EvilLittle

EvilLittle t1_j0zxd6n wrote

Lots of reasonable recommendations have been made, but one thing I'd like to point out is that something can be excellently constructed and a good performer, but if you want to replace it in time for something prettier then I'd struggle to call it BIFL. The Victorinox Fibrox and Zwilling Twin Master are both excellent blades capable of decades worth of home use, but for some people they simply aren't what they want their main kitchen tool to look like.

For a gift, I'd also caution against extra hard steels on some Japanese blades like the VG-10 of the Tojiro DP or the more exotic Shuns and Miyabis. Hard steels are great for those who are prepared for them, but they also need to be treated differently as their hardness equates to brittleness and leaves them susceptible to large chips in cases where softer steels would suffer a rolled edge. I think HRC 56-58 is a good sweet spot.

Given that my previous recommendation of the Fujiwara FKM has seemingly been suffering from consistency issues, perhaps my recommendation would be the AUS-8 steel Gesshin Stainless yo-gyuto if it ever comes back in stock.

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EvilLittle t1_iu0axjs wrote

I have a 12"(?) Peugeot that's missing the nut. I've replaced it with a metric brass wingnut, but it does not hold its setting so I don't really use it. Does anyone know where I can find a replacement nut?

I also have a Dansk Quistgaard with a Peugeot mechanism that I found at a community rummage sale. It has a very nice mechanism, but it's non-adjustable and the capacity is for people who are afraid of pepper.

Frankly, for everyday use, I have no issue with the Ikea mill that I got in 2008--a Peugeot knockoff with the same ceramic mechanism as the 365+ IHĂ„RDIG. It holds its setting extremely well, fills easily, doesn't need to be reset after filling, and has good capacity.

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