Looking to upgrade from shun classic. Masamtor or Misono maybe

Hello all. Been studying up on knives recently. Line cook and culinary graduate. I wanted to wait to upgrade from my shun & victorinox knives until I had a better sharpening ability and understanding. Much practice later and I'm ready to upgrade.

I was looking at the Masamoto VG 9.4" gyotou to replace my shun. I simply don't like the shun as much as I thought I would. Ive used a friends Misono UX-10 and liked it but she doesn't sharpen it often enough so it wasn't that sharp and I don't want to spend that much on a knife. I've read that the VG and Misono 440 molybdenum are similar no?

Was wondering your thoughts on the VG, or of there are any other gyotous in the same price range I should consider that are similar? Also for a steel right know I only have my shun steel, gift with the knife. I've been trying to look into ceramic steels and am just wondering if and what you guys would recommend for a knife like this in-between water-stone sharpening.

Was also looking into possibly picking up a petty as all I have now is a small pairing knife. So open to suggestions for a reasonable petty as well.

Thank you :biggrin:

masa vg is a very nice knife, i love the profile on that and is one of the few 'tall' knives available. however it does require some skill to sharpen it well. for easier transition i recommend mac pro which also comes with one of the best western handles.

I have that very same Masamoto. It was my first J knife. It was a bit heftier than I expected and the 70/30 bevel was different but I quickly grew to really like it.

Please be aware that the VG has nowadays a POM handle which I wouldn't find acceptable at this price point. I would choose between the Misono 440 -- the better F&F -- and the Hiromoto Gin-3 -- the better steel.

This was also my first jKnife and I too have been quite pleased with it. Eventually got a custom handle and matching saya made for it.

I have a virgin carbon version of this knife. It was my first true Jknife after my shun and found the profile to be miles better. But at the same time was not super flat and a pretty easy transition from a shun.

Thanks for all the advice thus far.

I'm not so concerned with what the handle is made out of, more the blade.

One of the guys I worked with has an 8" suisin gyutou and I used it today. Liked it quite a bit. Not sure exactly which model it is.

Another guy I know suggested the mac pro and said he swears by it for general purpose chefs knife and I've seen others say the same online.

are you insistent on stainless?

Spend the dough on sharpening gear and bring the Shun Classic to new heights. Although not the best knives they can get a decent edge.

I'm simply not a fan of the shun. I have the proper sharpening gear and have spent time practicing with different chefs to hone my sharpening abilities. Now I'm ready for a new knife. I haven't ruled out carbon. I actually kind of like the look when its petined and has that mirrored fresh edge on the bottom. But it will be a general use chefs knife and will definitely get petined quickly.

I love carbon for edge retention, but it's not for everyone. Is your kitchen the kind that you get pulled away to help on other tasks and maybe you don't have time to wipe down the knife? A compromise is a stainless clad carbon core, then you only have to worry about the edge being reactive.

There were discussions about Hiromoto last week. If you want one of these, it's your last chance because the maker has retired. http://www.japanesechefsknife.com/TenmiJyurakuSeries.html#AogamiSuper

I'll be honest I am leaning more towards stainless because I do work in a kitchen I won't always have time to wipe it down and dry it all the time.

I bring up the gesshin knives for your consideration if you haven't seen them yet. Gesshin uraku is a little below your budget, and gesshin ginga a little above. You can find a lot of info on both on this board.

Maybe this will help a little

What type of knife(s) do you think you want? gyuto and possibly a petty

Why is it being purchased? What, if anything, are you replacing? replacing a shun 8" classic and looking to upgrade after honing my sharpening skills

What do you like and dislike about these qualities of your knives already?
Aesthetics - Don't really bother me too much one way or the other
Edge Retention - I feel like the shun gets sharp but doesn't hold it terribly well, personally

What grip do you use? pinch generally

What kind of cutting motion do you use? combination, sometimes rock sometimes straight slicing

Where do you store them? leather knife roll with case

Have you ever oiled a handle? no

What kind of cutting board(s) do you use? wood and plastic

For edge maintenance, do you use a strop, honing rod, pull through/other, or nothing? waterstones and steel if needed. 220, 1000, 4000, 6000 grits.

Have they ever been sharpened? yes

What is your budget? 100-250

What do you cook and how often? A mix of all different foods. A little bit of everything. Daily.

Special requests(Country of origin/type of wood/etc)? Nope.

Also wondering the major differences between Misono 440 and Molybdenum? I actually used both at work last night, 240s. One was more recently sharpened than the other which was the only really noticeable difference for me with quick use.

The 440 are a tad harder and more abrasion resistant which should result in a substantial increase of edge retention.

How does the SAKAI TAKAYUKI grand chef gyutou compare to those mentioned? Seems to be in the same ballpark.

Get a 240mm. There are quite a few choices in your price range. couple that are proven blades are Carbonext & at the top of your range Gesshin Ginga. The Ginga is a very nice knife with Japanese wa handle which makes it lighter. The stain resistant steel is of good quality. It is a thin blade. You are upgrading it is much better than your Shun 8"

Okay so if I narrowed it down to some more budget oriented options...can you help me narrow it down a little more?

KAGAYAKI ESVG-10. JCK has a deal on the gyuto and petty I want for $260.

MISONO 440

Hiromoto G3