# Which would YOU choose, and why?



## daveinmesa (Nov 25, 2016)

Hi everyone! Happy Turkey Day!

I've read enough forum posts here to know that there are some very knowledgeable people here, so I'm looking for a bit of advice, but in a sort of sideways fashion. I'm looking to acquire a cheap-ish (none of them are cheap, by my standards) boning knife of the Honesuki style. I've narrowed the list to the ones linked below, and I'm wondering what decision other people would make.

http://www.cutleryandmore.com/kasumi-damascus/honesuki-boning-knife-p11106

http://www.chefknivestogo.com/okbl2ho15.html

http://www.chefknivestogo.com/fufkmbo14.html

http://www.chefknivestogo.com/todputkn15.html

I'm also considering this Bunka, because it has roughly the same blade shape and size as a Honesuki. It is, however, considerably thinner than the other candidates. It's actually _extremely _thin (1.6mm), which might be a drawback for a boning knife, but I really don't know.

http://www.chefknivestogo.com/mivgbu16.html

I know you customarily ask people to tell you their preferences in order to help guide them, but I'd like to keep mine to myself, for now, so that your answer reflects YOUR preferences and experience. I'm open to other brands that I may not have run across, too, but they need to be in my sub-$100 price range.

Thanks!


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## rick alan (Nov 15, 2012)

I haven't got experience with any of them, don't own any honesuki either, but I have to say I just like the look (not necessarily the utility) of the Mizuzu. The Kasumi is not worth the money. The blue#2 one is worth consideration for the steel. Fujiwara stainless is not the greatest. I do have to say though that knives sold through CKTG often do not live up to expectations.

This Yoshihiro is also one to consider http://www.echefknife.com/knife-typ...s-honesuki-japanese-poultry-boning-knife.html High tech steel, I had considered their honkotsu but these are taller at the heal than what I was looking for.

I have to say this might be a post for kitchenknifeforums.com, there'll be a number of honesuki users there, though they will likely recommend anything but cktg knives.


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## millionsknives (Apr 25, 2014)

I have gesshin stainless honesuki it is great for cutting chickens into parts japanese style and thats all I use it for. A honesuki is not a boning knife. It is meant to part chickens. Can it do other stuff if you have skills sure, but everything about the design, thin tip, highly asymmetric edge, are meant for one thing.

If I only had one boning knife it'd be the itinomonn/munetoshi wa butcher. This knife is ALWAYS in my kit. I even own a backup.

http://www.japanesenaturalstones.com/munetoshi-kurouchi-170mm-wa-butcher/


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## millionsknives (Apr 25, 2014)

This is what honesuki is meant for


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## rick alan (Nov 15, 2012)

Another little knife specialization, the honkotsu:


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## daveinmesa (Nov 25, 2016)

Thanks, Rick. That Yoshihiro looks like a serious contender.

I'm surprised to hear that about CKTG. They're constantly referenced in the forums.


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## daveinmesa (Nov 25, 2016)

MillionsKnives said:


> I have gesshin stainless honesuki it is great for cutting chickens into parts japanese style and thats all I use it for. A honesuki is not a boning knife. It is meant to part chickens. Can it do other stuff if you have skills sure, but everything about the design, thin tip, highly asymmetric edge, are meant for one thing.
> 
> If I only had one boning knife it'd be the itinomonn/munetoshi wa butcher. This knife is ALWAYS in my kit. I even own a backup.
> 
> http://www.japanesenaturalstones.com/munetoshi-kurouchi-170mm-wa-butcher/


I appreciate the info on the munetoshi. I'm really looking for the radical shape of the honesuki, though. I believe it offers options in terms of how the knife is held that knives with less blade depth can't match. What got me interested was this video from chef Chris Cosentino; 




Your point about the asymmetric grind is something I've been wondering about. I'm not sure how well that type of grind works with a clad blade, and yet there are LOTS of clad honesukis out there. Marketing trumping engineering, maybe?


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## foody518 (Aug 6, 2015)

Less blade depth? Meaning blade length, or something else?
Your initial choices included some stainless and some not. Do you have a need for one way or the other?
There is nothing about cladding that is inherently at odds with asymmetric grinds. Hon-kasumi single beveled knives have a soft cladding and a harder core steel


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## daveinmesa (Nov 25, 2016)

foody518 said:


> Less blade depth? Meaning blade length, or something else?
> Your initial choices included some stainless and some not. Do you have a need for one way or the other?
> There is nothing about cladding that is inherently at odds with asymmetric grinds. Hon-kasumi single beveled knives have a soft cladding and a harder core steel


Blade depth meaning from spine to edge, not length. I'm sort of open on the steel type. I'd _like_ a "super-steel" blade, but I'm not sure it's as practical for this particular purpose. I'm still learning the pros and cons of different steels.

What I've seen said about clad steels and single-bevel grinds is that it means you're sharpening the cladding, rather than the core steel. That would be true if it was literally single-beveled, like a chisel, but if it's actually a 70/30 grind, it would probably be fine.


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## foody518 (Aug 6, 2015)

You're not cutting with the cladding so you're definitely going to sharpen some of the core steel with each sharpening. On the clad honesuki that are described as single bevel or 90/10, I would think that means a layer of hardened steel clad to a layer of softer steel/iron (someone correct me if I'm wrong on this)


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## rick alan (Nov 15, 2012)

On a single bevel knife there is no "core steel" in the conventional sense.  The "cutting steel" is on the flat side and the cladding is on the bevel side.


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## daveinmesa (Nov 25, 2016)

Rick Alan said:


> On a single bevel knife there is no "core steel" in the conventional sense. The "cutting steel" is on the flat side and the cladding is on the bevel side.


Well, that makes sense. I've seen some sandwich clad knives that were said to be ground 70/30, but maybe that's enough to put the edge inside the back layer of cladding.


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