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Yaxell Zen Chef's Knife 20cm $119.95 Shipped @ Kitchen Warehouse

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Prefer this over my Shun, but knives are a personal thing.
Yaxell knives, made in the heart of Seki, the Japanese capital for sword-making for over 700 years, combine the techniques of traditional swordsmiths with advanced technology. Each knife blade in the Zen collection features a stunning hammer finish with 37 layers of forged stainless steel, which also serves to create small pockets of air, preventing food from sticking to the blade. Easily slice, mince or dice a wide range of foods with the Yaxell Zen Chef's Knife 20cm, the essential all-rounder for chef's and home cooks.

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  • +1

    how do you sharpen yours? I am a bit worried about using a stone given i am an amateur. And Yaxell is great. love it. stays sharp for months

  • +4

    Great knives, and a good price.
    For me, knives are like shoes or a mattress, or a bed - I don't skimp on what I use every single day. Life is too short.

    If you are interested in stretching a tiny bit further for a handmade japanese knife - check out https://www.chefs-edge.com.au/collections/knives.
    He's a great guy (perth based) - and you can hit him up for any questions.

    He occasionally has amazing deals on hand crafted japanese knives down towards this price point.

    I've bought 2 knives from him, both of them absolutely incredible.

    • Thanks for that link! Wife is not going to be happy.

      • +4

        Mine ended up being happy as I cooked more (as it was more pleasurable).

        • Ooh, those high end Shiro Kamo Santokus….

    • Which knives did you buy, out of interest?

    • +1

      I'm generally curious about takefu. I'm not sure if it's just a credibility thing. "oh yeah it's a Swiss watch so it must be good!" or if it's genuinely a centre of excellence. I tried to go on our last trip but got snowed out.

      It's firmly embedded in "rabbit warren" territory those knives however. Spending $400+ you have so many options and sources.

      One personal preference I do have is to avoid these "pretty finish" type blades. I'd rather put more money into the steel/craftsmanship than paying for the effort required to create these nice visuals.

    • Wow this range top range! Looks and feel really good

    • bought a knife sharpening bundle from the website. 1000/6000. any good resources/videos on how to sharpen on whetstone?

      • I’d ask that guy himself (Ben) just use the contact us.

        He’s super awesome and helpful. There are different techniques for different knives…. And there’s a lot of crap on YouTube.

  • I have a block of Yaxell Mon’s, very good knives and they do stay sharp for a long time. I’m often sharpening our Cuisinart ones but not the Yaxells.

    But after owning it I tend to prefer the European style with the thicker blade and butt.

  • Difference between Zen and Mon?

    • Same steel, hammer finish.

    • Damascus vs no Damascus.
      hammer sytle vs Simplicity
      both VG10 core so no noticeable performance difference, hammer holes may help prevent food from sticking to knife.

    • The hammer finish on the Zen may be practical in the sense food will slide off easier when it reaches that point, instead of sticking to the metal.

  • Question for people who love their knives:
    What would you recommend as a good serrated utility knife for things like tomatoes and eggplants, etc? Doesn't have to be the cheapest but below $100 would be ideal.
    Cheers

    • +3

      The victorinox utility knife is usually praised around these parts. It's like $10-20.

      • -2

        lol, that's a saw, not a knife.

        • +1

          Why would you call a knife with a scalloped blade a saw? Just snobbery about paying less than $50 for a knife?

          • -1

            @Joker042: lol
            saws have teeth, knifes are flat. its in the definition, lol.
            No snobbery, you buy what you can afford. Some drive used holdens, and some drive new bentleys. both will work to take you from point A to point B.
            Why buy a mansion when you can stay in a housing commission? lol

            • +1

              @Hugh G Rection: You've never seen a scalloped blade before? Every cook I know has a scalloped paring knife, usually victorinox. They've also got expensive chef's knives. They use the right tool for the job, because they're not idiots about knives.

              • -2

                @Joker042: where are they an executive chef at, McDonalds? lol
                i don't want to eat at a restaurant where the chef is using a saw, lol.
                i love you

                • @Hugh G Rection: Yeah, snob who knows nothing about knives. Dunno why I even bothered with someone who doesn't know what a serrated knife is for.

      • it’s a bit short …. i have a couple of tomatoe knives , favourite is shun classic but it’s over $100, next favourite is global gs13 serrated utility knife $90 at chefs warehouse or off ebay … though both are serrated, the serrations are small and thin blades so citrus rather than saws and the serrations are more to pierce skin …….

        • I looked at Global GS14, which has bigger serration than GS13. Do you find reaching for Shun or GS13? Which serration do you prefer? Bigger or smaller?

    • I don't know why you need serrated knife for veggies.
      I prefer sharp Japanese knife and it cuts them… like sharp Japanese cuts veggies. (very nice and easy) :)

      • I find it easier to cut some veggies, and salami, with serrated knives. I tend to use my steak knives but would prefer to have a slightly longer knife.

        • It sounds like you need some sharpening tips and a more course finish on your knives - this will do everything you need to much more effectively.

    • +1

      Mercer culinary millennia 10-inch wide bread knife found here.

    • Wusthof Classic sausage knife. I bought over 10 years ago so probably over your budget now…
      It's so great.

  • Looking for a decent chef's knife and pairing knife.
    Came across the Wusthof Trident – Classic IKON 2pc Professional Knife Set for $270
    https://www.victoriasbasement.com.au/p/wusthof-trident-class…

    Any recommendations on which is better? wusthof trident or the Yaxell Zen? As i could add a decent pairing knife with the Yaxell for way less than $270
    Any help for a confused first time high'er' end knife buyer would be much appreciated.

    • It a personal thing mate. General Skunk up above prefers the European style, I prefer Japanese style. Neither is better, it's just a personal preference.
      Best bet is to go to a quality knife retailer (House is not one) and hold them all. You should get a feel what you prefer, and the try different knife manufactures in that style for what sits in your hand the best.

      • false, Japanese is better.

        fyi, I'm European.

        lol

        • Id go with the Japanese, have bought knives in Japan and I can tell you I regret not buying a dozen while I was over there.

      • Thanks for the reply, seems like good advice. Also seems like deciding on a knife during lockdown is not ideal.

    • +3

      It all comes down to whether you're willing to look after the knife or not. I'd suggest you research the proper care/maintenance requirements for a Japanese knife before purchasing.

      Most people cannot be bothered which is why I generally don't recommend these kind of knives unless people are willing to take these extra steps..

    • +2

      I've got both Wüsthof Classic Ikon and Yaxell Zen. I like them both and happily swap between them.

      Both handles are comfortable for large and small hands. Wüsthof is a little heavier and probably better suited to large hands weight wise. I find easier for rocking and cutting hard veggies. Yaxell being lighter is a little more nimble when it comes to trimming large cuts of meat etc. At the end of the day there's very little difference between them usage wise.

      ALL knives need regular maintenance and steel hardness is always a trade off. Harder steel can take a finer edge, trends to hold an edge longer but takes more effort to sharpen and is prone to chipping. While softer steels do dull quicker they're easier to get the edge back and don't need to be babied as much.

      None of these knives are dishwasher safe…no decent knife is.

      It does come down to personal preference. Either pair you're looking at will last a home enthusiast decades, buy one set at a good price and then the other next time if you're not happy. Your not going to remember how much you paid in 15 years time.

      If you really don't want to commit, stamped Victorinox are a decent cheap place to start.

      • Thanks for the info, much appreciated. Definitely happy to commit to a decent knife.
        We are going to try the Yaxell Zen as i think the lighter knife will suit the Mrs better and go from there.

        • I'm sure you'll be happy with it, just look after it. No dishwasher, drawers or bones. Only cut on wood (or plastic) boards. Even using the edge to scrape the board can prematurely dull your edge, get in the habit of using the spine for scraping.

          Every knife edge will dull and sounds like you'll need to learn how to care for this one. Honing is done every time you use your knife, I've heard ceramic rods recommended over a steel for Japanese knives but have never tried myself. I have a few VG10 knives and just use a leather bench strop.

          When honing won't bring the edge back then it's time to sharpen. Stones aren't that hard to learn but practice on some cheap knives. If you can't be bothered with stones then the Minosharp is a good option. Edge Pro knock off is in between.

          I wouldn't spend too much on a paring knife, they tend to get trashed.

          • @OzBragain: Great info, thanks.

            I am looking at King or Naniwa whetsone in 1000 or 1200 for sharpening, from all the how to videos etc that seems to be a good starting point.
            Any recommendations on a leather strop? Some of the results on ebay and amazon dont look great.

            • @[Deactivated]:

              Any recommendations on a leather strop?

              Burrfection

            • @[Deactivated]:

              I am looking at King or Naniwa whetsone in 1000 or 1200 for sharpening

              They'll be fine as long as the edges are in reasonable condition. If you start practicing on some beaten up knives then you might want to think about a 600 or 800 stone to remove some metal quicker.

              My strop is just a piece of veg tanned leather from a local supplier glued to a 500ish length of of 90mm decking board.

  • I was going to get the Shun Engetsu Chef's Knife 20cm, but this is a cheaper deal. i don't know which one to buy. :(

  • +1

    I can't believe that the guy that cut his finger still did not comment

    • probably cut his finger again.

    • I sense that there is a good story behind this comment

  • The guy missed this but here we go https://www.ozbargain.com.au/node/640902

    • Thanks, need a new sword.

  • Deal looks like it's over. Back to 160

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