Knives..what are your favorites?

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PRO Sushi Chef shares knife sharpening tips Episode 4 Regrind Strider SnG Part2



In this episode, I show “Atoma 400 & 1200, Shapton 2000, then News Paper strop, leather belt strip, and leather strop with compounds (aluminum oxide and chromium oxide).
I also explain “why regrinding (making the edge thinner) dramatically increase the cutting performance.

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What is the best way to buy Yanagiba?
And why I have so many Masamoto knives?

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Quick follow up of the previous video.

Yanagiba Horror Story [Pro Sushi Chef knife story 2]



Quick follow up of the previous video, regarding “bent / curved Yanagiba blade”.
There are two big reasons that Yanagiba blade gets bent / curved, after being used for certain amount of time.
These examples are user error. Don’t blame the blade smith and / or the seller.

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I originally wrote this for another motorcycle forum's knife related thread, about “farming out"…

I thought I should also tell everyone on this thread, about Spyderco knives that are made overseas.

Some of you probably know already, “Spyderco branded” knives can come from four countries.

Golden, Colorado, USA





Seki City, Japan





Taichung, Taiwan





Unknown place, China






Now, A LOT of online experts have got a wrong idea about this subject.
Many believe that Spyderco has several factories in overseas.


No. Spyderco doesn’t own ANY knife making factory other than the one in Golden, Colorado.
Everything else, oversea knife companies make knives for Spyderco.
Spyderco has no control over the manufacturing process with those knives that are made in Taiwan, China, and Japan.

The funny thing is, those internet heroes talk like, “I’ve owned many Spyderco knives over the years, and those made in Taiwan models have the highest quality of fit and finish, better than the one that came from Golden, Colorado … blah, blah, blah…”
Not knowing Spyderco just buys these models and sells under their brand name.

What really, tragically funny is, that those guys are Spyderco supporters. Call them fanboys if you like.

My advice? (on purchasing knives, ANY knives)
Stop believing everything you see / read on the internet.
Don’t assume the “brand name” products you’re looking at now (in 2024) is made by the same people / built in the same way, as they used to be, back in the 60s and 70s.
Stop wasting your time watching Youtube knife review videos.
Those videos / channels are only trying to make you feel like you need to buy this, you want that, otherwise your life will be miserable.
And you end up buying things you never needed (bunch of high-speed, low-drag tacti-cool folders, state of the art jigged- guided sharpening system, the list goes on and on.)

And, as Tyler Durden (Fight Club, 1999, David Fincher film) says,…

“The things you own end up owning you.”

And

“Advertising has us chasing cars and clothes, working jobs we hate so we can buy shit we don't need. “





You don’t need to buy another pocket knife.



Until you lose the one you have. Or the one you have now gets broken, or comes to the end of its life.

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[Pro Sushi Chef’s knife sharpening tips #5] Knife sharpening station set up/Before you start/sink bridge and lighting




Don’t waste your time watching my videos.
I don’t make Youtube videos that will teach you how to get razor sharp edge in 5 minutes, or 3, or even in 1 minute.
I don’t make quick and easy sharpening tips tutorial video.
I don’t make flashy knife review video.
I am…






… a walking contradiction.
(Usually) I’m trying to make (a video) that something you(as a viewer) can take with you after watching my video.
Though, sometimes I get carried away while trying to make “cinematic” video and forget that part.
But, there’s no point making videos like other people are making.

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[Pro Sushi Chef’s knife sharpening tips #6] Ultimate stone & steel talk



Customers DON’T choose the type of steel, the hardness of the edge.
The blade smith picks up the most suitable options for the job.

Well, that’s how things worked out back in the day, the days before the internet.

These days, I’m (sort of) moving away from what’s trendy.
I’m not really interested in artisans’ kitchen knives at this moment.
(Trying not to purchase things I don’t need.)

I don’t need fancy powered metal gyuto.
(I have R2 gyuto, slicer, etc, etc. NON of them are in my working knife rotation.)

The knives that are out of stock most of the time has no meaning for those who need knives for their work.

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Best cutting performance sharpening [Pro Sushi Chef’s knife sharpening tips #7][Graphic Warning]



Cutting performance, NOT the edge sharpness
Don’t focus on the edge sharpness.
Stop cutting paper.

This is NOT “Daily maintenance” kind of sharpening.
This is a guide to create max performance edge.
You probably need to do this every 3 to 6 months, if you are working in the restaurant business, but, don’t have to do that often.

In the later video, I’ll show my work knives cutting performance (NOT necessarily the edge sharpness) and overall explanation about how “I” do it.

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Convex Stone, Tactical Yanagiba Sharpening [PRO Sushi Chef’s knife sharpening tips#8]



[description]
Why “Convex” stone surface? How does it work? And, how do I approach “kiriha”? Real world sharpening tactics explained.

About 98% of Youtube knife sharpening tutorial video tells you …

Keep the same “blade – stone face” angle (Lock your wrist)

“Right angle” = Lay flat the blade and slowly tilt it up, until the apex of the edge comes in contact with the stone face

In my book, they are both “wrong”.
You don’t have to agree with me.

I’m an outsider.
I’m what Cain was to Able.
I am, … different.

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Convex Stone Ep.2, How I use it, Usuba sharpening demo [Pro Sushi Chef knife sharpening tip #9]



How do I use Convex surfaced stone? How “convex” are they? Real world “tactical” Ususba sharpening.

This is NOT a tutorial video.
This is just a one man’s story.

BUT, at least, his story is based on his own, real world experience(unlike most guys on YT whose opinion is based on things they’ve learned by click of the mouse), which isn’t always pretty and happy ending.

Life goes on.
Things change, including one’s opinion.

DSCF2409 by T K, on Flickr

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Single & Double bevel differences; Answering the viewer’s questions



Video answer to the viewer’s question.
The different characteristics of Single and Double beveled knives.
And, perhaps more importantly, how big is the difference?
Is is big enough to make a real world difference?
Is is something just luxury?

"The Proper" or "actually useful" info about "single-beveled"(片刃) knives is virtually non existent outside of Japan.

BTW, did you notice the juice at 3:09?
It's protein and water (mostly water, actually) released from the albacore's muscle fibers.
Pretty interesting…

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BEST sheath for Japanese kitchen knives (Get something functional, rather than fancy for fantasy)



[Disclaimer] There’s no firearm in this video!

Yes, it looks … not that great.(I'm talking about newspaper sheath.)
HOWEVER, newspaper sheath is better than wood sheath, if the knives are used infrequently. (Or, for long term storage.)

Edge Mag is probably the worst thing.
Plastic edge guard with felt lining is the second worst.

Simple plastic edge guard, kydex sheath, wood they are okay.
Still, I wouldn’t use them for long term storage, if the blade is made out of non stainless high carbon steel.

Leather sheath are gentler on the edge, BUT will cause corrosion / discoloration if you keep the (non stainless) knife in there for long time.

Wood sheath is good for edge protection also, and better than leather sheath in terms of corrosion problem.
But, they are still not good option for long term storage.

[inspiration of the opening]
Dirty Harry 1971 Don Siegel
Magnum Force 1973 Ted Post

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Carrot Katsuramuki wit Sugimoto Slicer, Global Yanagiba, and mini tip “How NOT to cut yourself”



[Disclaimer]
I take absolutely no responsibility if you cut yourself while trying to do katsuramuki with carrot, cucumber, daikon radish, or whatever.
You try it with your own risk.


“The purpose of art is to communicate what the artist is feeling through their medium of work”

A lot of people start Youtube in order to boost their ego, in pursuit of money, fame, or maybe they didn’t start that way, but they run their channel that way.

Look at so called online knife / EDC community.

You see the endless list of similar contents.
That’s because everybody is emulating, everyone is after view count.
Because what they want is success.
They are not artists.
They are business people.
They have nothing that they want to say, they want to share with you through this medium.
So, instead of making the contents they want to make, they are making contents that will most likely get the audience attention, the video gets more views.

I make videos the way I want to make.

Sugimoto Slicer is highly recommended, if you want something high performance that is at reasonable price. NOT recommended if you want something collectable, something to look at.

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What’s in my knife case June 2024 / [Mini Tip] How to choose Deba size




Finally, I start working again!
And, not just one but two jobs!
I need to pack my knife case for the new jobs.

I want to cover the most situation, BUT I don’t want to over pack.

How do I choose what knives to bring, what knives to leave at home, and what small gadget I need to bring?

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Giving the life to the lifeless thing
(Sugimoto CM2524 quick restoration)



You’re NOT restoring / sharpening museum piece.
You’re doing this for kitchen work.
Over the time, the tip gets damaged.
The edge gets rounded and/or chipped.

This is how you can fix the beater without driving yourself insane.

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Support your local business “Hida tool” in Berkeley, CA

XH2C4499 by T K, on Flickr

I didn’t edit this photo. This is straight out from the camera (Fuji X-H2, with vintage Canon FD24mm f2 + Metabones Speed booster + Nisi VND filter).

The film simulation that I used is called “1970’s summer”.
I like using this film sim while shooting midday, especially in summer time.

The store outside appearance hasn’t been changed since the early 90s (the first time I went there.)
Probably hasn’t changed since 1984 when they moved to this location (from San Rafael.)

Inside shot
XH2C4508 by T K, on Flickr

I normally don’t do a lot of vertical shot.
But, this one, I wanted to do verical.
That camera backpack is mine (intentionally left there, since the store was pretty much empty, I was all alone. Oh, and I DID ask permission to take some photos and videos. The only thing I was told was “Please don’t photograph “Takamura” brand knives (as there are other importers / competitors who are also selling Takamura knives.)

This is how this store looks lie when you’re inside.
It’s narrow, but pretty long front-back.(And there’s even more space back there, which is a work space.)

They have major brand Japanse whet stones, SHAPTON, SueHiro, King, … but, they also sell things you don’t find at other online retailers.
XH2C4501 by T K, on Flickr
(You can see small cardboard box right next to “CERAX” stones by Sue hiro. Those are small, small pieces of natural stones. About 20 years ago or so, they had even more of those small pieces of stones.
If you drop and break the stone, don’t throw them away. You can use them for a lot of things.)

XH2C4503 by T K, on Flickr
Stones, kitchen knives, screwdrivers and hammers, then, the entrance to the workshop area.


XH2C4505 by T K, on Flickr

XH2C4504 by T K, on Flickr

XH2C4505 by T K, on Flickr

Turn around, there are some more kitchen knives

XH2C4506 by T K, on Flickr

XH2C4507 by T K, on Flickr

If I were not careful, I’d easily end up spending $300-500 in just one visit.

Not just kitchen knives and sharpening equipment, I’ve also purchased quite a bit of wood curving tools for my art project.

Hida Tool inside by T K, on Flickr