[TheForge] Fw: new knife

[David E. Smucker]

Like Reis says -- the Tokyo Fish Market is a very interesting place.  I have 
been to a lot of markets around the world but the Tokyo Fish Market is one 
of the most interesting.  To see the action you got to go early like Reis 
said -- not hard if you are dealing with jet lag and wide awake at the time 
of day.  Best sushi I ever had was at a restaurant just about a block from 
the market.  Our partners from Kobe Steel took us there when we were in 
Tokyo for meetings.  Last time I was there was in '95 or so.

Dave Smucker

--------------------------------------------------
From: "ries" <ries at riesniemi.com>
Sent: Saturday, August 14, 2010 11:33 AM
To: "Blacksmithing List Sponsored by ABANA" <theforge at mailman.qth.net>
Subject: Re: [TheForge] new knife

> I have been to the Tokyo fish market, and seen these guys using these 
> knives- they only cut the tuna flesh with them, not the scales.
> The rough cut is done early on, often before the actual fish seller even 
> buys the tuna at auction.
> They buy, at 4 in the morning, a chunk of blood red tuna about the size of 
> a block of ice from one of those old ice machines- a one foot cube or so- 
> and that costs hundreds of dollars.
> Then, usually two guys wield the 6' tuna knife, to slice the mother chunks 
> for sushi- somewhere between 1" and 3" in thickness, perfectly parallel, 
> gorgeous in every way.
>
> I also visited the neighborhood in Tokyo where they sell knives like that- 
> there are two or three high end knife shops on the same few blocks. A 
> decent, but not spectacular, chef's knife is several hundred. A good one- 
> from a name brand maker, can easily break a thousand dollars, and goes up 
> to double or triple that. I didnt price the tuna swords, but they are not 
> cheap. Usually in a knife shop with 2000- 4000 amazing handmade blades of 
> all sizes, there might be one or two of those tuna knives.
>
> Only a few fish wholesalers use them.
>
>
> ries
>
>
> On Aug 13, 2010, at 11:50 PM, Peter Fels & Phoebe Palmer wrote:
>
> Tuna scales are real hard on a knife's edge. The
> deckhands on the albacore and tuna runs used to sharpen
> their knives with coarse files to put a sort of saw tooth
> edge that would cut when partly dulled.
> 6'!! Goodness! Wanna see the arm on that guy!
>
> Matt Stevens wrote:
>> On 14/08/2010 7:48 a.m., Andy Gladish wrote:
>>> The stain isn't too bad and it's on the other side.
>>> I put a bevel on both sides, this one- made one for my wife with single
>>> bevel and she complained, "this knife is too sharp. it goes through my
>>> (thin, cheap plastic) cutting boards!"
>>
>> lol. I recently went to Japan & was quite interested in the different
>> cooking knife shapes & sharpening techniques. The most "interesting"
>> knife was the 6' long tuna filleting knife, picture extended sword with
>> more flex and single bevel. Rather intimidating.
>> ______________________________________________________________
>> TheForge mailing list
>> Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/theforge
>> Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm
>> Post: mailto:TheForge at mailman.qth.net
>>
>> TheForge mail list group photo site is
>> http://www.photoaccess.com
>> Login: blacksmithblacksmith at hotmail.com
>> Password: anvil
>>
>> This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net
>> Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
>>
> ______________________________________________________________
> TheForge mailing list
> Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/theforge
> Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm
> Post: mailto:TheForge at mailman.qth.net
>
> TheForge mail list group photo site is
> http://www.photoaccess.com
> Login: blacksmithblacksmith at hotmail.com
> Password: anvil
>
> This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net
> Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
>
> Ries Niemi
> Industrial Artist
> http://www.riesniemi.com/
>
>
>
>
>
> ______________________________________________________________
> TheForge mailing list
> Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/theforge
> Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm
> Post: mailto:TheForge at mailman.qth.net
>
> TheForge mail list group photo site is
> http://www.photoaccess.com
> Login: blacksmithblacksmith at hotmail.com
> Password: anvil
>
> This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net
> Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
>