Thoughts on the latest folding kitchen knives?

Smaug

Smaug

Joined
Jun 30, 2003
Messages
1,797
I'm thinking about a Spyderco Spydiechef for a future knife purchase. I have good kitchen knives already, but I thought it might be a good idea to get one of these, so I'll have one good cooking knife that I'm not continually finding dull from the wife abusing it.

I only hesitate because they're only 4" blades, which would sell to be of limited usefulness for cooking. My Santoku that I use all the time is 6", and I often feel like IT is too short.

These shorter folders must be used more for push-cutting ingredients than slicing, as I usually do.

Are these just a trick to try and sell more knives? Or are they useful and fun?
 
The SpydieChef‘s satin finish is too rough for a kitchen knife. Spyderco has lots of folders with martial sounding names that have blade finishes clean enough for the kitchen, but somehow they missed this important detail on the one they market as a chef knife...

Otherwise it beats using the completly dulled kitchen knives when I‘m helping in a friends kitchen, even with the suboptimal blade length. But no chance against a real, well maintained chef knife.
 
My Spidiechef works fine in the kitchen. The only downer is that it's not too long.

This is the new kid on the block. Kapara

view@2x.png
 
I don't get why Spyderco had these big bladed tactical folders for police and military, but a cooking knife gets stuck with a 3-incher...
 
My 2 cents on ANY folding knife used for food prep, is to be careful and to wash the whole pivot action etc is Sanitizer used in a commercial kitchen or about 10% bleach... especially with chicken you can Have contaminates that can make everyone big time sick. Veggies are fairly safe, but to me, Why? ————I stick with fixed blades for food prep other than a folder for some cheese for a snack while on the road.
 
Smaug said:
I don't get why Spyderco had these big bladed tactical folders for police and military, but a cooking knife gets stuck with a 3-incher...
Click to expand...
You have to try it. I only find it's a problem cutting big tomatoes or onions. Anything else and it's magic.

I will say for prepping pork belly the Yojimbo is great!


 
I'm old school. Really old. Started in the early '80s before Food TV. I learned to work with a 10-inch chef's knife and a 4-inch parer with very few additional blades for specialty work. An offset serrated knife was one. A salmon slicer another. Along the way I went through phases with Japanese slicers and Chinese cleavers. I always came back to the basic two.
 
Rhinoknives1 said:
My 2 cents on ANY folding knife used for food prep, is to be careful and to wash the whole pivot action etc is Sanitizer used in a commercial kitchen or about 10% bleach... especially with chicken you can Have contaminates that can make everyone big time sick. Veggies are fairly safe, but to me, Why? ————I stick with fixed blades for food prep other than a folder for some cheese for a snack while on the road.
Click to expand...

R Rhinoknives1 mentions a great point.

Also, while preparing material on a constant basis, the lack of knuckle clearance would limit it's use for me - fine for a picnic once and a while, but I cook 6-8 hrs a week at home and this design would not work for my needs at least.

It is a nice looking blade, a possible large edc for me, the pattern is reminiscent of a gyutos or santokus from Japan; lower profile sheepsfoot that has some curve to the edge as it meets the tip. Easier blade to sharpen, too, with it's minimal edge belly.
 
Last edited:
Hurrul said:
R Rhinoknives1 mentions a great point.

Also, while preparing material on a constant basis, the lack of knuckle clearance would limit it's use for me - fine for a picnic once and a while, but I cook 6-8 hrs a week at home and this design would not work for my needs at least.

It is a nice looking blade, a possible large edc for me, the pattern is reminiscent of a gyutos or santokus from Japan; lower profile sheepsfoot that has some curve to the edge as it meets the tip. Easier blade to sharpen, too, with it's minimal edge belly.
Click to expand...

I get around the knuckle clearance problem by hanging the handle and my hand off the front of the cutting board. I wouldn’t care to “hang” for extended periods.
 
tiguy7 said:
I get around the knuckle clearance problem by hanging the handle and my hand off the front of the cutting board. I wouldn’t care to “hang” for extended periods.
Click to expand...

Agreed - that technique would help manage the lack of knuckle clearance.

Another option: one could keep the tip on the cutting surface while raising the blade and pulling the edge through the material. The tip never leaves the cutting surface. I think this has name in the culinary world, but I don't know it. This would not work well for everything however, as the small blades on the folding chefs limit them to smaller/shorter vegetables and thinner cuts of meat.
 
marchone said:
I'm old school. Really old. Started in the early '80s before Food TV. I learned to work with a 10-inch chef's knife and a 4-inch parer with very few additional blades for specialty work. An offset serrated knife was one. A salmon slicer another. Along the way I went through phases with Japanese slicers and Chinese cleavers. I always came back to the basic two.
Click to expand...
(Going off-topic a bit here, but it's relevant to your post)

This is kind of what my (Chinese) wife does. Except for her, it is a good quality cleaver and a parer. If you think about it, a cleaver is even more widely useful than a chef's knife; it can break bones AND slice, and has just about infinite re-sharpenings to it. Never an issue with finger clearance either, right?

She never uses the parer against a cutting board, but always against her thumb. She's in it just for the tip and she chokes up on it so high that she doesn't like the base of the blade to be sharp. I got a hawkbill parer that is perfect for her. Shorter blade, smaller handle and a razor sharp tip, but she won't touch it because she's so stubborn.

Me? I'm like you. I like a big chef's knife. Mine's a 10" Victorinox and a parer most of the time. I don't like the really small parers, but the 4" ones, as I mostly use them for cutting up fruit. Even to us simpler guys, I think there are legitimate uses for serrated kitchen knives. Steak knives to cut against hard plates, bread knives to get through crust without smashing the bread, maybe even a tomato knife. A cheese knife is a must for me, these days; check out the one that Zyliss makes. It works a treat and never needs much attention. I do wish it came with a scabbard though, as it doesn't fit in a knife block and is dangerous in the drawer.
 
tiguy7 said:
View attachment 1016155 The A.G. Russell folder in ATS-34 is quite portable but lacks knuckle clearance.
Click to expand...
I've got his "Folding Cook's Knife II" on the way. Looks like it has a bit more knuckle clearance, but we'll see. If not, it might be out the door in favor of a Spydiechef one day.

ag-137br.jpg
 
Last edited:
Thinking about it more, I think A.G. Russell tried to address the knuckle clearance issue by making the blade wider, like a real chef's knife. Then adapted the handle design to take that bigger blade. I'm not sure it's as good of an idea as simply tilting the blade angle back, as Spyderco has done with the Spydiechef...

I do hang my knuckles over the edge of the cutting board/counter, but it results in food on the floor more often. Maybe I just need a thicker cutting board. :D
 
Smaug said:
Thinking about it more, I think A.G. Russell tried to address the knuckle clearance issue by making the blade wider, like a real chef's knife. Then adapted the handle design to take that bigger blade. I'm not sure it's as good of an idea as simply tilting the blade angle back, as Spyderco has done with the Spydiechef...

I do hang my knuckles over the edge of the cutting board/counter, but it results in food on the floor more often. Maybe I just need a thicker cutting board. :D
Click to expand...

I like the looks of the A.G. Russell, and that taller blade would be helpful. That height would be useful while choking up onto the blade and using a pinch grip, as well as some hammer grip chopping.

Happy cooking to you!
 
jdm61 said:
There is no such animal as a folding kitchen knife. ;)
Click to expand...
Ah c'mon. Be open minded.

They may not be as capable or efficient as a large fixed blade, but it doesn't mean they don't exist.

The same could be said for ALL folding knives vs. fixed, right? (and indeed there are people who pocket carry fixed blades for to this belief...)
 
Last edited:
I carry the lower folding santoku on multiple day outings when food prep is needed.
Mostly because it's lighter but it gets a much better edge and retains it longer.
It has ATS34 steel I believe and is made in Japan.
The upper is China made with an 8cr variant.
z2b9JDi.jpg
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top