random1888wagred

random1888wagred t1_j21crvo wrote

Reply to Thinking about buying this for my dads birthday. Anyone here has this and think it’s worth it? by buildabearbitch

I have a Miyabi with the birchwood handle. It's very nice, very sharp, but just know that you can't sharpen these on a pull through sharpener, you need to use a sharpening stone, of high enough quality not to ruin the knife, and there's a learning curve to using those, you need to practice on less good knives to get confident. Tbh I'm afraid to sharpen my Miyabi. It's also very brittle compared to European knives, so you have to take a good amount of care. I've never chipped mine but only because I'm very conscious about using it. They are brittle because the steel is much harder than European steel, meaning they can be sharpened finer and keep sharp longer, but they have less flex as a result. People often snap the very tip off, or worse, a chip along the length. I have a Victorinox chefs knife as a beater, and while I get pleasure from using the Miyabi, in terms of function, they aren't very different.

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random1888wagred t1_j1vgkfw wrote

Reply to BIFL Kitchen Essentials by frannybones

Vitamix blender; Magimix food processor, All Clad pans, Victorinox knives for basics, then one high quality Japanese chef's knife; Ez-Duz-It can opener: Dualit classic toaster; Thermopen instant thermometer; William Whiteley kitchen scissors; OXO and Joseph Joseph do lots of good bits and bobs, but they aren't universally perfect; Pyrex glassware; Le Cruset Dutch oven.

Don't overspend on non-stick, none of them last more than a handful of years. Get a medium quality one and account for having to periodically replace it.

I currently cannot find a good quality long lasting non gimmicky kettle. If anyone has any tips!

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random1888wagred t1_iyew52j wrote

Reply to Professional Briefcase Under $2000 by [deleted]

I'd check out London brands Ettinger, Swaine Adeney, or (the now defunct) Papworth. New they may be over your budget, but I picked up an as new Swaine Adeney briefcase for £500 which is brilliant and will last many lifetimes

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random1888wagred t1_iuh5agu wrote

Reply to Large-capacity Messenger/Bike Messenger Bag by izuzashi

Ortlieb messenger. It's the largest single compartment bag I could find. Very comfy too. Just a big space to throw things in. I find it way more useful than multiple compartments. Ortlieb make a few similar smaller ones, and the 'messenger' can be harder to find, but worth it.

Edit: despite being called messenger, this is a back pack, so may not be ideal for you, but one to consider for the future

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