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Global
G-5 Vegetable Knife
Rating:
By
Kathleen Daelemans
I've tried dozens of Chef's knives over
the years and am the happiest with my Global
G 5 Vegetable Knife. Though it's called a vegetable
knife, I use it in place of 8 and 10 inch, all-purpose Chef's
knives. Global Knives are made by Yoshikin, a Japanese company.
Apparently Japanese cooks use this style knife primarily
to cut vegetables. Since I didn't know any better the
first time I picked it up, I used it for an entire day of
recipe testing and have since retired a bunch of knives.
I could bore you with super technical features of the knife
but I'd rather speak to the reasons I like the knife
and the reasons I think you might like it too. Besides,
I don't want to know the super technical stuff about
tools. They either serve a purpose well or they don't.
They either work and make me happy when I use them or they
turn me into a bitter cook for the period of time I'm
struggling to get a kitchen task done because they don't
work.
I like the G 5 Vegetable Knife because it's a full
tang knife, meaning it's made from a single piece of
steel which means there's no way the handle can fall
off or get gummy from wear, tear, soap and water and there's
no way screws can shake loose because there aren't
any.
The
knife is lightweight. This means I can chop, slice and dice
enough vegetables to feed an army and my hands won't fatigue,
my wrists won't get sore and my fingers won't hurt or swell
either. Years of restaurant work and years at the computer
keyboard have taken a toll on my hands and wrists so a lightweight
knife that performs well means a lot.
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A
full tang knife, the Global Vegetable
Knife's handle won't fall off or get gummy
from wear & tear
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Lightweight
isn't always good when it comes to knives but it depends
on what your definition of good is. Is the G-5 Vegetable
Knife the best all around knife choice for a restaurant
worker or culinary student who will reach for a knife 20
times more per day than a home cook? Probably not. Though
I've seen the G 5 used by line cooks in some of the Bay
Areas swankiest restaurants; Foreign Cinema, Zuni Café
and Chez Panisse.
Because the knife is of a lighter weight, it requires more
frequent sharpening. Confession: I don't like sharpening
my knives. Probably because I always compare my skill or
lack thereof to the artisan knife sharpeners I've met over
the years in restaurant kitchens that have been practicing
for generations.
Nonetheless, because sharp knives are safer to use and perform
better than dull ones, I drag out my sharpening
stone every 6 months or so or when sharpening my knife
using a steel,
doesn't get the job done anymore because I should have pulled
out the stone months earlier.
Because the knives are lightweight and not made of a harder,
heavier steel, they stay sharper longer and are easier to
sharpen. Some people consider lightweight knives to be of
a lesser quality than knives made using heavier steel. I
do not. In my opinion, a knife that can be used to slice
tomatoes, a loaf of bread and to filet fish is a good all
around knife to have and a worthwhile investment.
When there's room in your budget, you may choose to expand
your collection to include a proper fish
knife and a serrated
edge knife to slice crusty loaves of bread but in the
meantime, a well cared for and properly sharpened Global
G 5 Vegetable Knife is good for just about every kitchen
task requiring a knife.
The
Price: $82.00
Is
it Worth the Price? Without a doubt, yes. I've
had mine for ten years. $8.20 a year for something I reach
for and use daily is a bargain that comes out to .02 cents
a day.
Shopping
Tips: Scan the web for Amazon.com
coupons
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