Got your CKK knives yet? I happened to find a store which carries CCK in San Francisco. It is in SF Chinatown and a store established for ~30 years. I told the owner that many people have been looking for CCK in the Bay Area and she wants me to share the store information here: Chase International Trading (大通).
Here are a few photos:
I bought the carbon steel thin blade CCK KF1302 and stainless steel KF1912. Despite they are both number “2” knives, the 1912 is a smaller knife than 1302. 19XX line is one size smaller than the carbon steel line. e.g. 1912 is the same size as 1303 and 1911 is the same size as 1302. These new knives have the new laser etched labels (not the engraved labels)
Would have been a nicer touch if the QR code was same size as their Chinese and English seal and inline. Even better if they did their name with seal-type writing.
So that Chase International on Sacramento is THE place to get restaurant grade cooking equipment. The carbon steel woks there outperform any wok you can get at The Wok Shop, and the wok cooking spoons/shovels are really sturdy too.
Another place you can get CCK knives in the city is at Forest Restaurant Supply on Cesar Chavez St. I’m very partial to the #3 vegetable cleaver. Its just the perfect size. I love the thinness behind the blade. Carbon steel is the way to go because of ease of sharpening.
Forgot to post but we walked over there the other day. Got a 1302 to replace my previous favorite.
They were definitely funny in there — we got there like 30 min before closing after Salade Frisée aux Lardons, fries, and some spritz’ took a little longer than expected (why wouldn’t it) at Cafe de la Presse. Linda didn’t really care just gave us a jokingly hard time for coming so late. I told her about this thread, she didn’t believe me so I showed it to her on my phone while her husband(?) dug through knives. At the end I got the knife and she gave me her email to send her this thread and I guess we’re friends now.
Nice salad. What do you mean she joked about you coming in late? Did you make an appointment?
Well, she told me to post about her store carries CCK and she was at the time seems pretty excited that I would post it.
So what was your previous favorite? Is it getting old? My pleasure to share this information. For some reasons, there are far many stores in the East Coast carry CCK.
What do you mean she joked about you coming in late?
We got there close to their posted closing time (but before!) and the door was locked so they were saying they were closed already, but I told her, “I’m just here for a knife and I know which one and you’re the only place that I found that sells them!” So she was joking, “then come here earlier next time.”
So what was your previous favorite?
My previous was a 1302 but it got ruined by a friend not knowing what they were doing and tried chopping through rib bones with it.
Oh, but this reminds me that when I told her that the only previous place I found them at was Greatmin, she said that was a previous employee’s shop.
I am sorry to hear. Unfortunately, many Chinese knives look similar despite their different purposes. You friend probably thought it is an all purpose knife. Good thing is that CCK KF1302 is not too expensive (back then probably between $50-70 US dollar). Did your friend try to pay you back?
Hey, I think your photo able to capture the hammering pattern. This is pretty cool.
Ya, he didn’t know how to cook or anything so was just trying to help or something.
I think I paid like $40 for it back then. I don’t remember if he paid me back or bought me some drinks or something. We had a lot of dinner parties and went out all the time — a big house full of mid 20s mostly new to the city — so who knows.
Hey, I think your photo able to capture the hammering pattern. This is pretty cool.
Oh ya, that is cool.
