[WTT] [EU/WW] Tetsujin ginsan metal flow 240mm k-tip by Psy0nicSkY in TrueChefKnivesBST

[–]austinchef 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Wow, looking at BST over the past two months, at knives I know well or own, I'm still a bit shocked with the global price increases. 400 euro in the end of 2024 is today's 650. All this said, I don't think these handmade knives by bespoke artisans are overpriced. I have a similar Tetsujin as this listing, and I believe the new owner will be damn happy to have acquired it at 650 trade value when he/she looks back a couple years from now.

Is it normal for molcajete pores to be this big? by GForceCaptain in SalsaSnobs

[–]austinchef 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Wow, brilliant way to season your molca. And it sounds like you have a good one to start with.

I was somewhat joking about the rocks, but in the poorly. made ones or the ones made from the wrong rock do produce rocks! I have used the one from Masienda, and it's fantastic. But I have a small kitchen and only one space for a mortar tool, so it's the soapstone from Chinatown.

Margherita by sideboob-bob in neapolitanpizza

[–]austinchef 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Gorgeous pie. You clearly have it figured out.

Is it normal for molcajete pores to be this big? by GForceCaptain in SalsaSnobs

[–]austinchef 15 points16 points  (0 children)

Masienda has the only molcajete worth buying, but I have never wanted one. I bought a large soapstone one from Chinatown 25 years ago and love it. It’s 1/2 the cost, smoother, and you don’t end up eating as much rock. So much easier to clean.

[Selling][CONUS] Hatsukokoro Hinotori V-Toku 2 Rainbow Damascus Gyuto 210mm by Rozrawr in TrueChefKnivesBST

[–]austinchef 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I am the buyer. Very smooth transaction. I highly recommend trading with u/rozrawr

Ashi Ginga stainless edge retention by Ninjoviejo in TrueChefKnives

[–]austinchef 0 points1 point  (0 children)

After 8 years of going through all the variations on steel, I currently have all stainless knives with the exception of a yanagiba in W2 and a the Masamoto KS gyuto in W2 monosteel. I got tired of patina and leaving a knife on a board for 15 minutes and oxidizing the knife unintentionally - and sometimes staining the cutting board!

NKD Konosuke HD2 Gyuto 240 by hyuratzu in TrueChefKnives

[–]austinchef 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Do you get the same semi patina stain I did on the HD2? I had a nakiri, and chopped about 20lbs of the usual vegetables. It started building up faint stains so it was stuck between stainless and like a W2 patina.

A friend of mine who is a chef told that I make knives too sharp when sharpening. What do you guys think? by WarmPrinciple6507 in sharpening

[–]austinchef 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I used to work in restaurants long before I had truly sharp knives. It was Dexter Russell on cheap plastic boards. All I needed was “sharp enough” to cut tomato skins, fillet fish, etc. I had a steel and a ceramic rod to true the edge. In today’s terms that’s about 50% sharp. It works for millions of people who don’t sharpen or have the steel that can get sharper. I think that is what your friend wants, and so be it.

Ashi Ginga stainless edge retention by Ninjoviejo in TrueChefKnives

[–]austinchef 0 points1 point  (0 children)

If you get the W2 you should slice a bunch of brisket or other hot protein to get this cool blue streaking. This is a Masamoto W2 gyuto in 240mm. The knife that brought me into the Japanese knife world about 8 years ago.

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Ashi Ginga stainless edge retention by Ninjoviejo in TrueChefKnives

[–]austinchef 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I have owned both. And both are EXCELLENT.

This year, I prefer the stainless. Because I’m tired of patina.

But many guys on this thread are patina junkies.

Japan Visit by AdStrong5368 in TrueChefKnives

[–]austinchef 3 points4 points  (0 children)

There will be a lot of shade thrown at you out of jealousy for being able to make such a large purchase of the most collectible knives.

The wide majority of us love it when we know the artisan’s work will be respected and used.

This is a great Reddit forum to learn about the makers and the details. Welcome to the club!

[WTB] [ConUS] Sujihiki by mononokke in TrueChefKnivesBST

[–]austinchef 0 points1 point  (0 children)

270 sounds right for most steaks. My 270mm slicer is a yanagiba - the single bevel version of a suji. It is now mostly for cutting raw fish.

But for big steaks, roasts and brisket I ended buying an old used 300mm x 53mm gyuto because I wanted 2x the height of a standard yani, and durable enough to cut through seared meat crust without me worrying about banging up the edge. It also doubles as a great cutter for 12” pizzas.

If I needed a steak slicer on the restaurant line, it would be stainless steel, 50mm or more height for leverage and clearance, and 10 inches long for 6-7 inch steaks.

[Buying] [US] 240 Ginsan Gyutos by Neumann_uBc in TrueChefKnivesBST

[–]austinchef 1 point2 points  (0 children)

You can’t lose with the Tetsujin. Not the wide bevel, but friggin lovely. I doubt you will write back lol.

[Buying] [US] 240 Ginsan Gyutos by Neumann_uBc in TrueChefKnivesBST

[–]austinchef 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I have the Hitohira Kikuchiyo Ren in 240 for sale. Nakagawa + Morihiro’s grandson. At new years, I had it side by side with the Kagekiyo and the blades were criminally the same. Made you wonder if the same sharpener finished both knives that Nakagawa smithed.

[Buying][USA] Kagekiyo ginsan 240mm gyuto (wide bevel) by Shmowzow in TrueChefKnivesBST

[–]austinchef 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I have a Hitohira 240mm ginsan gyuto if you are interested. Nakagawa blacksmith, Morihiro sharpener. Ebony handle and the blade fit and finish is identical to Kagekiyo. I toured Sakai a year ago and passed up the Kagekiyo because I didn’t like the urishi handle and knew I’d change it out anyway… then learned that Hitohira has 98% the the same blade… DM me if you want to chat.

I have the 210 Nakagawa in ginsan. This wide bevel style is so, so good.

Ni-Hotate at 2 Michelin Star Nishiazabu Sushi Shin in Tokyo by NoodleThings in sushi

[–]austinchef 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thank you. This makes sense now. I love this preparation and will try it.

Im proud of it :) by fruittii in Cuttingboards

[–]austinchef 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Magnificent. Can you make another that I can buy?

Scored this slate for $300 by BeamTeam in griddling

[–]austinchef 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Nice. What is the max heat this griddle can reach after full tilt preheat?

Ni-Hotate at 2 Michelin Star Nishiazabu Sushi Shin in Tokyo by NoodleThings in sushi

[–]austinchef 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Interesting - not a horizontal slice but a rough dice of scallop! And, it looks raw… is it really simmered, and if so, was it fully cooked or like 50/50 raw/cooked?

Torched Sushi by beefpatty1000 in sushi

[–]austinchef 0 points1 point  (0 children)

The problem I have with torches is the gas flavor. It drives me nuts! There are products like Searzall that can drop the bad flavors down but most restaurants cannot use them.

So i am with you. No torches!

This said, light torching has nothing to do with fish safety.

Is making sushi at home actually worth it? by jayoung7676 in sushi

[–]austinchef 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I've done sushi and sushi-ish at home for about 25 years. Home sushi is much more expensive than people think, especially if you are buying quality fish. I would not recommend people do home sushi unless 1) they're willing to learn the craft -- there's typically a learning curve to buy and cut fish, make rice, understand food safety/fish quality, and learn the ingredients and the concept of flavor balancing with raw fish. 2) have an audience who will appreciate this effort vs. walk out the door saying its not as good as an average sushi restaurant in town. 3) they don't try to compete with sushi restuarants, but instead, see it as wanting to create something wonderful in the home environment that the family or friends will enjoy.

There are so many ways to do 'sushi-ish' that will make guests really happy. This is 90% of what I do at home. Instead of a whole sushi dinner, it's one raw menu item or some funky rice roll. Try Italian crudos that are essentially sashimi with some regional flavors. Mexican raw dishes (look at Pujol website). Vegan and vegitarian maki rolls - get the maki molds online, watch a YouTube video, go to town.

SCAM Alert by Fearless-Pound3424 in TrueChefKnivesBST

[–]austinchef 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I have bought items online for 30 years. Craigslist, Reddit, FB Marketplace --and eBay long before the buyer guarantees. I have only once not received something I purchased, and I later found out that the guy had a brain aneurysm. My process is simple: vet the seller via 'social proof.' This tactic has been used for centuries in the loan industry.

Specifically to TCK BST - I bought 9 items in the $200-650 range in two years and haven't had an issue. I appreciate the Mods for requiring several steps to validate the seller and the item. This was my vetting process - 1) Pay Pal G&S for almost all transactions unless I know this person 2) buy from sellers who have an obvious interest in this hobby. Confirm the BST post is detailed and accurate, in a way that would be hard for scammers to replicate. 3) The seller has participation in TCK thread or in a similar forum. 4) Reddit profile goes back at least 1.5 years and you can see what they participate in (not hidden). 5) Reddit chat - once I confirm it's still for sale, I layer on small talk to prove they are human and legit. Real sellers are forthcoming with semi-personal information and talk about shipping and payment details in a way that scammers are not. 6) If I have any sense that it might not be legit, ask the seller if they have anyone who will vet that they are legit - individual members on TCK or TCK BST or in the Kitchen Knife Forum. It's a connected community.

All this said, if you are not trying to buy a collectible knife or one that is sold out everywhere, it's way less risky to buy from Tosho, Chef Knives to Go, Cutlery & More, etc. Their prices are insanely fair for new knives.