[Dan Driscoll]

I ordered the 150mm model last week, it was delivered on Friday. Wicked sharp right out of the box, very comfortable handle, scares my wife to death. 

[Rob Babcock]

Hiromoto Gingami No 3?  Nice!  I have an Hiro 270mm gyuto in Aogami Super and it's one of my favorite knives.

[jrebman]

Dan,

Can you post details on what model and where you got this?

Thanks,

Jim

[Rob Babcock]

If my guess is correct, it's this and he got it here.  JapaneseChefsKnife.com is a great vendor.  I bought an Hattoir FH from them and it made it from Japan to me faster than most orders I've made from companies here in the States!  Again, if it's the Gingami #3 that he got as I think it is, I've heard nothing but praise for it.  Whatever steel they use seems to be superior to VG-10 in many respects.  The geometry of the Hiromotos is very good, they're thin and sharp.

[jrebman]

Rob,

thanks, and more affordable than I was expecting.

Think I'll order one or two this week.

-- Jim

[Dan Driscoll]

Yep, the Hiromoto TJ-45G3. Incredible knife for the money and as I said, wicked sharp. It's nicked me twice already, mainly because I'm not use to the blade being sharpened all the way to the heel. Most of my knives are Henkels, which have a flared bolster at the heel which acts like a finger guard. Practice will be the teacher to correct that.

Another thing that will take some time to get use to is how thin the blade is. I'm accustomed to holding my index finger along the top pf the blade. It gives me more control and awareness of the blade. But this blade is so thin that it's uncomfortable to hold it that way. I'll either get use to it or have to change how I hold the knife.

[gonefishin]

   Hi Dan...congrats on the new knife!

   When I moved up to my first good knife (Masamoto HC) I noticed a few things that I needed to give particular attention to.  It sounds like you may be using a pinch grip or modified pinch grip.   Something this sharp...you'll want good technique.  Not just for your sake, but the knife as well.   

   What kind of cutting board do you use?

    What plans do you have for sharpening and honing your new knife? 

  congrats!

  dan

     

[Dan Driscoll]

Hi Dan...congrats on the new knife!

Thanks.

It sounds like you may be using a pinch grip or modified pinch grip.   Something this sharp...you'll want good technique.  Not just for your sake, but the knife as well.

If by 'pinch' you mean having the thumb and index finger on the blade, no. With most kitchen knives I keep my thumb and all fingers on the handle. But with a smaller knives (paring, steak) I have a habit of extending my index finger down the top of the blade, while still keeping my thumb on the handle. I feel like it gives me more control and awareness of the blade position. I learned this technique from watching a professional chef on public TV a long time ago. I want to say Jacques Pepin, but I won't swear to it.

What kind of cutting board do you use?

I have 3 primary boards: plastic for raw proteins; a large maple board with fluid grove  for bigger jobs and carving cooked meats; a bamboo board for everyday jobs. The Hiromoto, along with my Shun and most of my Henkels are only used on the maple & bamboo. The only blades I use on the plastic board are a cleaver, boning and slicer.

What plans do you have for sharpening and honing your new knife?

I hand sharpen all of my blades with a set of of 3 Arkansas stones. I am thinking about getting a waterstone to try, but haven't ordered one yet.

I like Japanese knives, the craftsmanship and quality are excellent and edge retention is better than German blades. I especially like them for fish and vegetables. But for large cuts of meat and poultry I still prefer the heavier German style blades.

[Rob Babcock]

I like Japanese knives, the craftsmanship and quality are excellent and edge retention is better than German blades. I especially like them for fish and vegetables. But for large cuts of meat and poultry I still prefer the heavier German style blades.

Oh, but that's how it starts!

[rahimlee54]

Japanese steel is really good.  Pick up a nice gyuto next and then you will have to start collecting stones and maybe a big endgrain board.  You should def try a few Japanese synthetic stones  .