# What do you use to cut spaghetti squash



## Barmoley (Jan 26, 2021)

I cut spaghetti squash last week and it was so hard, I got scarred of chipping one of my Japanese type knives. Not sure if it would, but the fear was strong in me. I ended up using my 25 year old 8" Henckels chef. The knife survived, but it wasn't a pleasant experience and the edge got mangled a little.

So today I figured what the hell and took out one of my @HSC /// Knives z-wear gyuto. I figured here we have one of the best, my opinion, steels for kitchen knives. It is probably one of the toughest steels I have, the knife is sharp the grind is good, so "what the hell, I am going for it...."

Remembering how difficult last week was I applied a bit too much force and split the squash not exactly 50/50 it just went through too easily compared to last week. Not easily mind you, just easier than expected.







No knives, edges or fingers were damaged in this effort. I examined the edge after and it is the same as before. I am sure other knives would survive too, but I am glad this one did and made the job easier. Next time will use less force and cut more evenly


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## choochoochop (Jan 26, 2021)

I use a victorinox and use 2 hands plus my body weight.


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## McMan (Jan 26, 2021)

Built up a little suspense in that first paragraph... I thought there might not be a happy ending.

I use a 12" Old Hickory.


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## Bear (Jan 26, 2021)

My old deep belly Wusthof, the only thing I really use it for, but I cut them in the opposite direction, it shreds up better, longer strands and cooks faster.


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## M1k3 (Jan 26, 2021)

Have used Takamura Chromax, Shun , Wusthof Pro, don't tell anyone HSC and Kashima pass arounds, Gengetsu, Heiji and my current HSC.

The Chromax did pretty good but it's short length made it harder than necessary. Gengetsu, Kashima and both HSC's did great. The others worked but struggled...


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## Barmoley (Jan 26, 2021)

I haven't cooked these until recently and didn't realize how hard they can be.


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## HSC /// Knives (Jan 26, 2021)

Acorn squash is pretty hard as well 
Someone give that a go


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## Barmoley (Jan 26, 2021)

HSC /// Knives said:


> Acorn squash is pretty hard as well
> Someone give that a go


Hmm, I do have an ax in my garage somewhere....


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## thebradleycrew (Jan 26, 2021)

HSC /// Knives said:


> Acorn squash is pretty hard as well
> Someone give that a go


Harbeer, you making a Z-wear with a "squash specific" grind now? I'm in.


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## HSC /// Knives (Jan 26, 2021)

thebradleycrew said:


> Harbeer, you making a Z-wear with a "squash specific" grind now? I'm in.


@Barmoley has a stiffer spine on his knife as per his request so I guess that is what works for said squash


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## M1k3 (Jan 26, 2021)

HSC /// Knives said:


> Acorn squash is pretty hard as well
> Someone give that a go





Barmoley said:


> Hmm, I do have an ax in my garage somewhere....


I like to use a Wusthof. Get the knife in a good amount to make it stick. Then whack it on the cutting board. Now you can use a regular knife.


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## dafox (Jan 26, 2021)

10" Victorinox fibrox chef.


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## Mikeadunne (Jan 26, 2021)

helps if you cut the stem end off first  - house knife always


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## Barmoley (Jan 26, 2021)

Mikeadunne said:


> helps if you cut the stem end off first  - house knife always


I did that last week, but this week I just started on the side and it went through, so I didn't bother.


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## Dendrobatez (Jan 27, 2021)

I use just about any knife, cut it the other way though not through the stem - you'll end up with much longer strands.


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## coxhaus (Jan 27, 2021)

I have a 30-year-old big Henckels 290 mm chef knife that I want to say is a 4 star which works better than all my smaller knives.

PS
I don't have any problem with the edge of the knife after cutting the squash. I find my large Texas watermelons cut better with this large knife also. 

I don't like cleavers so I use a large knife. The larger long knife cuts across the watermelon in 1 cut, whereas the shorter cleaver or knife needs to roll around the watermelon.


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## childermass (Jan 27, 2021)

I use my DaoVua Cleaver for hard squash. Nothing to cry about if something gets damaged


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## DSChief (Jan 27, 2021)

I usually grab one of my Zombie Killers.
the bottom one is a 10" Dexter Russell, top one is a Sab


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## ethompson (Jan 27, 2021)

I've broken down cases of acorn squash with my z-Kramer without any issues. I think pretty much anything that isn't extremely hard or extremely thin along the entirety of the grind will work so long as you're careful to keep your cuts straight.


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## Rangen (Jan 27, 2021)

I cut one of these the other day. It was super-hard, but easy to cut with a 680g Chinese cleaver. The weight really helps.


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## Matt Zilliox (Jan 27, 2021)

i use the Heldqvist 260mm for big hard squash and sweet potato


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## tomsch (Jan 27, 2021)

I have a custom Deba style knife that I bought years ago that is made from 154CM steel that takes all kinds of hard use and never seems to chip or even roll the edge. Can't remember the maker but it's my go to knife when I'm afraid of damaging my regular gyutos.


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## Matt Jacobs (Jan 27, 2021)

I purchased a Sabatier just for this purpose. We grow a lot of different types of squash I didnt want to ever worry about chipping a "good" knife. Honestly it works great as they are thin enough I dont have to work too hard.


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## bingo (Jan 27, 2021)

My Wat pro is pretty good for tough veg, but I honestly use a mercer millenia. I bought my parents a victorinox fibrox a few years ago, and I really can't tell the difference between the mercer and victorinox.


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## Carl Kotte (Jan 27, 2021)

I just grab my thinnest most expensive knife and hope for the best.


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## ian (Jan 27, 2021)

I beast it!


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## tostadas (Jan 27, 2021)

I use similar methods for squash:


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## ian (Jan 27, 2021)

Omg those vids are so painful, especially the coconut one... reminds me when I broke my hand doing something similar.


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## knifeknight (Jan 27, 2021)

Deba, the wedging helps a lot with splitting sqash...


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## jacko9 (Jan 27, 2021)

My old 12" 1095 carbon steel "kit knife" that I put together 50 years ago. I forgot where the kit came from and the etched marking is long ago gone but, the knife is a great cutter.


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## Donald Roe (Jan 27, 2021)

I use an old 10” forge craft or Doc Smith honyaki gyuto


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## Brian Weekley (Jan 27, 2021)

Valued members of my knife family. If it clucks, is semi frozen, excessively cartilaginous, gets coated in olive oil to be roasted in the oven, or comes vacuum packed in plastic ... it probably gets one of these knives first. Haven’t chipped an edge on one of them yet.


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## Chicagohawkie (Jan 27, 2021)

This a job for El Tojiro!


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## stevessf (Jan 27, 2021)

choochoochop said:


> I use a victorinox and use 2 hands plus my body weight.


Oh boy. That's how people lop off a fingertip. Maybe get yourself a better knife if you're doing more hard squash cutting. Victorinox is great for light tasks like cutting sandwiches but I've seen a lot of carnage as a result of forcing kitchen knives to do tasks they are not designed for. Just a thought. Cheers.


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## stevessf (Jan 27, 2021)

Rangen said:


> I cut one of these the other day. It was super-hard, but easy to cut with a 680g Chinese cleaver. The weight really helps.


It seems too often we forget just how effortless the tough stuff can be when we use a suitable cleaver. Good call.


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## Mikeadunne (Jan 27, 2021)

Deleted, wrong thread!


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## chiffonodd (Jan 27, 2021)

For stuff like that I use a MAC pro MBK85 and two hands. Can lightly baton the knife with your palm on the spine. Keep fingers out of the way for obvious reasons.


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## bingo (Jan 27, 2021)

stevessf said:


> Oh boy. That's how people lop off a fingertip. Maybe get yourself a better knife if you're doing more hard squash cutting. Victorinox is great for light tasks like cutting sandwiches but I've seen a lot of carnage as a result of forcing kitchen knives to do tasks they are not designed for. Just a thought. Cheers.


You reckon a chainsaw is the safer method? Maybe a reciprocating saw?


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## Oshidashi (Jan 27, 2021)

I have an 8 in Mercer chef knife that I use for stuff like that. And to hand to kitchen helpers that I don't trust with expensive Japanese knives, if I am lucky enough to have some help. The forged Mercer is actually a fairly nice knife.


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## panda (Jan 28, 2021)

karate chop


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## Michi (Jan 28, 2021)




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## Barmoley (Jan 28, 2021)

Michi said:


>


Wimp. Panda can do it with his bare hands.


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## Michi (Jan 28, 2021)

Barmoley said:


> Wimp. Panda can do it with his bare hands.


Yeah, I saw. My technique is more refined than his…


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## panda (Jan 28, 2021)

Michi said:


> Yeah, I saw. My technique is more refined than his…


u wish


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## M1k3 (Jan 28, 2021)

panda said:


> karate chop


BEAST IT!


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## Pensacola Tiger (Jan 28, 2021)

Dendrobatez said:


> I use just about any knife, cut it the other way though not through the stem - you'll end up with much longer strands.


This.


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## Nemo (Jan 28, 2021)

Whichever knife is sharp and handy.

Most recent few times it was Kippington 1095 differentially hardened laser.

I find that I do need to be pretty careful about technique with knives that are very thin behind the edge.

Actually, we have finally gotten through the last of last year's motherlode of spaghetti squash and we didn't grow any this year so I'll have to try to find some in a grocer.


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## coxhaus (Jan 28, 2021)

I like a bolster on my knife when cutting heavy stuff.

I like growing spaghetti squash but it takes a lot of room so I only grow it once and a while.


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## DavidPF (Jan 31, 2021)

Dendrobatez said:


> I use just about any knife, cut it the other way though not through the stem - you'll end up with much longer strands.


I want to make sure I'm getting it right, cause I've never cut one of these: You're saying if I imagine it's a globe, I should cut on the equator, not on the north pole?


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## Bear (Jan 31, 2021)

> You're saying if I imagine it's a globe, I should cut on the equator, not on the north pole?


I did two a couple of nights ago


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## Evan Estern (Jan 31, 2021)

I cut the ends of the squash off so it stands solidly upright and cut it the long way, top to bottom. Less material for the knife to slice through that way so it goes easier. I have an 8" Wusthof chef's knife that I use for the really tough stuff, but I can't remember what I used last time I cut up a spaghetti squash, probably that.


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## Dendrobatez (Jan 31, 2021)

DavidPF said:


> I want to make sure I'm getting it right, cause I've never cut one of these: You're saying if I imagine it's a globe, I should cut on the equator, not on the north pole?




Yes, rub with oil/salt/pepper, and roast skin side facing up on a pan with a couple cups of water. The strands run around the "equator" and you'll usually get way longer strands doing it this way. It also depends a bit on how old the squash too, sometimes they are brittle and want to break.

I guess I expect more out of knives than most, I will break down coconuts with my fujiyama so a squash doesn't really worry me.


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## stringer (Jan 31, 2021)

Here's a video from a few years ago vs spaghetti squash. I used my Sabatier workhorse. But usually I would use whatever is lying around. The only one that would really give me pause is Watanabe.


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## coxhaus (Feb 1, 2021)

My wife never would cut things like large watermelons or spaghetti squash as she would always get me to do it. I finally showed her how easy it was to cut them with a large chef knife. She doesn't like large knives but she does like my big chef knife, a Henckel's 290mm chef knife. I have 2 knife blocks together side by side. I have started moving certain knives into 1 block which I have told her is my block only and her response was but not the big chef knife as she knows how much I like large knives. I thought it was funny.


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## boomchakabowwow (Feb 9, 2021)

Dendrobatez said:


> I use just about any knife, cut it the other way though not through the stem - you'll end up with much longer strands.


this. i cut them into rounds..across the squash. longer strands.

knife? any of mine..except my Gyuto..no problems. i dont even pause to think about it. my chinese cleaver is pretty great at it.


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## DavidPF (Feb 9, 2021)

boomchakabowwow said:


> any of mine..except my Gyuto..


What's different about the gyuto that would stop you from using it?


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## naader (Feb 13, 2021)

Got a togo reigo wide bevel konofuji that falls through the hardest squash with ease


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## DavidPF (Feb 13, 2021)

naader said:


> Got a togo reigo wide bevel konofuji that falls through the hardest squash with ease


What seems to make it work better?

Also, your sentence should be entered in some kind of competition for "most difficult to understand for N³s (non nife nerds)


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## naader (Feb 14, 2021)

DavidPF said:


> What seems to make it work better?
> 
> Also, your sentence should be entered in some kind of competition for "most difficult to understand for N³s (non nife nerds)


Hahaha yeah lots of lingo there

I wish I could tell you what exactly it is, I guess it's just thin enough with the super subtle convexity I've got on the edge paired with the shinogi being sorta high up so it doesn't crack and wedge but also makes contact with the hira a non issue. It's just great at minimizing friction I think.


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## DavidPF (Feb 14, 2021)

naader said:


> Hahaha yeah lots of lingo there
> 
> I wish I could tell you what exactly it is, I guess it's just thin enough with the super subtle convexity I've got on the edge paired with the shinogi being sorta high up so it doesn't crack and wedge but also makes contact with the hira a non issue. It's just great at minimizing friction I think.


Low friction and thinness I certainly get. I guess for understanding the rest I'll have to contact the hira myself. She probably doesn't work till tomorrow morning, that's OK. 

It seems like when people know a hard squash might not be easy to cut, they may tend to look for a knife that's known to be tough and rugged, just in case; then the tough rugged knife turns out to be thick too, and it gets wedged. But I'll probably continue to do that regardless, because I'm more willing to spend time un-wedging my beater knife than searching for the pieces of my good one.

If I had a lot of squash to cut and minimal time to get it done, I'd probably have to do it differently. But the number of times per year I cut up squash, I can afford an extra couple of minutes.


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## boomchakabowwow (Feb 26, 2021)

DavidPF said:


> What's different about the gyuto that would stop you from using it?


i just never warmed up to the knife.


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## Desert Rat (Feb 26, 2021)

A cheap Fujiwara. It has survived unscathed for a decade except for being dropped point first. Beats my Germans at everything.
I wouldn't buy the knife again but i'm not looking for it's replacement either, it has it's place.


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## Barmoley (Mar 3, 2021)

Another spaghetti squash slain by a different @HSC /// Knives Z-wear knife. I am getting better at this after a few of these. Yes I know still length wise and strands are shorter, but I do what I am told and this direction was the request (really an order) but I can pretend, so a request was to cut it this way.


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## Twigg (Mar 7, 2021)

POS Chicago Cutlery chef knife works great.


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