I am afraid that you are looking into something that does not exist. I take some vegetables and some meat and I use one of my “main” knives which I have out. My main knives, right now are:
CCK KF 130X slicer,
CCK KF110X slicer,
Tojiro DP 210 mm gyuto
Glestain 210 mm gyuto
Watanabe Nakiri
I rotate them as I used them. For sure my Tojiro gyuto is least sharp.
I have a Moritaka AS Honesukis and CCK KF140X (Kau Kong) cleaver for heavy duty work to cut through small bones.
Chem, you are obviously ignoring the important cultural fusion aspect of eating utensils.
That’s very interesting to me, Chem. I have all my knife grabbables in three clusters near four cutting boards: wood (beech) sandwich, wood (S. A hardwood), wood (hinoki cedar), and large poly board. If I want to make a sandwich, i pull out my beech board over my poly, slap on the ingredients, fold, grab and slice with my nearby Tojiro sandwich knife-- 6" vg10 serrated.
For a salad, I might wet my hinoki, grab my Xinzuo Zhen (nakiri) cleaver, and prepare ingredients, then use my Shibazi f208-2) to chop and scoop unto my serving dish.
Ray
I’ve seen formal settings in Japanese homes that do both–sometimes only knife and fork for breakfast.
Thai use a fork only.
This is too funny. Chopstick, knife and fork all together. But I think the spoon, knife and fork combination is just as awesome.
Right. I think you know exactly what I am getting at. Conversely, we Americans on average love to use salt and pepper, but Indians on average use far more spices than us. It does not mean that Indian spices are less versatile. Conversely, yes, Chinese people on average use fewer knives in the kitchen, but that does not mean Chinese kitchen knives are more versatile.
There is an unnecessary logic jump there.
It rarely pays to generalize. Home economics in most parts of the world started with one knife per household.
The “Sir Lawrence” Ray keeps mentioning has a profile known as Green River, which was a common choice for a 1-knife “solution” in USA’s westward expansion. I suspect a similar cutlery history operated in China.
Kaleo,
The most helpful thing you can do for the OP on this thread is to tell us about your batterie, including your Chinese cleavers, and how you use them in your home kitchen.
Ray
I’ve got one of those …
This is a fine idea, not only for “outdoor” use, but to avoid resort to plastic utensils for parties, hotels. takeout and picnics.
I think the fork end of this particular product could have benefitted from a little more design effort.
I understand the fork and spoon part, but the knife … do you hold your food with your hand?
Hi Alarash,
I’m not sure how much progress you’ve made, but we’ve made efforts to explain our own solutions. Quite a few users either have a Western cleaver and no slicer, I’ve just gotten a slicer, Damiano and Pertti have both–and then some–and Chem seems to have his own testbed. The only one to actually test the Chinese cleavers has been Chef Panko. Here’s his test of the Shibazi I bought:
Ray
Ray. I mean it in the nicest way. You do not need to summarize other posts and make another post. I don’t know about Damiano or Pertti, but you certainly inaccurately described my situation. How did you come to the conclusion that the only person who actually tested Chinese cleaver is Chef Panko? I appreciate if you talk about your own experience and not my experience.
Hi Chem,
I meant the Chinese cleavers from ROC.
Ray
Ray,
Again, what make you think people have not used Chinese cleavers from China? Consider vast majority of Chinese knives are made in China (like extreme vast), it is pretty unlikely that people have not used a Chinese knife made in China. I have used many China made Chinese knives – even including your favorite Shi Ba Zhi (which is subpar quality)
Please talk about simple facts, and not extrapolate to some grand statements.
Hi Chem,
I’ll rephrase it further.
Chef Panko has recently done a series of video reviews of Chinese cleavers in which he measures their hardness and evaluates them against a set of standards. He buys them himself. He has also shopped for them in the Netherlands and also Hong Kong.
His many videos are a great resource for those interested in learning more about these cleavers–both in the home and the commercial kitchen–which he compares.
OK?
Like I said, just stop overreaching and falsefully describe things. Please just stop. Please stop putting words in my mouth, and please stop trying to put square peg in a round hole. I think several people have told you that we are simply using the knives that come easy and sharp to us, there is nothing special about this cultural fusion motivation you are talking about.
My reply to you have zero to do with Chef Panko. I am simply and politely ask you to stop rephrasing other people experience and position. It cannot be this difficult.
I think I understand why Kaleo does not answer your questions because you are going to murder and misinterpret him.
Ok?
Sorry if I offended you, Chem. I’ll be more careful. We’re just here–or at least I’m just here–to have fun as a home cook, lover of culture, and lover of great restaurants.
I do like this OP and what Alarash has done with his knives
Ray
Hi Ray and friends,
The knife I ruined was taped across its blade for safety and put in the garbage today. I had the good fortune of replacing it with a Joyce Chen Chinese kitchen knife, made in Japan. It cost $3.49 at my local thrift store this afternoon. It looks to be about the same “nothing-too-special” quality as the one I damaged. I’m content with it as a decent replacement for my middleweight cleaver.
I’ll continue using my classic shun as my thin lightweight cleaver. As for a heavyweight option, I took Kaleo’s advice and found a Fulton brand by foster bros model 1190 that’s coming in the mail. Probably it’ll get used annually, but can probably handle that lamb tibia that my other cleaver could not.
