Hi Schmoozer,
You asked,
What is "rock chopping"? Is that when you rock the knife along the blade while chopping?
Sort of, but not exactly. Here's how "rock chopping" works: The tip of the kinfe goes down. The rest of the blade follows in a sort of guillotine motion. Because the edge of the knife has an arc, the user keeps pushing down on the handle until the back of the knife is down far enough that the food gets cut through. Most people with good skills (with chef's knifes) also slide the knife forward slightly as it cuts ( to keep the chop silent and to avoid making "accordion" cuts).
"Rock chopping" is not a traditional knife skills term, but seems to have come from knife forums on the net as a way from distinguishing the European style of chopping from the Asian "push cut."
If you just rock the knife around the board making the food progressively smaller -- especially if you keep you press down on the knife near the tip with your offhand -- that's called "walking" the knife. A lot of people mince that way -- in fact darn near everyone, including me -- despite the fact that it's a good way to chip your knife.
BTW, your review of the Sabatier-K was an enjoyable and educational read.
Thank you for saying so.
One last question, would you consider the Calphalon knife a good or fair value at $58.00?
Yes and no. It's only a good value if it suits you. I keep a sort of mental knife continuum in my head, and have been wrestling with where to put the Katanas since you asked. More specifically, whether they're better or worse than Forschner Rosewood (or Forschner Fibrox) which are far less expensive.
The Calphalons have a better profile than the Forschners and are made from better steel. But their geometry makes it very difficult to sharpen them the way they should be sharpened, etc., etc. In my opinion your verdict on the Katana comes down to looks. Do you value them more than the knife's undistinguished utility as a tool? If you do prize its apearance and don't care that much about performance, $60 seems attractive as knife prices go these days.
I don't care for them and wouldn't buy one, no matter how cheaply sold. But you're not me and neither of us expects or wants you to be.
FWIW, I know a pro with decent skills who's on his second or third Katana. He says he likes them because "they're hard to hurt."
If you're looking for a lot of performance you could spend significantly less on a Forschner, or a little more on something like a
Kakayagi Basic, a
Kakayagi VG-10, a
MAC Superior,
MAC Chef,
Misono Moly,
Togiharu Inox, etc. Rating performance above looks, you might even consider a German like a
Messermeister Meridian Elite.
Let me add that knives are all about sharpening. If you're buying to own for more than a few months of so you really should have a plan which goes beyond "a sharpening steel, and sending it out once a year." A truly sharp knife makes a huge difference in the level of quality you can put into your cooking and the level of enjoyment you can take from it.
BDL
PS. The Kakayagi Basic, and (probably) both MACs mentioned are made from the same VG-1 alloy used for the Katana. But, mostly because of geometry, they're significantly better performers.