Gyuto and KamagataUsuba

After finishing work and getting home, I went to the kitchen and found a discarded cabbage core. It was just the outer part, a bit damaged, but I felt like cutting it. So, I decided to chop it up like green onions using my home test INOX-SP Gyuto and MyKamagataUsuba-INOX Honyaki. The knives had different edges: double-edged (Gyuto) and single-edged (KamagataUsuba). I tried both the Western-style chopping (a bit of a tapping motion, if you can imagine) and the basic Usuba technique of pushing forward. I felt that the single-edged knife cut better, and using each knife in its intended way really brought out their performance. Today at work, I had a deep discussion with a craftsman about knife shapes, and chopping the cabbage gave me some great practical inspiration.

• 2009-11-13