I like you man. Friendly and informational. And you know what you are doing. Instructions are brilliant. And I now sharpen my own knifes Thank you so much, sir. For sharing your knowledge with us. Have a nice day! =)
master tonic 1/4 cup chopped garlic 1/4 grated ginger 1/4 cup chopped union 2 tbsp grated horseraddish 2 pc tumeric root 2 hot jalapeno peppers 700 ml organic apple cider vinegar (or just fill jar until all ingredients are covered) put ingredients 2/3 full in mason jar. top off with vinegar, shake, and store in dark place for 2 weeks. strain all liquid into fresh glass jar for easy pouring drink 1 tablespoon a day during winter months
The knives used are called Yaxell ENSO / Yaxell ZEN (The original name of the series is ZEN but they are rebranded ENSO in some countries) I had to search for the brand for a bit so maybe this is helpful for someone else :)
I'd have to say that was the perfect showdown video for me, personally. Nakiri is on my wish list for two reasons : 1. I'm a "chopper" 2. Nakiri are the most featured knives in anime ! But seriously, that was cool. I have one good knife. So this kind of example is definitely helpful in making choices for growing my collection.
I wasn’t familiar with the nakiri until I started watching your videos. After seeing the beautiful one in your video today I’m highly tempted to get one. And your description of strengths and weaknesses was thorough. Keep up the good work.
I work in a professional kitchen and my Nakiri is my daily driver. Very nice for vegetable prep but can also do pretty much anything you don’t need a point for.
I went from mainly using a utility to clever to santoku. I recently got a 6" Nakiri and I love it.....it scoops up veggies nicely as well. I almost never use my chef knife.
I like your tonic. I make similar Russian family version. We use beat, raw organic local honey, coconut oil, fresh lemon, Fresno red chili. I like to ferment the garlic ginger turmeric other all raw adding vinegar, swig down w/ grape juice
Just bought one of each shape on a trip to Japan. Classical Japanese version though (with Japanese style handles) directly from the blacksmith in Kyoto.
I have a very similar knife. Made by under the Yoshihiro name. But I feel like these are being made in the same place and being rebranded, because I've seen them under other names as well. One thing I like about that Yaxell as compared to mine, the transition from the blade to the ferrule is solid, whereas on mine, the blade/tang are inserted into a slotted ferrule, leaving room for eventual water ingress. VG10 is not as stainless as people may think. It won't flash rust, but will definitely rust.
Hey ryky Try and use a chefknife like a stationary piece of equipment What i mean is with the nakiri you move towards the food And with the chefknife you stay stationary and move the food towards it Nakiri (onions, lettuce, mushrooms, pretty much anything soft) Chefknife (carrots, meat, potatoes and just anything harder(thats what she said 😂😂) And yes the chefkive is a slicer and the nakiri a push cutter. And when cutting most of vegetables a nakiri is better then a chefknife but a chefknife has to be able to cut meat really well where the nakiri lags behind. Greetings as always. Keep it up.
Love your videos!! Can’t stop watching them. Great comparison. I don’t have a nakiri (yet)! BTW I couldn’t sharpen a knife until I started watching your videos, thank you so much you have saved me a ton of money and time not to mention leaving my knives with someone I don’t know. Thank you!
For softer vegetables, tomatoes, eggplant, summer squash, mushrooms, all of which compress or squish rather than chop or mince cleanly. A chef knife would likely be better, but a santoku might be better than either one because it has a much thinner blade. Great video as always.
Couldn't decide between the two. So I bought both. Great knives. Haven't had to sharpen after 7 months, just a leather strop kicks it back into razor sharp.
Thank you very much for this video, it really gave me the info I needed. Im about to buy my first nakiri knife and I'm going to build my set one knife at a time! You also inspired me to upgrade my cutting board.
I noticed that too about the pricing of Enso's and even Yaxell branded knives using VG10 steel. The price is very fair. Costing less than The Wusthof Classic Ikon's even. The thing is...with knives like the Enzo with it's 10-degree bevels you NEED to be competent using whetstones to keep the knives sharp/polished. Or be willing to take the knives to some one who is...if you can find them in your city. Not always easy to do in some cities. Same for the Miyabi's at 9-degrees. There's no "cheat"...no Chef's Choice electric machine out there yet that can do 9 or 10-degree angles. No hand-held pull through manual sharpeners. Not sure if the Wicked Edge can do those angles. Don't think so. Maybe the Apex Edge Sharp? Even those are iffy at those angles. That's the only catch...buying the Enso's and Miyabi's. Don't plan to learn to use whetstones? Don't buy those knives. Or be prepared to keep taking them to a "pro". But honestly..for a home cook..I don't see the need for knives that are a little sharper. Even if noticeable. Unless one eats a lot of sushi and does a lot of delicate cutting. Has a catering service...that offers Sushi...Any German knife should suffice at home (many have 15-degree bevels now anyway)...Or a Victorinox Fibrox...Or the Chinese knives if you're not biased against Chinese made knives...
Nice video once again. I am thinking of adding a Nakiri. The Enso looks very nice. I bought a Dalstrong chef after watching you and I love that. So Dalstrong or Enso, I have to decide. I have finally gotten the stone sharpening thing down after watching your videos. Thanks. Took a bit of practice. I find it therapeutic. Adding the leather strop blocks has made my knives scary sharp!! I love it. Keep up the good work.
Wow nice video! I love the new shorter format. I picked up a pretty cheap Nakiri just over a month ago and once I got used to using something with a new shape, I really love it. Especially after a good sharpen. That yaxell looks amazing though, definitely envious!
the Enso is VERY underpriced relative to it's comparable value (especially when it is on sale). The whole line is very aggressively priced. I HIGHLY recommend them. But if you're really, really on a tight budget look at the dexter russel 5197. It's awesome and it's really, really inexpensive
i liked the video and related to it....my parents and I are locked in because of covid and we just bought 4 knives....and my father had in passing mentioned a veg cleaver...a nakiri i guess...i am getting a made in japan nakiri for a good price and was watching videos for it....pankos video kind of makes you lean against buying it but i kind of want to buy it and watching this has again made me lean further towards buying it...it is a beautiful thought to have a japanese nakiri in the kitchen and just do simple quick chops...i am probably going to buy it but after watching more stuff...thanks!
Well, after viewing videos on this type of knife, especially this one, going to procure one. Like the looks of the one you’re using here. But need to hold the Nakiri model to see if comfortable in my hands (I can use either hand, but mostly right hand).
Nice comparison. I'm actually using nakiri with straight profile (it's regular fairly cheap stainless AUS8) for almost everything for years. I don't even like santoku because it has balance in the middle and I prefer knife which is balanced more to the tip or maybe I dunno how to say... Well in a chef knife I miss that weight on the tip which might not seem to be helpful but it actually adds a lot of I dunno "feel" to it. I'm not 100% "chopper" though, I prefer "microslice" (it's when you slice with minimum forward movement) in a lot of cases, or it is maybe because I'd like to learn to use it better.
Thank-you for the video.I was never comfortable with chef knife. I totally agree with ur logic for chopping with chef knife not being easy because of distribution of energy divided on a longer edge. Ur content made decision easy for me!!!
If you cant chop with a chefs knife you got 1 a bad knife (bad here i use as a collection of things) or 2 you do not know how to use the knife. If you can not generate almost the exact amount of force you are damn weak we are talking only 10s of grams differance here.
Excellent comparison video, especially since you used the same manufacturer. I feel a little bit better informed now. Would appreciate a comparison video highlighting the value of the Santoku knife in cutting vegetables. Further, how do these knives compare in cutting meat and fish? Keep up the good work.
Ryky makes great videos, doesn't he? A santoku is SUPPOSED to have a flat belly, but most now are coming with a big belly "rocking santoku" because so many American housewives are using them because of exposure on TV, A santoku is a "happy medium" between a nakiri and a chefs knife. It is more versatile, but doesn't do a task as well or as comfortable over 8 hours as either the chefs knife or the nakiri. Most home cooks are going to be using a knife 5-15 minutes a day and a santoku would serve them well. Unless they're using the tip to pierce something (a VERY rare instance), obviously a santoku doesn't have a tip. If you're the type that has only one knife a santoku is a good alternative to a chefs knife. As syky pointed out, it's better for cutting most veggies than a chefs knife. I am NOT a fan of a "rocking santoku". If you want to rock, use a german style chef's knife. Get a small to medium belly santoku if you choose to add a santoku to your kit. the enso has a large flat area with it's curve closer to the front, so it can rock, but still be powerful near the heel
great video！can you make a video on Nakiri vs Usuba in the future? They are both made for cutting vegetables but one is sing single beveled. Wonder what difference it could make
Great comment, and a question we should address. Thanks for bringing it up. For the viewers that don't know, they have similar shape, the biggest difference is one is single bevel and one is double bevel. BOTH are nice to be able to use, but a beginner should start with a Nakiri, especially if you're new to push-cutting or new to sharpening. A usaba is going to be a little more delicate because of the single bevel. But it's going to give the perception of being "sharper". A nakiri will feel stronger and more robust. It will be easier for some people to sharpen. The slight convexing of a nakiri is probably better if you're going to be "on the board" a lot. A usaba is by far preferable when doing things like katsuramuki but who is going to be doing that very often unless you work in a Japanese restaurant or you're being forced by your boss to practice, practice, practice. For most people, I'd recommend a nakiri first, then if need graduate to a usaba. It's more forgiving and more versatile.
If you cut "A LOT" OF veg, I would highly recommend a majority. I bought a Shun Clasic for prep in a professional kitchen and wow did it my life easier. The blade on mine seems considerably thinner. I don't recommend it for large items i.e. taro but definitely a must have for veg.
How about comparing the Yaxell Dragon Fusion with a traditional nakiri? Or a chef knife? Or a cleaver?? It's so versatile that I'm having a hard time NOT using it!
I own the yaxell dragon fusion knife as well. Except for delicate slicing I could use this knife for almost any food. But one thing... I think I would enjoy a nakiri knife because of its flat edge. I believe I could cut vegetables, lettuce, eggs for egg salad, much faster and much more finely minced with a nakiri.
Like this video, was much easier to watch and straight to the point love your mountain of information but sometimes your videos do stretch too long lol 30min videos hard on the eyes too long to watch on youtube on my phone. I do enjoy what you do though, but prefer shorter 6 to 10 min videos like this one.
Not got a Nakiri yet, but do aim to to pick one up at some point. Yaxells are definitely nice knives. I still want a Dragon (with red handle), but as I have mentioned before they don't retail them outside theUS, booo, booo! Will likely end with a Ran as they feel nice in the hand.
Harrison Hamada… I hope I didn't ask this somewhere else, but I'm curious if you have any experience with the Yaxell Dragon Fusion nakiri? I've found it so versatile and powerful that I reach for it most every time!
First off that's a very nice cutting board man i love the space you got there to work. I like the way the nakiri works and want one, buuuut I've ordered a santoku so is it still worth having both? Great explanation as usual.
Nakiris NEVER been better than a proper CHEF knife..... you can do what a Nakiri knife does with a chef knife... but you cannot do everything with a Nakiri. But I want to still own a Nakiri :)
90% of decent nakiris have heavy blade side balance and quite another thinning comparing to a chef from the same brand line. it's like comparing screwdriver to torque.
Thank you for the video and the explanation on the knives. I would try to get better with knife skills myself if I were you. My chef would kill me if he saw me chopping veg and getting it everywhere like that.
Nice video, but I wonder if this is the real choice people looking for Japanese knives face. I would love to watch a vegetable-cutting focussed comparison between a nakiri bōchō and a usuba bōchō
Hi there. I am not an english speaker by birth, so I am curious about this "tonic" that you are making. A tonic for what - or against what? And as usual - nice video and lovely content for someone who is not well versed in the finer aspects of japanes vs western knives. TY ;-)
In many cultures, people take drinks of powerfully flavored drinks as a way to build the immune system. In some cases, it is just local folk tale, but in many cases, it has been found that some ingredients may have verifiable health benefits.
I don’t think making that much noise while cutting is good. Also, if it’s miyabi or similar angled knife the. You can easily bend the edge. For me smaller herbs is for chef or any rocking knife. Way faster and gives finer control because you don’t aim for anything. With sliding motion of nakari or santoku you have to aim and that’s little tiring. Eg.... try slicing very thin layer of red chilli for Thai fish soup. Ps: best rocking knife is fillet knife :) at least the shun one. I use that for slicing very fine chilli, garlic and maybe ginger.
Hey Ryky, I recently saw a knife series that mysteriously didn't have reviews anywhere. I think it's because it's a new line. Anyways, would you consider doing a review on them? They're called the Zhen Thunder series.
Zhen is a Chinese company with a good value for the dollar. The old blades are not bad at all. I am not sure about the new series because now many Chinese companies are claiming because VG10 was first formulated in Japan, that steel made in China of a similar claimed ratio is "Japanese steel" just like steel made in China of a similar grade to 4116 is "German steel". Zhen also sells blanks to custom wood workers and some hobbyists and some professional handle makers are selling some really really cool combinations on etsy and craigslist. I've even got one. But I have an old one where I know the steel was actually made in Japan, before Chinese started making it generic (but it was the handle I thought was cool) A Zhen is NOT comparable to an Enso, but it would be in the same ranks as many other knives coming out of China such as zeelite or okami.
Not sure how I'd feel about the hammered finish gliding over my two nuckles for any extended period vs smooth finish. My uneducated impression is that the hammer finish is likely more an artistic thing than functional. Beautiful knives nonetheless. Great review!
it does not "scrape your knuckles" or make them "numb" It IS better for releasing food, especially on some finishes (most stainless tends to be a little "sticky") but it's not super effective. Just a mild benefit in it's favor even in the days before springhammers when those extra hammer marks were applied with extra fatigue and sweat by the blacksmith, it was considered worth the extra effort Yes, it does add some cosmetics, but you'll just as often see it on a kurouchi finish knife as you would on a mirror polish knife. It does show an extra amount of labor in some knives where the pattern is only say an inch difference like most Japanese knives are, but not much extra labor where the whole pattern is stamped at one time when it's a Chinese knife. The multi layers, though, THAT is purely cosmetic. Any more than 3 does nothing functionally, but it does look pretty.
My experience with the hammered damascus finish on the Dalstrong Shogun X chef knife is that it does help the food release from the blade, besides adding to the blade's beauty. The edges of the hammer marks are smooth, so they don't seem to bother the knuckles, but I haven't used it for hours on end either. I've considered that too, and thought that if I were designing a knife I might only do some sort of food release treatment on one side of the blade.
Try the Glestain, it has a pattern (much deeper and larger) only on the side away from the hand (there are right and left handed versions) and is smooth on the back. It is a weird knife but I am getting used to it and I have just now started sharpening it and it will take me a while to get used to it. BUT it releases the food like nothing else I have ever used.
How do you find the Miyabi Birchwood? It's one of the most expensive knives that I've had the privilege of using and I was fairly impressed by the stock edge.
What you need to consider a chefs knive as a allaround knive but a nakiri is for vegetables ... how often do you cut youre meat and how often do you buy it portioned .... i have a nakiri cuz i buy my meat in the portions i eat it already cut my vegetables i cuz myself.. but i wanne switchto an usuba since my nakiri was only 7 dollars .. and double bevel is compared to single bevel hard to sharpen single bevel is just lay it down dead flat and other side lay it done on the line thats already there
Ryky, I have a couple of questions: 1. Although you are a knife guy, I was wondering if you could recommend some wooden cutting boards. I bought one a couple of months ago, but its starting to crack already (not sure why this happens, its oak btw) 2. Im looking for a cool nakiri, any recommendations other than the one in this video?
Regarding your cutting board, have you oiled it? Wood boards should be oiled with mineral oil every month or so, and should never be allowed to soak in water.
Great video but too much food in my opinion. I would use a good quality food processor and demo the knife quality on a smaller quantity of ingredients so I can see the detail in the knife.
an Enso is not "an Amazon knife" although I agree with you 100% that I don't really care about companies that are only marketing companies. Enso is made by Yaxell which has a sterling reputation in the industry. I would LOVE to see Masakage knives in review. But remember that they are a very small company marketing HAND MADE knives made by the MASTERS, of one small city (although one of the best cities). Masakage is not likely to send review knives out to vbloggers. These aren't production quality knives like a shun or a Miyabi. they're handmade by masters. Each of their artists sells on reputation alone. And Masakage is probably the best company of all the knife companies of curating it's artists. What is in it for Masakage to let a very very limited knife out for review when it wouldn't help their sales because people who know Masakage aren't going to care about one review, when each knife is different than the nest, even by the same artist made on the same day. And that would also be one less knife they actually CAN sell? There is one very good online retail company that makes some videos of the knives they retail, amongst them some Masakages. It's pretty easy to find on youtube. And it IS a great company to work with. If you get a chance, check out the movie Springhammer on youtube, it also features the Masakage knife makers. If you have a specific question about many of the Gyutos by the Masakage artists, I have a few and there are several of rykys viewers that probably also have a few. I've got a few Anryu's, Katos and one Yu Kurosaki.
I have been trying to get the cutting board you have, I even went to the site you listed, they haven’t been in stock for so long. I looked else where, no luck. If you know where I can get one, let me know please. As always, great video!
Burrfection much appreciate but that's not what I was looking for, I'm looking for the ones similar to yours, the end-grain. I have maple edge-grain for a long time and I have always love walnut, the colors, the patterns. www.cutleryandmore.com/cotton-and-dust/american-black-walnut-end-grain-cutting-board-p135072. Apparently I am missing something :(
they are a very small company and each board is HAND made. End grain boards obviously take MUCH more time to make. I have heard a rumour that the wife of the owner is in poor health and that is affecting production. I have one of their other boards and love it
Harrison Hamada oh :( are there a big differences between edge grain and end grain? I know and grain is much easier on knives than edge but is potus, then edge grain is also easier on knives and has better resistances against bacteria. Also easier to clean. Unless I'm missing something here? I have maple edge grain.
that's about right for a WELL MADE BOARD, but sometimes cheaper boards use lots of glue, which is harder on the knife than the edge grain is. I'd say a good quality edge grain is better than a bad quality end grain. Other than those very small exceptions that' I'd agree with what you said! I'd rather have an edge grain Boos or Cotton and Dust than an end grain from an unknown source
Do you think ensos are the best bang for buck in their category? I'm looking at the nakiri or the chef knife. Also regarding the miyabis, you made a video with 4 knifes, the first one being a little different, but between the artisan misu and birchwood, is the only difference in the handle or is there a real change in the blade? Thanks
you can't go wrong with either an enso, which is really a Yaxell Zen, OR any of the miyabis. The Miyabi Mizu and the Birchwood are SG2. It is harder and more "ductile" than VG10, but it's also more expensive. The Enso would be about comparable to a Miyabi Kaizen. At the time of this post, C&M is throwing a killer sale on all the miyabi. When the miyabi are only on a regular sale or when they're on full price, a yaxell is a slightly better value for the dollar. Enso is a house brand so the value for the dollar is tipped even more in it's favor and when it goes on a killer sale, there's nothing that can touch it for value for the dollar. I'm mostly a powdered steel or carbon steel guy, and even I've got about 5 ensos just because they're such a bargain. But bear in mind, Enso's and Kaizens are VG10 so it will take some discipline on your part.
Harrison Hamada you're everywhere Harrison ;) Thanks again for your insightful comments. Why would vg-10 require more discipline? It's a stainless steel isn't it? Do you mean for sharpening or something like that? Also are these kinds of bargains frequent? For which brands? Do you know how much is left on this particular sale ? Which one would you recommend ? Thank you very much
I don't know how long the sale will last, but I'll try to remember to take the message down or edit it when it ends. I highly recommend ALL of the knives we've mentioned. (I don't own a birchwood, but I've put more than a dozen hours on one and I own all the others). And remember, they are each different and as ryky says "there is no best knife, only best knife for YOU". Your style and your ergonomics play a big part in which knife you choose. The Mizu and Artisan you mentioned earlier have the same EXACT blade. It's very versatile for wither push cutters OR rockers. The only differnce between the two is the handle. The Mizu uses a handle similar to a Kaizen. The Artisan is more barrel shaped. The Birchwood is GORGOUS. I don't own one because the handle shape isn't good for my hands. I've put a dozen or so hours on one and think the blade is awesome, but I'm slightly artiritic now so I can't own one. Artisan, Mizu, Birchwood are SG2. I am a BIG fan of SG2 and other powdered steels but they are more expensive. They also feel "stiff" which some people don't like. Kaizen and Enso, Yaxell Ran, Shun Premier, etc are VG10. VG10 and SG2 are both easy to maintain. Just sanitize and go. SG2 will stay sharper longer. BUT when it does need to be sharpened, it takes longer to sharpen, too. VG10 is easy as pie to sharpen. Ryky knows far more about sharpening than I ever will, But I probably know a little more about cooking. I probably know a little more about alloys because I have friends and relatives that are jewelers so metal is a thing we talk about. Think of my perspective as coming from a different angle. We all want rykys channel to be a great community. VG10 is called "chippy" by some people. but 99.99% of all issues are USER issues not a defect in materials and workmanship. I'd say the exact same thing of shirogami. Just because people buy a more expensive knife does not mean that it won't have issues with abuse. you've probably seen me talk about cars in relation to knives. Having a corvette does not mean you can drive the same way a person does with a Toyota camry or Honda accord. The corvette is more touchy. AND also like knives when someone mistreats their corvette, it's not a defect in materials or workmanship. But because VG10 is usually the first intro people have to Japanese steel, they treat it like it's "german steel". Then they blame the company (shun for example) for what is really their own fault. IF you ise VG10 you shouldn't hammer away at a board. You don't twist with the wrist at the end of a stroke, you don't pivot with the edge on the board when doing the final rock chops, you cut at 90 degrees, not 98 degrees, you don't scrape product off the board with the edge, etc. If you follow all those things you'll have no trouble with VG10. But if you twist your wrist at the end of a stroke, don't blame the steel. (but who admits they ever make a mistake, especially us males)
no, a harder steel is USUALLY less ductile, that does not mean it is ALWAYS less ductile, especially when we talk powdered metallurgy. in old ingot technology, that would be a good but not always accurate generalization. With powdered metallurgy, it is far less accurate
sorry about that master tonic 1/4 cup chopped garlic 1/4 grated ginger 1/4 cup chopped union 2 tbsp grated horseraddish 2 pc tumeric root 2 hot jalapeno peppers 700 ml organic apple cider vinegar (or just fill jar until all ingredients are covered) put ingredients 2/3 full in mason jar. top off with vinegar, shake, and store in dark place for 2 weeks. strain all liquid into fresh glass jar for easy pouring drink 1 tablespoon a day during winter months
@@Burrfection Thanks for the recipe, I'll try it out. Then the next step is to get sick and see if it works! Do you plan on doing cooking content? You certainly have the knives ready lol
i'm not a great cook, but lots of people have been asking.... i'll do more food prep videos.... but not "how to cook" videos. haha. plenty go great youtube channels for that.
The santoku is a movement of the nakiri in the direction of the western chefs knife precisely because the nakiri was an inferior design to the chefs knife. A more appropriate comparison would be the nakiri vs the light clever.
Not inferior, but for a different purpose. I read somewhere that santoku were developed when the general population in Japan became wealthier and started consuming more meat, especially beef, at home. Nakiri are specifically for cutting large volumes of what can be very tough vegetables, they were never meant to be an all purpose knife. They evolved during a time when meat based protein was not a regular occurance in the kitchen, and those who could afford it regularly, could also afford specialized knives for it. Western chefs knives have always existed in the context of the western diet. Santoku were design to reflect the modern Janese diet and cooking styles.
