Your go-to suji

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Kit Craft
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Re: Your go-to suji

Post by Kit Craft »

salemj wrote: Wed Dec 06, 2017 10:29 pm I enjoyed owning a Kono SS suji. Nonetheless, I sold it after barely using it. I bought a 270 thinking that it would be "unique" in my collection (against the 240 gyutos) as a true slicer, only to realize that 270 was in fact too long for 99.9% of what I did in the kitchen.

I've thought about getting a 240, though. I think my default would be another Kono SS or W#2: easy, takes a great edge, very thin, some flex, but totally predictable and minor for the thinness and length, etc. I still feel like the geometry of a Kono laser is ideal for a suji (not for a yanagiba, of course, but for a slicer of cooked meats...). I'm not sure how people manage with thicker, hand-made san-mai blades. I find that even with gyutos it is more difficult to make precise, thin cuts with a thick tang, a 50/50 grind and lots of distal taper over the heel than it is with something more uniformly thin and slightly asymmetrical.

That said, if I dealt with more sushi or raw ingredients, I'd definitely opt for single bevel with a more uniformly thick spine! So, I'm talking very specifically suji here, and not slicer more generally...

+1 to the edge. Again, with cooked protein, I like more bite.
See, I am the opposite. For cooked meat I want a thicker or at least stiffer blade. I do not carve a lot of meat though so it is a moot point for me. I normally slice meat while it is still raw.
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Kit Craft
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Re: Your go-to suji

Post by Kit Craft »

Speaking of Suji's, any thoughts on something Misono dragon line in profile and grind but in a wa handle? I suppose I could get it wa converted but I don't really want to as I like it for what it is. Just looking for another toy idea for the future.
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Re: Your go-to suji

Post by inzite »

Kit Craft wrote: Thu Dec 07, 2017 12:04 pm Speaking of Suji's, any thoughts on something Misono dragon line in profile and grind but in a wa handle? I suppose I could get it wa converted but I don't really want to as I like it for what it is. Just looking for another toy idea for the future.
I don't have one but they are pretty highly regarded interms of practicality and performance overall.
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Re: Your go-to suji

Post by cjmeik »

LOVE my Toyama 300mm Suji!

45mm at the heel, thin behind the edge, stout at the spine. It is neither rigid nor flexible - a little flex when I want it and plenty of backbone when I need it.

I also have a Kono Fuji w#2 210 petty/suji that I enjoy but this Toyama really lights me up.

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Kit Craft
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Re: Your go-to suji

Post by Kit Craft »

inzite wrote: Thu Dec 07, 2017 12:06 pm
Kit Craft wrote: Thu Dec 07, 2017 12:04 pm Speaking of Suji's, any thoughts on something Misono dragon line in profile and grind but in a wa handle? I suppose I could get it wa converted but I don't really want to as I like it for what it is. Just looking for another toy idea for the future.
I don't have one but they are pretty highly regarded interms of practicality and performance overall.
I have two Misono Dragon sujis. One is 240 and the other 270. Home and travel use. :D Just curious if there is a similar style wa out there.
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Re: Your go-to suji

Post by Kit Craft »

cjmeik wrote: Thu Dec 07, 2017 12:20 pm LOVE my Toyama 300mm Suji!

45mm at the heel, thin behind the edge, stout at the spine. It is neither rigid nor flexible - a little flex when I want it and plenty of backbone when I need it.

I also have a Kono Fuji w#2 210 petty/suji that I enjoy but this Toyama really lights me up.

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Man, that is a good looking knife. Taller than I would like for a suji, by a fair bit though. I prefer the 38-40mm range.

Edit: Just realized yours was 300mm might be closer to my desires in a 270. That is food for thought particularly since Mark might get some of these in!
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Re: Your go-to suji

Post by sharkbite111 »

my go to suji is also my only suji...270mm Masakage Shimo. It doesn't get a ton of use but if I need a suji, its the one :P

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Re: Your go-to suji

Post by btbyrd »

This isn't really an answer to your question, but for thin slices of cooked protein, my go-to is actually the 12" fibrox Victorinox slicer with the Granton edge. It's not sexy, but it has lasery performance if your goal is to get sandwich-friendly slices of brisket or cooked turkey breast. It also easily outperformed my Anyru suji and Yoshihiro yanagi for producing paper thin slices of country ham.

My experience with sujis is extremely limited, and has only involved san mai steel. The cladding adds some thickness that works against you for some tasks. But even with a mono steel, I still have the feeling that hammer forged blades are going to have a hard time competing with blades cut or stamped from thinner stock. Maybe I'm totally wrong about that.

Anyway, the Victorinox is obviously not a suji. And it's not going to replace a suji. It's more or less a unitasking knife. But for the purpose of thinly slicing cooked meat, it sure is hard to beat. It ain't beautiful and it doesn't have a storied history or maker, but it's cheap, performs like a beast, and is easy to care for. I consider it a "must have," even though it's not a "must have suji."
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Kit Craft
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Re: Your go-to suji

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btbyrd wrote: Fri Dec 08, 2017 8:41 am This isn't really an answer to your question, but for thin slices of cooked protein, my go-to is actually the 12" fibrox Victorinox slicer with the Granton edge. It's not sexy, but it has lasery performance if your goal is to get sandwich-friendly slices of brisket or cooked turkey breast. It also easily outperformed my Anyru suji and Yoshihiro yanagi for producing paper thin slices of country ham.

My experience with sujis is extremely limited, and has only involved san mai steel. The cladding adds some thickness that works against you for some tasks. But even with a mono steel, I still have the feeling that hammer forged blades are going to have a hard time competing with blades cut or stamped from thinner stock. Maybe I'm totally wrong about that.

Anyway, the Victorinox is obviously not a suji. And it's not going to replace a suji. It's more or less a unitasking knife. But for the purpose of thinly slicing cooked meat, it sure is hard to beat.
Yep, I use a ham slicer for Jamón or other whole cured meats and or deli type meats. Not so much for on the board stuff as I find it too flat and flexy. A leftover 3 pound chunk of ham out of the fridge, I want something with backbone and preferably a Yo handle. I pull out the Misono for this.
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Re: Your go-to suji

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Kit Craft wrote: Thu Dec 07, 2017 12:04 pm Speaking of Suji's, any thoughts on something Misono dragon line in profile and grind but in a wa handle? I suppose I could get it wa converted but I don't really want to as I like it for what it is. Just looking for another toy idea for the future.
Lol, I am actually in the process of converting mine right now. I am attempting a wa with green C-tek so it looks like dragon scales. Hope it turns out.
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Re: Your go-to suji

Post by Kalaeb »

Here is a shot of a few, they each have their own use and each do well at what I use them for.

The Billip is just on loan, but I really like the utility of this suji, it could easily double as a everyday knife at 46mm tall and 260 length, it has a stout spine, at the heel comes in at 4mm and tapers nicely down to little. The extra spine width makes it very comfortable to use. It only has about an inch of true flat with a gentle curve to about 2/3 then it shoots up to the tip. This knife can be rocked but really does well at almost all cuts. If it were 220 or 230 it would make a great line or travel knife.

The Harner is my dedicated line/travel knife, about 240 mm in length and taller, it has a very thin concave grind with a PM stainless steel that makes it a no fuss, this easily doubles as a gyuto and takes care of slicing as well as normal veggie prep.

The Martell is a pure joy to use a perfect subtle grind with great food separation. This is my slicing monster, any protein slicing or fab. Because of its height it would not make an ideal line tool, but IMO is indispensable in my kit.

The Predergast is a wicked little suji, At 240 mm I use it for more tasks that I might use a petty for. The tip on this one disappears into nothing and flicks through onions and garlic like nothing else.

The Misono Dragon suji is a 240, this is a simple flat grind and sucks at any veggie prep due to the flex in the steel, I use this for fish only, but enjoy it for that purpose.

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Re: Your go-to suji

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Kalaeb wrote: Sat Dec 09, 2017 1:52 pm Here is a shot of a few, they each have their own use and each do well at what I use them for.

The Billip is just on loan, but I really like the utility of this suji, it could easily double as a everyday knife at 46mm tall and 260 length, it has a stout spine, at the heel comes in at 4mm and tapers nicely down to little. The extra spine width makes it very comfortable to use. It only has about an inch of true flat with a gentle curve to about 2/3 then it shoots up to the tip. This knife can be rocked but really does well at almost all cuts. If it were 220 or 230 it would make a great line or travel knife.

The Harner is my dedicated line/travel knife, about 240 mm in length and taller, it has a very thin concave grind with a PM stainless steel that makes it a no fuss, this easily doubles as a gyuto and takes care of slicing as well as normal veggie prep.

The Martell is a pure joy to use a perfect subtle grind with great food separation. This is my slicing monster, any protein slicing or fab. Because of its height it would not make an ideal line tool, but IMO is indispensable in my kit.

The Predergast is a wicked little suji, At 240 mm I use it for more tasks that I might use a petty for. The tip on this one disappears into nothing and flicks through onions and garlic like nothing else.

The Misono Dragon suji is a 240, this is a simple flat grind and sucks at any veggie prep due to the flex in the steel, I use this for fish only, but enjoy it for that purpose.

Image
I really like that DP! And what in the world happened to the handle on the Misono?
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Re: Your go-to suji

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The Predergast is just fun to use, it does not excel at any one thing, just stupid fun to use. The dragon is in the middle of a rehandle. I just sand down the rivets to pop off the old scales. It started snowing here, so I had to quit before I got them all the way off.
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Re: Your go-to suji

Post by Kit Craft »

Kalaeb wrote: Sat Dec 09, 2017 2:27 pm The Predergast is just fun to use, it does not excel at any one thing, just stupid fun to use. The dragon is in the middle of a rehandle. I just sand down the rivets to pop off the old scales. It started snowing here, so I had to quit before I got them all the way off.
I am not sure how those two things relate unless you are a state worker? That or you were doing the work outside. Anyway, I like things that are stupid fun to use. :D Can't wait to see the rehandle though.
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