[dano1]

funny this comes up now. Have been looking at gyuto's on a couple of other forums. May have to give one a test ride after taxes are done .

danny

[hipjoint]

hahahahahahahahahahahahahhaaha ... ball and socket ... you crack me up!!

for your entertainment, look up <<korin.com>> or <<japanese-knife.com>>
(same website) and look up under "western knives" and pick up on the
various misono or whatever knives that have the "warning" underneath
that reads "carbon knives are NOT rustproof" or something similar.
sharper than ANY sabatier knife and thoroughly modern. why yearn for
old school when something new is SO much better?? the "chef's knife"
shape is usually called a "gyuto" and is found with the three rivet western
style handles and also the more traditional round ho wood handles.
also, if you don't mind stainless, they also sometimes feature nice house
brand chef knives on their ebay site under "japanese trading". quit mooning
over the french stuff and make the investment in japanese steel. if japanese steel is good enough for the bride in "kill bill", it's good enough for you!

[dano1]

About time we have a genuine knife expert here. I must give up my western ways just like the movie....

Just one question. Why is a Chinese Chef touting Japanese steel? Every Chinese Chef i've worked with or for would not give up the cleaver-in various incarnations-for anything....just curious.

[hipjoint]

Originally Posted by dano1

About time we have a genuine knife expert here. I must give up my western ways just like the movie....

Just one question. Why is a Chinese Chef touting Japanese steel? Every Chinese Chef i've worked with or for would not give up the cleaver-in various incarnations-for anything....just curious.

to answer the question, the answer lies in the philosophy of one's tools.
you are correct in stating that chinese chefs love their cleavers and hey,
i love mine too!! at last count i have nine chinese cleavers, including
the incredible $205.00 shun cleaver i got for $98.00 on ebay when NO ONE
ELSE bidded on it! but there is a difference between the traditional "one
cleaver for everything" and the japanese philosophy of specific blades for
specific jobs. can you believe a special blade just for fugu?? for horse mackerel?? for unagi?? yeah, they exist. kinda like the difference between
having only a 16 oz. claw hammer and having a claw plus a ball peen plus a tack plus a ... well, you get the picture.
i love knives and love specific tools for anything and as a writer/researcher,
i find the japanese the most advanced in terms of steel production and
construction methods. no western sword ever made has ever come close to
japanese swords produced in terms of strength, durability, and balance. after all, people have found swords 400 years old with very little rust or corrosion on the blade!! this same dedication is found in their knife production.

[kokopuffs]

Just goes to show how far us westerners lag behind the Japanese in the metal forming arts.

[hipjoint]

Originally Posted by kokopuffs

Just goes to show how far us westerners lag behind the Japanese in the metal forming arts.

following the history of edged tools is a fascinating subject.

europeans, those poor rascals, had only one or two knives to the family.
when the call came to go to battle, the man of the house would grab the
"kitchen" knife and off to war he would go. no wonder it was thick and
"spear shaped" (the classic chef's knife shape) and had a heavy bolster
"for safety". especially the english and irish and their stews and other boiled
dishes, there was no need for precise cutting.

the japanese and chinese would NOT ever want to use a cooking knife for killing anyone,
much less use a unagi knife to slice beef for teriyaki!! compare classic sushi
and sashimi dishes or chinese grand cuisine to almost anything european and you will see the difference asian blades would have to be to create such
gorgeous food.

anyway, just a thought.

[kokopuffs]

HEATHENS, those westerners!!! They're the last civilization to learn that cleanliness is next to ... And it helps eradicating disease. Heathens.