Last Wednesday, I hopped on a double decker Megabus and rode to New York in order to learn about knives. Many months ago, I’d gotten an email inviting me to visit Korin, a specialty shop that sells Japanese knives and tableware and finally the day had arrived for my trip. As a fan of good kitchen knives, I was incredibly excited to learn a little more about the breadth of knives available out there.
Located downtown near City Hall, Korin has been in the business of knives and tableware for 30 years. A family operation, the store was initially open only by appointment to the restaurant trade (they currently work with the likes of Nobu, Grammercy Tavern and Per Se) but in recent years, the shop has been open daily to the public as well.
In addition to selling an incredibly vast array of knives and tableware, they also offer sharpening services using a variety of Japanese water stones. They can sharpen and repair nearly any type or style of knife, save those with a serrated edge.
Having seen what they were able to do with some of my more beat-up knives, I am a true believer as to what a good sharpening can do. There is no one that I know of in Philadelphia producing this level of edge quality. Happily, you can mail your knives to Korin should you not live near enough to drop in for sharpening.
Korin sells Western-style knives, traditional Japanese knives and a Japanese-Western hybrid. The difference between these knives is in the edge. Western edges are sharpened so that they have a symmetrical edge. This offers a blade that is fairly durable and relatively easy to maintain. Japanese knives are traditionally sharpened on just one side of the knife. This makes for an incredibly sharp edge, but not as easy for the home cook to maintain.
Then there’s the hybrid knife. Made of thin, high-grade steel, the edge is sharpened to an asymmetrical edge that leads to a sharper, more durable blade. The only issue with selecting a knife with an asymmetrical edge is if you have multiple cooks in your household who have different dominant hands. These knives are sharpened differently for righties and lefties. Just something to keep in mind.
One of the things that my hosts stressed when showing me through the knives was the fact that in Japanese culinary culture, there are different knives for different tasks. The giant knife with the extended blade in this picture? It is designed for cutting soba noodles. Thicker blades are designated for butchering, while thinner ones are for making more precision cut. Blade shapes also vary depending on region and maker.
One blade that I fell particularly in love with while visiting Korin was the Petty knife. It’s seen as an analog to the paring knife, as it’s both light and highly maneuverable. However, as you can see (it’s pictured below), it’s got a longer blade that you typically find on a Western paring knife. Since introducing it to my kitchen a week ago, it’s rapidly become my favorite knife for quick tasks like slicing up an apple.
If you’re a knife nerd like me, make sure to visit Korin the next time you’re in New York!
My knives and my four cutting boards. One for every use!
Recently I have been getting old treasures from my mother. She keeps old kitchen gadgets in her basement. I recently got an “heirloom” food mill. It works like a charm.
Can I say my hand or is that cheating? Because seriously, I use my fingers for everything. Checking doneness, flipping, tossing, etc.
I couldn’t live without my pair of short tongs – perfect for turning foods in a skillet, or tossing salads, or any other variety of uses!
My current fav kitchen tool is my cast iron skillet. I seem to use it for everything!
My favorite tool is a good knife in the kitchen, and that store looks like a lot of fun. My second favorite tool would probably be my microplane zester.
my kitchenaid mixer!
Yay for giveaways! My favorite tool is my passe-legumes from France.
I adore my prep bowls. I have four small stainless steel bowls that I bought at a kitchen supply store in India–every time I use them for mise en place, I think of that trip.
Oh my! I need new knives so badly! I would absolutely love this one.
My favorite tool in the kitchen right now is my new (to me) gas stove. How in the world did I ever live on electric?!
What a fabulous store! My favorite tool is my immersion blender. I use it almost every day.
My favorite kitchen tool is my wooden spoon!
My favorite tool is my brand new Victorio food strainer.
These knives look amazing. I would say my favorite kitchen tool thus far in my cooking adventures would be my immersion blender. It seems magical some days. Cheers!
Hard to pick just one but for the sake of this contest, I’ll go with my favorite this week and that is my grill pan and press. It’s great for perfect bacon and tasty paninis!
My favorite kitchen tool is my VitaMix.
I don’t know if it’s my favorite kitchen tool, but lately, I’ve been finding myself going to the silcon-coated tongs rather than spatulas or spoons when cooking. They seem so much more effective for turning things over when sauteing or stir-frying.
My favorite tool is a silicone spatula that is one piece of silicone–there isn’t any crevice for debris, nothing can come apart, and the handle feels great because it’s soft.
It’s my 7″ Japanese santoku knife, for sure. I would love to have a second, high-quality Japanese knife. Thanks for the opportunity, Marisa!
I totally heart my Microplane
My favorite kitchen tool are my tongs
I would love that knife!
My favourite tool is my wood cutting board. Maybe not a tool, but it is something I use multiple times a day! All I need is a kick butt Korin knife to match it!!
This post made my heart pound. I covet fantastic knives, however, I could not live without my cast iron skillets and dutch ovens. My cutting board is a close second.
My vacuum sealer… everything stays so much fresher 🙂 In jars, or bags. When I open a bag (carefully, lol) of egg noodles and only use half… I just reseal (w/out vacuum) it until I am ready to use the rest. When my hub brings home a deer we vacuum seal the meat for the freezer. Keeping fresh veggies in vacuum sealed jars in the fridge is fantastic!!! They do keep longer 🙂
My fave tool would be my mini food processor. It is wonderful because the knives I have are absolutely awful and they are the same set I have had forever. Hope I win!
Great post! I’d have to say, my favorite kitchen tool is actually the butter knife. I use it for so many really weird things, I don’t know what I’d to without it!
Oh, you know the way to my heart is through a good, sharp knife. My current favorite is a Wusthof santoku-esque chef’s knife. But I’m a fickle beast, and new knives are apt to capture my heart. So sharp. So pretty!
Judging from the frequency with which I regret not having one in my current living situation, my favourite kitchen tool might well be a mortar and pestle. A surprising variety of things are much harder to do without one!
Tough question – one of my fave kitchen tools is my chipped mixing bowl that my mama gave me!
My favorite kitchen tool is a can top puller by Campbells for the new can pop tops on the shelves today. My kids make fun of me but it works so well.
My Grandma had a kitchen drawer that was full of the coolest vintage kitchen gadgets. She passed away in 1988, when I was 16, and I inherited the drawer. I use her classic egg beater/hand mixer (which I’m sure she purchased in the 1950s) almost daily. It makes the fluffiest omlettes.
My grandmother’s bread knife — I use it everyday and remember her.
My knives are definitely my favorite kitchen tools. My chef’s knife is a Global (which I love!) but my favorite fruit knife was $9.99 at the local Asian market! I had a crew of high school aged Girl Scouts here yesterday dispatching 3 crates of citrus using $10 knives! We made and canned 6 batches of mixed citrus jam!
Thanks for another great giveaway! My favorite tool is my santoku — I love to chop!
my favorite kitchen equipment are my bendable cutting boards. I use them for everything and they are very easy to clean. Would love a knife to use on them!
My favorite kitchen tool is my block knife. So handy for cutting up veggies, meat, and much more. Could not live with out it!
I love my immersion blender and my mandolins (but I need a new one)
10″ chefs knife, nothing is better than a nice well balanced sharp knife.
Wow! These knives sure beat the cheap-o knives I have. Favorite kitchen tool? I’d have to say it’s my cast iron deep skillet with lid, which gets used almost daily.
My favorites change daily – but the microplane is often at the top of my list.
Good Afternoon!
I would have to say my apple corer peeler slicer! I Make a lot of apple butter when apples are in season! This tool cut my time in half. Talking about cutting ~ those knives are wonderful! I would love to have one for all my vegetables from my garden.
Thanks for having this contest!
S Hankins
Cherry Pitter. Helps making cherry baby food much easier!
My favorite kitchen tool is my 8″ chefs high carbon steel knife honed to razor sharpness. You only really need a few knives in your kitchen and this is the most versatile.
My fave kitchen tool is a really good silicone spatula or a really good chopping knife.
My favorite kitchen tool is my boy friend hes good for grating and slicing and chopping.
Hmm, I don’t know! It’s probably a tie between my 10″ chefs knife and my Kitchenaid, but I also love a good wire whisk!
Probably my immersion blender. I use it a lot!
My favorite kitchen tool is tongs.
I know that’s silly, but I use them for so much that they’ve become my favorite.
Maybe I’d have answered knives were mine any good 🙂
I would go nuts in that store–but in a good way. Thank you for sharing the story. Oh, my favorite kitchen tool is my 4th burner pot
hhhmmmmm….I have so many favorites!
But my chef’s knife is right at the top of the list!