Almazan Kitchen

[s.ga.rider]

Anyone watch this guys youtube videos. They are entertaining if you like cooking but I am interested in getting a knife like he uses. I cant find any info on it though.

 

[Knifemaker]

Link to the video?

(Asks the knifemaker... )

If it's the one in this video,



I don't think it's a commercially available knife. Looks like a custom forging. Never seen that wide of a blade on that shaped knife. I have something similar I use, basically a thin bladed Chinese cleaver. (Great for slicing up pizza) but it has the usual rectangular blade shape of a cleaver. His has a somewhat Santuko shaped blade.

Not exactly the same. But if you want something with a wide blade like that, I'd suggest this one:

https://www.everythingkitchens.com/shun-classic-6-5-inch-nakiri-knife-dm0728.html?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cse&utm_term=DM0728&gclid=CLXGjO7Hv9ECFUgbaQodb8sDNA

If you like the Santuko shape, this one:

https://www.everythingkitchens.com/shun-classic-series-7-inch-santoku-knife.html?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cse&utm_term=DM0718&gclid=COLo9sLIv9ECFQYJaQodr6wFPw

You could also find a local blacksmith with blade making experience to make you a copy of the knife in the video...

Looks somewhat like one of these from Watanabe...

https://watanabeblade.com/english/pro/kuro.htm

If the feature you like is the wide blade, making it easy to use to scrape up what you cut and transferring it to pan or grill, A Chinese cleaver will fill that need. A well made, but less expensive model:

https://www.swissknifeshop.com/wusthof-pro-8-chinese-cooks-knife?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&gclid=COSP-cbPv9ECFUi2wAodeCIKoA

Expensive model:

https://www.houzz.com/photos/71687855/Shun-Dm0712-Classic-7-Chinese-Vegetable-Cleaver-traditional-cleavers

Google "Chinese Cleaver" for more options.

Hope all this helps

 

[HotRodZilla]

Pampered Chef makes 5 and 7 inch Santoku knives. We have them as part of a set. They're my favorite knives for cooking. Not cheap, but nice. They look just like the knife in the video, just not as tall, and they have the divots in the blade.

 

[Bounce]

If you're looking for an overall great source for food-prep knives then Shun is hard to beat. There are a lot of German blades out there but their style tends to be more wedged (with a thicker blade) while the Japanese tend to be more slender (with a narrower angle on the edge).

Shun uses Japanese steel that can't be exported in blanks and must be first made into the knife before exporting.

I've used a lot and have a couple of German knives I keep at my Mom's house for when I am there visiting and helping her. They are cheaper to buy but you can really tell the difference when using them.

Shun's edges are at a 16 degree angle.

Many German blades are greater.

https://blog.metrokitchen.com/japanese-knives-german-knives-edge/

 

[s.ga.rider]

Thats it in the video. I like the size and shape of it for cutting and moving food around. I found a guy local that said it could forge it for $100.

 

[Knifemaker]

Thats it in the video. I like the size and shape of it for cutting and moving food around. I found a guy local that said it could forge it for $100.

Awesome. Post photos when you get it.

 

[s.ga.rider]

My problem is I dont know how his work is and ive never had a knife made before.

 

[HotRodZilla]

Stupid software...

 

[festar]

I have always sworn by German knives and have had some of my knives for 40 years.

In the last rew years I converted to Japanese style knives in particular Itamae which use Damascus steel. I purchased a full kit about 4 years ago and barely use the German knives since. The itamae hold a great edge. Even though they are Japanese knives, they are made in South Africa. They are hard to find over here and not sure about the States but imagine they would have a supplier there. They can be bought online from the company but shipping from SA is pricey. I have no affiliation with the company other than use their products. See itamae.co.za

Festar

 

[Knifemaker]

Shun knives are in fact copies of Itamae knives. Really really good copies. The difference is itamae knives are all Damascus, where shun uses a hard core of VG10 steel and sandwichs it between Damascus. Not really any difference in edge retention between both knives. Both use micarta handles.

I'd be happy owning either. There are a few other offerings, that are handmade in Japan, that cost much more. Some which use carbon steels, which requires more care to prevent rust.

As bounce pointed out, the Japanese knives use a smaller angle on their blades, which holds for even some of their inexpensive knives. I have a "modern" Japanese chefs knife with a teflon coated blade. Although it's only worth $10, it still is one of my go to kitchen knives over my Soligen blades.

I use a "very fine" diamond stone to sharpen my knives. I always touch them up before use.

Photo of some of my kitchen knives. As you can see I have a few German knives, and a few reconditioned

"antiques"...I like buying old kitchen knives at flea markets and restoring them...

 

[Bounce]

Shun knives are in fact copies of Itamae knives. Really really good copies. The difference is itamae knives are all Damascus, where shun uses a hard core of VG10 steel and sandwichs it between Damascus.

That's why I like this place so much. I'm always learning new things.

I did notice on their web page (which I went hunting for after your post) that they use Damascus VG-10 steel, so I guess that means fully Damascus while Shun is Damascus clad? As thin as the knives are that's some trick.

On the Shun's there's a little wordsmithing in their ad copy that call it composite steel. While the "classic" handle design I have is micarta, they have other styles too (pakkawood and thermoplastic elastomer). I'll stick with micarta, TYVM. None of this (new info for me) is meant to counter what KM said. Just details amplifying them.

The pricing on the Itamae floored me until I used a currency converter and learned that their 1400R chef's knife was ~$103.00 US. That's on par for pricing assuming shipping and import tax aren't crazy.

Itamae home page justifiably bookmarked.

Thanks!

 

[Knifemaker]

Well, wear wise, there isn't really much difference in micarta or pakkawood. Micarta is usually cloth (linen, canvas) soaked with an epoxy like resin, laminated many times, and cured under pressure. Pakkawood, or DymondWood, is resin impregnated wood, laminated in layers, and cured under pressure. Both are very strong, resistant to warping, rotting, and many solvents. I've used both to make knife handles, and actually prefer single color wood laminates over micarta.

I used to buy DymondWood, who used hardwoods. They had a fire a few years back that destroyed their factory, looks like they aren't back up and running again...

https://rutply.com/404e.html

Most "pakkawood" is a dyed wood. You can get some interesting colors, but that is kinda cheap looking to me. Some companies don't use different woods, but just died birch. Still strong and all, just kinda ugly. Handles made out of only one wood using the same process, like rosewood, don't really look like a laminate until you examine them very closely.

Photo of a few of the knives I have made:

Sorry it's not a better photo, but the knife at the bottom is a laminated rosewood, the knife to the right of it is a linen micarta. To the left, solid Cocobolo, and the black Damascus one on top is a resin impregnated Ebony laminate.

 

[HotRodZilla]

Maybe it's just the picture, but the two wood knife handles solidly outclass the others. That Cocobolo is my favorite. I love the grain.

You do nice work, BTW.

 

[Knifemaker]

Thanks. Beauty wise, solid woods are my favorite. They do make "stabilized" woods, which retain the beauty and appearance of natural wood, but have the advantages of being impervious to ...water, warping, cracking, many chemicals, and are harder than the wood naturally is. My favorite material is Ironwood, which is usually so dense that it doesn't need to be stabilized.

Slightly better photo of the Damascus hunter:

(Still for sale BTW....)

 

[gapiob]

Hey, here is a post very nice and enriching to read ...
In good French, my two usual knives are a laguiole with a brass miter, and a horn handle make by "the sabot" cutlery and an opinel with a carbon steel blade.
They are both Maintained by a friend who is a butcher.
My wake up would be to have a Damascus steel lagiol ... but for now it's out of my budget.

 

[Geezer]

Hey, here is a post very nice and enriching to read ...In good French, my two usual knives are a laguiole with a brass miter, and a horn handle make by "the sabot" cutlery and an opinel with a carbon steel blade.

They are both Maintained by a friend who is a butcher.

My wake up would be to have a Damascus steel lagiol ... but for now it's out of my budget.

Those fancy knives that cost over 100 dollars are way more expensive than anything I need for cooking. I have a small collection of folding knives that includes an Opinel. It is a very useful, inexpensive folder with a wood handle and it locks open with a twist. Very handy and inexpensive enough that I would not be upset if it got lost or broken. My every day carry knife is a Benchmade, which is more expensive but very durable and stays sharp under heavy use.

 

[Knifemaker]

I don't have any leguiole knives, but do have this:

I don't think I've ever broken a knife. For every day carry I alter every week and pick one of these:

 

[eflyguy]

Those fancy knives that cost over 100 dollars are way more expensive than anything I need for cooking.

True.. my first decent knives, after years of believing the marketing that sells you on serrated edges, were in fact from Oxo - they were amazing compared to what I had been used to. That got me to do some research and with the help of Alton Brown (Good Eats) discovered Shun. I waited a long time to buy my first - an 8" chef - but, boy, was I happy. I know have a small collection of Shun, Global and a Henckel that make up my "everyday" knives - I'm making a drop-down under cabinet tray for those right now - and the rest live in a drawer. Mostly "specialty" like a looooong granton-edge slicer (used when I make jerky, bacon, or need to portion a large piece of meat), a cleaver, a bread knife, etc.

One nice thing about starting life over in a new home, I've surrounded myself with the things I know I use and love.

 

[gapiob]

hey, in France, this kind of kniff are named "limonadier", I had 8 or 9... it's my prefer corkscrew... My wife works in the wine industry, and so it is a fairly simple and current gift. Its exchange of the USB keys and other power tank. And for me it's more useful ...

For Opinel, I don't know if you found it in the USA, but in France it is a knife that costs around 10 €.

Mine, it's a number 9.

After the strongest knife I have left my tatoo (remember of the army)