Are Damashiro knives any good

[Gene Krupa]

I need to get some decent knives & have heard about these.

Is there any knives you can suggest.

 

[Doogie]

I need to get some decent knives & have heard about these.

Is there any knives you can suggest.

I have a set of Damashiros and they look great and they're better than the german stuff I had previously. But like all knives - all relative to how much you take care of them. If you are prepared to look after them, worth getting a good set. if not, cheap and cheerful, throw them out afterwards.

 

[Alan79]

I have a set of Fury knives. Not a cheap set, but not a really expensive set either. They're a similar style, basically with the handle made of the same bit of steel. The thing I like about them is that you won't ever miss any grime that you can with seperate handles allowing space for crap to get stuck between the steel and handle.

I know one of the chef's I worked with had good things to say about Baccarat knives.

Like Doogie says, the key is how you treat them. Get a decent sharpening stone or steel and they'll do the job. Keep them clean and dry and they'll last a while. I've had my Fury knives for close on 20 years and they're still in good condition and I've used them in a few professional kitchens (but mostly home use). They hold a decent edge.

 

[dogzofwar]

Bought some recently so far so good they are sharp as hell still after 3 months not sure if that’s the standard though know sweet f all about knives

 

[Gene Krupa]

Bought some recently so far so good they are sharp as hell still after 3 months not sure if that’s the standard though know sweet f all about knives

Do you remember what name eg: Okada.

There are so many to choose. Thanks for the info.

 

[Hacky McAxe]

I need to get some decent knives & have heard about these.

Is there any knives you can suggest.

No. Kinda. They're cheap impersonations of Japanese knives. There's several different brands but they're all made by the same manufacturer using cheap steel in China. They sell it up claiming that they use the same metals mined from the source of the best quality Japanese knives. Technically true. They use some metals from that area, but only the crap the Japanese didn't want to use. And they mix it with other low grade minerals.

But if you like them, then that's fine. Just don't pay overs for them.

If you want cheaper Japanese style knives with good quality steel, buy Global. Fury use similar crap steel, but they are much better than Damashiro (Baccarat or other) and they are generally cheaper when on sale.

But it all depends if you need Japanese knives. I generally recommend that people buy German knives if they're looking for a good all round knife. Japanese knives hold sharpness for longer, but they are much more difficult to sharpen and they are brittle. If you damage the blade then you can't recover it. If you damage a German steel knife, you can usually fix it.

If you want to spend money and get the best quality German knife, buy Wusthof. If you want to go cheaper but still excellent quality, you can't go wrong with Victorinox. When I started my chef apprenticeship many a decade ago, I went through many knives before I settled on Victorinox. Best all round/beginner knife you can get.

Most important tip when it comes to knives... never buy a knife set. You end up with a bunch of wasted knives you don't need. Get a good bread knife, a good Cook or Chef knife, and a paring knife if you really need it. That will do 99% of the kitchen tasks.

 

[Doogie]

I have a set of Fury knives. Not a cheap set, but not a really expensive set either. They're a similar style, basically with the handle made of the same bit of steel. The thing I like about them is that you won't ever miss any grime that you can with seperate handles allowing space for crap to get stuck between the steel and handle.

I know one of the chef's I worked with had good things to say about Baccarat knives.

Like Doogie says, the key is how you treat them. Get a decent sharpening stone or steel and they'll do the job. Keep them clean and dry and they'll last a while. I've had my Fury knives for close on 20 years and they're still in good condition and I've used them in a few professional kitchens (but mostly home use). They hold a decent edge.

I have Baccarat Dama's. Yeah - agree about cleaning. Really nicely weighted and can see you can get a set on spec at the moment for ~$400.

But if you're going to sharpen yourself - remember that japanese knives have a thinner cutting angle than most others. Keep them low end sharp with a bench sharpener and then send them off every 6 months for my guy.

Have been looking at this though - seems pretty Doogie proof

Kimbo Knife Sharpener

WHAT MAKES KIMBO SO SPECIAL? Welcome to the Kimbo Knife Sharpener; the easy-to-use knife sharpening system that will take your culinary skills to a brand new level. If you’re looking for a fast and effective way to sharpen your knives, then this is the perfect solution for you. The Kimbo Knife...

kimboaustralia.com

 

[Doogie]

No. Kinda. They're cheap impersonations of Japanese knives. There's several different brands but they're all made by the same manufacturer using cheap steel in China. They sell it up claiming that they use the same metals mined from the source of the best quality Japanese knives. Technically true. They use some metals from that area, but only the crap the Japanese didn't want to use. And they mix it with other low grade minerals.

But if you like them, then that's fine. Just don't pay overs for them.

If you want cheaper Japanese style knives with good quality steel, buy Global. Fury use similar crap steel, but they are much better than Damashiro (Baccarat or other) and they are generally cheaper when on sale.

But it all depends if you need Japanese knives. I generally recommend that people buy German knives if they're looking for a good all round knife. Japanese knives hold sharpness for longer, but they are much more difficult to sharpen and they are brittle. If you damage the blade then you can't recover it. If you damage a German steel knife, you can usually fix it.

If you want to spend money and get the best quality German knife, buy Wusthof. If you want to go cheaper but still excellent quality, you can't go wrong with Victorinox. When I started my chef apprenticeship many a decade ago, I went through many knives before I settled on Victorinox. Best all round/beginner knife you can get.

Most important tip when it comes to knives... never buy a knife set. You end up with a bunch of wasted knives you don't need. Get a good bread knife, a good Cook or Chef knife, and a paring knife if you really need it. That will do 99% of the kitchen tasks.

Lol - I went from my Wusthofs to the Dama's. Just didn't feel great.

 

[Hacky McAxe]

As a side note, I worked with a Chef for years that only used Kiwi brand knives. The really cheap ones you buy from Asian grocers, and she swore by them. They have a great sharp manufatured edge and are extremely easy to sharpen, even if they don't hold the sharpness for long. They are also ultra thin so they work like a good Japanese knife.

End of the day, it doesn't matter how expensive or cheap a knife is. If it works for you then it's a good knife. Just keep in mind that if you're paying for quality, don't fall for marketing scams.

 

[Hacky McAxe]

Lol - I went from my Wusthofs to the Dama's. Just didn't feel great.

Personally I also don't like Wusthof. They're the most popular and best quality German knife, but they don't hold well for me. I prefer Victorinox for most stuff, and Global for the finer works. But I also have a few Fury knives that are great all rounders.

 

[dogzofwar]

Do you remember what name eg: Okada.

There are so many to choose. Thanks for the info.

It’s kin I’m pretty sure one of the cheaper sets got it from house around $200

 

[Alan79]

No. Kinda. They're cheap impersonations of Japanese knives. There's several different brands but they're all made by the same manufacturer using cheap steel in China. They sell it up claiming that they use the same metals mined from the source of the best quality Japanese knives. Technically true. They use some metals from that area, but only the crap the Japanese didn't want to use. And they mix it with other low grade minerals.

But if you like them, then that's fine. Just don't pay overs for them.

If you want cheaper Japanese style knives with good quality steel, buy Global. Fury use similar crap steel, but they are much better than Damashiro (Baccarat or other) and they are generally cheaper when on sale.

But it all depends if you need Japanese knives. I generally recommend that people buy German knives if they're looking for a good all round knife. Japanese knives hold sharpness for longer, but they are much more difficult to sharpen and they are brittle. If you damage the blade then you can't recover it. If you damage a German steel knife, you can usually fix it.

If you want to spend money and get the best quality German knife, buy Wusthof. If you want to go cheaper but still excellent quality, you can't go wrong with Victorinox. When I started my chef apprenticeship many a decade ago, I went through many knives before I settled on Victorinox. Best all round/beginner knife you can get.

Most important tip when it comes to knives... never buy a knife set. You end up with a bunch of wasted knives you don't need. Get a good bread knife, a good Cook or Chef knife, and a paring knife if you really need it. That will do 99% of the kitchen tasks.

That's a great point. I bought three originally, not sure on exact sizes at the moment, but I have one that's a heavier blade about a foot long (I use this for pumpkin and the heavier veges plus slicing roasted meats. I have a medium and the paring knife. I also saw someone selling a Fury Cleaver for $10 on a buy swap sell group that I couldn't resist, but haven't used. I don't have a bread knife. But I agree that you don't need to buy every knife they make.

 

[Alan79]

I have Baccarat Dama's. Yeah - agree about cleaning. Really nicely weighted and can see you can get a set on spec at the moment for ~$400.

But if you're going to sharpen yourself - remember that japanese knives have a thinner cutting angle than most others. Keep them low end sharp with a bench sharpener and then send them off every 6 months for my guy.

Have been looking at this though - seems pretty Doogie proof

Kimbo Knife Sharpener

WHAT MAKES KIMBO SO SPECIAL? Welcome to the Kimbo Knife Sharpener; the easy-to-use knife sharpening system that will take your culinary skills to a brand new level. If you’re looking for a fast and effective way to sharpen your knives, then this is the perfect solution for you. The Kimbo Knife...

kimboaustralia.com

I've seen those advertised, maybe under a different brand name. But I collected knives from the time I was old enough for my parents to trust me not to chop fingers off and started sharpening them from a young age. I really like using a stone myself. I generally just find a set area to keep my sharpening angle uniform. But those gadgets do look like they'd go alright. Would like to try them, but I'm not keen enough to buy the gadget without testing them first.

 

[Shreksno1]

 

[senshidog]

Whilst I don't know knives, I do know how you can test them against the best on the market.

 

[The DoggFather]

I'm happy with my 3 year old Globals... Chefs, paring and bread knives, don't need anything else.

I look after them and never let me down. I like the weight to them.

 

[Rockford]

I get all mine from Knives and Stone in St Peters, and if it is good enough for Chef Toshihiko Oe, it's good enough for me.

But it all depends on how much time you want to spend looking after them. High Carbon steel, you look at it wrong, it starts to rust. So you have to get in the habit of drying them off properly, oiling them, sharpening them. If you use them on acidic food, you can't just leave them out and clean them after dinner, clean them straight away. If you don't want that, you can get stainless clad over carbon cores.

Also you only really 3 good knives for most kitchens, don't get sucked in to buying a block of 9 knives. Which 3 knives depends on your style of cooking/eating. They will last for a long time if you look after them.

Santoku or Gyuto/Chef Knife
Petty/Utility knife
Sujihiki/Carving or Nakiri/Vegetable

Once you have your knives, book in for 2 classes. Knife skills class at your local TAFE and a Sharpening school at any of the Japanese Knife places (Chefs Armoury or similar) - skills that will last and benefit you for a lifetime.

 

[Ewan McGrady]

The wisdom here on the Kennel is priceless! Need to get “Kennel Kounselling” set up. Could potentially save the world. Love it!