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 favorite tool to use in the kitchen has been my MIL Chinois strainer. I never thought it would be as useful as it has become.
I’d have to say that my favorite kitchen tool is my new blender. I don’t know how I lived without it for so long. But I bet it would change to that knife if I was lucky enough to win it!
My favorite is my slow cooker I love the magic it works!
my perfect little, fit anywhere, light as a feather, tough as nails bamboo cutting board. we hang out just about every day!
My big cast iron skillet
My favorite kitchen tool is my Wusthof chef’s knife -my boyfriend keeps it extra sharp and has even purchased a similar knife as a “substitute” so I still have one to use while he sharpens mine.
What an incredible store! I can’t pick a favorite as I have several, but the knife I reach for most often has the long blade like this one. It is perfect for cutting apples and other things that need a bit more of a reach then a paring knife and not as much as a butcher knife.
Beautiful! My favorite kitchen tool is an old knife that was my grandmother’s. It is the perfect length and weight to core a strawberry and slice an apple or pear.
I don’t know about favorite, but I love when I have a task for my mandolin. It’s fun (and a little nerve-wracking) to go make a whole bunch of slices or julienne. In terms of knives, my Forschner is my work horse. Recently my wife bough a MAC knife that is frankly so sharp that it scares me.
What a fun trip! I have real need for good knives but have a hard time pulling the trigger on the right one. My favorite kitchen tool is definitely the cast iron skillet. We use it for everything from tart tatin to fried eggs to spicy indian dal. YUM!
I have one “good” knife that I admit is not sharpened often enough. But when it is its makes chopping( not my favorite thing) pleasant. I would just love to win this knife! But will have to check out this store on my next (adult, no kiddos to this place) trip to NYC!!
well…i love my knives! but i think my top fave kitchen implement is my antique pastry blender. pie crust is my specialty and i have never found a modern pastry blender as sturdy as the old ones…you can find them in local antique/junk stores for a dollar or two and they are the best!
Close race between my crockpot and my cast iron skillet.
Tough question…I love a simple pairing knife I have, but also silpat mats, and an immersion blender. So many fun kitchen toys/tools!
Ah, I went to Korin with my brother a few years ago. He had just gotten a new job at a seafood-focused restaurant and needed a high quality boning knife. I inherited his Wusthof knife after that and I’ll say that a great knife is my favorite tool in the kitchen.
since i’m pickling and canning today… -mason jars!
My fave kitchen tool is my crock pot. Both my wife and I work and it is SO nice to walk in and smell dinner already to go at the end of a long, hard day!
My favorite is my kitchen aid stand mixer. My most used is my chefs knife, but I desperately need a new one of those!
I have a pretty little Squid whisk that I can’t get enough of…and I would love a new, sharp knife to go along with it!!
My favorite kitchen tool is my KitchenAid mixer, hands down. I don’t know how I managed before it!
My favorite kitchen tool right now is my non-stick skillet, but it changes depending my favored cooking technique of the moment. My slow cooker and pressure cooker have both held the top spot in the past!
My favorite kitchen tool is this fancy self opening trash can my husband got for handling our compost scraps. It is a big indulgence but so great to have something that the kids can use without making a mess.
They should be called Pretty knives, they are so lovely.
My favorite kitchen tool is my new Vitamix, my family has never eaten so many disguised veggies!
My favorite kitchen tool is my little green Kuhn-Rikon paring knife. I live in a college dorm with a communal kitchen, and my knife is just about the one kitchen tool I use that’s actually mine! It’s too short, really, to cut most things (a head of cabbage, for instance, can be a problem), but I love it nonetheless 🙂
We have been working hard to arm our kitchen with tools that will last and that will suit a practical purpose. MY favorite is the mango slicer- gives me easy access to one of my favorite fruits.
My husband’s favorite- the knife sharpener! Before he came along all our blades were dull!
Oh I love this post.ast Christmas my husband gave me two Wustiff Santuko knives- 8″ and 5″. The whole day was a series of me calling from the kitchen, “come over here and cut this!” and the requisite “ooooo’s” that followed. I’m still in love with them.
The do need to be sharpened, though. 🙂
I would have to agree with the cast iron Dutch oven. Just learned how to use it 🙂
My favorite kitchen tool is my brand new kitchen aid mixer!
Give me a chef’s knife, or give me death. A good, sharp, ergonomic beautiful instrument like that is indispensable.
Some years ago my mother gave me two Wusthof knives: a paring knife and a 6″ serrated-blade knife. They’re so much nicer than any of my other knives!
Those knives look amazing!
My favorite kitchen tool is a spoonula, those weird part spoon, part spatula things. Best invention ever.
Wow, what a great place! I think my favorite kitchen tool is my big cast iron skillet. A farmer friend gave it to me, perfectly seasoned by her grandmother. I think of all the women who’ve fed their families from it every time I use it!
My favorite kitchen tool is my Wusthof santuko knife. The handle is cracked, but I always seem to reach for this knife, it fits my hand perfectly and the blade is always sharp.
My favorite tool is the kitchen sink! We can always make do if we can’t find this knife or that pot, but the absolute luxury of having running water and a sink in a kitchen is such a blessing that much of the world doesn’t experience!
My spare pair of chemical splash goggles–my eyes are severely affected by even trace amounts onion/garlic fumes and unfortunately I cannot go a single day with some allium family in my cookery.
I absolutely love using my bench scraper- it’s like a second hand when dividing dough for rolls, you can use it to make pie dough, & it make cleaning up a wooden table a breeze!
I think nothing can beat a good sharp knife. I keep mine in pretty good shape and they reward me with even clean cuts through the food I am prepping. By the way a sharp knife also prevents cutting ones fingers!
Iron skillet camp for me. Specifically the cast-iron skillet inherited from a grandmother, coating so deep and black that you don’t have to add more than a teaspoon of oil every now and then to keep things from sticking. Although the tiny whisk is fighting hard for first place in my affections.
My favorite kitchen tool is my basic chef’s knife. I use it several times a day and even though I have other knives, I just never seem to get around to using them.
Have to go with the 8″ santoku right now.
food processor!
my kitchen aid mixer
Absolutely my Thai cleaver. Lightweight but it can slice through veggies like nothing!
My favorite kitchen tool would certainly have to be our shun 8 inch chef’s knife. Wouldn’t make it through my day without it!
My favorite kitchen too is a cherry pitter that fits on the lid of a canning jar. Love it because it makes a tedious chore oh so easy! My second fave? My husband’s kitchen knives because he keeps them nice and sharp – he would love this one!
My favorite kitchen tool is my cast iron dutch oven. It’s so versatile and it cooks everything evenly. Plus it’s lovely.
I am so jealous of your trip – it looked amazingly fun! In our house there are two things we could not live without, our 10″ chef knife and our giant saute pan. I bet I use both of them everyday if not multiple times a day! I am super intrigued by the petty knife though… I bet we could find it a nice home right next to the chef knife 🙂
Wow! I’m so jealous of your field trip!! Very very cool.
As for me, my favorite kitchen tool(s) are my hands. NOTHING beats the feel of bread being kneaded, or egg yolks slipping through my fingers.
My recipes! I am not a creative cook, but I pore over recipes and food blogs, collecting all kinds of delectable things to try. I even had special cabinets built into our kitchen island to hold all my cookbooks 🙂
Scissors! The aren’t necessarily my “favorite” tool, but certainly the most versatile and frequently used. That beautiful paring knife would be certainly be my favorite if I was lucky enough to win it!