Help me add to my new set....

Hello all...
First off, I'd like to say HI, as this is my first post. Hope I am in the right spot for this question....

Basically, I bought myself a set of Shun knives, (got three of them on sale for great price, added the 7 piece set, which included a block)
My current set includes....
8" Classic HG Chef's
7" Classic HG Santoku
6" Classic Ultimate utility
6" Classic serrated utility
4" Classic perfect paring
4" Classic Paring
4" Classic Santoku HG
Shears
Wood Block....

I am in no way unhappy with the Shun's... In fact it is my first "real" knife set, and I am not at all unhappy with my Shun's. So far, I have been very impressed by how sharp they are. I am a knife nut, and just want to add something interesting and different to this collection...
I'll fill out the form as best I can, and add my thoughts at the end... For what I'm looking for....

What type of knife(s) do you think you want? Japanese style, all purpose (Wa-Gyuto)

Why is it being purchased? What, if anything, are you replacing? just because, maybe trying 10"

What do you like and dislike about these qualities of your knives already?
Aesthetics-
Edge Quality/Retention-
Ease of Use-
Comfort-
So far so good, for all the above...

What grip do you use? Pinch, it's all I know, still learning.

What kind of cutting motion do you use? the type that cuts through what I'm cutting.... lol probably chop/slicing

Where do you store them? Wood block

Have you ever oiled a handle? sounds like a personal question... <grin> No, I have never

What kind of cutting board(s) do you use? Kroger bought Bamboo

For edge maintenance, do you use a strop, honing rod, pull through/other, or nothing? Honing rod that came with the set... still learning other techniques, ie. stropping with a piece of leather... (also seen newspaper, and 8000grit stone

Have they ever been sharpened? I stopped my chef's knife with old leather belt a couple swipes...

What is your budget? willing to send up to $500-$600 for the right knife

What do you cook and how often? cook just about anything.. everyday for the family (stay at home dad)

Special requests(Country of origin/type of wood/etc)? Japanese style, really nice handle, maybe damascus steel (but, don't know much about it, yet)


Ok, here's what brought me here... I had been close to buying one of Murray Carter's knives, but couldn't bring myself to hit the "add to basket" button, without first searching for better options. I found this site... searched "Murray Carter" and found out, basically, there are better knives out there, for much less.... Admittedly, I like what I've seen from MC, mostly from his videos, he seems like he knows what he's doing. Anyone who takes the time to help/teach others with the same interest, is something I find admirable. And, so far, MC really puts his stuff out there.

Just from the day I spent looking around this site, I have found no less than 10 other knives I'm interested in... Some plain, some ornate, and some just plain cool looking.

Anywho.. I've rambled on enough... I know better than to ask, "what is the best" because it simply doesn't exist... everyone will like a particular type/build/builder's knife, for one reason or another... Me, I'm just asking for something I can add to my Shuns. And, you may be thinking... but, wait, you have a nice set of knives, try them, and see what happens.. To that, I answer... I have at least 30 folding knives, mostly cheapos, but 4 or 5 custom, and I like each knife for a different reason, and use them for different things... So, by adding a knife or two, to my collection, I may just find one knife I like to use 80% of the time, and my Shuns, the other 20% or so...

I hope all that made sense. Also, I am not opposed to a used knife, so long as it is in good condition. I'm looking forward to learning many things from this site...

Thank you in advance, for any help...
Joe_Breezy
PS. sorry for the long thread... I hope it is easy enough to read...

The BST has had some killer customs come up recently around your budget. I'd keep my eyes peeled to a DT custom or something of the sort

Welcome aboard... Joe?

It sounds like you're ready and willing to embark on a real journey with your cooking knives. So what is it about the Murray Carters that you like? Which ones in particular appealed to you? What other ones did you see that really caught your eye? That will help guide recommendations for other knives that you'll like.

Perhaps just trying out different knife profiles (what the looks like from the side, how and where the edge curves, etc) will be an interesting way to start. The Shuns have a lot of curve/belly for rock-chopping, if I remember correctly. When you cut, do you tend to leave a part of the knife in contact with the board or do you tend to lift off the board completely?

I should add, I also own a set of Zwilling five star, but never, ever liked them... especially the 8" chef's, as it felt very heavy....

But, my 8" shun feels very good. Should I consider something bigger, or stick to the 8" range? I don't normally cut anything where I've needed a 10" blade for... But, wonder if it would be something to try.... Just a thought....

Thanks,
Joe_Breezy

echerub said:

Welcome aboard... Joe?

It sounds like you're ready and willing to embark on a real journey with your cooking knives. So what is it about the Murray Carters that you like? Which ones in particular appealed to you? What other ones did you see that really caught your eye? That will help guide recommendations for other knives that you'll like.

Perhaps just trying out different knife profiles (what the looks like from the side, how and where the edge curves, etc) will be an interesting way to start. The Shuns have a lot of curve/belly for rock-chopping, if I remember correctly. When you cut, do you tend to leave a part of the knife in contact with the board or do you tend to lift off the board completely?

Click to expand...

This is the MC I considered buying... http://www.cartercutlery.com/japane...eries/65sun-high-grade-funayuki-custom-handle
Mostly because it was a general use knife, I liked the handle, and the shape...

When I cut now, I normall lift the knife off the board... As, I mentioned, I'm trying to learn better knife skills, so the few onions I've cut up so far, have been chopping. I just learned how to correctly cut an onion... Before, I would cut a slice of, and rock the blade to make my cuts.... Now, that I've seen how to cut an onion, for example... I use my knuckle to guide the blade up and down... Haven't done much cutting other than picking up a tomato, and testing how sharp the blade (on my Shun's) was... Although, tonight I need to cut chicken strips from a boneless breast.. so, I'll see how that goes...

Thanks,
Joe_Breezy

Welcome to KKF Joe

Welcome Joe! I'd second the post to look in our B/S/T. There are some amazing knives for sale there right now including a Carter with the option of a custom handle.

El Pescador said:

Welcome Joe! I'd second the post to look in our B/S/T. There are some amazing knives for sale there right now including a Carter with the option of a custom handle.

Click to expand...

A big +1 to what Pesky said...plus if you don't like it then you could probably resell without too much of a loss.

I have looked through the first two pages of the B/S/T forum.... Some I like...

Unfortunately, I don't know what to look for... They all seem to be nice knives... This is where my biggest problem is... I don't want to buy a knife, JUST because it looks nice... I want performance as well. I don't know if the Devon Thomas listed near the top, is too big... I recognize the name as a good brand, and it looks nice...

I guess, I realize I should also mention, while I don't need a mirror finish, I do not want to by a knife that will turn black...

Feel free to correct me, on any assumptions I may make... I've only researched the MC knives, and even then, I'm mostly going by looks. I'm not stuck on a carter, it just happened to be the one maker I found on Youtube, that had knives I liked, plus I thought he was very personable, and knowledgable... But, for all I know, his knives are mediocre, and overpriced... The only thing i do know, they seem to be SHARP... (referring to videos of him shaving with different knives, scissors, and a spoon)

I'll look around some more... and see what else I could find... Some new knife recommendations would be helpful as well... (mostly reputable internet sales sites...)

thanks so more...
Joe_Breezy

Any of the knives that folks around here talk about will get nice and sharp, no need to worry on that count

You don't want a knife that will turn grey or black, but how about knives that turn a variety of colors - a mix of blues, purples, greys, etc?

I think it's worth your while to go for a 240mm length or, if you're willing to stretch a little, a 270mm length. Your 8" is already at 210mm. I have to say that it was the desire for more blade length that originally got me on the knife journey. I was using an 8" Henckels at the time and my classmate was using something longer... I don't remember what it was anymore... but when I borrowed it for a few minutes, I found it so handy to have the extra length (and height).

240mm is closer to what you're used to and is still a very nice general-purpose length, particularly in a home kitchen.

Welcome to KKF

Thanks...

Yes... different colors would be cool...

Am leaning towards the longer length, ie. 240mm as you mentioned....

Actually, the couple knives I found so far in BST, were sold within a day of listing... lol

Joe_Breezy

Well... after spending a few days looking through the B/S/T forum, and seeing basically, every knife I wanted sold within a few hours... Some within a few minutes!
So, i figured with all the time I spent checking out the MC stuff, I finally decided on this...
http://www.cartercutlery.com/japane...sun-high-grade-gyuto-wide-blade-custom-handle

Thinking, as some said, if I don't like it, I can just sell it here...

Now, maybe I'll get a custom handle for it... I've seen some vendors on here, with some gorgeous handles... but, of course, I'll see how I like the handle it comes with...

I have only one other question... I seem to remember, reading something about a member, or company that improved the Carter knife... is that true? Is there something more I can do to this knife, to make it better?

Thanks for all the help!
Joe_Breezy

Congrats! Next thing to think about is how are you going to sharpen--the Carter will come (very) sharp, but lose that initial edge somewhat quickly. The knife shouldn't/won't need any tweaks other than maybe to the handle.

Also, may want to think about replacing that bamboo board with something a bit more edge friendly. This guy (also a vendor here) makes some of the best boards--period. High end knife needs a high end board. :biggrin:

http://www.theboardsmith.com/

What should I do about sharping stones? I don't have any yet... Well, I do have a Laskey thingy.. but I think it is geared towards folding knives... and the highest "Ultra Fine" grit it has is 1000. Think kit goes from 70-1000 grit, 6 or 7 different grits...

But, I'm sure I need something better...

Ideas?

Joe_Breezy

I wouldn't recommend the Laskey for nicer kitchen knives.

First, just enjoy the videos...many here have learned from these. Also, Dave Martell has a dvd set if you prefer that.

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLEBF55079F53216AB&feature=view_all

No rush, but I would start with these...maybe a 1k and a 5/6k...talk to Jon and he can get you what you need. All his stones are hand selected and work great.

http://www.japaneseknifeimports.com/gesshin-1/gesshin-toishi.html

Thanks for all the info!

Joe_Breezy

That carter looks nice...I like that handle...OTOH my decor tastes don't represent the average here on KKF

I recently had the pleasure to borrow a member's Carter as was quite pleased with the performance.