One of the most asked questions in the shop is "which knife is your favourite?"
My answer is usually "all of them." No, seriously.
We curated our inventory over time based on brands that I love, trust and have used for years.
One of the best things about running a knife shop is first dibs on all of the incredible steel that comes through our doors. We love to use and abuse all the steel we sell so that we have a better understanding of what's here.
This is just one post of many to come about some of the blades we're currently using.
The Petty
Invaluable for everybody. Cooks, chefs, home cooks and everyone in between. We can't live without our pettys.
I have two very young children and with young children comes fast dinners, quick snacks, and lots and lots of apple slices.
My go-to is usually a light and thin 150mm. This blade does 90% of my kitchen tasks. It feels like it never leaves the cutting board and just waits for my daughter to scream "APPLES." I use this guy for splitting strawberries, slivering garlic, and taking the crusts off my sons sandwiches. These days my petty of choice is the Kotetsu Type 3 135mm. It's not a 150mm but it's just that good.
We tend to recommend stainless for heavily used pettys due to the fact that these guys spend a lot of time touching acidic foods like lemon and shallots, but this knife just felt right. Thin and light, my main criteria.
The Santoku
My wife's absolute must-have. A little shorter, a little wider, a little flatter; perfect for veg and herb prep (she eats much healthier than I do).
Our main santoku is, and has been for the last ten years, the Sugimoto Wayoutou. Something about that handle just feels nice. Riveted for weight but also longer to emulate a Japanese Wa-style handle.
The Gyuto
Everyone needs a gyuto.
The first ever real gyuto I owned was an Aritsugu Type A 210mm D-shaped Wa handle. I bought this guy in Tokyo over 15 years ago and was floored at how a knife could actually cut like this one. I had spent years in kitchens using generic western, stainless steel, plastic handled beaters.
This knife really solidified my obsession with Japanese knives. As you can see, I was definitely not that experienced with sharpening this knife, hence the wide single-bevel I put on it. Regardless, this knife holds a dear place in my heart, and is proudly displayed at the shop.
Today, I use a 210mm SG2 with a rare purple handle, which was a gift from Kato-san on his recent visit to Toronto. I am blown away by this knife. Over the last ten years, ever since I left cooking in kitchens, I've been using shorter (180mm and below) gyutos for my day-to-day and the moment I started using this SG2 I remembered that 210mm is my favourite length.
I don't know what's sexier, the steak or the knife.
Usually not my choice for slicing a steak, but I've been so obsessed with this knife I use it for everything now.
I just recently took home a Mcusta 270mm Sujihiki and will post about it soon, but first impressions are "yes, it's great."
Thanks for reading, EO