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Slicing knife

I have a good roast slicing knife-a straight edge 8" Wusthof with scalloped sides. It is stamped I think instead of forged and came with a fork in a set. I'm looking for thoughts on a smoked roast (ribs, brisket-anything with more of a bark) knife. I've seen serrated bread knives used before, but found a newish version today at a local cooking shop-it's about 14", serrated but with more rounded serrations rather than then normal more toothlike points. What do you think about the rounded serrations vs a normal serrated knife vs a flat edge slicer?
It's an obsession, but it's pleasin'

Comments

  • Lit
    Lit Posts: 9,053
    Get a good 10" chef knife that you can sharpen and also use for just about everything else. I would never suggest a serrated knife due to not being able to sharpen it. This is my go to knife.
    http://www.chefknivestogo.com/tagyas24.html
  • yzzi
    yzzi Posts: 1,843
    edited July 2013
    I use the shun offset bread knife which has very rounded serrations to slice all my meats. It works very good. The rounded serrations don't tear up meat either.
    Dunedin, FL
  • travisstrick
    travisstrick Posts: 5,002
    Avoid sharp ones like the plague. The more rounded the better.

    Better cutting performance
    Easier to sharpen
    Much cooler because that's what I use.
    Be careful, man! I've got a beverage here.
  • Wolfpack
    Wolfpack Posts: 3,551
    @lit agree except for bread knives. They are awesome for bread, tomatoes, etc
    Greensboro, NC
  • gdenby
    gdenby Posts: 6,239

     What do you think about the rounded serrations vs a normal serrated knife vs a flat edge slicer?
    I think the rounded serrations would be very preferable to the saw like ones.I have a saw tooth serrated bread knife that could probably be used to cut wood. But I doubt I could get very fine slices of meat.

    Overall, the problem I have w. serrated knives is that they are really hard to sharpen.

    I do have a few slicers, both round tip and pointed. Don't used them very often as my 240mm chef knife works fine.
  • gdenby
    gdenby Posts: 6,239
    Wolfpack said:
    @lit agree except for bread knives. They are awesome for bread, tomatoes, etc
    Don't know how it might do w. bread, but check out what this chef knife will do to tomatoes.
  • Chubbs
    Chubbs Posts: 6,929
    I use a chefs knife for everything except hand slicing my bacon. I have a very long rounded slicing knife that works well. Only serrated knife I use if my bread slicer.
    Columbia, SC --- LBGE 2011 -- MINI BGE 2013
  • fishlessman
    fishlessman Posts: 32,665
    i like my old carbon steel round ended long slicing knife best. it needs a quick touch up on a stone just before using it but its extremely sharp. problem with the new knifes is that you almost need to go high end to get the same slicing ability as that old blackened steel blade granted the new high end knife stays sharper longer. i believe its an old lamson from maybe the 50's, takes maybe 30 seconds to renew the edge before using it. i would never recomend a serrated blade except for cutting bread, tomatoes, and cans
    fukahwee maine

    you can lead a fish to water but you can not make him drink it
  • robnybbq
    robnybbq Posts: 1,911

    _______________________________________________________________
    LBGE, Adjustable Rig, Spider, High-Que grate, maverick ET-732, Thermapen,


    Garnerville, NY
  • Right now I have this chef's knife, or some very close facsimile: 

    http://www.zappos.com/wusthof-classic-6-cooks-chefs-knife-black?zfcTest=fcl%3A3

     

    This is close to my slicing knife, though I got the cheaper version - I believe this one is forged, but mine is stamped (the handle attached to the actual knife blade, and there is not the steel beginning to the handle this one has):

    http://www.zappos.com/wusthof-classic-ikon-9-hollow-edge-slicing-carving-knife-4504-7-23-black?zfcTest=fcl%3A3

     

    The one I saw yesterday was similar to this one, with the rounded serrations:

    http://www.zappos.com/wusthof-grand-prix-ii-super-slicer-black?zfcTest=fcl%3A3

     

    It's an obsession, but it's pleasin'
  • gdenby
    gdenby Posts: 6,239
    In your original post, you mentioned you wanted to slice meats, not breads. Most traditional meat slicers, both European and Japanese, have long thin mostly straight blades. If you are interested in Wusthoff, why not consider their traditional brisket knife. Other than the dimples on the side, it is similar to the knives that have been used for thin slicing for the past 100+ years.
  • billyray
    billyray Posts: 1,275
    Felton, Ca. 2-LBGE, 1-Small, PBC, PK360, Genesis Summit, Camp Chef Flattop, Smokefire 24, Traeger Pro Series 22 Pellet with a Smoke Daddy insert, Gateway 55 Gal. drum, SNS Kettle w/acc.
  • gdenby said:
    In your original post, you mentioned you wanted to slice meats, not breads. Most traditional meat slicers, both European and Japanese, have long thin mostly straight blades. If you are interested in Wusthoff, why not consider their traditional brisket knife. Other than the dimples on the side, it is similar to the knives that have been used for thin slicing for the past 100+ years.


    I have something similar to that, a little shorter and a pointed end, but with the dimples.  I've seen some people use serrated knives to supposedly not tear up the bark on a well-smoked brisket, etc.  I don't know jack about that, so I'm looking for opinions on straight versus serrated, and it was presented to me that a scalloped serration might be better for meat with bark than a sharp toothed serration. 

    In other words, I'll try my long, slicing knife first, but I'm curious about whether the two types of serrated might be better. 

    It's an obsession, but it's pleasin'
  • gdenby
    gdenby Posts: 6,239
    The only thing I can definitely recommend is that your existing slicer have a good edge on it. A bevel under 40 degrees total, and an edge that is still somewhat coarse. The coarse edge provides a micro serration.

    As far as what kind of serrated edge might be better, I can only say that every electric carving knife I've seen had a saw tooth, not scalloped edge.

    Technique does help. I spent many years cutting various foams for precision packing. For a straight cut, place the blade edge closest to the handle of the longest, thinnest blade you have  at the far edge of what you are cutting. Pull the edge along the surface, hopefully in one long smooth sweep, ending with the point down at the side nearest to you. Do not suppose you will go thru in the first cut, tho' a really sharp blade will slice down an inch or more. Reposition the blade in the just made cut. Repeat.


  • @gdenby are you suggesting to some degree that the slicing knife not be sharpened professionally (or really well by me if I knew what I was doing, which I don't) to be most effective for this particular job?  What you say makes sense, just being clear.  I just had my 6" chefs knife professionally sharpened because it needed it - only $2 to do so, also. 
    It's an obsession, but it's pleasin'
  • gdenby
    gdenby Posts: 6,239
    I'm suggesting what I think might be an appropriate edge to get the most performance out of your current knife. If I were a professional sharpener, I might say "Are you sure you want a 36 degree bevel on that? I can do it, but I bet you'll be back in a month."

    The standard factory edge bevel is good for most home use. Many steels can be a little sharper for better work, but they will likely need more effort to keep that edge.

    Newer Wusthofs are offered at 36 degree bevels, instead of the older 40 degree. Many older Euro knives, and most commodity knives can't hold much better than 44. They can be improved by a micro-bevel. Sharpen the edge to maybe 30, but then slightly dull the front most portion to 40. That helps softer steel to not collapse under pressure.

    FWIW, at this point, I don't consider anything over 30 degrees to be sharp.

    When I say "coarse" I mean that the edge should not be mirror smooth. Not even close.  It should be rather raw, no more than 400 grit. Not 3000 grit.




  • Lit
    Lit Posts: 9,053
    For a meat slicer or tomato slicer you need to keep your blade either polished sharp or toothy but anything in the middle can be dangerous because you push harder and when the blade slips you get hurt. I would never go down to 300 as that's extreme but I have a ceramic honing rod that is 1200 grit and I consider that extremely toothy. The danger point is the 2000/4000 grit range where the blade is smooth but not smooth enough the slice a tomato without pressure. I take my knives to a mirror finish with a strip loaded with 60000 grit paste and my Takeda will slice bread or tomatoes better than any bread knife I have seen. I can drop a tomato from a foot above the blade and it will go right through them.
  • Arbucklej
    Arbucklej Posts: 90
    for a meat slicer stick with a shun or wusthof straight edge and learn how to use a sharpening rod...i own both and can't tell the difference although the wusthof does have a better warranrty

  • sox203
    sox203 Posts: 22
    I'm with Lit, get a good 10" chef knife and devise a plan to keep it sharp.  I have a local bladesmith I use since I'm too lazy, and not skilled enough to do it myself.
  • Lit
    Lit Posts: 9,053
    I use a king 1000/6000 stone with a hone American strop with 2 balsa pads 1 with 30000 grit and the other with 60000 grit paste then finish with a bovine leather strop. Sounds like alot but only take a couple minutes a knife. This is a $70 tojiro that I sharpened that is as sharp as any knife you will find (except my Takeda its sharper cause the blade is thinner). http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=2D7_10cIY7w
  • fishlessman
    fishlessman Posts: 32,665
    gdenby said:
    I'm suggesting what I think might be an appropriate edge to get the most performance out of your current knife. If I were a professional sharpener, I might say "Are you sure you want a 36 degree bevel on that? I can do it, but I bet you'll be back in a month."

    The standard factory edge bevel is good for most home use. Many steels can be a little sharper for better work, but they will likely need more effort to keep that edge.

    Newer Wusthofs are offered at 36 degree bevels, instead of the older 40 degree. Many older Euro knives, and most commodity knives can't hold much better than 44. They can be improved by a micro-bevel. Sharpen the edge to maybe 30, but then slightly dull the front most portion to 40. That helps softer steel to not collapse under pressure.

    FWIW, at this point, I don't consider anything over 30 degrees to be sharp.

    When I say "coarse" I mean that the edge should not be mirror smooth. Not even close.  It should be rather raw, no more than 400 grit. Not 3000 grit.



    i have a carbon steel damascus and if the blade is too polished it doesnt cut anything, it really needs the little micro chips breaking down to become aggressively sharp again, it almost gets sharper the more you use it, its one of my favorite pocket knives

    fukahwee maine

    you can lead a fish to water but you can not make him drink it