Three gyutos--what would you pick?

Okay, if you could have three and only three gytuos, which would you choose?

I know sometimes people think about having different types (maker, steel, length, grind, etc.) that complement each other. I'm curious to hear what people would pick. I'm more interested in those that cost $500 or less.

hm… Marko, Marko, Marko?
thought I could easily get away with just one

Kochi , Marko , yoshikane skd in alphabetical order

It depends what would you use it for, i guess. For a general gyuto, i would choose Takeda 270mm.
For small work, like dicing onions, Watanabe 210mm aogami.
For a laserish gyuto i would go first for a Tanaka 240mm R2 (not that much over $500), but because we are bound to the $500 limit, i would go then for a Masamoto KS 240mm (ks3124). You could try a Tadatsuna 240mm gyuto also, but i have never used that one. I hear it is a laser and very good.

Thanks for the ideas. Feel free to include details like length, steel, etc. Curious if people just go with the best or have some balance. If I had three, I'd for sure have a carbon and a stainless or at least semi-stainless. And would likely have a couple different lengths--210 and 240.

I would go with a 12 inch carbon vintage Dexter Russell, 260 Mario in CPM-154, Martell 240 in O1 Carbon.

icanhaschzbrgr said:

hm… Marko, Marko, Marko?
thought I could easily get away with just one

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+1!

I have one but 2 more would be nice.
Really want to try one in A2 hearing some crazy stuff about its edge retention.

If I chose from what I have owned/own It'd be my 210 suisin inox honyaki, 240mm hirimoto AS and 240 Konosuke HD funiyuki.

Z kramer 10inch, itinomon 240mm kurouchi, masakage mizu 240

Zensho Yoshikane Migaki 240, Mizuno Tanrenjo Akitada Hontanren 240, Sakai Yusuke white 210.

Delbert Ealy 240 (or ZKramer 10") as a Workhorse, Sakai Takayuki Syousin Sakura 240 for fine work and speed, Mario 240 as a universal (minus heavy veg)

Kato, DT ITK, Tanaka R2 if you could find one.

Any Okishiba Masakuni, Hoss 240 Gyuto feather stainless damascus, Bill Burke Dragon's Breath

Kato,DT Itk, Mario

Sabaki said:

Any Okishiba Masakuni, Hoss 240 Gyuto feather stainless damascus, Bill Burke Dragon's Breath

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and the change from $500?

Sabaki said:

Any Okishiba Masakuni, Hoss 240 Gyuto feather stainless damascus, Bill Burke Dragon's Breath

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Timthebeaver said:

and the change from $500?

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Marko A2 Western, Shig Kasumi Western, Kato Workhorse

That's my current 3 and that's after swapping lots in and out

Von blewitt said:

Marko A2 Western, Shig Kasumi Western, Kato Workhorse

That's my current 3 and that's after swapping lots in and out

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I think the word lots doesn't do it justice nice choices

Hey they are more on the north side of $500 but definitely worth it

I paid $400 for the Marko, $400au for the Kato and around $600 for the Shig, you just need to know where to shop

240 Gesshin Kagekiyo K-tip in blue #1, 210 DT ITK in AEB-L, and Takeda 240 AS k-tip. The Kagekiyo for general veggies and proteins, the ITK for starchy root veggies, and the Takeda for when I just want to mince the hell out of something (it also makes a great bread knife if you put a good toothy edge on it).

Be well,
Mikey

Von blewitt said:

I paid $400 for the Marko, $400au for the Kato and around $600 for the Shig, you just need to know where to shop

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I usually shop with some random Aussie on the interwebs

This thread is so useless, one can NEVER get away with only 3 gyutos!!!

daddy yo yo said:

This thread is so useless, one can NEVER get away with only 3 gyutos!!!

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Sure you can, as long as you also have 3 or 4 sujis, 3 paring knives, a couple of pettys, and 2 or three ko-bunkas:viking:

Be well,
Mikey

Gents, the knife I see listed most is probably a Marko. Now I've got a few fine gyutos, varying from Suisin Inox Honyaki and Konosuke to TF and Watanabee. I know Marko is a great maker, but just out of interest: what makes his knives so great?

Thanks everyone for their ideas.
The $500 limit is not strict, but it is my reasonable and practical budget limit at this time. And I wouldn't spend anything close to that much on a non-gyuto.
Feel free to add some additional suggestions!

daddy yo yo said:

This thread is so useless, one can NEVER get away with only 3 gyutos!!!

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Yeah, you're right! The whole premise of this thread is crazy! Who would get by with just three gyutos? I just had a momentary lapse of reason . . . sorry, everyone. ;-)

Dt itk, Mario, takamura suminagashi

For under $500, (two under $400!) how about Teryasu Fujiwara, Watanabe, and Kato ?

Marko Western in AEB-L or A2, Gengetsu semi stainless, Tilman Leder in Niolox