Mostly it is my bone chopping beater knife. It hasn't chipped so far, but if it does, it's carbon steel, so sharpening it isn't so hard (whereas sharpening VG10 on tojiro is more work). Choppers like this you want to sharpen at a nice fat angle like 30 degrees per side
30deg/side is not only nearly indestructible, but keep the tip out of the heavy chopping and you'll still be able to slice chicken skin clean with it. Of course you can also sharpen the tip area a little steeper too.
My (already purchased) intended Lobster Splitter is a 275 mm Hiromoto SK4 steel western deba. It's still sitting unused in the knife box, and I need to get around to passivating the SK4 (carbon steel - no stainless here!) with an appropriate Fe[sub]3[/sub]O[sub]4[/sub] patina. Weighs 480 grams, spine just forward of the bolster is 3.5 to 4 mm thick and my main problem so far has been convincing the family banker to allow me to spend the $127 (including shipping) to buy it. Good thing I did get it - it was offered by JCK for only about 3 to 4 days before being sold out as part of the ongoing retirement of the Hiromoto artisan.
To DrPartagas - If this is to be for the actual cutting of a lobster, then choosing the length of the blade should be dependent on how big a lobster you think you will ever get. Splitting the lobster in a single cleave was the goal. Most likely, the size of lobsters in the past probably was much larger than what is now or will in the future be available. However, my choice of length (275 mm) of the Hiromoto was based as much upon fantasy as anything else. I wanted the biggest, baddest hunk of thick knife I could get, if only for my ego - something that could handle maybe any lobster I might ever come across. To each their own.
In your world, do you initially split your lobster tail by cutting the hardened shell or do you turn it over and cut the soft belly underneath and then complete the split into 2 parts?
I stab through the neck, then split the head. Then either cut it up completely or just boil it whole. The only time I do the half lobster is for grilling
For those REALLY tough tasks, here is a carbon steel hatchet I picked up from JNS as a filler item. Mostly it splits wood for my BBQ fire. But I wouldn't be against taking it to a lobster or bones.
@Mike9 Itinomonn wa butcher. Let's just say it is essential enough that I bought a backup on sale for $80 while I'm selling off redundant chefs knives left and right
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Related Threads
?
?
?
?
?
Chef Forum
559.8K posts
89.3K members
Since 1999
A forum community dedicated to Professional Chefs. Come join the discussion about recipes, prep, kitchens, styles, tips, tricks, reviews, accessories, schools, and more!