Len's News, Notes, and Stuff

Why So Many Knives?

I am often asked by friends and family why I have so many knives. The belief is that all knives are the same – they are sharpened slabs of metal with a sharp edge to cut your food. Many good homes make do with 1 or 2 knives. Really, even I would suggest to most friends to avoid buying knife sets and simply buy a good chef’s knife and a good paring knife. That’s all you really need.

So really, the answer about why so many knives in my kitchen really isn’t about necessity. It’s about perfection and enjoyment. Perfection is never a necessity, especially when it comes to food. Enjoyment isn’t a necessity either when it comes to cooking… for most people, anyway.

I came upon an interesting quote today that I think sheds light on this issue:

“The Japanese are famous for their acutely overdeveloped sense of specialization. They are the world’s foremost perfectionists, even more so than Germans.”

Knives are tools used to prepare food. They are the same as saws to a carpenter, dance shoes to a dancer, and brushes to a painter. Why does a carpenter need different kinds of saws? Because each is made to cut wood differently to suit the purpose of the cut. Why does a dancer need different pairs of dance shoes? Because, other than visually matching whatever outfits the dancer may be wearing, a lower and higher heel height actually suits different dance styles better. Why does a painter need different brushes? Because to create different effects, the painter needs different brush sizes and textures.

Does the carpenter need many different kinds of saws? No, unless he wants to do the job perfectly. Does a dancer need different kinds of shoes? No, unless he or she wants to look and move perfectly. Does an artist need different kinds of brushes? No, unless the artist wants to transfer what he or she sees in the mind’s eye to the paper or canvas perfectly.

Does a home chef need multiple knives? Do I need 5 chef knives & gyutos of different sizes & geometries, a deba (fish butchering & filleting knife), 2 yanagiba (fish slicers) of different lengths, a garasuki (chicken boning knife), 3 Chinese cleavers (all slicers) of different sizes, 2 nakiri (double-edged vegetable knives), a usuba (single-edged vegetable knife), 3 petty knives (large paring knives, essentially), 2 santoku, a paring knife, and a bread knife? No, but I want to create not just good food, but perfect food, and I want to enjoy the entire process for a perfect experience.

Knives are specialized tools. Each knife is designed with a particular profile (what you see from the side) and geometry (what you’d see if you cut it and looked at its cross-section) to suit a particular task. Yes, some knives are pretty much generalists, and other knives are definitely specialists. The generalists like the gyutos and Chinese cleavers can be pressed into service for almost anything you want. The question is, though, will they be the best tool for the job? If you want the cleanest texture to your food, or the fastest, most enjoyable prep session, then maybe not.

“Good enough is good enough” is, I imagine, how most of us approach most of what we do.

“Only perfection is good enough” is how those who take real pride approach what they do.

My friend’s family basement was finished roughly by an economical contractor and carpenter. It’s good enough for family use, but very evidently not a masterful job even to their own laypersons’ eyes. Good enough is good enough.

My dancing friend who is also an instructor wears soft street shoes when teaching casually, but he would never wear them to a competition. He would wear only the shoes that allow him to perform his best. Only perfection is good enough.

If I wanted to create food that’s just passable, I could make do with just 2 knives. But if I want to create food that’s absolutely fantastic, and remain happy while doing so, I need specialized tools. I need far more than just 2 knives.

Many of my knives are Japanese. They are specialized knives, and they were created to an exacting standard. The Japanese cultural obsession with perfection is a commendable thing and one that ought to be adopted in many fields of practice. Cooking, I believe, should be one of those fields.

Food is not just fuel. Food is adventure, food is pleasure, food is family, food is friendship, food is love, food is fun.

Food is a reflection of how one lives life. It begins not with the first bite, but from the very selection of ingredients and continues through the preparation of the food and through the enjoyment of the food. Perfection may never be achieved, but surely it is worthwhile to strive for it at every step along the way.