Which knife should I buy?

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12inchpetty

Member
Joined
Apr 7, 2015
Messages
7
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LOCATION
What country are you in?

England

KNIFE TYPE
What type of knife are you interested in (e.g., chef’s knife, slicer, boning knife, utility knife, bread knife, paring knife, cleaver)?

Gyuto

Are you right or left handed?

Left handed

Are you interested in a Western handle (e.g., classic Wusthof handle) or Japanese handle?

Japanese handle

What length of knife (blade) are you interested in (in inches or millimeters)?

Preferably 240 but 210 would be okay if a 240 is out of my budget

Do you require a stainless knife? (Yes or no)

No


What is your absolute maximum budget for your knife?

$300

KNIFE USE
Do you primarily intend to use this knife at home or a professional environment?

Home

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 meat and vegetables, it does not need to be a tough knife


What knife, if any, are you replacing?

None

Do you have a particular grip that you primarily use? (Please click on this LINK for the common types of grips.)

pinch grip, sometimes with my index finger running down the spine.

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 cutting if the knife is thin enough

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.)

A more french style profile would be ideal but im not that fussy.

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)?

A nice hamon is a must, other than that I'm not picky, a crappy handle is fine, I can replace it no problem.


Comfort (e.g., lighter/heavier knife; better handle material; better handle shape; rounded spine/choil of the knife; improved balance)?

A rounded choil or spine would be nice, but not critical as I can fix this myself.

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)?

I prefer thinner knives but a nice japanese style convex geometry is priority. I'm not looking for a knife that's crazy thin and almost flat ground as a result.


Edge Retention (i.e., length of time you want the edge to last without sharpening)?

Yes please, something in the mid 60s rc would be nice.



KNIFE MAINTENANCE
Do you use a bamboo, wood, rubber, or synthetic cutting board? (Yes or no.)

Yes


Do you sharpen your own knives? (Yes or no.)

Yes


Are you interested in purchasing sharpening products for your knives? (Yes or no.)

Yes


SPECIAL REQUESTS/COMMENTS

Thanks!
 
I can't help with finding something with a hamon, sorry. If you're after a convex geometry, then as a left hander you'll probably be wise to go for a left-hand ground knife, or the asymmetric grind might work against you, causing steering issues and poor food release. Alternatively you could go for something thin with a fairly neutral grind.

Japanese handled left hand ground gyutos are thin on the ground. Maybe check out Misono Swedish steel range at JCK or the Masahiro Virgin Carbon gyutos? Both available in left-handed versions and within budget, but Yo handles I think.

If you decide on 'thinner and neutral' then the Gesshin Ginga 240mm in White #2 might fit the bill. Out of stock at JKI right now though. I have the 210mm and love it.
 
@OP

Are you sure you understand what a hamon is and what type of knife it occurs on?

You may want to plug the following into google: site:kitchenknifeforums.com hamon

Then reconsider your requirements or your budget.

Plenty of good knives to be had for 300. For Brits, the offerings from Japanese Natural Stones or Knives and Stones are good choices when considering shipping etc.

Good luck in your search.
 
So I'm going to bite and assume he really wants a hamon line. There are two knives in that range.

Bolster less Hiromoto 240mm mizu honyaki (tad over 300)
Takagi honyaki (will require a lot of work)

Not sure you want to put in the work for the Takagi. I have the Hiromoto and is a great knife. Not for people who like thin knives or want a long hamon line though.
 
I've heard it's really hit or miss (more so miss) that a Hiromoto is suitable for a lefty. The next closest I can think of in terms of price is the Mizuno Tanrenjo Honyaki santoku or the Sukenari Honyaki petty. Both are around $400 IIRC, but you may be able to special order the Miz for a lefty. I don't think either are in the "thin knife" category.
 
Totally missed the lefty part. The Hiromoto I have is asymmetric grind right handed and by that I mean it is pretty much asymmetric all the entire way up and not just the cutting edge.
 
Are you thinking of lamination line on a cladded knife where the jigane and hagane meet? I used to mix up the terms myself. I doubt you'll find a knife with a nice Hamon unless you double your budget

I just assumed a hamon would be within my budget.

I wanted to experiment with polishing the knife and see how different stones performed. I guess a knife clad would have a similar effect though, im assuming the cladding is non hardening.


Thanks for all the suggestions, I am going to have a long think and do some more reading.
 
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