# Knife confessions...



## madmotts (Jul 13, 2021)

We all have those moments of weakness or maybe of strength. Here is the thread to confesses, repent, share. We're here for you. it's okay. This is your forum. Tell us your story...


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## madmotts (Jul 13, 2021)

I'll start... I have a 3 magnet knife wall (16" each) and it's full, but there's this stack of knives about 10 deep that are sitting in my closet and another 4-5 underneath some books or sharpening stones. I've told myself "man you gotta sell, give whatever them out of the house (apt)- respect the wall." "One out and one in". A couple weeks ago I did two- a Moritaka and shigeki Tanaka. Then i slipped up- damn it, I bought Kohetsu b2 tall 240 and Sukenari ktip HAP40. I'm not counting the Hasegawa board...


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## Duukt (Jul 13, 2021)

I really wanted a masakage koishi all of last year but everytime I got the stock notification, it was sold out before I could buy it.

Since then I've added two Y.Tanakas including a Konosuke Fujiyama FM, konosuke sumiiro and a mazaki. Then I saw a koishi in stock a few months ago and ordered it because I still wanted one. Now that I have it, it's the only knife I haven't used at all and don't feel like it so it just sits in the box in the back of a drawer.

I don't know why.


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## Delat (Jul 13, 2021)

I dropped my Yoshikane k-tip and of course bent the tip. My wife said to just go buy a new one, but when I pictured selling the old one on BST for a song as a project knife I had this weird duality experience realizing that I’d jump all over that deal as a buyer. So I still have one slightly damaged Yoshi on my rack.


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## superworrier (Jul 14, 2021)

Duukt said:


> I really wanted a masakage koishi all of last year but everytime I got the stock notification, it was sold out before I could buy it.
> 
> Since then I've added two Y.Tanakas including a Konosuke Fujiyama FM, konosuke sumiiro and a mazaki. Then I saw a koishi in stock a few months ago and ordered it because I still wanted one. Now that I have it, it's the only knife I haven't used at all and don't feel like it so it just sits in the box in the back of a drawer.
> 
> I don't know why.


Damn you sound like me. Have a Sumiiro, Mazaki, and Takada and kind of want a Fuji too.


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## spaceconvoy (Jul 14, 2021)

The knife I use the most is a Shun classic asian cooks knife  it's just so perfectly balanced. I'm in line for a custom that will hopefully replace it in a few months, but until then I'll keep grudgingly reaching for it


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## Hz_zzzzzz (Jul 14, 2021)

spaceconvoy said:


> The knife I use the most is a Shun classic asian cooks knife  it's just so perfectly balanced. I'm in line for a custom that will hopefully replace it in a few months, but until then I'll keep grudgingly reaching for it


It surely takes courage to speak it out here.


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## Hz_zzzzzz (Jul 14, 2021)

I think compared to Watoyama blue 2, the performance/price ratio of Kato and Denka are garbage but I now have 2 katos and I am getting a 240 denka.


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## Duukt (Jul 14, 2021)

superworrier said:


> Damn you sound like me. Have a Sumiiro, Mazaki, and Takada and kind of want a Fuji too.


The double tanaka was just bad timing. I tried to get a Fujiyama for a while and pretty much gave up because they were selling faster than the Koishi's so I ordered a Sentan 240 from KnS. While it was still on it's way, I managed to snag a Fujiyama on Tosho thanks to an alert from a KKF member.

I liked both so I ended up keeping both.


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## Dull_Apex (Jul 14, 2021)

I've been putting serious thought into a menkiri to tall nakiri/cleaver conversion to satisfy my square curiosity. 
It wouldn't even save money since I'd need to buy all tools like a vice, hacksaw etc...


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## rstcso (Jul 14, 2021)

I'm new to Japanese knives. A few weeks ago I was cutting up a chicken and told my wife it'd be so much easier with a knife specifically designed for the task, so I ordered a "decent" honesuki. This weekend, I used it to break down a dozen chickens. My conclusion, I should have bought a better knife . My latest knife is out for delivery today, so I should probably wait until it arrives before ordering another honesuki. Probably.


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## ModRQC (Jul 14, 2021)

Bought three different Y. Tanaka within a year. All were good knives. Sold all with dire losses. I'm stupid - all in all I should have just kept the first one I think. It's the one I kept longest and used the most. 400$ down the drain...

Ah... and there's not a day I don't somewhat regret selling that Toyama... I wanted money to buy the third Y. Tanaka, see...


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## Pointless1 (Jul 14, 2021)

Any one else get target fixation? Where you see something that really catches your eye, do your research, but really just endure the sweats hoping it doesn’t sell before you can convince yourself you found “the one”?


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## iandustries (Jul 14, 2021)

I've been waiting out for a Takada Suiboku 240 ginsan, and about to pull the trigger on a 240mm Reika and a Kagekiyo w2 and maybe a Kagekiyo b1 lol.

Have a Y Tanaka Kikkumori Damy that I dont reach for all that much vs my Tanaka Kyuzo but cannot bring myself to sell it.

Hi, my name is Ian and I'm a knife-oholic :/


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## WaTFTanaki (Jul 14, 2021)

ModRQC said:


> Bought three different Y. Tanaka within a year. All were good knives. Sold all with dire losses. I'm stupid - all in all I should have just kept the first one I think. It's the one I kept longest and used the most. 400$ down the drain...
> 
> Ah... and there's not a day I don't somewhat regret selling that Toyama... I wanted money to buy the third Y. Tanaka, see...



I have 7 Y Tanakas. The takada No hamono pretty much is perfect for me. Done. For now. I don’t have a Yohei or kyuzu to be fair though. I flip between it and a 210 Denka for daily use. I am satisfied for awhile anyway. Kind of want to try a yoshikane skd and takada ginsan suiboku but not rushing.


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## tostadas (Jul 14, 2021)

I never intended on buying any knife over $100. I just needed to sharpen my 10yr old 8" Victorinox. So I bought a shapton 1k stone for $40 and it was great. All the knives I obtained since were just to get value out of that whetstone.


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## superworrier (Jul 14, 2021)

WaTFTanaki said:


> I have 7 Y Tanakas. The takada No hamono pretty much is perfect for me. Done. For now. I don’t have a Yohei or kyuzu to be fair though. I flip between it and a 210 Denka for daily use. I am satisfied for awhile anyway. Kind of want to try a yoshikane skd and takada ginsan suiboku but not rushing.


What are the seven?


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## Gjackson98 (Jul 14, 2021)

Forgive my sins, Lord you told me to buy a TF in my dream and I did it but it really sucked ash.


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## rstcso (Jul 14, 2021)

Gjackson98 said:


> Forgive my sins, Lord you told me to buy a TF in my dream and I did it but it really sucked ash.



That's how "The Evil One" gets us in so much trouble.


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## BillHanna (Jul 14, 2021)




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## Jville (Jul 14, 2021)

Gjackson98 said:


> Forgive my sins, Lord you told me to buy a TF in my dream and I did it but it really sucked ash.


You didn’t like you TF? Was it a Denka?


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## Gjackson98 (Jul 14, 2021)

Jville said:


> You didn’t like you TF? Was it a Denka?


It was a Maboroshi.


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## spaceconvoy (Jul 14, 2021)

"I prefer famous makers to more budget friendly knives"
"I bought many expensive knives in a short period of time"
"I have too many knives from one maker"
"I don't use my +$1K knives enough"



Y'all are just back door bragging. I laid it all out there, and now I look like a damn fool. Who else is brave enough for a real confession?


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## Gjackson98 (Jul 14, 2021)

spaceconvoy said:


> "I prefer famous makers to more budget friendly knives"
> "I bought many expensive knives in a short period of time"
> "I have too many knives from one maker"
> "I don't use my +$1K knives enough"
> ...


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## Hz_zzzzzz (Jul 14, 2021)

spaceconvoy said:


> "I prefer famous makers to more budget friendly knives"
> "I bought many expensive knives in a short period of time"
> "I have too many knives from one maker"
> "I don't use my +$1K knives enough"
> ...


All right real confession. I still watch burrfection sometimes.


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## ModRQC (Jul 14, 2021)

I buy knives and stones because I'm bored. There you are.

I could just keep the Shi.Han and be happy...

And the S. Tanaka... and the Sukenari... 

Will probably keep the cheap Futana Bunka because it's seriously great.

And then I could keep one real coarse stone at all times instead of four, and it doesn't really matter which one because I'm bored so it can take some time. And just thin the rest of the collection down to 5 other stones or so. But I won't sell the extra ones I like because stones get individually boring, too.

The rest will hit BST soon I guess. And then I'll buy other knives because I'm bored. And stones for when knives I have become boring.

And someday I'll probably be bored with knives and sharpening too.


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## Delat (Jul 14, 2021)

I bought a petty recently by going to vendor websites, sorting by price, and picking the cheapest petty by a maker I recognized.

Kato AS 160 on sale for $126. Screw you questionnaire v2, I rank by price!


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## ian (Jul 14, 2021)

spaceconvoy said:


> The knife I use the most is a Shun classic asian cooks knife  it's just so perfectly balanced. I'm in line for a custom that will hopefully replace it in a few months, but until then I'll keep grudgingly reaching for it



How much does a Shun custom cost?


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## spaceconvoy (Jul 14, 2021)

ian said:


> How much does a Shun custom cost?


Not 100% sure since the price is in rubles 

Here's another one: sometimes I'll use a sharp knife to cut up a banana on a ceramic plate when I'm lazy


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## tostadas (Jul 14, 2021)

Hz_zzzzzz said:


> All right real confession. I still watch burrfection sometimes.


How many of your top 5 are Dalstrongs?


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## ian (Jul 14, 2021)

I scrape the edge against the board from time to time.

One of my most used cutting boards is edge grain.

Sometimes I find all the fancy knives just disgusting, stupid and pointless. Right now I want to buy the Misono Dragon on BST and sell all my other knives and just be happy again.

Edit: Also, I'm probably not as good a sharpener as I think I am.


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## dafox (Jul 14, 2021)

I use my inexpensive western handled stainless knives the most.


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## BillHanna (Jul 14, 2021)

Different steels mean nothing to me, and I hope they never do.


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## Pointless1 (Jul 14, 2021)

I use my J knives on an old poly board every weekend to cut potatoes, onion, and cooked bacon.


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## dafox (Jul 14, 2021)

I still want to try a Global G2.


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## Qapla' (Jul 14, 2021)

Pointless1 said:


> I use my J knives on an old poly board every weekend to cut potatoes, onion, and cooked bacon.


Another polymer-board-user here. Though I'm not certain why knife forums consider them almost a sin.


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## mc2442 (Jul 15, 2021)

I might have purchased more than a few knives while under the influence of alcohol...


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## bsfsu (Jul 15, 2021)

I buy so many Japanese knives to practice on.... they sit there until they start rusting from atmospheric conditions. Then I say to myself to do something with them........ generally I don't.


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## daddy yo yo (Jul 15, 2021)

Pointless1 said:


> Any one else get target fixation? Where you see something that really catches your eye, do your research, but really just endure the sweats hoping it doesn’t sell before you can convince yourself you found “the one”?


Are you talking about knives? Or women?!??


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## Qapla' (Jul 15, 2021)

bsfsu said:


> I buy so many Japanese knives to practice on.... they sit there until they start rusting from atmospheric conditions. Then I say to myself to do something with them........ generally I don't.


Solution: Stainless steels. (Or for a few oddball cases, non-ferrous alloys.)


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## Bear (Jul 15, 2021)

I'm really considering oiling up my carbon knives and putting them in the closet till the fall, I'm getting tired of cleaning up rust. The humidity this summer is crazy.


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## Garm (Jul 15, 2021)

After years of using handmade Japanese knives I still struggle to get a grip on why some perform much better or worse than others.
Just when I think I have some general rule figured out, some common denominator, a knife or two comes along that completely defies it.
My preferences also seem to get less specific as time goes by as well, contrary to what most other people apparently experience.


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## M1k3 (Jul 15, 2021)

Qapla' said:


> Solution: Stainless steels. (Or for a few oddball cases, non-ferrous alloys.)


Bbbbooooo! Liar!


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## Pointless1 (Jul 15, 2021)

Even though some of my knives cut better than others, they are not the ones I usually use.

I play favorites by feel and esthetics rather than cutting performance.


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## chefwp (Jul 15, 2021)

I just got a beautiful new gyuto in the mail yesterday and I should be satisfied for a while and not looking around for that next shiny object. However...

I have a nakiri that I really like, but I am not too fond of the KU finish (not shiny! ). I will not be undertaking a project to remove the kurouchi finish either, so don't even go there. I have my eye on this Takada Blue Steel 1 Suiboku Nakiri 
Anybody have any experience with these Takada blue suibokus?


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## chefwp (Jul 15, 2021)

dafox said:


> I use my inexpensive western handled stainless knives the most.


Rock chop with impunity, my friend!


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## Jovidah (Jul 15, 2021)

My confession is probably that I consider sharpening more a chore on the same level as clipping my nails than an actual hobby, leading me to procrastinate. I like the result but I don't necessarily enjoy doing it. As a result some of my knives will occasionally go duller than they should be. Luckily the problem is getting solved over the years by getting more knives, so there's always a few sharp ones remaining.


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## dafox (Jul 15, 2021)

chefwp said:


> Rock chop with impunity, my friend!


They are Japanese at least


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## BillHanna (Jul 15, 2021)

Jovidah said:


> My confession is probably that I consider sharpening more a chore on the same level as clipping my nails than an actual hobby, leading me to procrastinate. I like the result but I don't necessarily enjoy doing it. As a result some of my knives will occasionally go duller than they should be. Luckily the problem is getting solved over the years by getting more knives, so there's always a few sharp ones remaining.


Have you considered the Ken Onion WorkSharp?


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## Carl Kotte (Jul 15, 2021)

I have nothing to confess.


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## Pie (Jul 15, 2021)

- I bought too many knives for my allotted storage/useable space. Then I bought too many stones. Now I have to renovate my entire pantry to deal with it.

- I bought like 6 jnats within 2 months

- I don’t nearly have the skills to use what I have to it’s full potential, knives and stones included.

- I can only reliably polish a Kiridashi.

- I ruin good edges somewhere in the progression and have no idea where or how it happened 

Bonus sin - I have this beautiful suita that I use to put horrendous patchy polishes on knives I don’t use (thank you @Hassanbensober - it really is a wonderful stone)


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## cotedupy (Jul 15, 2021)

Carl Kotte said:


> I have nothing to confess.



... but my genius.


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## cotedupy (Jul 15, 2021)

Not an Oscar Wilde fan @Carl Kotte ...? 'I have nothing to declare but my genius' - the meaning and origin of this phrase


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## coxhaus (Jul 15, 2021)

spaceconvoy said:


> Not 100% sure since the price is in rubles
> 
> Here's another one: sometimes I'll use a sharp knife to cut up a banana on a ceramic plate when I'm lazy



Things like this is what keeps my paring knives from being in tip top shape. It just happens.


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## esoo (Jul 15, 2021)

I've used j-knives to cut through chicken bones.

I leave carbon knives on the board, dirty, while I eat and worry about wiping them down afterwards.


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## tostadas (Jul 16, 2021)

I've watched High School Musical more than 10 times.


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## ModRQC (Jul 16, 2021)

tostadas said:


> I've watched High School Musical more than 10 times.



Knives confessions here. Was there even something sharp in that movie?


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## Carl Kotte (Jul 19, 2021)

I have a confession. My knife tips are often rounded. But I don’t care.


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## daddy yo yo (Jul 19, 2021)

Carl Kotte said:


> I have a confession. My knife tips are often rounded. But I don’t care. View attachment 134774


Going for rounded tip, too, after breaking off a knife‘s tip for the first time:


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## Carl Kotte (Jul 19, 2021)

daddy yo yo said:


> Going for rounded tip, too, after breaking off a knife‘s tip for the first time:


Well done!


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## Bear (Jul 19, 2021)

Carl Kotte said:


> I have a confession. My knife tips are often rounded. But I don’t care. View attachment 134774





daddy yo yo said:


> Going for rounded tip, too, after breaking off a knife‘s tip for the first time:



No... I can't watch


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## Jville (Jul 19, 2021)

Carl Kotte said:


> I have a confession. My knife tips are often rounded. But I don’t care. View attachment 134774


That’s a real confession. I’m proud of you. Now we are getting somewhere. Let the healing begin.


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## WiriWiri (Jul 19, 2021)

Some of my knives make me feel guilty. In particular the single-bevelled debas, which were meant to encourage a new dawn of healthy eating, a positive vision of me flirting with new filleting techniques and eating more beautifully fresh fish. And now they mock me, knowing that my total of fish successfully filleted in the last 5 years is the same as the number of Fillet O Fishes that I’ve eaten.*

I’ve mitigated against this by either giving those troublesome knives away or hiding them well away in a drawer, increasingly hidden by other blades that I’ve bought to mask the shame. Job done.


*Zero in both cases. Nobody ever willngly chooses a fillet o fish as an omnivore, surely?


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## tcmx3 (Jul 19, 2021)

I mean I could confess to starting way too many projects and not finishing them but one merely needs to look at BST to figure that out.

my real crime is that I will polish on a stone that I know has issues even if it ****s up a finish.


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## spaceconvoy (Jul 19, 2021)

Carl Kotte said:


> I have a confession. My knife tips are often rounded. But I don’t care.





Jville said:


> That’s a real confession. I’m proud of you. Now we are getting somewhere. Let the healing begin.


Wait, is this not normal?  Y'all are giving me something new to feel insecure over.


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## milas555 (Jul 19, 2021)

I promised myself and my wife that I would only buy as many knives as would fit in the drawer (the biggest one, of course ;-). But I must confess that later I "forgot" to mention that each box will fit two knives ...


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## Carl Kotte (Jul 19, 2021)

spaceconvoy said:


> Wait, is this not normal?  Y'all are giving me something new to feel insecure over.


I was unaware until some people pointed it out to me. Then I thought about it some and came to realize that I don’t care because I don’t know how to use ultra pointy tips anyways.


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## KO88 (Jul 19, 2021)

I said I need to sell couple of knives. Then I said I'd rather trade it. I did come up with very hard to trade knives so the knife is in trade thread for months now  the worst is that I'm not sad about it


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## McMan (Jul 19, 2021)

mc2442 said:


> I might have purchased more than a few knives while under the influence of alcohol...


There should be a subforum dedicated to this.


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## cawilson6072 (Jul 19, 2021)

I save the little silica gel packs from other new products that I buy and lay them around the kitchen cabinet where I store my carbon steel knives in a vain attempt to control atmospheric conditions and prevent rust. I won't tell you where I keep my tin-foil hat (that isn't even made of tin).


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## WiriWiri (Jul 19, 2021)

cawilson6072 said:


> I save the little silica gel packs from other new products that I buy and lay them around the kitchen cabinet where I store my carbon steel knives in a vain attempt to control atmospheric conditions and prevent rust. I won't tell you where I keep my tin-foil hat (that isn't even made of tin).



You’d need a lot of sachets, or a small cabinet, for this to actually make much difference, but I‘d encourage the general logic. Better fill the same space full of giant sacks of rice, cat litter, oats and other grains to make sure…


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## tostadas (Jul 19, 2021)

WiriWiri said:


> You’d need a lot of sachets, or a small cabinet, for this to actually make much difference, but I‘d encourage the general logic. Better fill the same space full of giant sacks of rice, cat litter, oats and other grains to make sure…


Is the cat litter box a good place to store knives? As an added bonus, I heard cat pee also gives a really nice patina.


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## rstcso (Jul 19, 2021)

tostadas said:


> Is the cat litter box a good place to store knives?


Sealed, empty paint cans work better. Heck, just dipping them in paint might keep them from rusting, too.


tostadas said:


> As an added bonus, I heard cat pee also gives a really nice patina.


Only if heated to the optimal process temperature for CPP (Cat Pee Patination).


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## Ochazuke (Jul 19, 2021)

Bear said:


> No... I can't watch


The only reason I learned to repair tips is because I’ve tipped so many knives 
Customers whose knives I repair (like this one) often ask me where I learned to fix them. I don’t have the courage to tell them it came from being a terrible knife owner.


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## ian (Jul 19, 2021)

Ochazuke said:


> The only reason I learned to repair tips is because I’ve tipped so many knives
> Customers whose knives I repair (like this one) often ask me where I learned to fix them. I don’t have the courage to tell them it came from being a terrible knife owner.



Oh, do you do sharpening out of the store, too? I also see you’re expanding! Congrats.


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## Ochazuke (Jul 19, 2021)

ian said:


> Oh, do you do sharpening out of the store, too?


Well, it’s just me who can do it here and I’m already swamped, so I don’t advertise it. But if somebody comes in and asks, I’ll do it as long as it’s a simple sharpening or the damage is fixable with stones.


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## M1k3 (Jul 19, 2021)

Carl Kotte said:


> I have a confession. My knife tips are often rounded. But I don’t care. View attachment 134774


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## HappyamateurDK (Jul 19, 2021)

Some times i feel a bit stupid because of a few things... 

An increase in my income the last 6-7 years have made it possible to buy much nicer. ( expensive ) knives then I could at the beginning. Ironically it also means I've never had so little time to use them. Therefore many never sees the light. 


Also..the knife that startet it all was a rather modest Tojiro DP 240 3 layer Gyuto..it was a gift from my then girlfriend and today wife.. No knife I've ever bought have ever made me happier to use then that one.No matter how expensive it has bin. 

And last.. I think I'm pretty alone on this one. Konosuke HD and HD2's are totally overrated.


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## bahamaroot (Jul 19, 2021)

I take lots of pictures of my knives in compromising positions so when I'm away from the home I can watch knife porn.


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## mc2442 (Jul 19, 2021)

A little disturbed by that one


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## GorillaGrunt (Jul 19, 2021)

Ochazuke said:


> The only reason I learned to repair tips is because I’ve tipped so many knives
> Customers whose knives I repair (like this one) often ask me where I learned to fix them. I don’t have the courage to tell them it came from being a terrible knife owner.



oh that’s how I learned to do every repair beyond a simple sharpening ... does anyone learn any other way? I can look at a tipped knife and say how long it‘ll take me to fix, I’m usually close. Chips always take longer than I think though.


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## ian (Jul 19, 2021)

GorillaGrunt said:


> Chips always take longer than I think though.



Pro tip: thinning is overrated! Just breadknife it and be done.


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## Gjackson98 (Jul 19, 2021)

A real confession: I always prep way too much onions, bell peppers, carrots, tomatos, and potatoes that no one wants to eat.


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## Delat (Jul 19, 2021)

I saw a recipe for oven-baked potato wedges that I really want to try mostly as an excuse to compare my different knives against a pile of potatoes.

But the local grocery store deli counter has these seasoned potato wedges that are so damn good and so darn cheap and easy that I just keep buying those instead.


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## KitchenCommander (Jul 20, 2021)

I bought my Mom a Tojiro DP petty for a gift. Was putting a new wood handle on it, some Hawaiian Koa that we brought back from a trip to Hawaii, it fell of the bench onto concrete and bent 1/4" of the tip, which of course broke off during straightening. I have also gotten good at knife tip repair, but I have been known to fully alter the profile from the spine by removing 1" or more of length to drop the tip into more gyutoo profile from western or eruo style knives.

Fixed petty. non-stabilized Hawaiian Koa with nice red coloration. I have a bookmatched 4" x ~30" (almost 1 meter) long board of this I carried back with me on the plane, through security 





Also I got over zealous with the 2k grit stone and oversharpened no less than 3 of my best knives (best being relative, I haven't paid over $200 for any J-knives yet). Nothing major, but I have a pet peeve about putting unnessessary wear on my nice knives. When I ever get confident enough to try thinning, they will be fixed, but for now I'm using a few knives that are just a bit thicker at the edge than they needed to be. Made me mad. I will be EXTRA careful with my new Kochi that is paper thin bte. They still cut fine, not like I started grinding away on the Gesshin 400.



Gjackson98 said:


> A real confession: I always prep way too much onions, bell peppers, carrots, tomatos, and potatoes that no one wants to eat.



#1 to this. I have been known to have much extra food after getting done with the cutting board hehe.

Lastly, if someone asks me to sharpen a cheap stainless knife, I put the initial edge on with a belt grinder and finish on coarse diamond plate. Makes my job soo much easier and non-knife people like toothy edges that just bite right into stuff. I'm careful with the grinder of course, but it can set a bevel with 2 passes instead of 15 min on the plate.


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## iandustries (Jul 20, 2021)

HappyamateurDK said:


> Some times i feel a bit stupid because of a few things...
> 
> An increase in my income the last 6-7 years have made it possible to buy much nicer. ( expensive ) knives then I could at the beginning. Ironically it also means I've never had so little time to use them. Therefore many never sees the light.
> 
> ...



I ve heard others with the same opinion on the Kono HD & HD2


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## Cliff (Jul 20, 2021)

I think 150mm is an almost entirely useless length for a petty knife.


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## HappyamateurDK (Jul 20, 2021)

iandustries said:


> I ve heard others with the same opinion on the Kono HD & HD2



Well..we might be more then I thought


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## Qapla' (Jul 20, 2021)

Cliff said:


> I think 150mm is an almost entirely useless length for a petty knife.


What petty knives do you use instead?


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## Cliff (Jul 20, 2021)

I use a Mac pro 3.25" paring knife and then a 180mm or 210mm petty as a line/utility knife (as a home cook).


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## timebard (Jul 20, 2021)

Cliff said:


> I think 150mm is an almost entirely useless length for a petty knife.



I can see where you're coming from... I used to think my 150 petty was fantastic, now I'm of the opinion that for home use, it's a poor compromise between a 165-180x40 for quick board work and a 90-120 parer for in-hand cutting. My fiance loves it though.


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## Cliff (Jul 20, 2021)

timebard said:


> I can see where you're coming from... I used to think my 150 petty was fantastic, now I'm of the opinion that for home use, it's a poor compromise between a 165-180x40 for quick board work and a 90-120 parer for in-hand cutting. My fiance loves it though.



Exactly my point. I have a couple 150's. When I grab one, I almost always think I should have grabbed something else. Maybe to supreme citrus? But I have no problem doing that with my 210 petty/suji... In hand, I use the little Mac pro, and for anything on a board, I like something bigger.


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## coxhaus (Jul 20, 2021)

I finally got my wife to use a larger knife. I bought a MAC Pro 8.5 inch. She loves it.

I don't use it at all as it is her own knife which I think she likes.


----------



## dafox (Jul 20, 2021)

WTB HD2 210 and 240 gyutos, old stock, I'll give them some love


----------



## Heckel7302 (Jul 21, 2021)

When I can’t sleep I often think about my laser knives gliding through product. In no time I’m off to dreamland.


----------



## ian (Jul 21, 2021)

Heckel7302 said:


> When I can’t sleep I often think about my laser knives gliding through product. In no time I’m off to dreamland.



Me too! Lasers are indeed boring.


----------



## Heckel7302 (Jul 21, 2021)

ian said:


> Me too! Lasers are indeed boring.


Not exactly what I meant, but whatever works!


----------



## PtownPhil (Jul 23, 2021)

I now have a better knife collection than my dad (RIP) ever had, and he was the knife freak.


----------



## Homechef (Jul 23, 2021)

I first came here looking to buy some petties to use as bad a$$ steak knives. No petties and 5 gyutos later...


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## KO88 (Jul 23, 2021)

Homechef said:


> I first came here looking to buy some petties to use as bad a$$ steak knives. No petties and 5 gyutos later...


I came here as a cleaver guy with one cleaver and no gyuto…
Now I’ve 2 cleavers and 10 KKF high standard gyutos…


----------



## Delat (Jul 23, 2021)

I was cutting some carrots today and decided to compare a few different gyutos. My wife walked by and decided to mock me and take a photo to send to her friends with the caption “how many knives does it take to cut a carrot?”

I had her try out all three knives and of course the Yoshikane just fell through the carrots compared to the others. She said, “OMG I get it now!” So I turned a mocking into a victory! Now she wants to know why I don’t just use the Yoshi for everything… which is actually a pretty good question now that I think about it 

But yeah, my confession is it takes me 3 knives to cut a carrot.


----------



## dafox (Jul 23, 2021)

Delat said:


> I was cutting some carrots today and decided to compare a few different gyutos. My wife walked by and decided to mock me and take a photo to send to her friends with the caption “how many knives does it take to cut a carrot?”
> 
> I had her try out all three knives and of course the Yoshikane just fell through the carrots compared to the others. She said, “OMG I get it now!” So I turned a mocking into a victory! Now she wants to know why I don’t just use the Yoshi for everything… which is actually a pretty good question now that I think about it
> 
> But yeah, my confession is it takes me 3 knives to cut a carrot.


Then you buy another Yoshi to compare different stone edges


----------



## BillHanna (Jul 23, 2021)

KO88 said:


> I came here as a cleaver guy with one cleaver and no gyuto…
> Now I’ve 2 cleavers and 10 KKF high standard gyutos…


I came here to outfit myself with a bang for the buck knife roll. Now, I’m trying to sell a custom to help pay for three that are on books.


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## BillHanna (Jul 23, 2021)

(and i may still build the bfb roll)


----------



## Qapla' (Jul 23, 2021)

BillHanna said:


> I came here to outfit myself with a bang for the buck knife roll. Now, I’m trying to sell a custom to help pay for three that are on books.





BillHanna said:


> (and i may still build the bfb roll)



Not unreasonable. Some workplaces have higher theft risk than others.


----------



## jsph (Jul 23, 2021)

mc2442 said:


> I might have purchased more than a few knives while under the influence of alcohol...



better than the other way around.


----------



## BillHanna (Jul 23, 2021)

Qapla' said:


> Not unreasonable. Some workplaces have higher theft risk than others.











(I don’t cook for a living anymore. I just want it.)


----------



## Homechef (Jul 23, 2021)

BillHanna said:


> I came here to outfit myself with a bang for the buck knife roll. Now, I’m trying to sell a custom to help pay for three that are on books.




You sure it wasn't looking for something sharp and pointy to make some munchies???


----------



## Logan A. (Aug 3, 2021)

I buy custom knives because constantly having a knife “on the way” helps prevent me from impulse buying.


----------



## BillHanna (Aug 3, 2021)

Logan A. said:


> I buy custom knives because constantly having a knife “on the way” helps prevent me from impulse buying.


maaaaaaaannnnn. I have my first three on the way by the end of the year, and it's KILLING me. I'm getting the urge to buy something already done just to scratch the itch.


----------



## Logan A. (Aug 3, 2021)

BillHanna said:


> maaaaaaaannnnn. I have my first three on the way by the end of the year, and it's KILLING me. I'm getting the urge to buy something already done just to scratch the itch.



I’m gonna piggy back off of this for my second confession.
Buying custom knives to prevent from impulse buying doesn’t work


----------



## chefwp (Aug 3, 2021)

Delat said:


> I had her try out all three knives and of course the Yoshikane just fell through the carrots compared to the others. She said, “OMG I get it now!” So I turned a mocking into a victory! Now she wants to know why I don’t just use the Yoshi for everything… which is actually a pretty good question now that I think about it


My wife gets it too. Unfortunately she still won't use the best ones because I explained how the harder steel is a little more susceptible to damage and what motions/mistakes to avoid on the board and now she says she's scared to use them. I keep telling her to get over it and that there is nothing she would probably do that wouldn't be easily correctable on the stones, but she is still reluctant. She does use the Shiki, it is sort of her knife now, as I'd probably sell it if she didn't use it.


----------



## Vdark (Aug 3, 2021)

chefwp said:


> My wife gets it too. Unfortunately she still won't use the best ones because I explained how the harder steel is a little more susceptible to damage and what motions/mistakes to avoid on the board and now she says she's scared to use them. I keep telling her to get over it and that there is nothing she would probably do that wouldn't be easily correctable on the stones, but she is still reluctant. She does use the Shiki, it is sort of her knife now, as I'd probably sell it if she didn't use it.



Maybe you can show her a couple videos to see that she might encourage her. It surely made me feel a lot more comfortable.


----------



## rstcso (Aug 3, 2021)

I set a high dollar limit for knife purchases, and when I come in under, immediately start looking for another due to having this newfound "extra money".

Rinse and Repeat.


----------



## PtownPhil (Aug 3, 2021)

Logan A. said:


> I buy custom knives because constantly having a knife “on the way” helps prevent me from impulse buying.



I've Mizaki has a waiting list of 5 years.


----------



## Qapla' (Aug 3, 2021)

chefwp said:


> My wife gets it too. Unfortunately she still won't use the best ones because I explained how the harder steel is a little more susceptible to damage and what motions/mistakes to avoid on the board and now she says she's scared to use them. I keep telling her to get over it and that there is nothing she would probably do that wouldn't be easily correctable on the stones, but she is still reluctant. She does use the Shiki, it is sort of her knife now, as I'd probably sell it if she didn't use it.


Shiki's do exist in harder steels (R2/SG2, whether clad or monosteel). For a few examples:









SHIKI Solid R-2 Blade "SR2-3" Gyuto 210mm (8.2 Inch, Linen Micarta Handle)


SHIKI R-2 Gyuto 210mm. The hand-contoured handle is made with Linen Micarta and has a durable stainless steel bolster with Tricolore color (Blue/Red/Green) Fiber Spacers.




japanesechefsknife.com












SHIKI "FOGGY" R-2 Clad "SR2K-4" Kiritsuke/Bunka 205mm (8 Inch, White Corian Handle)


SHIKI R-2 “FOGGY” Kiritsuke. When I first inspected the knife, its appearance made me think of dark clouds, or the big clouds of the summer season. We decided to name Mr. Masui’s new knife range “FOGGY” because it really describes the unique, very different appearance of this new collection of...




japanesechefsknife.com












Shiki 黒龍 Black Dragon R-2 Damascus Series Gyuto (210mm to 240mm, 2 Sizes, Ironwood Handle)


This Gyuto knife is extra special limited edition SHIKI knife. The special mat finish and silver-gray coloring R-2 Nickel Damascus blade.(HRC 62 to 63)




japanesechefsknife.com


----------



## chefwp (Aug 3, 2021)

Qapla' said:


> Shiki's do exist in harder steels (R2/SG2, whether clad or monosteel).


Yes, it is R2 and hard (62-63) but for whatever reason she has decided she is going to use that knife and not touch the rest... Probably because she knows I don't really reach for it too often anymore... It is of the 'Black Dragon' variety that you posted above.


----------



## TSF415 (Aug 3, 2021)

Vdark said:


> Maybe you can show her a couple videos to see that she might encourage her. It surely made me feel a lot more comfortable.




That’s kinda crazy. Lol.


----------



## Hz_zzzzzz (Aug 3, 2021)

TSF415 said:


> That’s kinda crazy. Lol.


The first video was made by me and my Watanabe didn't get any visible chip from that kabocha squash. These knives are tougher than we thought.


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## TSF415 (Aug 3, 2021)

Hz_zzzzzz said:


> The first video was made by me and my Watanabe didn't get any visible chip from that kabocha squash. These knives are tougher than we thought.



I stand by my statement. lol

My go to knife for butternut squash is actually my biggerson/dalman collab but I can't imagine hitting the knife down with that much force. I'd be scared the squash would slide and twist the knife. I dont baby any of my knives, so I do agree they are tougher than what people think. Although I have chipped two knives cutting an onion.... a heji (which I hadn't put a good microbevel on yet) and a saji AS which I have no clue how it happened.


----------



## cantdecidewhichone (Aug 3, 2021)

I don't buy a knife knowing I'll be using it. I buy one hoping I will. 

It probably gets more use in my imagination before I buy it than it does in real life.


----------



## stringer (Aug 4, 2021)

I buy lots of eBay junk that I never get around to doing anything with. But new knives all get used until they look like eBay junk.


----------



## madmotts (Sep 1, 2021)

There’s that realization after 5 sessions of thinning that the Mazaki migaki I bought this year that is inferior (grind, profile) to the one I sold last year.


----------



## big_adventure (Sep 1, 2021)

1. I have 10 gyutos, 2 nakiris, a bunka, a yanagiba and 3 pettys on my knife strips, and I use one and only one gyuto almost every time for everything. It's the closest to my cutting board, and I sometimes wonder if I prefer it because it's awesome (it is!), or because it's awesomely close (er, it also is...). I could test this by moving the blades around, but I'm too lazy.

The exceptions to that rule are when I use 6 different knives to cut 6 potatoes or 4 onions and a few cloves of garlic. And that does happen more than is probably healthy.

2. I'm a good enough sharpener to get a great, durable edge. I'm also careless enough to slip on the angle once a sharpening session, so that every one of my blades has a scuff on the side somewhere.

3. I generally cook vegan at home, except I make sashimi from time to time, simply because I have a yanagiba. 

4. I'm kind of over really reactive cladding on san mai knives. One of my knives is so reactive that, when it doesn't have patina, cutting anything more reactive than tofu will leave stinky reddish brown oxidation on it in less than 30 seconds. When I first got it, I discovered this when it did that DURING cutting 2 onions. I polished it out, then took extra special time to build up a nice patina - that worked until I took of on holiday for a month. When I returned, there was reddish brown oxidation - 15 minutes with a rust eraser and some polish, and now I'm back to building up the patina, which is a pain when you don't generally cook meat.


----------



## ian (Sep 1, 2021)

big_adventure said:


> I'm kind of over really reactive cladding on san mai knives. One of my knives is so reactive that, when it doesn't have patina, cutting anything more reactive than tofu will leave stinky reddish brown oxidation on it in less than 30 seconds. When I first got it, I discovered this when it did that DURING cutting 2 onions. I polished it out, then took extra special time to build up a nice patina - that worked until I took of on holiday for a month. When I returned, there was reddish brown oxidation - 15 minutes with a rust eraser and some polish, and now I'm back to building up the patina, which is a pain when you don't generally cook meat.



Force a vinegar patina?


----------



## tostadas (Sep 1, 2021)

big_adventure said:


> 4. I'm kind of over really reactive cladding on san mai knives. One of my knives is so reactive that, when it doesn't have patina, cutting anything more reactive than tofu will leave stinky reddish brown oxidation on it in less than 30 seconds. When I first got it, I discovered this when it did that DURING cutting 2 onions. I polished it out, then took extra special time to build up a nice patina - that worked until I took of on holiday for a month. When I returned, there was reddish brown oxidation - 15 minutes with a rust eraser and some polish, and now I'm back to building up the patina, which is a pain when you don't generally cook meat.


You can force a workable patina with lemon juice or vinegar, and buff it off with a soft rag with some stone mud.


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## M1k3 (Sep 1, 2021)

ian said:


> Force a vinegar patina?


Balsamic vinegar


----------



## ian (Sep 1, 2021)

M1k3 said:


> Balsamic vinegar View attachment 140437



Aged 20 years?


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## M1k3 (Sep 1, 2021)

ian said:


> Aged 20 years?


Sure, whatever tickles your fancy.


----------



## ethompson (Sep 1, 2021)

My 3" kiwi mini-cleaver brings me just as much joy any of my fancy knives, maybe more


----------



## big_adventure (Sep 1, 2021)

ian said:


> Force a vinegar patina?





tostadas said:


> You can force a workable patina with lemon juice or vinegar, and buff it off with a soft rag with some stone mud.



Yeah, I know. I've forced patinas with coffee, vinegar, and other stuff. Natural patina just looks better to me. I'll think about it


----------



## M1k3 (Sep 1, 2021)

big_adventure said:


> Yeah, I know. I've forced patinas with coffee, vinegar, and other stuff. Natural patina just looks better to me. I'll think about it


After a quick rub with 1k sandpaper







Some balsamic vinegar soak










After about 2-3 minutes and then ran under hot water. Fully dried.


----------



## big_adventure (Sep 2, 2021)

M1k3 said:


> After a quick rub with 1k sandpaperView attachment 140469
> View attachment 140470
> 
> 
> ...



That's not so bad. Might have to give that a go.


----------



## JimMaple98 (Sep 2, 2021)

I have purchased half a dozen natural stones when I am realistically not capable of using them to half their potential, just so I feel like I am better at sharpening than I really am.

I own a TF hisamoto (Mab) 240 which I really like and probably all I need in a knife. nevertheless I recently paid for a TF Denka 240 which was 2.3x the price I paid for the Mab, just because its a bit cooler.







I could sell all my knives and use that money for a deposit to buy my partner and I a house to start a family in, while knowing this I buy more knives instead.
I am too selfish and addicted to this hobby.


----------



## LostHighway (Sep 2, 2021)

JimMaple98 said:


> I have purchased half a dozen natural stones when I am realistically not capable of using them to half their potential, just so I feel like I am better at sharpening than I really am.



Owned!


----------



## M1k3 (Sep 2, 2021)

big_adventure said:


> That's not so bad. Might have to give that a go.


You can definitely soak longer for a stronger and darker patina. A few minutes, depending on how reactive your cladding is, should be enough to calm down the reactivity though.


----------



## ampersandcetera (Sep 2, 2021)

The only knife I use at home is a Shun Premier, which I absolutely hate, but all of my "good" knives live in my knife bag and I never want to get them out to cook anything at home. I'd pick up another gyuto for home, but then I'd want to take that one to work too and it'd just end up stuffed into my work kit, and so on, ad infinitum.


----------



## Jason183 (Sep 2, 2021)

When I bought my first Japanese knife 2-3 years ago, my wife think it’s too expensive( basically anything over $100 is too expensive for her).

I managed to fly under the radar and buy/sell for over 30+ knives, none are under $100.

I’m really satisfied with my current collection right now. Thank god I haven’t buy any knife in a long time, Until I saw the Kamon Massdrop few weeks ago……


----------



## Hz_zzzzzz (Sep 2, 2021)

Jason183 said:


> Until I saw the Kamon Massdrop few weeks ago……


Who can blame you for that…


----------



## Hz_zzzzzz (Sep 2, 2021)

big_adventure said:


> One of my knives is so reactive that, when it doesn't have patina, cutting anything more reactive than tofu will leave stinky reddish brown oxidation on it in less than 30 seconds. When I first got it, I discovered this when it did that DURING cutting 2 onions. I polished it out, then took extra special time to build up a nice patina - that worked until I took of on holiday for a month. When I returned, there was reddish brown oxidation - 15 minutes with a rust eraser and some polish, and now I'm back to building up the patina, which is a pain when you don't generally cook meat.


Sounds like my Kato. I etched it last night after another time it showed some reddish dots after 2 days of no use. Hopefully it will stabilize now.


----------



## big_adventure (Sep 2, 2021)

Hz_zzzzzz said:


> Sounds like my Kato. I etched it last night after another time it showed some reddish dots after 2 days of no use. Hopefully it will stabilize now.



Bingo - the knife I'm talking about there is a kasumi Kato.


----------



## Grayswandir (Sep 3, 2021)

JimMaple98 said:


> I have purchased half a dozen natural stones when I am realistically not capable of using them to half their potential, just so I feel like I am better at sharpening than I really am.
> 
> I own a TF hisamoto (Mab) 240 which I really like and probably all I need in a knife. nevertheless I recently paid for a TF Denka 240 which was 2.3x the price I paid for the Mab, just because its a bit cooler.
> View attachment 140594
> ...



A friend of mine just gave me a really nice 7" Belgian Coticule backed with BBW and a Nagura tomo to match. He also gave me a really nice Nakayama for finishing razors on. It's about 5"x3" and about .40" thick. Other then that, I have one Ohira Tomae (level 3.0-3.5) I can use as a pre-finisher, though it is capable of finishing razors as well, it just takes a little more time and effort to do so.

You have all those beautiful natural stones Jim, you may as well learn to use them to best of your ability. The coticule is a mystery to me, I've always wanted one and now I have one. It's not very wide at 1.63" but I think that could be an advantage in honing smiling razors. Either way, I need to learn how to use it properly. It's not rocket science, but in order to learn how to hone and become proficient, you have to hone, then hone some more, then hone a little more. Then eventually, hopefully, we'll become adept at honing razors and sharpening knives.


----------



## Bico Doce (Oct 13, 2021)

I bought a bunch of stones, synthetic and natural with the hopes of putting a kasumi finish on a knife. Since then I’ve learned

1. this is really hard to do
2. the grind on the knife was surprisingly inconsistent and dealing with flat spots was a huge pain
3. I could have just bought some polishing stone powder and micro mesh pads for $50 and achieve better results in a fraction of the time
4. I bought stone powder and micro mesh pads and now I have a bunch of stones I don’t think I’ll really use too much. I should have just bought another knife


----------



## ModRQC (Oct 13, 2021)

BST those stones and buy that knife


----------



## Qapla' (Oct 13, 2021)

ampersandcetera said:


> The only knife I use at home is a Shun Premier, which I absolutely hate, but all of my "good" knives live in my knife bag and I never want to get them out to cook anything at home. I'd pick up another gyuto for home, but then I'd want to take that one to work too and it'd just end up stuffed into my work kit, and so on, ad infinitum.


Solution: Buy the good gyuto for home use and sell the Shun.


----------



## Lucien (Oct 13, 2021)

I stumbled upon this forum when I was just looking for a decent paring knife to replace an old Zwilling. Back then I never sharpened on stones, just a rod. Less than a year later I accumulated over 40 J-knives and 12 jnats and cut everything that can be cut...
I use a cheap poly board. 
I always scoop and scrape with my knives.


----------



## Bico Doce (Oct 14, 2021)

This is the confession I should have given earlier but I was afraid it would cost me my KKF membership.

My first “legit” knife was a … Misen.
And I still have it. I like to keep it around for basic home repairs.

For what it is worth I have an Markin S grind on the books so maybe you’ll consider letting me stay


----------



## big_adventure (Oct 14, 2021)

Lucien said:


> I use a cheap poly board.
> I always scoop and scrape with my knives.



So much for YOUR KKF membership. Been nice knowin' ya.


----------



## M1k3 (Oct 14, 2021)

Bico Doce said:


> My first “legit” knife was a … Misen.
> And I still have it. I like to keep it around for basic home repairs.


----------



## Lucien (Oct 14, 2021)

big_adventure said:


> So much for YOUR KKF membership. Been nice knowin' ya.


Haha!
Here is another confession - I have fallen in love with sharpening yet the knives' edge retention is so damn good so as a home cook, you don't get to sharpen them often. So one way to deal with this problem is to use hard plastic boards, which is what I do lol.


----------



## EM-L (Oct 15, 2021)

Some of my knifes are unused


----------



## rstcso (Oct 15, 2021)

Without a retail store nearby, I started buying quite a few different knives, some from online retailers and others from BST. Now that I have a better idea of what I like and why, I've start reducing the numbers, either selling or passing them on to someone who will enjoy them.

One benefit of my doing this is to someone on the KAMON wait list for a 260mm. I've asked to be removed from the top 36 list. The person who was first below the cut line for a 260mm will now get a KAMON! I hope Christmas came early for that person.


----------



## big_adventure (Oct 18, 2021)

rstcso said:


> Without a retail store nearby, I started buying quite a few different knives, some from online retailers and others from BST. Now that I have a better idea of what I like and why, I've start reducing the numbers, either selling or passing them on to someone who will enjoy them.
> 
> One benefit of my doing this is to someone on the KAMON wait list for a 260mm. I've asked to be removed from the top 36 list. The person who was first below the cut line for a 260mm will now get a KAMON! I hope Christmas came early for that person.



If you repeat that process like 600 more times, I'll get a KAMON.


----------



## Heckel7302 (Oct 24, 2021)

I’ll be moving to a new city soon. Browsing houses online I find myself looking at pictures of kitchens and making display space for my knives a high priority. I think I have a problem.


----------



## Brian Weekley (Oct 25, 2021)

I like my TF’s.


----------



## big_adventure (Oct 26, 2021)

Brian Weekley said:


> I like my TF’s.



EVERYBODY loves TFs. Just ask him.


----------



## Brian Weekley (Oct 26, 2021)

”LOVE” … hmmm … that might be a bit of a stretch! “LIKE“ … as in “I don’t mind using it if I find it in my hand” is probably more of my confession. If I find myself chopping away with one I don’t say “I hate this knife and must immediately go to a KKF thread and harangue anyone who has eyes about how terrible I feel having it in my hand and how horrible and ugly Mr. TF is”. That means I must “LIKE” it and the experience of using a TF. ”LOVE” as in how I feel about using my new Alex Horn Gyuto (as opposed to Alex Horn himself whom I have no particular feelings for). Now that’s “LOVE” … at least as far as something that can be applied to some non female inanimate object.

See New Knives this week for details.


----------



## Delat (Oct 26, 2021)

Thinning looks like a PITA so I plan to just keep buying new knives forever so I never need to thin anything.


----------



## M1k3 (Oct 26, 2021)

big_adventure said:


> EVERYBODY loves TFs. Just ask him.


'Unpopular Opinions' is another thread.

'Polarizing Opinions' is up for grabs for a new thread though.


----------



## vxd (Oct 27, 2021)

I find it hard sometimes to bring myself to start using a new knife.


----------



## vxd (Oct 27, 2021)

Brian Weekley said:


> I like my TF’s.


Me too!


----------



## tcmx3 (Oct 28, 2021)

Bico Doce said:


> I bought a bunch of stones, synthetic and natural with the hopes of putting a kasumi finish on a knife. Since then I’ve learned
> 
> 1. this is really hard to do
> 2. the grind on the knife was surprisingly inconsistent and dealing with flat spots was a huge pain
> ...



stone polishing is an art form. it may not be as flashy as oil painting or some of the gorgeous ceramics we see around but it is an art form nonetheless.

most people are not all that good at it. _I'm_ not all that good at it.

but then you look at a knife when you've accidentally done a good job and you can almost fall into the cladding.


----------



## Pie (Oct 28, 2021)

Bico Doce said:


> I bought a bunch of stones, synthetic and natural with the hopes of putting a kasumi finish on a knife. Since then I’ve learned
> 
> 1. this is really hard to do
> 2. the grind on the knife was surprisingly inconsistent and dealing with flat spots was a huge pain
> ...


I feel your pain on the first 2 points. I went the other direction and bought even more stones . You know you could possibly turn the whole thing around by going through a massive thinning or 4, and be blown away by how well it cuts after, and the resulting kasumi. I’m still waiting on the second part. My mazaki looks like it went through a wood chipper but it cuts friggin amazing . 

My advice: take it slow, it’s going to suck horribly at first, but each tiny, incremental accomplishment will make you feel like a goddamn wizard. Rinse and repeat x 2 years.


----------



## Bico Doce (Oct 28, 2021)

Pie said:


> I feel your pain on the first 2 points. I went the other direction and bought even more stones . You know you could possibly turn the whole thing around by going through a massive thinning or 4, and be blown away by how well it cuts after, and the resulting kasumi. I’m still waiting on the second part. My mazaki looks like it went through a wood chipper but it cuts friggin amazing .
> 
> My advice: take it slow, it’s going to suck horribly at first, but each tiny, incremental accomplishment will make you feel like a goddamn wizard. Rinse and repeat x 2 years.



Thank you for the advice here. One of the issues I failed to mention was that my knife of choice has a stainless cladding and I have come to realize that I may never get a good contrast between the jigane/hagane.

I did go thru the thinning process and flattened out the bevel quite a bit, it was a great learning process. Once I failed to get a good contrast I had to walk away from that knife for a bit. I’m thinking about just etching it now and trying this whole process on one of my iron clad knives.

I would be interested to hear if anyone has had success with stainless cladding


----------



## stringer (Oct 28, 2021)

Bico Doce said:


> Thank you for the advice here. One of the issues I failed to mention was that my knife of choice has a stainless cladding and I have come to realize that I may never get a good contrast between the jigane/hagane.
> 
> I did go thru the thinning process and flattened out the bevel quite a bit, it was a great learning process. Once I failed to get a good contrast I had to walk away from that knife for a bit. I’m thinking about just etching it now and trying this whole process on one of my iron clad knives.
> 
> I would be interested to hear if anyone has had success with stainless cladding



I have etched a couple. Here's a thread






Advice sought on rehabbing damascus


This is my wife's 180 mm Gyuto. She bought it on a whim from Japanese Knife Company about 7 or 8 years ago. It's Damascus stainless clad vg10. It gets used every day for home cooking. It has been sharpened regularly and thinned a little every sharpening session. The Damascus pattern is faded and...




www.kitchenknifeforums.com


----------



## tostadas (Oct 28, 2021)

Bico Doce said:


> Thank you for the advice here. One of the issues I failed to mention was that my knife of choice has a stainless cladding and I have come to realize that I may never get a good contrast between the jigane/hagane.
> 
> I did go thru the thinning process and flattened out the bevel quite a bit, it was a great learning process. Once I failed to get a good contrast I had to walk away from that knife for a bit. I’m thinking about just etching it now and trying this whole process on one of my iron clad knives.
> 
> I would be interested to hear if anyone has had success with stainless cladding



My TF is stainless clad. If you're just looking for good contrast, the King 800 work pretty well to start. But the resulting finish has a lot of drag, so you would want to follow that up with something finer.





Show your work! Uchigumori and co...


Prepolish on Takeda x Knifewear hideriyama Hideriyama finish Unknown origin hard suita Not sure what I did wrong here but came up with super funky black mirror cladding. Things are getting better, step one I think is making bevel even. Step 2 is managing mud on harder finishers. Might have...




www.kitchenknifeforums.com





And here's another of my stainless clad TF. I think this one was finished with uchi fingerstones. Less contrast though.





A Small TF Project


Preface: I've read so much on these forums about all sorts of issues with Teruyasu Fujiwara knifes and wondered why this knife had such a cult following if the quality was so bad. Then I tried one in 180mm, and it was literally the best cutter I've ever experienced. So much so, that I decided...




www.kitchenknifeforums.com





@Runner_up did some really nice work on a stainless wakui





Show your work! Uchigumori and co...


I've got a little aiiwatani koppa on the way. Pretty excited to see what I can manage with a jnat! from JNS?




www.kitchenknifeforums.com


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## tcmx3 (Oct 28, 2021)

Bico Doce said:


> Thank you for the advice here. One of the issues I failed to mention was that my knife of choice has a stainless cladding and I have come to realize that I may never get a good contrast between the jigane/hagane.
> 
> I did go thru the thinning process and flattened out the bevel quite a bit, it was a great learning process. Once I failed to get a good contrast I had to walk away from that knife for a bit. I’m thinking about just etching it now and trying this whole process on one of my iron clad knives.
> 
> *I would be interested to hear if anyone has had success with stainless cladding*



sure, I just needed to go through my entire collection and find the one stone that agrees with that particular stainless cladding.

today I quickly touched up my Heiji and I only had to check 4 stones and the winner only cost 750 dollars


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## Bico Doce (Oct 28, 2021)

tostadas said:


> My TF is stainless clad. If you're just looking for good contrast, the King 800 work pretty well to start. But the resulting finish has a lot of drag, so you would want to follow that up with something finer.
> 
> 
> 
> ...



I think I may have to get some finger stones. I did have good success with the king 800 as well but everything after that seemed to undo what I had accomplished with the 800. I tried about 6 other stones and I couldn’t seem find anything that worked. Thank you for the links here, I’m going to do some more research, drop some more $$ and see if I can get this. Funny part is I have now spent more on stones trying to get a kasumi finish than what this knife originally cost (it wasn’t particularly expensive)!


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## M1k3 (Oct 28, 2021)

Bico Doce said:


> Thank you for the advice here. One of the issues I failed to mention was that my knife of choice has a stainless cladding and I have come to realize that I may never get a good contrast between the jigane/hagane.
> 
> I did go thru the thinning process and flattened out the bevel quite a bit, it was a great learning process. Once I failed to get a good contrast I had to walk away from that knife for a bit. I’m thinking about just etching it now and trying this whole process on one of my iron clad knives.
> 
> I would be interested to hear if anyone has had success with stainless cladding


Balsamic vinegar etch perhaps? Here's an example with stainless cladding, semi stainless core.


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## esoo (Oct 28, 2021)

For stainless, I would just polish the stainless and etch the core.


Bico Doce said:


> Thank you for the advice here. One of the issues I failed to mention was that my knife of choice has a stainless cladding and I have come to realize that I may never get a good contrast between the jigane/hagane.
> 
> I did go thru the thinning process and flattened out the bevel quite a bit, it was a great learning process. Once I failed to get a good contrast I had to walk away from that knife for a bit. I’m thinking about just etching it now and trying this whole process on one of my iron clad knives.
> 
> I would be interested to hear if anyone has had success with stainless cladding



Here's a TF petty that I polished and then etched with hot vinegar.


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## Bico Doce (Oct 28, 2021)

esoo said:


> For stainless, I would just polish the stainless and etch the core.
> 
> 
> Here's a TF petty that I polished and then etched with hot vinegar.


This knife looks amazing. Would you mind sharing the details behind the etching process? Type of vinegar, temp and time?


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## McMan (Oct 28, 2021)

M1k3 said:


> Balsamic vinegar etch perhaps? Here's an example with stainless cladding, semi stainless core.View attachment 149112


At least Balsamic's good for one thing...


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## tostadas (Oct 28, 2021)

Bico Doce said:


> I think I may have to get some finger stones. I did have good success with the king 800 as well but everything after that seemed to undo what I had accomplished with the 800. I tried about 6 other stones and I couldn’t seem find anything that worked. Thank you for the links here, I’m going to do some more research, drop some more $$ and see if I can get this. Funny part is I have now spent more on stones trying to get a kasumi finish than what this knife originally cost (it wasn’t particularly expensive)!



One more, this one was just sandpaper and etch with hot vinegar and instant coffee






Show your work! Uchigumori and co...


Some Uchugumori + Nugui works I’ve tried recently:




www.kitchenknifeforums.com


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## tcmx3 (Oct 28, 2021)

McMan said:


> At least Balsamic's good for one thing...



mother in law deterrent?


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## esoo (Oct 28, 2021)

Bico Doce said:


> This knife looks amazing. Would you mind sharing the details behind the etching process? Type of vinegar, temp and time?



It's been a bit, but from what I recall
- stainless wash polished used some metal polish and a buffing wheel on a dremel.
- I think I did what I've done before - 50% hottest tap water/50% pickling (7%) white vinegar. Probably left for 10-15 minutes, rinse, repeat (with maybe microwaving the water/vinegar mix to get it warm again)


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## Bico Doce (Oct 28, 2021)

tostadas said:


> One more, this one was just sandpaper and etch with hot vinegar and instant coffee
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Thank you for for referring me to this thread. That was an impressive finish! Could I ask you about the sanding process? Why drop back down to 800 after the 1500 grit?


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## tostadas (Oct 28, 2021)

Bico Doce said:


> Thank you for for referring me to this thread. That was an impressive finish! Could I ask you about the sanding process? Why drop back down to 800 after the 1500 grit?


This one was for a friend. I wanted a brushed finish that could help hide scratches from use. Also, 600-800 seems to be my sweet spot for sandpaper finish for minimizing drag and sticking.


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## tcmx3 (Oct 28, 2021)

Bico Doce said:


> Thank you for the advice here. One of the issues I failed to mention was that my knife of choice has a stainless cladding and I have come to realize that I may never get a good contrast between the jigane/hagane.
> 
> I did go thru the thinning process and flattened out the bevel quite a bit, it was a great learning process. Once I failed to get a good contrast I had to walk away from that knife for a bit. I’m thinking about just etching it now and trying this whole process on one of my iron clad knives.
> 
> I would be interested to hear if anyone has had success with stainless cladding



ok on a more serious note I think it is not that hard to get a nice finish on stainless, you just have to adjust your expectations. and you do not need a super pricey stone, mostly what you need is a softer stone and very pure. 

this is from a soft and particularly muddy Shoubudani tomae. the stone had some lines dug out and is only 600ish grams, and iirc it cost me 175 dollars. on iron cladding it makes a very contrasty finish, on stainless, well it is at least even and doesnt tug on the cladding.


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## Bico Doce (Oct 28, 2021)

tcmx3 said:


> ok on a more serious note I think it is not that hard to get a nice finish on stainless, you just have to adjust your expectations. and you do not need a super pricey stone, mostly what you need is a softer stone and very pure.
> 
> this is from a soft and particularly muddy Shoubudani tomae. the stone had some lines dug out and is only 600ish grams, and iirc it cost me 175 dollars. on iron cladding it makes a very contrasty finish, on stainless, well it is at least even and doesnt tug on the cladding.
> 
> View attachment 149151


That is a great looking finish. Thank you for the suggestion on the stone, it seems like the missing piece of the puzzle (that and a whole bunch of skill)…


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## gcsquared (Oct 29, 2021)

I look at my knives before I go to sleep every night


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## Matus (Oct 29, 2021)

... I have sold kitchen knives to buy pocket knives ...


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## daddy yo yo (Oct 29, 2021)

Matus said:


> ... I have sold kitchen knives to buy pocket knives knives ...


I am a home chef and love cooking. Some people do yoga or other stuff to relax and calm down, I simply enjoy cooking, doing shopping for ingredients, handling all the fantastic veggies from my favorite market stand, hence my passion for kitchen knives.

This year, for some reason I thought I need a pocket knife. Man, how little did I know when I thought that 1,000 for a kitchen knife is expensive…


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## sansho (Oct 29, 2021)

i went from having only one nice knife for years to buying 7 knives in a few months. oops.

edit: did a writeup.




__





sansho's Knife Journey


i started with nice knives in 2017 when i got a gengetsu ss 240mm from jki. in an ocean of options, i probably bought it because it was being discussed here at the time. not that "famous, original version" that @daveb is always going on about, but awesome knife. truly. love everything about it...




www.kitchenknifeforums.com


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## icanhaschzbrgr (Oct 29, 2021)

Lucien said:


> Haha!
> Here is another confession - I have fallen in love with sharpening yet the knives' edge retention is so damn good so as a home cook, you don't get to sharpen them often. So one way to deal with this problem is to use hard plastic boards, which is what I do lol.


just.buy.more.knives!


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## icanhaschzbrgr (Oct 29, 2021)

Delat said:


> Thinning looks like a PITA so I plan to just keep buying new knives forever so I never need to thin anything.


"not a boy but a husband"


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## BillHanna (Oct 29, 2021)

You ever pick a knife type and look at all the WTS you missed out on? Going back four pages; it seems Ian had some gud stuf.


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## ian (Oct 29, 2021)

BillHanna said:


> You ever pick a knife type and look at all the WTS you missed out on? Going back four pages; it seems Ian had some gud stuf.



You totally missed out. You'll never have another opportunity like that one. Good luck living a fulfilling life now.


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## BillHanna (Oct 29, 2021)

ian said:


> You totally missed out. You'll never have another opportunity like that one. Good luck living a fulfilling life now.


*kicks rocks*


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## stringer (Oct 29, 2021)

BillHanna said:


> You ever pick a knife type and look at all the WTS you missed out on? Going back four pages; it seems Ian had some gud stuf.



@ian has mastered the art of chef knife puff puff pass.


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## ian (Oct 29, 2021)

stringer said:


> @ian has mastered the art of chef knife puff puff pass.



Once one has mastered an art, it brings no more joy. Goodbye, carbon multitudes. Let my knife drawer be stable.


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## BillHanna (Oct 29, 2021)

The end of an era.

Hopefully, @SolidSnake03 and @soigne_west continue their bargainy ways.


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## stringer (Oct 29, 2021)

BillHanna said:


> The end of an era.
> 
> Hopefully, @SolidSnake03 and @soigne_west continue their bargainy ways.



@ian hasn't retired sir. Just follow his BST and jump on the gravy train. Buy his sloppy seconds and pass on the love when you're done.


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## stringer (Oct 30, 2021)

End of an era


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## soigne_west (Oct 30, 2021)

Be happy for me, I’ve found knives that are keepers


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## LucasFur (Oct 30, 2021)

I have a KKF Confession….
If there are over 2/3 pages of content I only read the first and last page or so of content.


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## M1k3 (Oct 30, 2021)

ian said:


> Once one has mastered an art, it brings no more joy. Goodbye, carbon multitudes. Let my knife drawer be stable.


Time to make your own.


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## IsoJ (Nov 1, 2021)

I am too lazy to sharpen these days. I need more projects and wobbly stuff. What is wrong with me?


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## daddy yo yo (Nov 1, 2021)

IsoJ said:


> I am too lazy to sharpen these days. I need more projects and wobbly stuff. What is wrong with me?


I am too lazy to sharpen. Once a knife gets dull, I buy a new one…


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## stringer (Nov 1, 2021)

daddy yo yo said:


> I am too lazy to sharpen. Once a knife gets dull, I buy a new one…


I'm too lazy to buy new knives. It takes too long to get them setup the way I like.


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## tostadas (Nov 1, 2021)

I bought a "new" TF just to have a project to keep me busy for a while. Dont know why, since I'm super busy right now already.


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## Delat (Nov 1, 2021)

daddy yo yo said:


> I am too lazy to sharpen. Once a knife gets dull, I buy a new one…



What if the new knife is dull OOTB?


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## daddy yo yo (Nov 1, 2021)

Delat said:


> What if the new knife is dull OOTB?


Good question. I will buy some more knives and think about it!


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## Bico Doce (Nov 8, 2021)

I was flying high after my recent Dalman acquisition and then I opened a kitchen drawer to be reminded of my box of shame…










Tojiro Nakiri that is pretending to be a Global
Global gyuto
Misen Chef knife
Misen Bread knife
Very dull Wustof paring knife

These stay hidden away and are mostly used by my wife but I’m still embarrassed by my humble roots. I tried to give them to Goodwill and they said they don’t take garbage…


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## tostadas (Nov 8, 2021)

Bico Doce said:


> I was flying high after my recent Dalman acquisition and then I opened a kitchen drawer to be reminded of my box of shame…
> 
> View attachment 151085
> View attachment 151086
> ...


Maybe try rehandling the global


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## Bico Doce (Nov 8, 2021)

tostadas said:


> Maybe try rehandling the global


I lack the skills to pull that off. Do you accept commissions?


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## tostadas (Nov 8, 2021)

Bico Doce said:


> I lack the skills to pull that off. Do you accept commissions?


I can wrap it in a plastic bag for ya


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## mc2442 (Nov 8, 2021)

tostadas said:


> Maybe try rehandling the global



I laughed way to hard at this


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## M1k3 (Nov 9, 2021)

Bico Doce said:


> I lack the skills to pull that off. Do you accept commissions?


Paging @Carl Kotte and his infamous bun shaped handles.


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## xsmx13 (Nov 9, 2021)

Bico Doce said:


> I was flying high after my recent Dalman acquisition and then I opened a kitchen drawer to be reminded of my box of shame…
> 
> View attachment 151085
> View attachment 151086
> ...


 There's no need for shame there, you should see the crap knives I used till about age 24. I only discovered knives better than the insanely dull hand me downs I got from family when I bought my dad some of what I thought were nice German knives for his birthday. I was amazed at how well they cut compared to what I was used to and I would have been completely blown away by this setup of knives. Almost all of us probably started with stuff that would make us cringe now, but I figure a big part of the fun is trying something new that raises the bar and suits evolving tastes. After all, we can all prepare dinner with much lesser knives than we have, it's just more fun with them.

Enjoy the Dalman knife and don't look back. Cheers!


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## Carl Kotte (Nov 9, 2021)

tostadas said:


> Maybe try rehandling the global


It’s not as easy as you might think. I could upload a youtube tutorial.


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## Michi (Nov 9, 2021)

Bico Doce said:


> Very dull Wustof paring knife


Nothing wrong with a Wüsthof paring knife. Sharpen it, and it's a good knife.


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## tostadas (Nov 9, 2021)

Carl Kotte said:


> It’s not as easy as you might think. I could upload a youtube tutorial.


or write a book


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## AT5760 (Nov 9, 2021)

It'll be a long time before I replace my Wusthof parer. No shame there.


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## ian (Nov 9, 2021)

Carl Kotte said:


> It’s not as easy as you might think. I could upload a youtube tutorial.



Anything can be hidden tang!


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## ian (Nov 9, 2021)

New confessions:

1) basically any knife is fine if you sharpen and thin it correctly.

This combines well with

2) I rarely sharpen my own knives nowadays.

Also,

3) I haven’t oiled my cutting boards or wa handles in like a year and a half


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## Carl Kotte (Nov 9, 2021)

tostadas said:


> or write a book


I’m on it.


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## Carl Kotte (Nov 9, 2021)

ian said:


> Anything can be hidden tang!


Yes, and the good thing, there is No need for pins.


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## Carl Kotte (Nov 9, 2021)

ian said:


> New confessions:
> 
> 1) basically any knife is fine if you sharpen and thin it correctly.
> 
> ...


You’re so liberating.


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## ian (Nov 9, 2021)

Carl Kotte said:


> Yes, and the good thing, there is No need for pins.



Mustard instead of epoxy?


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## Ochazuke (Nov 9, 2021)

ian said:


> New confessions:
> 
> 1) basically any knife is fine if you sharpen and thin it correctly.


I vacillate so hard on this opinion. I go months on end thinking, "why spend so much money when any knife is fine with a good sharpening." (but this is usually in regards to gyuto). I'll spend months abusing the aus-8 house knives just because they're convenient. And honestly it does work just fine. 

Then I reach for one of my more well-made pieces and I remember just how nice a well-maintained piece of exceptional craftsmanship really is. Back and forth the cycle continues unending until I die I suppose.


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## stringer (Nov 9, 2021)

Ochazuke said:


> I vacillate so hard on this opinion. I go months on end thinking, "why spend so much money when any knife is fine with a good sharpening." (but this is usually in regards to gyuto). I'll spend months abusing the aus-8 house knives just because they're convenient. And honestly it does work just fine.
> 
> Then I reach for one of my more well-made pieces and I remember just how nice a well-maintained piece of exceptional craftsmanship really is. Back and forth the cycle continues unending until I die I suppose.


May the circle be unbroken. This is the way.


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## Carl Kotte (Nov 9, 2021)

ian said:


> Mustard instead of epoxy?


Everything sticky that dries and forms a crust will work. It’s great


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## M1k3 (Nov 9, 2021)

Carl Kotte said:


> Everything sticky that dries and forms a crust will work. It’s great


That's what she said!


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## tcmx3 (Nov 9, 2021)

stringer said:


> May the circle be unbroken. This is the way.



the Mandalorian family band huh?


----------

