# Sujihiki instead of a gyuto for meat?



## Matus (Feb 27, 2014)

I am just thinking loud here, please bare with be - I have a very nice 210mm gyuto, but I use it nearly exclusively to slice (bone-less) meat. I use it rather little with vegetables (onions, etc..). I do try it from time to time, but being just a home cook I do not have real confidence in that and have to do it carefully to cut where I want to (and in particular not to cut where my hand is).

I will try cutting more veggies with the gyuto once I finally get a dedicated properly sized board (selection process is in its final rounds - yes, you got that right - a selection process, I know I know :rolleyes2: ), but it may or may not work for me. If it does not I will get a knife with 165 - 180 blade for veggies (bunk or hakata santoku).

So in the case that the gyuto would only be left with meat slicing (it feels a tad too short at times for that task) - I am wondering whether replacing it with a 240 sujihiki would make sense. :dontknow:

I am wondering how you would approach this "dilemma".

P.S. _I did have a sujhiki before - it was Yoshikane SLD damascus 270mm. I swapped it (for the gyuto I have now) - the reason was that the blade felt too long with too little belly._


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## jamaster14 (Feb 27, 2014)

Matus said:


> I am just thinking loud here, please bare with be - I have a very nice 210mm gyuto, but I use it nearly exclusively to slice (bone-less) meat. I use it rather little with vegetables (onions, etc..). I do try it from time to time, but being just a home cook I do not have real confidence in that and have to do it carefully to cut where I want to (and in particular not to cut where my hand is).
> 
> I will try cutting more veggies with the gyuto once I finally get a dedicated properly sized board (selection process is in its final rounds - yes, you got that right - a selection process, I know I know :rolleyes2: ), but it may or may not work for me. If it does not I will get a knife with 165 - 180 blade for veggies (bunk or hakata santoku).
> 
> ...



well, for starters it sounds like your knife skills could use some brushing up... id probably start there. once you have the techniques down it may change your mind on buying a new knife, or which size/type of knife you would buy. either way a little practice and some proper instructionton (tons of youtube video) and it shouldnt be long before you have a decent technique going.

as far as gyuto vs. sujihiki, you could always go with more of a hybrid, although i dont see why a 240mm gyuto wouldnt be sufficient for whatever meant you are slicing at home.


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## Matus (Feb 27, 2014)

Point taken. I will check some vids.

But I should have probably mentioned - my personal preference for a meat slicer would be sujihiki. One can do more with gyuto, but should I decide not to cut veggies with gyuto, I would got for suji.


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## olpappy (Feb 27, 2014)

Sure a suji is better for large pieces of meat, but a 240 gyuto could also do well with both veggies and meats. How big is your cutting board going to be? You might consider getting both a small one for fruits cheese etc plus a larger one for larger items. If you really wanted a sujihiki 270mm is a good size.


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## Matus (Feb 27, 2014)

Our current meat board is 40x30cm (ca. 16x12") - so not too large, so to speak - most of the time it is large enough, but there are times when something like 50x40cm (20x16") would be better. During the short period I had & used the 270 Yoshi suji I had the feel that it was too long for the board we have.

I may indeed consider getting TWO new boards, but that would take longer given their price.


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## kodo (Feb 27, 2014)

only time i would use suji to slice meat is for a big piece of roast ribeye or other large roasted meat at work.
but for home use i don't seeing the problem using a gyuto to slice your meats if they are not large roast.


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## panda (Feb 27, 2014)

learn to use a 240 gyuto for EVERYTHING, you will be greatly rewarded.


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## daddy yo yo (Feb 27, 2014)

panda said:


> learn to use a 240 gyuto for EVERYTHING, you will be greatly rewarded.


i second that!

i am a home cook and have come from using a 200mm German chef's knife, a 165mm santoku, have tried a 270mm gyuto for a while (which - unsurprisingly - was too big), tried a 190mm santoku then, and ended up using 240mm or 210mm gyutos almost exclusively. my santokus are still there, but those are the knives i would choose for the rough and dirty jobs in the kitchen (i am not abusing them though). i am happy with 240mm or 210mm gyutos for every task. :spin chair:

sure, once a year a suji would be nice, or even a yanagi, but hey, this would be a little bit... uhm... exaggerated! :angel2:


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## jamaster14 (Feb 27, 2014)

daddy yo yo said:


> i second that!
> 
> i am a home cook and have come from using a 200mm German chef's knife, a 165mm santoku, have tried a 270mm gyuto for a while (which - unsurprisingly - was too big), tried a 190mm santoku then, and ended up using 240mm or 210mm gyutos almost exclusively. my santokus are still there, but those are the knives i would choose for the rough and dirty jobs in the kitchen (i am not abusing them though). i am happy with 240mm or 210mm gyutos for every task. :spin chair:
> 
> sure, once a year a suji would be nice, or even a yanagi, but hey, this would be a little bit... uhm... exaggerated! :angel2:



yeah my 240 and 210 basically do everything... i just picked up a nikkiri just because i used a friends and they are fun to play around with. but my 240 is basically all i use for the most part


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## Matus (Feb 28, 2014)

OK - I will give it a try (using gusto for everything that is) - but what knife to use on something like Hokkaido pumpkin (read: thick and hard) - that seems like something I could bend or chip a gyuto with .. ? I am asking as my Tanaka R2 210mm has a very thin endue (the knife weights only 130g) and I fear to damage it on harder veggies.


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## jamaster14 (Feb 28, 2014)

Matus said:


> OK - I will give it a try (using gusto for everything that is) - but what knife to use on something like Hokkaido pumpkin (read: thick and hard) - that seems like something I could bend or chip a gyuto with .. ? I am asking as my Tanaka R2 210mm has a very thin endue (the knife weights only 130g) and I fear to damage it on harder veggies.



for stuff like pumpkins or big squash or coconuts i just have a big cheap cleaver i use. its gonna get messed up and the task is kinda messy so i find no use in taking a good knife to it.

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B001CDVXUK/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20

gets the job done and just 11 bucks.


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## Marko Tsourkan (Feb 28, 2014)

Many sushi chefs use sujis for prep work and compensate the lack of knuckle clearance by placing the cutting board at the edge of the counter top. 

I find suji too limiting to replace a gyuto for Western style cooking, especially when it comes to cutting root vegetables, but with a specialized vegetable knife like nakiri, you might get away with just a suji. Personally, I like to have knives for most tasks, i. e. gyuto, nakiri, suji, boning, petty, etc. These cover all my cutting needs.


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## jamaster14 (Feb 28, 2014)

Marko Tsourkan said:


> Many sushi chefs use sujis for prep work and compensate the lack of knuckle clearance by placing the cutting board at the edge of the counter top.
> 
> I find suji too limiting to replace a gyuto for Western style cooking, especially when it comes to cutting root vegetables, but with a specialized vegetable knife like nakiri, you might get away with just a suji. Personally, I like to have knives for most tasks, i. e. gyuto, nakiri, suji, boning, petty, etc. These cover all my cutting needs.



agreed, ive got 4 or 5 knives i use regularly, one for each task


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## Matus (Feb 28, 2014)

Let me just say that I am not intending to find a single knife that can do it all. I am only not sure how much of multitasker I need/want my meat knife to be.


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## insomniac (Feb 28, 2014)

CCK! or other Chinese-branded cleaver. the price point and amount of steel lets you chop without reservation. I've used it to split wood before (in a desperate situation) and the edge somehow managed not to chip. My cousin uses one to split coconuts in a horrifying way (zero technique brute force approach).


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## jamaster14 (Feb 28, 2014)

insomniac said:


> My cousin uses one to split coconuts in a horrifying way (zero technique brute force approach).



sounds like the same technique i use with my cleaver 

hey if you've got cheap steel bash away!


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## Talim (Feb 28, 2014)

I use a 240mm Tanaka Blue2 for squash/pumpkins and pretty much everything else including slicing raw meat into very fine thin cuts. For coconuts and bones I use a cleaver. The Blue2s are much thicker than the R2s so maybe buying a thicker gyuto would work better for you.


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## Matus (Mar 1, 2014)

I am indeed considering replacing my Tanaka R2 with a slightly more 'robust' gyuto. Some of the contenders I am looking into are 

Preferences:
- available in EU
- new or used (trade?)
- weight up to about 200g
- wa handle (though western would be OK if the knife does not become too heavy)
- ca. 240mm
- preferably SS clad carbon
- blade should not have too much flex


- Itinomonn Ku (seems a great knife for the price even if not SS clad)
- Itinomonn SS clad, 
- Singatirin Honyaki (probably not the right choice for a 'stronger' gyuto, but otherwise very interesting one)
- Yoshikane Tsuchine SKD hammered, 
- Yoshikane SLD (rather pricey and hard to find)
- Masakage Koishi, SS clad AS (looks very interesting)

I am opened to suggestions


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