What I Learned When I Damaged a New Handcrafted Japanese Knife
Since I'm still a total novice in the knife world and making mistakes, I hope other fellow learners can learn from what I did wrong. Thanks to Skillshare for sponsoring this video. Sign up and get a 2 month free trial at skl.sh/lifewhereimfrom2
Thanks again to Ryusen Hamono for fixing my knife! ryusen-hamono.com/
Check out traditional Japanese crafts in Echizen at bit.ly/2UQejK8
Some info sources:
- Polishing a Rusty Knife - Jun's Kitchen • Polishing a Rusty Knife
- www.seriouseats.com/2018/07/j...
- Sanelli Japanese Knife www.sanelli.com/portale/catalo...
- Factory made Wusthof knives • Quality made in German...
- Different types of stainless steel zknives.com/knives/kitchen/mis...
- Reddit Getting Started Guide on r/chefknives / gettingstarted
- Reddit Japanese vs. Western on r/chefknives / japanesevswestern
- All about different steels and terms / steels
- HAP-40 technical details www.hitachi-metals.co.jp/e/ys...
- VG-10 steel www.bladehq.com/cat--Steel-Ty...
- Powdered High Speed Tool Steel japanesechefsknife.com/collec...
- Cutting boards and food safety news.ncsu.edu/2014/09/cutting...
- Grab a sharp knife for better flavor www.nytimes.com/2014/09/24/di...
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As I learned more about knives, I felt it was like how I started learning more about video cameras. I went from a handheld camcorder 20 year to a mirrorless one that needs a bunch of additional parts just to do the basics, plus some extra stuff to maintain it. Nowadays, you can pick up a camcorder for under $1,000 and it has 4K 60FPS (mine only does 30FPS), better sound, better image stabilization, better zoom, and maybe even an ND filter to control the light coming in. My current setup is the SONY A7III, and that’s only a camera body. I need to add a lens to it just to shoot and the audio is crap. So I also add an extra microphone (which I actually own five of for different purposes). Dust gets onto the sensor, so I need a blower and special liquid and cleaning sticks to maintain that. Need an ND filter to cut down the sunlight when shooting in bright conditions. I have general all-around lens that goes wide but doesn’t zoom much. I have lenses that are called prime lenses that don’t zoom at all, but the image quality is so amazing that it’s worth the tradeoff. I have a tripod, monopod, and stabilizer. I also have higher speed SD cards needed to record the 4K footage. And all this all costs 10X more than the cheap camera. But the control and quality I get over the more complicated setup, is totally worth it. And you know what, sometimes in a pinch, I still use my smartphone camera to record something because it’s what I have and it’s quick and easy.
Great post
I need to get one of those knives hahaahaha
Now that you have a great knife and you know how to maintain it. Now, I would suggest on how to use it. I am a knife man myself so I would really like to watch video on how properly use knives. So far the best video that I watched on how to USE knives is the video of Gordon Ramsey. It really helped me and really boosted my eagerness the have netter knives. i hope this you would also benefit on the video that I suggested. Btw, I am here in Japan and any time soon I would really buy some of those Ryusen knives. Thank you for the video.
The details of your recording equipment are both impressive and also kinda scary for a point-and-shoot Canon owner like me.
I havent watch the video till the end so i dont know if you correct your self but real damascus steek is called wootz steel these days to differentiate it from pattern welded steel which is called damascus steel these days. And there are few that can produce wootz these days. Ps hopefully my english was understandable 😅
As someone who fell into the knife world slowly over the last fifteen years, I really appreciate you telling us about your journey. It's very similar to mine and I now have several Japanese style knives and whetstones. It definitely makes kitchen prep more enjoyable.
Thanks! Yes, definitely makes kitchen prep funner.
Falling into a knife world sound perilous to your health
@@nikolausluhrs As long as you do it slowly you can dodge most of it.
I second this, this is probably the most informative and clear video I have found explaining it and there was no timewasting. Look up 'list of blade materials' on wikipedia as well, it tells you about the history of several steel types and their applications - can come in handy when choosing a knife for a specific job. E.g - No point in having a 60+ HRC Cleaver as its very brittle.
Surprised people still cheap sharpening tools, wet stones and honing stick way to go.
It's so nice to know that marital arguments are the same in Japan as here in the USA. My wife still won't talk to me about the expensive can opener I broke!
People are the same everywhere you go. Customs and cultures are different but we all have the same reactions to life.
may i ask how can you break a can opener?
@AssmasterFlex69 Obviously you've never been there or met anyone from there.
What u do take a hammer to it 😆
@@jeromel5731 No, but the wife would like to pound me with one!
"I won't let my husband use this" 😂
That is funny because she is the one who rusted the knife.
Chemicalkinetics She is talking about the fact that he chipped it while sharpening it
@@nusaibahibraheem8183 I know, but the knife was rusted already. It depends how rusty the knife is. If the rust is deep, then rust part will "chip" out during sharpening -- it is unavoidable.
Well my wife denies to use my knives, now. "They are too sharp!". That's okay for me.
Literally laughed out loud 😂🤣
One thing I felt while buying the knife and then the sharpening stones is that I hadn't earned it. I needed to have better knife skills, have better sharpening skills. So I'm trying to get better to earn these, and maybe in ten years I'll feel like I have. On the other hand, my wife prepares 95% of family meals, so I think she definitely deserves it.
Life Where I'm From turn on subtitles - at 1:35
Good choice!
two fingers on the knife if your are using a chef knife!!!
Don't worry buddy, it won't take 10 years, a few months and you get the hang of it all :-)
Greg-san will work hard, and level up his knife ability points.
You can actually hear the difference in sharpness when cutting....
You guys really make me feel I should by a proper knife!
I was going to say the same, but you beat me to it !
@@LittleThingsinJapan You don't need to spend a lot to get a proper knife. A victorinox fibrox is around $30, and it will get (almost) as sharp as the knives in these videos. Although it won't stay that sharp for as long, and it won't cut as nicely because it's not as thin, but it's still a get knife, and it's very resistant to chipping
yes, a great Japanese knife should make a loud 'CLUNK' noise as the cutting board falls apart in two piece. Also never drop a Japanese knife point down, it will continue down through the earth and hurt someone standing on the opposite side of the globe.
@@pineapplejones1092 nah that won't happen.. after repeated killing due to falling knives they came up with the ingenious idea of making the hilt thicker than the blade and therefore stopping it once the blade is in the ground fully. Still very capable of chopping feet off if dropped though..
Your sis in law is so cute!! I could feel her annoyance when she was talking about her husband, and her joy when she kept slicing the veggies for fun.
When I went on my school trip to Japan my mum requested I find her a new Japanese knife to replace her 30 year old one she got went she was on exchange in Japan, it had been sharpened so much it was much smaller than it was when she got. My host family were so lovely and took me to Osaka to get her a knife from a famous knife shop there. I don't remember the name but they helped me pick out a good all rounder kitchen knife and even engraved it with my mum's name (in English no less). It's been a few years and it's still my mum's special knife that the rest of us don't use and are really careful taking care of it. A good quality (and expensive) knife is really special and you don't want someone else to make a mistake and ruin your favourite knife. This was a great video though I did cringe a bit when I saw the rust haha. I'm glad you fixed it though and learnt from the mistake :)
that sounds awesome! the only japanese knives we have are ceramic ones, which cannot be sharpened so unfortunately they don't cut through paper
@@hayliechen9329 you can sharpen ceramic knives if you have CBN or diamond sharpening tools a cheap diamond plate can be in the $30 range, or you if you want to have someone do it for you contact me my email is garethbaus@gmail.com
Was it the osaka tower knife store? Thats where I got mine. It´s really a great knife and I love it. I even own a wetstone but I still need a lot of practise ... I am not willing to use it on my japanese knife yet. Sadly I somewhat damaged my japanese knife already. It is not even close as severly as shown in this video, but there are like 2 small rustspots in the metal because I didn´t dry it properly after usage.
I think you must have visited Tower Knives. I got my knife from there too. They will teach you sharpening basics and maintenance as part of their service, and engrave your knife with you r name if you ask. Plus all staff speak great English which is rare in Japan. That shop is definately the place to go if you are foreigner in Osaka looking for a cool knife. I think I must have cut up 20 carrots and tomatoes testing all the knives in that shop!
@@joebailey8845 I dunno if it was Tower Knives, the staff didn't speak English (maybe a tiny tiny bit), I had my host family's friend to help translate, she spent several years in Australia (where I'm from) and is fluent in English. My Japanese isn't quite good enough to understand all the specific knife words. Also there wasn't anything to test the knives on like you had. They did give me a print out with maintenance instructions in English though so that was very helpful. Tower Knives sounds very good though
"can I say one more thing...?" Throws husband under bus, again, for good measure. Dang Mom!!!
18:17 (some additional tipps from me, using carbon steel knives for over 40 years now): wooden cutting boards: use a foodsafe oil to protect it against moisture. Don't use knives with serrated edges on them. Cut the food, not the board. I uses Whetstones for over 30 years now. Then I used a diamond whetstone and fell initially in love. Now I use 3 diamond whetstones (medium, fine, extrafine) and diamond paste in 3 grades on leather straps. Knives you don't use daily love to get oiled. Use any mineral oil and just wash it away (or the foodsafe one for the cutting boards, if it is not acid) or buy a bottle of camellia oil which is recommendet by blacksmiths. I am from Germany and I use Ballistol universal oil instead, even for the wooden handles, if they don't have a protective coating. I always have a wet and soaped cleaning rag and a microfibre cloth resting on the kitchen sink. Whenever I am finished with cutting one type of food ingedient I just wipe it with the rag and dry it with the cloth. This will cost you a couple of seconds, but will save you hours of work when the blade got damaged. In summary I have to mention, that your sister in laws husband did everything wrong. But I don't want to throw stones, sitting in the glass house: my wife damaged my first japanese knife badly: first threw it on the floor, so the tip broke off and additionally cleaned it in the dish-washer. Hours of swearing while sharpening of the blade , it was usable again. I still like to use it and my wife no longer touches my knives...
I heard diamond stones take off too much metal
Sanjay Raj diamond paste works wonders.
Just to say, never oil a hinoki board. This Japanese cypress is used in Japanese onsen bath and they never use oil in there. Just put a bit of water on it to #seal# it before cutting on it. Just my two cents
That’s a harsh lesson, but it had to happen in order for people to learn. In retrospect, you’ll be saving a lot of other people headaches. This kind of thing is why I don’t let people around me touch my expensive supplies. They treat it like cheap crap and inevitably break and ruin the items. Even after I tell them how to use them. 🙄🙄
It amazing how different kitchen tools are in different cultures! In my country we mainly use two distinct types of knives: Large IKEA knives and small IKEA knives.
what country?
Back when I was working as a sushi chef, one of the new trainee sushi helpers that just arrived the day before used the head sushi chefs $900 sushi knife that he hid under the drawer to chop a over grown tree at the place he was staying. Needless to say the head chef was angry and yet the trainee was like ??? its only a knife. SMH The knife was chipped and beyond repair.
Steven did he get the idiot newbie to pay him back? $900 is ridiculous I’d have him pay me back every penny for that
@@IuanColeYoung I would assume so, the new guy was there to take my place and I think he was a FoB so he didn't know much, like sushi chefs usually bring/use their own set of knives. The head chef there was one of the coolest guys i worked with but has a short temper at times, but he's not the kind of person to force others to do something. Eventually the boss/manager would of found out and i think they probably worked something out.
I feel sorry for that chef, sounds like he has an idiot problem.
In a similar vein, once I'd left my carpentry box out for some of a mason we hired's hired boys got into it, I came into the room and found one of them starting to use one of my good antique wood-chisels to remove baseboards, and I come running up like some skinny mother hen or whatever metaphor would work, "No! Nonononono! These are antiques and good steel, they are for nice work, not banging and pryng where there's finish nails. Use *this* piece of junk from Ace's bargain bin for that!" Their boss the master mason was like, "Can I hire you?" :)
Hope it wasnt an heirloom...
One of the chefs that I watch religiously spoke about knives, cutting boards, and whet stones. I was lost for the hour long video. Your video makes more sense and is comprehensive for my way of thinking. Thank you so much for all the work and research you do. I’m also grateful that your sister in law spent time in front of the camera. It’s nice to meet your extended family ❤️
Metals, especially alloys of steel can have many properties: Stiff - resists deformation. Tough - resists breaking after deformation. Strong - resists deformation and failure. Ductile - Deforms before it breaks. Brittle - Breaks before it deforms. Hard - Resists permanent changes under compressive forces. To maintain a good cutting edge on a blade, the steel has to be hard so it doesn't deform. But the trade off is that as a material gets harder, it gets more brittle. As long as the blade is used under compressive pressure you will not experience any problems. Your sister in law's knife was put under tension when it was dragged through the sharpening tool. This is why it failed and cracked. The key thing to take away is that knives work much better under compression. Bin the cheap sharpener.
Hardness is more akin to wear resistance, but otherwise, you're spot on.
I notice the advice from the craftsman said not to be afraid of using a Japanese knife. He did not say don't be very careful in using and caring for it, nor did he make any claims about them being durable. Good to know those types of sharpeners are that risky for them.
Wheel sharpeners aren't good for any knife period.
As long as you keep the Japanese knife dry and clean, esp, the carbon steel, it is very easy to keep it. I have a carbon steel Japanese knife, which rust very fast when I first use it. Once I know how to take care of it, simply wash n dry immediately, I have no problem with it again. It is my favorite knife ever since. For the stainless steel knife, it is no different than the western knife.
@@ipissed I don't like them ether, but the same sorts of people that aren't expert in knife care are also frequently the same people that don't have knowledge and or skills with a whet stone and resort to them. If it's a choice between not sharpening at all or using a wheel sharpener, the wheel sharpener can serve it's purpose.
@@Theoryofcatsndogs I'm sure with the correct knowledge, and a bit of common sense it's not hard. Unfortunately there are enough cases where people have neither that such a knife should not be recommended for everyone. I imagine you've experienced some people that horribly abuse their knives, knowingly or otherwise. I found it amusing, and perhaps appropriate that near the end of the video his sister in law commented that her husband would not be touching her knife.
Most of the pull through sharpeners are not good for your knives even when you use them on softer knives.
My girlfriend's family use a big glass plate as a cutting board and I die inside whenever I see that, also the noise is horrible... Edit: Not only that, but they cut everything with little serrated utility knifes.... yeah...
My girlfriend's family is pretty close to that as well. Every single knife in their kitchen is basically a butter knife. Trying to cook for her family is torture.
@@RBuckminsterFuller Right!? I may just give them proper utensils for Christmas XD
@@XxM1G3xX Just don't forget to have a small class on how to keep them sharp...
My girlfriends family never sharpen their knives, so there knives don't really cut.
i feel you guys, somehow every girlfriends family is the same :D i'm a chef, so we mostly have high quality stuff in the kitchen, but my girlfriend still prefers her old, shitty pan from university times. and YES, she also prefers to use the smallest utility knifes possible for everything :D
I know just what you mean when you say you can "taste the sharpness". When I cut carrots with a good Japanese knife they really do feel slippery in my mouth. The first time I cut carrots and cucumber after getting my Nakiri knife I wasn't sure what was going on. I thought the carrots might have been bad because of the way they felt in my mouth. hahaha Live and learn.
Elasticity is what you're looking for. Usually goes hand and hand with how brittle something is. High elasticity, low brittleness; low elasticity, high brittleness...
I was about to say "watch Jun's videos!" but then you put the video there haha
For such a complicated and convoluted topic I thought you did a great job sharing the information with us.
New life goal: own a proper Japanese knife and know how to care for it.
If you ever end up in Phoenix or Portland for whatever reason check out the PHX/PDX knife house they specialize in Japanese knives. I have the same Ryusen he used in the video and I can say he isn't exaggerating when he says it makes a huge difference. Also a nice starter Knife is Kiwi brand knives they have the same thin profile as the Japanese knives but have a crazy good price point and are made with stainless steel so no rust and you can get them online or just about any asian market.
Loving the wide variety and non typical/ non cliche themes of your recent uploads, Greg
i just wanna say i love your content. you and your family do an amazing job explain and showing the life in the japan. please keep going and making great videos like you do
Thanks for this video! As always, you really go in depth with the research! I really like hearing the technical information contrasted with your personal experience and advice! I really really loved being able to watch this video right after your Ryusen video. It was so cool to be able to see the work and love that goes into those knives and also have a thorough video that served as a sort of practical review.
Thank you SO much for the behind-the-scenes on the Ryusen knives (multiple videos). I've been watching Jun use them and became totally enamored; loved learning more! As an energy intuitive, I greatly appreciate the intention of putting great human energy, Qi, into the knives whilst making them. And, I can clearly see, and hear, and almost feel, from your demonstration of these thinner, stronger knives, that, The Force Is With You whilst you slice & dice!
Very helpful and informative, just in time for gift-giving season. Thank you!
Excellent video. It's like talking to a friend and learning new things together. Thank you Greg.
welcome to the wonderful world of knife sharpening Greg. It's so satisfying when all that work you put in sharpening that one knife pays off, when you cut vegetables and meats so effortlessly.
I'm sure lots of people have said this but your journey is very similar to mine. I'm right about the 1-year mark as well and have become obsessed with trying different shapes and steels and thinning and sharpening everything!
Christmas is coming, the most anxious time of the year for me! Watching videos from my favourite channel helps me to relax and get inspiration! 🙏
Great video. You should shoot a video in Seki about knives. I'm an American that has been living in Taipei for many years. I visit Japan often. I bought some blue and white hagane steel Japanese kitchen knives, such as Aritsugu and Shigeharu, as well as a variety of sharpening stones. The knives are excellent. I find with regular stropping, without even any paste, they stay sharp much longer than cheap stainless steel. Occasionally, I will use a fine grit stone to touch up the edge. And every once in a while, I will do a full sharpen with course to fine stones and a strop. Some really hard steels require diamond stones. Best maintenance is to scrub knives with a sponge and dish soap after each use, including the handles, then towel dry well and air dry for a few hours before storing them.
Just recently got my first Japanese knife and it’s been a learning experience for me as well but I love it and hope it lasts a very long time.
Your self proclaimed “noob” knife video contains a lot of helpful insight into kitchen knife use and care! Sharing your journey into knife knowledge can be much more helpful than many experts. Well done. I especially appreciated your footage from Japan, inclusion of your sister-in-law experience and qualitative sharpness tests on actual food. When I changed the bevel angle on my Wusthof from 20 degrees to 17 degrees, I noticed the difference in cutting carrots right away! I could feel the smoother surface when eating them! I must have been slicing them part way and breaking them the rest. Amazing. I went right out and bought a gyuto by Kikuichi and love it. Thank you!
wow what timing. my very first knife like this arrived in my possession today. I got the Bontenunryu 165mm Stainless Damascus Nakiri from Ryusen . seems more of a work of art than a tool but it will get tons of use in my kitchen. I have been using the same beat to heck chinese cleaver to do everything in the kitchen and decided to get something a bit nice for once.
One of my best investments were good carbon steel knives and sharpening stones. Maintaining the kitchen tools you use the most is kinda satisfying, I really like sharpening too.
As someone who cooks, the way those knives cut looks so satisfying. I hope I can afford to get a good one someday. Until then, I can learn so I don't make mistakes when I do get one.
Really enjoy your videos. Good to see a video about the care of Japanese knives. I own a Kamikoto from Honshu and use a Toishi Sharpening Whetstone to sharpen it. Damascus knife construction is not a lost art. I own several and you can find KZhead videos on the process. Again, well done and keep them coming.
Thank you for another one of your great videos Greg! Wish you well
Seemed daunting to see a 31 minute lined up but it stayed interesting and had well-informed facts throughout. Well done!
I have a similar santoku knife to the one that was chipped that I recently bought from a retailer here in St Louis, Mo. it was a birthday present to myself to finally have a high-quality knife for cooking, even if i have a small kitchen and garbage appliances. The whole ergonomics of the tool are a different level that I fell in love with while working in a commercial kitchen. The knife itself lives in reverence in my cabinet, and is treated better than even my cast iron skillets.
One shouldn't give such a beautiful knife, without learning/teaching how to care for such craftsmanship. Thanks for sharing.
This was great information! You explained so many things clearly. Thank you!
This was an amazing video!! I learned so much, what I thought I was doing right also and now I know I was doing it wrong ThankYou for a very informative video
So glad I found your videos! Keep them coming!
This was one of the best vlogs you've done. informative but not boring
Husband not telling wife after screwing up the knife 😂😂😂😂😂 Sounds very familiar 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
The way she treated him after she did find out, I don't blame him in the least for trying to hide it as long as he could...
I suffer from joint pain, especially in my hands and you've now convinced me to buy a proper knife. If it makes cutting vegetables easier with less effort then I'm in!
Can't you use a Veg-O-Matic?
A hard steel will retain the edge for a long time but if the edge isn’t sharp it will still be just as hard to cut as your knives already. If you use a leather strop every time before you use your knife you won’t have to worry about your knife going dull.
I just wanna say thank you. This video, with a lot of research of my own, may convince me to take the plunge into high grade cutlery.
Awesome job Greg. I can tell that you have really put time to research your content. I have also recently got into carbon steel Japanese santoku knife and sharpening them myself. I also have the King 1000/6000 Whetstone! I find it satisfying to just keep it sharp and noticing that my sharpening skills improve over time.
That exact same Ryusen knife was my very first Japanese knife absolutely love that thing.
I enjoyed this!!! I’m a nube too, but I sure do appreciate using a good sharp knife. A good knife that’s sharp is less of a hazard in the kitchen! Thanks fie sharing this and HOW nice of you to gift a good knife to your relative!! That knife shop is wonderful, what good advice and great repair job!!!😱👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻
Thankss for the video im really looking forward to start myself into the knife world, i’ve always been a fan of a good cut
This is super informative! I surely would've invested in a nice knife and immediately gotten it rusty! Thanks for this!
This is so candid. I love it! Don't get me started on that knife rabbit hole. I gave up my knife hoarding years ago and I will not be entertaining it again lol.
Some people are much harder on knives than others - that being said some people don't even think or know about knives. To them one knife is the same as all the rest. To others we love and cherish knives as best we can, but we all have to start some place on that journey! Thanks for posting these videos, and please keep up the good work.
I just watched a 30 minute video about cleaning and sharpening knives ... You are truly an artist ;)
This is really informative, thank you for sharing.
Excellent video . This is one of my favorites. I have a large high end automatic/sailor/combat style knife collection also. Some of my knives are from Japan .Thanks for the great video.
I'd say true to the onion theory, when I used regular knives, not totally dull, but not nice and sharp, I cried every time I cut onions. Now, with my razor sharp Nakiri, nothing.
there's a distinct sound you hear when cutting through harder veges with an "average" knife. it's so eerie to hear you cut them with no sound. you can almost feel the smoothness
a hint: you clean a rusty knife best with an old cork (from a wine bottle) and some chalk. Rub one end of the cork with the cork so that there is plenty of it there. Then rub the cork on the rusty places. Watch out that you do not rub over tha sharp edge which is best avoided with placing the blade tightly on a surface. Cleaning the blade after each use thouroughly is a standard maintenance chore. Hiniki is favoured much because it does not rot in humid environment due to the aromatic oils native in the wood. Thats why also bath tubs are made with Hinoki.
I love to cook and the knifes look beautiful and so easy and fun to use the sounds of cutting are so satisfying. by the way these unedited videos are wonderful. keep uo the good work greg :)
Nice video to watch while I'm on break at work. I've been using many types of knife, mostly Japanese style, professionally for years now. The learning curve can definitely be steep, but the rewards will last for a long time. New Years is almost here again, which means making the rounds to sharpen all the knives for family......
12:14 I took a high speed stool quickly after watching this video. Broke my personal record.
Thanks for sharing your learning! Great information.
thanks man, the whole thing was really helpful
I keep wusthof and henckels knives at my home, but when she held up that sharpener i was screaming "NO!" at the screen... I'm glad that this was a learning experience and that you guys are happy with your knives =] a knife that you love will really make cooking much more enjoyable.
I worked in a store that sold both Japanese and other knives like Wusthof and Henckels. We gave tips on sharpening your knives and also -on caring for you cutting boards. I now use a food grade mineral oil product to oil my cutting boards at least once/month to keep them from getting mold, from drying up and cracking,etc. Wood has natural anti-biotic properties whereas plastic does not.
Thanks for the advices and the real life experiences. Needless to say that the maker(s) of the products stand behind their excellent services one hundred percent, helping and educate their clients whenever needed. 🙏🏻
Japanese knives looks so cool here and very sharp too. Thanks for showing and telling all about it Greg! This is very inspirational! 😉👍
What a great video. Thanks for sharing. It is actually pretty refreshing to see a totally different way of getting to know sharpening :)
Love the sound of the Hap-40 😍 Also feel the shape of the knife, & shape of the blade, are very personal, for e.g. I would totally pick the hap-40 each time as compared to even the $300 one. Thank you for this educational, fun video!
Learned quite a lot. Much apprecate the video.
Years ago i found these cheap japanese style knives and my mom bought them for me. It was a real learning curve to relearn how to cut things but those knives are still in my kitchen and are still my favourite
I am looking for a pair of Japanese kitchen knives, and stumbled upon your video. I’ve seen other videos but I believe your video answered as to what company I want to purchase them from . Of course not looking for there very high end knives which I can’t afford , but a set like yours in that same price range. I thank you and tell your sister in law , hide her knife and don’t let the old man use it ever again . It’s a shame to see a beautiful knife like that get damaged when it only takes a simple act of kindness to maintain it as is . Live and learn . Also looking to purchase the wet stones and guide ..thank you sir
I recently also got into that obsession of wanting to own one. I think these knives are so sharp and also very very durable.
Thank you so much such informative video. I truly enjoyed and learnt great deal out of it 🤓😁
I damaged a Japanese carbon steel knife I bought when visiting Japan. I learned not to use the knives to cut near/on bones, or hard foods. I took my knife to a great store, designed for chefs. they fixed the chips of my knife very easily, and for cheap.. 10-20$, i think. They also sharpened my Wusthoff chef knife, and made it sharper than the day I bought it. Two lessons learned: use german stainless steel knife for tough jobs, use Japanese carbon steel knife for softer jobs. Also, find a great store that sharpens and repairs knives. the last step is the tough one to perform... Interesting fact when visiting Japan: most knives sold are stainless steel. I only found carbon great carbon steel knives at a restaurant supply store, a knife only store, and a high-end luxury store to find carbon steel knives. A store similar to walmart (food/clothes/furniture) had carbon steel knives, but only the cheapest quality, but still amazingly sharp that keeps a great edge. I ended up buying my knives at a restaurant supply store.
Those are tough lessons to be learned, if one is not careful. The primary misconception by most people when it comes to knives, is the simple thought that; putting alot of money on one good knife is enough to do all the different jobs with it. But once you use the right knife for the right job, you will realize just how much of a difference is can make. And how much less head ache you will go through maintaining the knives after have used them for the right occasion. Not just the knives in themselves are different in style, but also the shape of the edge. The edges in the link below are some examples that make working the kitchen ALOT differently. I cannot say how many times i have seen people use thin bladed chef knives to cut celery roots. And they put their whole weight on the knife to get through. Those moments really tests my patience... www.finestknife.com/knife-edges-101-guide/
Japanese also have deba, a hardy utility knife meant for heavy use... And their own cleaver, which is similar to chinese cleaver.
Workshop teacher back in the day had a little demonstration with a kid about 'soft' things that are hard. Clonked a kid on the head with a piece of wood that the kid kept insisting was soft, "Is this soft?" Kid of course said no, meant smooth. More of a case of flexibility than how soft it is. Soft things compress a lot more readily, wear as a hard thing tends to not. Flexible things return to original form where brittle things tend to break. Has a lot to do with the structure of the steel meshing during the hardening process. Quick quenches tend to produce harder steel, slower more flexible. Sorry, bit of a lengthy rant, but as a blacksmith I've got a passion for these things. I could ramble at length. Also want to say I love your videos and have been watching them these past couple of days playing catch up from where I first watching, which was your Shinto video with David Chart. Probably one of my favorite videos.
A lot of the knives are cut for right-hand or left-hand use, so if you're a lefty you might want to consider this.
Double-bevel knives, like gyuto, santoku and nakiri, are ambidextrous. The single-bevel knives, like yanagiba, debu and usuba, are designed for single-hand use.
@@ErebosGR glad to hear santokus are okay for ambidextrous use! That's what my other-handed partner and I would get if we ever upgrade...
I sharpen a lot of knives and I use mostly the naniwa Chosera stones but the king 1000/6000 stone you have is a great combo stone. One recommendation for you would be to use sharpie to colour the blade so you can see how the blade is being worn away when using your angle guide. You can then use the same trick but without the angle guide next time and get visual feedback to help you adjust your technique to achieve the same results without a guide. You can use acetone to remove any leftover sharpie.
thank u for sharing this episode !! really useful !!
very amusing and educational, thanks ;-) Totally love these Ryusen knives
Well placed ad and well explained aswell!
Amazing how much different it can be, although all the knives are quality knives. I was a little reckless with one of my two good knives (I have a few budget knives as well) - which I regret. A really good, thin knife needs care. It was fine after professional sharping, though.
Nicely done, now I'm become apprentice knife maker, and will take care the knives just like I take care other souls..
Thanks Greg, your video was really informative, even when compared to those made by knife specialist shops. Maybe because it was really practical and experiential. And your sister in law is hilarious, love her! 😂
Thanks! I actually want one of Ryusen knife.
Great video :) I bought an expensive Japanese knife, wetstones, watched tutorials on how to sharpen them.. but I'm just too scared to even try it. So I opted for a course from someone who does this for a living. Getting that angle right while moving the knife seems tough.
Thank you. I appreciate this post.
Happens, bought my dad a custom Damascus knife and in a weeks time it started to rust from him leaving it out in a drying rack. Keep it dry and keep it oiled my friends.
I just keep mine dry, no oil needed.
very helpful video, thank you for this.
A pretty exhaustive amount of research done on knives. 👍
6:00 I like that she wanted a moment to *fully* throw her husband under the bus! So relatable, haha (I pass no judgment, ever couple has moment like this) As a side note: Making knives entirely out of damascus steel has not been lost to the ages. In fact, popular KZhead blacksmith Alec Steele uses damascus steel in just about every other project he works on and you can see some of that here: kzhead.info/sun/aLeRhLmBbaNqn6s/bejne.html
it's pattern welded steel, people just call it Damascus because it sounds fancy, it's like champagne if it's not made in champagne France it's not champagne. as such if it's not made in Damascus Syria. it's not really Damascus, also it's not Damascus either because they aren't using the same steel as historical examples. it's more akin to traditional European style swords, made with pattern welded steel, to be more soft and flexible in the spine while retaining a very stiff/ hard sharp edge. the Damascus steel knifes of legends aren't akin to anything made in modern times. there has been a great documentary on it right here on youtube, you can find it by searching up Damascus steel.
Beautiful knives, definitely need to know how to take care of them properly though.
This was awesome, thanks!!
Lmao, I love your sister in law, she really was upset with her husband and had to let us know! So funny.
yeah, she was clearly still very salty about it & I 100% connect with that.
Interesting video. This reminds me of my figure skates. I recently took them out for the winter, and of course they have some rust on them.
Buying a really good knife is the best thing I've ever done for my cooking! I think it's hard to understand how much of a difference it makes until you've used one. I bought a 240mm gyuto on a trip to Japan so it's a nice souvenir as well. It's made of VG10 which I kind of appreciate now but from the start I was a bit dissatisfied with that because I wanted something with carbon steel. Everything else was perfect with it though and the only carbon steel knife that I liked was five times the price. As I've used it more I've come to understand that there are more things than the steel that makes a good knife. The thinness and geomoetry of the blade makes it cut very well even when it's not that sharp, I can go for a long time without sharpening it and it still outperforms my other knives even though they are sharper. I still want something in a nice carbon steel though, probably a sujihiki. I just like the patina a well used high carbon steel knife can get. Btw, geat point at the end about the beater knives! You need to have something that you can abuse without it being the end of the world if it breaks. :)