TheOneHawk
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- Jun 12, 2014
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I have 2 coworkers who are looking to buy new knives and asked my opinion. I know more than them by a long shot but compared to the knowledge on this forum, I have a grain of sand in the Sahara.
Knife number one
LOCATION
What country are you in?
KNIFE TYPE
What type of knife are you interested in (e.g., chefs knife, slicer, boning knife, utility knife, bread knife, paring knife, cleaver)? Gyuto
Are you right or left handed? Right
Are you interested in a Western handle (e.g., classic Wusthof handle) or Japanese handle? WA or D shaped Japanese handle
What length of knife (blade) are you interested in (in inches or millimeters)? 240-270
Do you require a stainless knife? (Yes or no) Definitely stainless
What is your absolute maximum budget for your knife? 500 dollars is the budget he gave me, and honestly he wants to spend 500 dollars so he can say he spent 500 dollars on the knife. He doesn't know enough about knives to know the difference, though. He says he doesn't care about how the knife looks but I don't believe him tbh, he buys diamonds and gold watches and **** all the time.
KNIFE USE
Do you primarily intend to use this knife at home or a professional environment?
What are the main tasks you primarily intend to use the knife for (e.g., slicing vegetables, chopping vegetables, mincing vegetables, slicing meats, cutting down poultry, breaking poultry bones, filleting fish, trimming meats, etc.)? (Please identify as many tasks as you would like.) Slicing fruit, mainly melons and watermelon, is his most common job. Never really touches anything with a bone in it. Veggie chopping is another somewhat common job for him.
What knife, if any, are you replacing? A 240 dollar wusthoff. I don't know exactly what one. He treated it terribly, used a pullthrough sharpener and then stopped sharpening it at all and started using kitchen knives when it got dull. Idk, he's an idiot sometimes.
Do you have a particular grip that you primarily use? (Please click on this LINK for the common types of grips.) Pinch
What cutting motions do you primarily use? (Please click on this LINK for types of cutting motions and identify the two or three most common cutting motions, in order of most used to least used.) Rock chop
What improvements do you want from your current knife? If you are not replacing a knife, please identify as many characteristics identified below in parentheses that you would like this knife to have.) He wants edge retention and a thinner lighter harder knife. He says he'll be super nice to a good j-knife but I'm not sure if I believe him.
KNIFE MAINTENANCE
Do you use a bamboo, wood, rubber, or synthetic cutting board? (Yes or no.) Synthetic cutting boards at work
Do you sharpen your own knives? (Yes or no.) I'll likely be sharpening his knives, I'm competent and have good stones.
If not, are you interested in learning how to sharpen your knives? (Yes or no.)
Are you interested in purchasing sharpening products for your knives? (Yes or no.)
SPECIAL REQUESTS/COMMENTS
He's looking at a Shun right now, I told him there's better knives for the money but now I'm thinking maybe that's actually exactly the knife for him. He's used to german profiles and probably won't treat the knife with the respect it deserves.
Knife number 2!
LOCATION
What country are you in? Canada
KNIFE TYPE
What type of knife are you interested in (e.g., chefs knife, slicer, boning knife, utility knife, bread knife, paring knife, cleaver)? Gyuto or Santoku
Are you right or left handed? Right
Are you interested in a Western handle (e.g., classic Wusthof handle) or Japanese handle? Western
What length of knife (blade) are you interested in (in inches or millimeters)? 180-210 mm
Do you require a stainless knife? (Yes or no) Yes
What is your absolute maximum budget for your knife? Maybe 100 dollars? She doesn't want to spend much.
KNIFE USE
Do you primarily intend to use this knife at home or a professional environment? Pro
What are the main tasks you primarily intend to use the knife for (e.g., slicing vegetables, chopping vegetables, mincing vegetables, slicing meats, cutting down poultry, breaking poultry bones, filleting fish, trimming meats, etc.)? (Please identify as many tasks as you would like.) Slicing veggies and making salads mostly, some fruit cutting. Nothing harsh on the blade in particular
What knife, if any, are you replacing? Kitchen knives. Pretty much dull crap.
Do you have a particular grip that you primarily use? (Please click on this LINK for the common types of grips.) Pinch
What cutting motions do you primarily use? (Please click on this LINK for types of cutting motions and identify the two or three most common cutting motions, in order of most used to least used.) Push cut, I think.
What improvements do you want from your current knife? If you are not replacing a knife, please identify as many characteristics identified below in parentheses that you would like this knife to have.) Light, nimble and sharp. She has small hands so the big kitchen knives are difficult for her to use, especially since their handles are kinda massive.
Better aesthetics (e.g., a certain type of finish; layered/Damascus or other pattern of steel; different handle color/pattern/shape/wood; better scratch resistance; better stain resistance)?
Comfort (e.g., lighter/heavier knife; better handle material; better handle shape; rounded spine/choil of the knife; improved balance)?
Ease of Use (e.g., ability to use the knife right out of the box; smoother rock chopping, push cutting, or slicing motion; less wedging; better food release; less reactivity with food; easier to sharpen)?
Edge Retention (i.e., length of time you want the edge to last without sharpening)?
KNIFE MAINTENANCE
Do you use a bamboo, wood, rubber, or synthetic cutting board? (Yes or no.) Synthetic
Do you sharpen your own knives? (Yes or no.) Again, I'd likely do any sharpening.
If not, are you interested in learning how to sharpen your knives? (Yes or no.)
Are you interested in purchasing sharpening products for your knives? (Yes or no.)
SPECIAL REQUESTS/COMMENTS
Light, nimble, short gyuto or possibly santoku. I was considering a Victorinox because she's on a budget and doesn't want to spend that much on a knife (she thinks I'm a total nutjob) but I can probably get her up to 100 dollars as a max. MAYBE 150 if I really sell the knife, she has the money just thinks knives aren't worth using it on.
Knife number one
LOCATION
What country are you in?
KNIFE TYPE
What type of knife are you interested in (e.g., chefs knife, slicer, boning knife, utility knife, bread knife, paring knife, cleaver)? Gyuto
Are you right or left handed? Right
Are you interested in a Western handle (e.g., classic Wusthof handle) or Japanese handle? WA or D shaped Japanese handle
What length of knife (blade) are you interested in (in inches or millimeters)? 240-270
Do you require a stainless knife? (Yes or no) Definitely stainless
What is your absolute maximum budget for your knife? 500 dollars is the budget he gave me, and honestly he wants to spend 500 dollars so he can say he spent 500 dollars on the knife. He doesn't know enough about knives to know the difference, though. He says he doesn't care about how the knife looks but I don't believe him tbh, he buys diamonds and gold watches and **** all the time.
KNIFE USE
Do you primarily intend to use this knife at home or a professional environment?
What are the main tasks you primarily intend to use the knife for (e.g., slicing vegetables, chopping vegetables, mincing vegetables, slicing meats, cutting down poultry, breaking poultry bones, filleting fish, trimming meats, etc.)? (Please identify as many tasks as you would like.) Slicing fruit, mainly melons and watermelon, is his most common job. Never really touches anything with a bone in it. Veggie chopping is another somewhat common job for him.
What knife, if any, are you replacing? A 240 dollar wusthoff. I don't know exactly what one. He treated it terribly, used a pullthrough sharpener and then stopped sharpening it at all and started using kitchen knives when it got dull. Idk, he's an idiot sometimes.
Do you have a particular grip that you primarily use? (Please click on this LINK for the common types of grips.) Pinch
What cutting motions do you primarily use? (Please click on this LINK for types of cutting motions and identify the two or three most common cutting motions, in order of most used to least used.) Rock chop
What improvements do you want from your current knife? If you are not replacing a knife, please identify as many characteristics identified below in parentheses that you would like this knife to have.) He wants edge retention and a thinner lighter harder knife. He says he'll be super nice to a good j-knife but I'm not sure if I believe him.
KNIFE MAINTENANCE
Do you use a bamboo, wood, rubber, or synthetic cutting board? (Yes or no.) Synthetic cutting boards at work
Do you sharpen your own knives? (Yes or no.) I'll likely be sharpening his knives, I'm competent and have good stones.
If not, are you interested in learning how to sharpen your knives? (Yes or no.)
Are you interested in purchasing sharpening products for your knives? (Yes or no.)
SPECIAL REQUESTS/COMMENTS
He's looking at a Shun right now, I told him there's better knives for the money but now I'm thinking maybe that's actually exactly the knife for him. He's used to german profiles and probably won't treat the knife with the respect it deserves.
Knife number 2!
LOCATION
What country are you in? Canada
KNIFE TYPE
What type of knife are you interested in (e.g., chefs knife, slicer, boning knife, utility knife, bread knife, paring knife, cleaver)? Gyuto or Santoku
Are you right or left handed? Right
Are you interested in a Western handle (e.g., classic Wusthof handle) or Japanese handle? Western
What length of knife (blade) are you interested in (in inches or millimeters)? 180-210 mm
Do you require a stainless knife? (Yes or no) Yes
What is your absolute maximum budget for your knife? Maybe 100 dollars? She doesn't want to spend much.
KNIFE USE
Do you primarily intend to use this knife at home or a professional environment? Pro
What are the main tasks you primarily intend to use the knife for (e.g., slicing vegetables, chopping vegetables, mincing vegetables, slicing meats, cutting down poultry, breaking poultry bones, filleting fish, trimming meats, etc.)? (Please identify as many tasks as you would like.) Slicing veggies and making salads mostly, some fruit cutting. Nothing harsh on the blade in particular
What knife, if any, are you replacing? Kitchen knives. Pretty much dull crap.
Do you have a particular grip that you primarily use? (Please click on this LINK for the common types of grips.) Pinch
What cutting motions do you primarily use? (Please click on this LINK for types of cutting motions and identify the two or three most common cutting motions, in order of most used to least used.) Push cut, I think.
What improvements do you want from your current knife? If you are not replacing a knife, please identify as many characteristics identified below in parentheses that you would like this knife to have.) Light, nimble and sharp. She has small hands so the big kitchen knives are difficult for her to use, especially since their handles are kinda massive.
Better aesthetics (e.g., a certain type of finish; layered/Damascus or other pattern of steel; different handle color/pattern/shape/wood; better scratch resistance; better stain resistance)?
Comfort (e.g., lighter/heavier knife; better handle material; better handle shape; rounded spine/choil of the knife; improved balance)?
Ease of Use (e.g., ability to use the knife right out of the box; smoother rock chopping, push cutting, or slicing motion; less wedging; better food release; less reactivity with food; easier to sharpen)?
Edge Retention (i.e., length of time you want the edge to last without sharpening)?
KNIFE MAINTENANCE
Do you use a bamboo, wood, rubber, or synthetic cutting board? (Yes or no.) Synthetic
Do you sharpen your own knives? (Yes or no.) Again, I'd likely do any sharpening.
If not, are you interested in learning how to sharpen your knives? (Yes or no.)
Are you interested in purchasing sharpening products for your knives? (Yes or no.)
SPECIAL REQUESTS/COMMENTS
Light, nimble, short gyuto or possibly santoku. I was considering a Victorinox because she's on a budget and doesn't want to spend that much on a knife (she thinks I'm a total nutjob) but I can probably get her up to 100 dollars as a max. MAYBE 150 if I really sell the knife, she has the money just thinks knives aren't worth using it on.
