Knife suggestion for harvesting microgreens please

[mtbmonkeyfist]

I am looking for suggestions for a knife that would serve the purpose only to harvest micro greens. I will be using it primarily at a farmers market and need to be able to quickly harvest micro greens, which are basically the 1 week old version of mature greens such as sunflower and pea shoots, wheatgrass, radish, broccoli, chard, kale, etc. These plants are very small with delicate stems and I need a very sharp, very thin edge for a clean easy cut and will harvest by grabbing a handful at the top and then slicing horizontally through the stem as close to the soil or base substrate as possible. As a side note, a horizontal belt sheath or some way to have it handy on my person as opposed to laying it down all the time would be very handy. I appreciate any specific suggestions.

Thanks,
Wade

[Ourorboros]

Actually some good shears would do the trick, like the Tojiros.
Some of this depends on your ability to sharpen knives though - do you know how to sharpen?

[mtbmonkeyfist]

Yes I have the KME, the TSProf and the Sharpmaker. I looked into that but I have actually heard from some experts and seen some pretty convincing microscopy that demonstrates that a good sharp knife is better than shears for getting a clean cut on the stem as opposed to shearing it, which interestingly helps preserve the harvested plant and keep it fresh longer. Thanks and I really appreciate your response though.

[Lepus]

Mark posted a thread related to this request that I replied to previously, which I have linked here.

In order I would still prioritize:
* Ease of use, specifically picking the right profile. You want a fairly long knife to let you make long slices without much blade height to let you get into small areas.
* Sharpenability. You need this knife to be as sharp as possible.
* Ease of access and transport. You need to be able to get this knife out quickly and carry it around.
* Durability. The knife is going to be in dirt, so the handle and any sheath should be made from water and dirt safe materials. I would pass on ho wood and buffalo.
* Thickness, both behind the edge and at the spine. The knife doesn't need to be thick and heavy and a thin edge will make the knife easier to sharpen, but I don't think this is a huge deal either way.
* Reactivity. I don't think reactivity will matter much, it should be easy enough to wipe the knife after each use.
* Edge retention. The knife isn't cutting anything hard or even hitting a cutting board, so it doesn't need to be a hard or long lived steel.

I still unfortunately do not think a kitchen knife is going to be the right choice here. They're not made to be out and about. If I had to pick one I would want a fillet knife like the Mac Chef Fillet knife, linked here, but I would worry about flex, which I don't think you necessarily need. A short sujihiki or long petty would be okay, but they are going to have more heel height than will be ideal that will make it tougher to get into cramped spaces and the handles will not be ideal.

I also still think how the knife is sharpened is your real golden ticket. You will want the sharpest possible high polish edge. I would sharpen to 6-8000 grit and strop on .5µm compound.

If your budget allows it I would commission a knife from Tim Johnson, a knife smith on this board. This is a meeting of food and outdoor knives since you want the steel and cutting traits of one but the profile and materials of another, so I think he's one of few people completely qualified to make this knife. I think plenty of slim outdoor production knives would still also do a good job, though not ideal, but that isn't really in my field of expertise. Maybe some other members have salient expertise, but it's not going to be as easily found here as say an outdoor knife forum. And again, if you want to be able to frequently use the knife for other farm things, a lot of this goes out the window. I'm suggesting a fairly thin knife with a high polish edge made from a low alloy steel taken to slightly lower hardness, which is not the right setup to take much if any abuse.

[gladius]

Lepus, those are almost exactly the two knives I use: Konosuke Swedish Steel 150 petty and Mac Original Fillet knife. The key is light, slim, laser thin and nimble.

https://www.macknife.com/collections/or ... llet-knife

https://knife.wickededgeusa.com/forums/ ... ess-petty/

Note: I am a home cook and harvest small batches, basically thinning the greens and for personal use. If I were growing these commercially, I’d look into specialty offset shears or grass shears.

e.g.

[ken123]

Google the word Kama: Here is one instance of this:

http://www.smithandspeed.com/catalog/it ... 580590.htm

Grass sickles etc will also work fine. I prefer carbon steel blades for this which you can get quite sharp.

---
Ken

[jacko9]

I like the garden shears or Bonsai shears or the harvesting tools here;

https://www.japanwoodworker.com/categor ... ing-shears

The they have have belt scabbards for the shears, I use these for cutting herbs in my garden.

[cjdilts]

I just use the cktg herb scissors. Cheap sharp easy to use and don't have to freak out if the end up as fertilizer.

[timos]

what blade length you think you need?

[Kalaeb]

Tough one. Curious to see what you come up with. Was going to suggest something like a 210 cheap Yangai like a tojiro but not sure if it would meet all criteria.

Check it out:. https://www.chefknivestogo.com/toshya210.html

Gets stupid sharp, long enough, but not particularly durable and does not come with a sheath.

Might be worth a try, it won't break the bank if it does not work out.

[Lepus]

timos is the Tim Johnson I suggested you contact, by the way.

I think a short yanagiba is actually a really good idea. You would need to get some full sized stones to sharpen it, or I guess get creative with your jigs, but with a rehandle in something like G10 and an aftermarket sheath I could see it working quite well.

[timos]

I think id be tempted to use a folder tbh

[Jeff B]

Looks like the ticket to me.

[yg420]

How bout a kiridashi?

[Horizonson]

Why not something simple, like an Opinel Folding Fillet Knife?

[jacko9]

I've been using something like these for the past few years harvesting my herbs. The pair I have are stainless steel with very good edge retention.

http://www.leevalley.com/us/wood/page.a ... at=1,64488

Free shipping with $40 purchase also.

[Radar53]

Why not something simple, like an Opinel Folding Fillet Knife?

+1. This was my first thought as well. You can get them in either carbone or inox whatever flavour takes your fancy. Both steels are pretty good, easy to sharpen, take a great edge and they are great value for your dollar

[Horizonson]

Back when I was studying Mycology, I used something quite similar to these Double Curved Embroidery Scissors:

[snipes]

I want to advise you an electric fillet knife. It is quite powerful and has an extremely sharp blade that will help you in your farmers market. I also sometimes use it to work in the garden. And in spite of the fact that it is a kitchen gadget, this knife copes well with its duties. You can see the reviews and get acquainted with its advantages and disadvantages here https://homeexpertreviews.com/best-elec ... let-knife/

Welcome to the forums Alice. By chance are you affiliated with the website you linked to?