[S Clark]

Gerber?

[JohnR]

Hopefully this is not too far off the mark of the topic....

It is quite far off the topic.... this thread is about kitchen knives.

[Mudslide]

It is quite far off the topic.... this thread is about kitchen knives.

Okay.

[gabriham_lincoln]

https://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/01/25/essential-kitchen-knives_n_2545628.html

What say you? Is this good advice? Is there anyone that actually only has three knives? How many do you have?

(This same advice is all over the place, this article is just an example.)

Yes, this is true! Confirmed with friend(s) who are professional chefs. Those knife blocks/kits full of a dozen knives are a gimmick/for the uninformed. Pick up some Wusthof Classic Ikons (Chef, Paring, Bread) and you are set!

[S Clark]

Yes, this is true! Confirmed with friend(s) who are professional chefs. Those knife blocks/kits full of a dozen knives are a gimmick/for the uninformed. Pick up some Wusthof Classic Ikons (Chef, Paring, Bread) and you are set!

Well... ok. Not my experience.

[jules]

Thread back up and running 

I've been thinking about paring knives and i reckon there's a special place for concave curved blades. I suspect the reason they're ignored, is that they're particularly tricky to sharpen, especially if you're using a stone. Counter to pretty much everything else, you can only use contact with a point on the very edge of the stone and points along the edge of the knife. Some of those sharpening tools might make life easier but they're an interesting challenge and very useful for fruit.

[S Clark]

I assume you are talking about birds beak knives like this Shun


I've got a Due Buoi (Italian competitor to the Germans) birds beak.  I use it for peeling potatoes, and that's about it.  You can sharpen it on ceramic or diamond rod sharpeners pretty easily, but not on a standard stone.  You have to watch them... I've cut the crap out of myself with it. 

[JohnR]

Hey, you can get curved water stones - https://www.sharpeningsupplies.com/Naniwa-Gouken-Curved-Water-Stone-P1605.aspx

[sts9fan]

I only need one knife.  My Jason Knight Kukri...



But seriously I use this stubby 6" chef from Nick Rossi for 90% of my cooking.

[jules]

Hat's off to anyone, Scott, who takes on peeling potatoes with a "birds beak" paring knife!

Going back to the "three knives" though, I'd suggest this knife should replace the suggested, straight[ish] bladed paring knife in the essential three.

The Naniwa stones certainly come with a nice range of grits. They also look as though a certain amount of practice would be useful  to avoid surgically skinning your thumb. Are they perhaps designed for, ahem, knives we aren't talking about here, like pocket knives.

Maybe a potato peeler should be added as "the 4th knife" 

[Rob Babcock]

Rise, Zombie Thread!   I'm tempted to say that if I had three knives it would be three 240mm gyutos.  But if they are to be different then I'd say a 240mm gyuto (tough to pick but I'd take my "Black Steel" Nubatama as first choice, and my Konosuke or my Richmond Ultimatum in M390 after that), a 300mm suji (I'd choose my Kagayaki Carbonext) and boning knife (Western type, I'd choose my Tojiro Gukoju in VG-10).  If I was to expand this to five I'd take another 240mm gyuto and possibly my Tojiro bread knife.  I don't really "need" a bread knife but it was a pre-production sample sent to me for review and my input prior to production so it has sentimental value.

[JohnR]

I'm tempted to say that if I had three knives it would be three 240mm gyutos.

Interesting! What would be the differences between them?

[Rob Babcock]

Probably different steels and looks.  Maybe one in HAP40 or M390, or R2- something that keeps an edge forever.  Probably my 240mm Nubatama (very fancy, exotic steel, the one I can "show off" to people) and my super light 4.25 oz Konosuke.  With a few knives that are about the same you can rotate 'em and at least one will always be sharp.

[S Clark]

A close friend was a CIA grad and worked as a chef for about 20 years.  He also favored a 240mm gyuto over most anything else.  For a kitchen hacker like me, they feel too big, a bit awkward.  A 210 works for me. 

[S Clark]

.  Oops, double post.

[Rob Babcock]

I'm too impatient to use a 210mm!

[S Clark]

Yeah, I think you chefs guys just like to say "My knife is bigger than yours".   

[jules]

A close friend was a CIA grad and worked as a chef for about 20 years.  He also favored a 240mm gyuto over most anything else.  For a kitchen hacker like me, they feel too big, a bit awkward.  A 210 works for me. 

If you're cooking at home for your family, or even a small group of guests, I think you're quite right. I've got a number of large knives that were absolutely necessary when there was a mountain of unprepared food on one side of the bench and a dining room full of customers on the other side but it's actually a pleasure to be able to use knives that are smaller, more nimble and perfectly suited to everyday tasks.