Looking for a Honesuki

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Jfornek18
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Looking for a Honesuki

Post by Jfornek18 »

1)Pro or home cook? Pro

2)What kind of knife do you want? (Gyuto, Santuko, Petty, Paring, Sujihiki, etc.) Honesuki

3) What size knife do you want? Whatever is appropriate for this style.

4)How much do you want to spend? $100 or less

5) Do you prefer all stainless, stainless clad over reactive carbon, or all reactive carbon construction? Semi stainless, stainless clad Full stainless

6)Do you prefer Western or Japanese handle? Japanese

7)What are your main knife/knives now? Kanhide tk guyto 210, Tojiro Miroshi Deba 210, Kai Wasabi Nakiri 165, Kai Wasabi Yanigba 210, Spiderco birds beak paring 50.

8)Are your knife skills excellent, good, fair? good, still have more to learn.

9)What cutting techniques do you prefer? Are you a rocker, chopper or push/pull cutter? Pull, with minimal rocking

10)Do you know how to sharpen? Yes, semi competent at it.

On the recommendation of a few people here, I am looking to buy a Honesuki. I really don"t know that much about them, so any help is appreciated. Not looking for a showpiece, really need a workhorse of a knife.
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Delboy
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Re: Looking for a Honesuki

Post by Delboy »

I picked up a Daovua Honesuki, thinking it would be good to try out, & then eventually upgrade. I see absolutely no reason to upgrade now, this thing is awesome. It takes a scary sharp edge & holds it, is well made & designed, & is only $50! Awesome knife for the money right here:

https://www.chefknivestogo.com/dalesphobokn.html
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Qapla'
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Re: Looking for a Honesuki

Post by Qapla' »

Since you have the Kanehide TK gyuto, maybe a Kanehide TK Fibrox honesuki? Righty and lefty versions are available.
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ken123
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Re: Looking for a Honesuki

Post by ken123 »

viewtopic.php?f=13&t=13193

Recent purchase. Highly recommended.

---
Ken
Jfornek18
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Re: Looking for a Honesuki

Post by Jfornek18 »

https://www.chefknivestogo.com/anbl2haho15.html

This one caught my eye when I was looking. I would really like to try something in Blue #2, and after my miroshi deba experience, I don't care for an all reactive construction.
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lsboogy
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Re: Looking for a Honesuki

Post by lsboogy »

The tojiro DP I have used a couple times at "work" - they are very nicely balanced knives with good tip and great heel. I think you should look into how much butchery you do at work as well, if it's a half dozen chickens or so, with some other stuff mixed in, any decent steel will do fine. If you work in a place like I do (low man on the totem pole, so I get the onions and chickens all the time - tend to do 4 dozen at a time) you might look at hardness of a steel - the Tojiro is a nice knife, but it does not hold an edge anywhere near as well as my AS laser (thanks Mark). I wish Mark would bring more Artifex blades back - very good knives for cheap - maybe put a WTB ad up in the classifieds and see if anyone has a spare blade around as well. But look at what you will use it for as well - I carry a Mac when I French lamb (stainless so I can bang the bones - I would never use my AS knife on them).
Jfornek18
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Re: Looking for a Honesuki

Post by Jfornek18 »

Yeah, I share a similar role to you, prep boy for the most part. Using hard steel on bone hasn't been much of an issue for me, however that is with a deba, so that might account for it. When 600+ pieces of chicken and a identical amount of tenderloin come your way, edge retention is the number one concern. Its rare for me to do lamb, pork ribs or anything like that.
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lsboogy
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Re: Looking for a Honesuki

Post by lsboogy »

I'd move your budget up a bit then. Doing large scale meals requires edge retention and I would look for a blade with HRC 62 or higher. I'd look at the Kohetsu stuff, either AS or HAP40 - probably the most bang for your buck stuff out there in a high volume environment. I have a good number of their blades, and like them enough to have had a set rehandled by Bensbites. I've never had anything bad to say about them, and if you get involved in boxes of veg and dozens of chickens at a time, a good blade will be there for years. Spending $65 on a Tojiro of Kanehide will save you up front, but cost in the long run. I sharpen my Richmond (Kurosaki) AS blade about every other session, and then it's a strop thing on an 8K stone. Eric's Tojiro goes on the stones nearly every session and will only last him a few years in this environment - my AS blade only sees the stones every 8 or 10 sessions, so will last much longer and requires much less time. Long run, a hard knife will be much better in your environment - and will be much cheaper as well
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Delboy
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Re: Looking for a Honesuki

Post by Delboy »

lsboogy wrote: Tue Jul 30, 2019 10:00 pm I'd move your budget up a bit then. Doing large scale meals requires edge retention and I would look for a blade with HRC 62 or higher. I'd look at the Kohetsu stuff, either AS or HAP40 - probably the most bang for your buck stuff out there in a high volume environment. I have a good number of their blades, and like them enough to have had a set rehandled by Bensbites. I've never had anything bad to say about them, and if you get involved in boxes of veg and dozens of chickens at a time, a good blade will be there for years. Spending $65 on a Tojiro of Kanehide will save you up front, but cost in the long run. I sharpen my Richmond (Kurosaki) AS blade about every other session, and then it's a strop thing on an 8K stone. Eric's Tojiro goes on the stones nearly every session and will only last him a few years in this environment - my AS blade only sees the stones every 8 or 10 sessions, so will last much longer and requires much less time. Long run, a hard knife will be much better in your environment - and will be much cheaper as well
Sound advice, 'makes perfect sense. The Kohetsu HAP40 was my first choice, but I'm just a home cook - I'm breaking down a chicken like once or twice a month at most. You pro's definitely have other factors to consider.
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-toa-
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Re: Looking for a Honesuki

Post by -toa- »

I can absolutely see the appeal of the kohetsu hap40 in a pro environment. I appears a good choice for a versatile honesuki with awesome edge retention, that´s also thin enough to be a decent support knife in other ingredients (vs for instance my own yuki honesuki that in turn is heavier/stiffer and dedicated only to meat). Ps: I agree on upping the budget a bit since you need it for pro work. These´s a good chance you´ll have this knife for years to come. It will grow on you for sure!
sashav133
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Re: Looking for a Honesuki

Post by sashav133 »

Have you considered https://www.chefknivestogo.com/okgiho15.html?
Honesukis are designed to butcher fowl, and since that involves dragging the edge along the bone, microchipping will occur. For this reason I would avoid a very high HRC. Very hard steels like HAP40 and ZDP189 are ill suited for this action.
I have Masakage Kumo Honesuki with ~60 HRC, and that is the problem I have. You will be sharpening your knife often in a professional environment, not easily done with HAP40/ZDP189.
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Re: Looking for a Honesuki

Post by ChefKnivesToGo »

ken123 wrote: Tue Jul 30, 2019 3:03 pm viewtopic.php?f=13&t=13193

Recent purchase. Highly recommended.

---
Ken
I like the Anryu also.
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KrivoshejFM
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Looking for a Honesuki

Post by KrivoshejFM »

just picked up my new ride.Looking for shop to install spings on long island.any weekend will do.And also a shop to install katskins interior too.

Thanks
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lsboogy
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Re: Looking for a Honesuki

Post by lsboogy »

Mark - see if you can resurrect the Laser AS - I did 60 chickens with mine today - one of the best things I have ever bought from this place. It's still sharp enough to go another round, and is very comfortable over long sessions - and I have 120 thighs and drums for shelter work tomorrow - going to terayaki them when I get home. I just need to pick up veg on my way home tonight and Family Place will have plenty for lunch tomorrow
Robstreperous
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Re: Looking for a Honesuki

Post by Robstreperous »

ChefKnivesToGo wrote: Tue Sep 03, 2019 1:30 pm
ken123 wrote: Tue Jul 30, 2019 3:03 pm viewtopic.php?f=13&t=13193

Recent purchase. Highly recommended.

---
Ken
I like the Anryu also.

Me too. Very different from my Richmond Artifex honesuki (also like it very much) but a very nice nimble knife with a killer grind. Bonus points: Cutting through warm poultry the edge and damscus picks up this beautiful blue patina...

BTW... I really like honesukis. True, for a home chef I break down a lot of chicken, still... I get a lot of use out of them utility style. Oddly one of my favorite knives when cubing soft cheese. Go figure.
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