# Newbie, need help picking a knife to cut Prosciutto off the leg



## iffy (Oct 3, 2016)

Hi everyone. I'm looking for a knife to cut prosciutto off the leg. I am making a stand for the leg of cured ham, to hold it. It's kinda a social thing to pull out a cured leg of ham and sit around it while someone cuts pieces. 

Can someone help me find a decent, nice looking knife? Something German, possibly or Japanese?

Thanks so much!


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## iffy (Oct 3, 2016)

http://www.zwillingonline.com/mibisg29slkn.html

What about something like this? Any comments?


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## rick alan (Nov 15, 2012)

Welcome to cheftalk Iffy, we haven't been ignoring you, it's just that all the regulars here work, days mostly.

So firstly, what country do you live in.  Next we need to know if this is going to be a dedicated, off the board slicer, cause that will tell us what your sharpening requirements will be.


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## iffy (Oct 3, 2016)

Hi Rick!

I'm not in the industry but have friends who are and understand what long hours the job calls for. Thank you for taking the time to respond to me. 

I live in Canada. I want a nice, well made, sharp knife dedicated to the cured ham.

Any recommendations?

Thanks again for the help.


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## foody518 (Aug 6, 2015)

How big are the hams?
Do you have a rough budget range?
Generally speaking for slicing/carving knives you want to go longer. 270-300mm isn't even out of place. My daily use chef knives run 230-270mm.
Know that you have some nice J-knife retailers in Canada as well. Knifewear has some cool stuff, and the folks there are pretty responsive to questions


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## iffy (Oct 3, 2016)

Hi Foody518

The cured leg is around 25 with bone in. 

Do I need a really flexible knife, or semi?
Will check out knife wear.


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## iffy (Oct 3, 2016)

Thanks!


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## iffy (Oct 3, 2016)

What about something like the Shun flexible slicer? Is there something that looks nicer?


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## foody518 (Aug 6, 2015)

Doesn't seem like flexible fits your purpose.

Do you have a rough budget range?

How will you be sharpening?


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## rick alan (Nov 15, 2012)

Some choices:

Your first choice is ok, if a bit pricey and short. For that money any one of these any day over the Birchwood

https://www.japaneseknifeimports.com/collections/gesshin-ginga?page=2

I actually feel dimples help marginally, great steel, known for very thin blades:


Flexible, but that's what the Spanish like to use on ham legs, carbon, gets real sharp, and get's there real easy:

http://www.thebestthings.com/knives/sabatier_old_stock.htm

Another carbon Sab, shorter but stiffer:

http://www.sabatier-k.com/couteaux-...--au-carbone_jambon-25-cm-__carbja25lpol.html


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## iffy (Oct 3, 2016)

Thanks so much Rick. Gonna look at all of them now. 

Thanks again.


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## rick alan (Nov 15, 2012)

Oh, and can't overlook the Itonomon http://www.japanesenaturalstones.com/copy-of-itinomonn-kasumi-270mm-wa-gyuto/


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## millionsknives (Apr 25, 2014)

My recommendation is get the longest least flexible sujihiki you can afford.  There are other schools of thought.  Some people LIKE the flex, I don't.   And also if you watch 'experts' cutting the best most expensive jamon iberico, they are sawing back and forth and generally making a mess of the product.  I like nice smooth cuts but maybe a roughed up surface makes it taste better.  More surface area interacts with air, your tongue etc faster


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## rick alan (Nov 15, 2012)

The last 2 pages of this post were actually about slicing ham legs, just an interest on the subject. The Jamon aficionado does mention prefferance for a flexible knife, but he does specify this is only handy when cutting certaing bone portions, and you could always use a smaller (and cheaper) knife for that I'd think.

For thin slicing in general you don't want significant flex in your knife as Millions stated. For your purpose any I mentioned but the 30cm Sabatier would serve well. On the high end I would prefer the Geshin Ginga, in white#2 especially, or the Itonomon if I felt I could use a really stiff slicer for other jobs also. On the low end I like the 10" Sab ham slicer, aside from the well ground carbon blade its hard to beat the looks of that handle. American supplier http://sabatieroutlet.com/products/ham-knife-10in-authentic-carbon.


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## rick alan (Nov 15, 2012)

Another slicer for ham legs, the 1095 steel itself is better than the French offerings, almost as good as the white #2 of the Geshin line.

https://www.rmurphyknives.com/store/slicing-knife-10-3-4-inch-27-3-cm-pn-hs11ciiho-details.html

Wth no prosciutto slicing experience of my own I will postulate that the narrow blades like this one may work better as they have less surface are to drag on the meat. And as you are cutting thin and with the grain, and no crust to break through, these flexible knives do not present the problems you have with thicker and tougher tougher to cut products.

Let us know when you've finally tried something, I for one am curious.


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## iffy (Oct 3, 2016)

Will do. 

Busy with work and some stuff around home. Thanks for all the advice everyone


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## rick alan (Nov 15, 2012)

Couldn't resist adding the Takamura Pro as I do like R2/SG2 steel

https://www.mtckitchen.com/takamura-hsps-pro-sujihiki-knife/


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## rick alan (Nov 15, 2012)

If you are still looking, or just need another, these are real sweet, great price and they are actually made from razor steel:

http://www.boutique-opinel-musee.co...polymer-handle/carpaccio-knife-n223-intempora


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