of the difference of the model number lol I just googled the brand and went to the first UK seller. I was thinking getting a traditional Japanese handle as it will be a veg knife so don't need a full tang but those seem to be either way cheap or too expensive.
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They appear to be the same other than the spine thickness being 1.9mm vs 2.0mm. Could just be regional branding/naming.
 
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