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liren1

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YAWG (yet another which gyuto) question.
Second day on the forum and here I go, a bit more in free form because it's a more specific question.

I want to get a new knife for my parents, specifically a Gyuto 21 cm. Since my fathers idea of sharpening is pulling the edges of two knives together against each other a la Gordon Ramsey, and since I can't expect him to sharpen with or without a jig, I intend to give him a mino sharp which as pull throughs go, is not the worst.
So, a 21 cm stainless steel Gyuto 50/50 bevel for up to $150 with a western handle. I will tell them to hand wash it, but I need something that can withstand occasional washing in a dishwasher.
I live in the UK.
And about that - I have a 21 cm stainless steel Gyuto, one of the freebies handed out by Korin on occasion when you spend more than $500 (hmm, which I did..). That one is 70/30, do you think it's possible to make that into 50/50, it's brand new and I think of sufficient quality for my purpose ?

Q2 - not sure if protocol requires another thread. Suppose I wanted a flashy damascus R2 knife, say a Gyuto 21-24cm, which of the following is actually the best knife overall
Itou, Tanaka, Saji, Takamura. I have to admit I don't find the Itou handles particularly attractive, I prefer the ironwood ones, but from quality point of view, which one stands out, or are they all more or less the same ?
Thanks
 
These are just my two cents, but for your parents I really would look at a k sabatier ss chef's knife. They are soft so they respond really well to a steel (and with that in mind a pull through sharpener) and they aren't too expensive, but still good knives. They have the 50/50 grind and a western handle. If your dad isn't sharpening then having the bolster shouldn't be an issue. In this same vein, if you're dead set on Japanese Gyuto maybe a Sakai Takayuki Grand Chef, they come in right around your price point. AEB-L is a good steel and these knives are not quite as hard as some of the other J knives, though it still hurts to think of one going through a mino sharp, or the dishwasher, ha.

Good luck!

Edit, added link to the Grand Chef, free international shipping for orders over $100

http://www.chuboknives.com/products/sakai-takayuki-grand-chef-gyutou-210mm-8-3#.UlMqvVrh7ww
 
GLOBAL, MAC or Furi. I would pick the Furi based on the dishwasher criterion.
 
Forschner knives might be worth some consideration.

Talk about beater knives...I bought a full set of Victorinox knives for school and they are a care free knife for me....sharpen it up every so often on my JNS but when I don't have the time diamond steel is where its at stays a lot sharper than other knives that people use at school (Mercer)
 
Now Globals, why didn't I think of that. I've got a k sabatier carbon slicer, really nice, I will look also at the stainless steel chef knife.
I don't recall seeing MAC or Sakai Takayuki grand chef knives in the UK, but I see there are a lot of good options in this price range, all better than what they have now.
I think that if I try I can persuade them not to use the dishwasher, it's just one knife..

Any takers on the second question ?
 
The only R2 I have heard people rave about are the Tanaka's
 
Victorinox Forschner or the Tramontina damascus set at Amazon or Ebay. Both will run you less than $100 for a full set of what they need.
 
K-Sabatier, as most blades, will respond badly at frequent dishwasher use. Expect the POM handle to age much faster and become a little brittle; the rivets to oxidize and seem to retract -- in fact they're partially solved; the edge to become weak and chippy.
 
Yeah, dishwasher is bad, I can probably talk them out of it... I probably forgot to mention, since it's for my dad's birthday I will probably want to give them/him a Japanese knife, I think actually a Global will do just fine, they sure look smart, and they are two heads and three shoulders above what they've got now I believe. I would , as suggested consider MAC, but I don't recall seeing any in the UK.
 
The Globals are an interesting option. Very forgiving when abused, abundantly protective against corrosion. Some models are very well made. Good profile, nice geometry after preliminary thinning. Consider the G-2.
 
I have a 240 saji R2 and love it, although the knife has a couple of issues. It doesn't have much in the way of distal taper and it's handle heavy.

As for your father's knife, I agree with the victorinox suggestions
 
Yeah, dishwasher is bad, I can probably talk them out of it... I probably forgot to mention, since it's for my dad's birthday I will probably want to give them/him a Japanese knife, I think actually a Global will do just fine, they sure look smart, and they are two heads and three shoulders above what they've got now I believe. I would , as suggested consider MAC, but I don't recall seeing any in the UK.

You can get Tojiro in the UK, according to Heston B. Probably overpriced. MACs are better than GLOBALs also somewhat overpriced but I got a sweet deal on a factory second MTH-80 for $120 on eBay (printing mistake on blade logo, says "... in Japan").

GLOBAL G-2 is excellent. I got mine for A$70 + shipping new (the 'Masterchef edition'). I also have the G-4 (which sucks big time, hate it).
 
I see that you are in the UK... some of the 'Kitchen Devils' lines will do the job and work well with a Minosharp.
 
I have an Itou in R2, love that knife. Stays sharp for a long time. Good cutter.
 
Hey, why spend bucks on KFOP (Knives For Other People), ie non-knerds?

Look: http://www.kitchenwaredirect.com.au/Knives/Cooks-Chef-Knife

Maybe because it's for my father and not for some 5th cousin that I've never seen and to whose wedding I'm forced to go ? But of course, generally you are right, that's why I'm trying to strike the balance between high quality, good looks and reasonable price, and some novelty factor, at least for him. To draw an analogue, my watch is a £50 Casio, good enough for me, in Canary Wharf in London I saw a watch for £20,000. Giving me a watch that costs thousands of pounds is a complete waste of money, but I sure can appreciate a watch that costs £400. I think if one is into watches he's got a deeper hole in his pocket than knife people...

Anyway - surprisingly I found an online ship that sells MAC, more overpriced that Globals. The Tojiro sold here that I saw endorsed by Heston B. are Tojiro Senkou, aka Tojiro Flash, they are very very much overpriced here. I'd consider also Tojiro DP but can't find it here either.
Thanks for all suggestions - I still have two months before I need it, so there is a chance will be able to get it through someone in the US
 
I have an Itou in R2, love that knife. Stays sharp for a long time. Good cutter.

Which handle have you got ? The 240 is exactly the length I'm considering, but koki has it in Corian or Abalone - which looks somewhat over the top. I'm not inclined to spend big bucks on a handle. And as James said, he's very happy with his Saji also, I suppose with a more 'subdued' ironwood handle.

Any Tanaka owners out there ? I get the feeling that from quality point of view they are all in the same ball park ?
 
mac pro was the second japanese gyuto i ever bought, and i still own it til this day. they are very good knives with the best western handles, most certainly not overpriced. however, i do think they are overkill for people who arent into knives.
 
MCUSTA Zanmai look nice and have a VG-10 core. You can order through Koki/JCK since he does business with them already (he stocks their non-kitchen lines on his other site).
 
Mine is customized with a wa handle conversion from Stefan.

Which handle have you got ? The 240 is exactly the length I'm considering, but koki has it in Corian or Abalone - which looks somewhat over the top. I'm not inclined to spend big bucks on a handle. And as James said, he's very happy with his Saji also, I suppose with a more 'subdued' ironwood handle.

Any Tanaka owners out there ? I get the feeling that from quality point of view they are all in the same ball park ?
 
I have had the chance to handle a Tanaka and can vouch that the are beautifully made. It I was in the market for more R2 (aka sg2) it would be at the top of the list.
Itou is also very well regarded by people whose opinions I trust, but I've never had to opportunity to see one first hand. I have occasionally seen one with a a less blingy handle, but for the most part, his aesthetic sensibilities do not match mine.

In the end I think you should just pick which ever seems most appealing to you; either way you will end up with a very nice knife.
 
I see more options are openeing up (Asai), however as a European ordering from JCK is much more economical than from the US. He's got Itou knives, I just can't get myself to buy an Abalone handle, pay the premium for it and then replace it. From photos I've taken a liking to Tanaka knives, plus the usual rave reviews about them make them appealing to me, but they seem to be out of stock. I'll keep searching, or wait until Itou or Tanaka become availabe with ironwood, or get a Saji which is available, or bite the bullet and get an Abalone handle knife, arghhhh
 
I see more options are openeing up (Asai), however as a European ordering from JCK is much more economical than from the US. He's got Itou knives, I just can't get myself to buy an Abalone handle, pay the premium for it and then replace it. From photos I've taken a liking to Tanaka knives, plus the usual rave reviews about them make them appealing to me, but they seem to be out of stock. I'll keep searching, or wait until Itou or Tanaka become availabe with ironwood, or get a Saji which is available, or bite the bullet and get an Abalone handle knife, arghhhh

Another option would be metalmaster he sells the Tanaka R2 and he is from Japan but it is sold out right now

http://www.metalmaster-ww.com/product-list/27
 
Tanaka also available at The Best Things.
Yes, I found that out this afternoon, and I got me one today, they had one gyuto left, so I had to take it. I'm sending it to someone in the US who will come over here in 3 months time and attempt to sneak it through customs for me :) I'm looking forward to having it.
 
Yes, I found that out this afternoon, and I got me one today, they had one gyuto left, so I had to take it. I'm sending it to someone in the US who will come over here in 3 months time and attempt to sneak it through customs for me :) I'm looking forward to having it.

Sweet! Please let us know what you think.
 

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