Bucket List or 5 Final Knives!!

My question is - if you had to choose 5 knives to use for the rest of your life, what would they be and why? A couple of points to consider, the 5 must be able to fulfil all of your food preparation/cooking needs and preferably from at least 3 different makers.

I look forward to seeing your responses.

1. Bill Burke 255 mm San mai or damascus gyuto 52100 steel mokume and animal horn handle(norwal or musk ox) platinum mosaic pins.
2. Mizu honyaki 300 yanagiba traditionally made white steel octagonal handle in ebony and horn basic ivory spacer(marine animal) koi fish engraving
3. 75 mm HHH petty, wa handle with mammoth, damscus pattern metorite core
4. Custom yu kurosaki 330 sujihiki in cowry x or zdp 189 custom hammered pattern. settle for r2 steel, final sharpening by shibata.
5. 210 lazer grind k tip tall gyuto 60 mm height made by takamura in R2 damascus clad work done by hinoura san. Handle should be wa burnt chestnut and buffalo horn, Canadian maple spacer and moose horn end cap.

All sayas would be made using canadian wood, 3 piece construction center peice would match handle of knife. Engraved with the names of the makers and maple leaves

This goes along with my recent thoughts of a streamlined kit.

1. Heiji 210mm semi stainless gyuto.

Perfect for line use. I had this made with a Heiji interpretation of a Sabatier profile and it fits right into the expo station at work.

2. Heiji 240mm carbon gyuto.

I just got this knife and really like it. Good for large prep projects, not as good for that as my Watanabe was, but much better for portioning proteins and slicing large things.

3. Shigefusa 300mm yanagiba.

I spent a year and some butchering, portioning, and slicing fish for 6 or 7 of my ten to twelve hour days I got to really appreciate what a yanagiba has to offer vs a gyuto for these tasks. This is one of the better ones I've owned, I would happily use a similar sized Masamoto KS or white steel Watanabe.

4. Watanabe 210mm deba.

What I said about the yanagiba, but sub deba. I'd be happy with the Watanabe, a KS, or a Shig. Any well made, easy to sharpen deba. If my bag disappeared (knocking on wood) I would probably replace the single bevels with Gesshin Uraku, at least in the short term.

5. R. Murphy carbon boner.

The best boning knife I've ever used. I'm not a honesuki guy, this is what I use for poultry as well as pastured critters.

This is pretty much the only knives I pull out of my kit now. I just got an Uraku 270mm mioroshi deba that might be able to replace the yanagiba and deba, and bring it down to four. Maybe I would upgrade the Uraku to something fancier, but maybe not, they are pretty damn nice.

If I ever start cutting up land critters again I would add a stiff breaking knife. I used a Bloodroot that I really liked, but I have never shopped for a high end breaking knife.

Mario 240 gyuto
Kochi stainless clad 240 gyuto
Kato 220 sujihiki
Masamoto ks 270 sujihiki
Masamoto ks 180 deba.

And the 6th would be a bloodroot blades boner if I could
It does change pretty frequently but right now this is the 5 forever

Current keeper list is:

Kochi V2 240 gyuto
Watanabe 240 gyuto
Tilman 245 gyuto
CCK 1102 (?) cleaver
Sabatier nogent petty

I'll add a 6th for citrus and guests (stainless):
Gesshin Kagero 240 gyuto

And thanks to Dardeau I'll probably be adding an R Murphy carbon boner to replace my stainless Forschner

i got one (murphy) because of dardeau too and it is awesome, the only american knife i own.

Almost no idea.

Probably a 200-220mm gyuto.
Probably a 195mm stainless Chinese knife.
Probably a thin stainless 150mm petty.
Probably a stouter petty, sabaki, or similar.
Probably a bread knife.

These cover most of my possible needs that I can predict. As for makers...I can think of at least 3-4 names for each that would be acceptable. Really hard to pick them arbitrarily.

Bob Kramer 10" gyuto
Cris Anderson gyuto (the one he's currently making for me)
Devin Thomas chevron damascus
Haburn 240 damascus western handle gyuto
Gesshin Kagekiyo 270 gyuto blue #1

And that'll pretty much do it for me

marc4pt0 said:

Bob Kramer 10" gyuto
Cris Anderson gyuto (the one he's currently making for me)
Devin Thomas chevron damascus
Haburn 240 damascus western handle gyuto
Gesshin Kagekiyo 270 gyuto blue #1

And that'll pretty much do it for me

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Not even one small blade for peeling and or detail work? That takes balls.

Take a look at Cris's work. His knives are INSANELY versatile.

Godslayer said:

Not even one small blade for peeling and or detail work? That takes balls.

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marc4pt0 said:

Take a look at Cris's work. His knives are INSANELY versatile.

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Marc's high up on the culinary food chain these days. The last thing he peeled was sunburned skin and the last thing he detailed was his Bentley.

Rader, Harner, DT, Rodrigue, Kramer, Wilburn, Kono Fujiyama, another Rader. Wait... five knives? I'm out.

Mizuno 230mm Cleaver - Excellent edge retention.
Hattori Honesuki - Stainless knife that can double as a utility knife.
Hankotsu - Versatile thin tip
Masamoto KS 270mm Sujihiki
Bread knife - Artisan crusty bread

Jay

Gesshin Ginga 270 White #2 Gyuto
Ealy 270mm random partern Damascus Gyuto
Mr Itou 250mm R2 Gyuto
Cris Anderson 180 Gyuto
And an as yet decided on Yanagi or Suji

Malex

Participates, but does not follow directions. Part of the question, and the most interesting part to me, is why?

Dardeau said:

Participates, but does not follow directions. Part of the question, and the most interesting part to me, is why?

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Oops missed that part:

Gesshin Ginga 270 White #2 Gyuto - Because there is no better joy than having to dice onions with it. Just a pure dream to sharpen and use
Ealy 270mm random partern Damascus Gyuto - This one I am not really sure why, not necessarily the best performer at any task in particular in my list, but it just feels so good in my hand, so it has to be there.
Mr Itou 250mm R2 Gyuto - Semi-Sentimental reasons, plus it is just a great all round knife. Takes as good an edge as I can put on it, and keeps it for ages with minimal upkeep. Has a narrower profile so I tend to use it as a smaller suji.
Cris Anderson 180 Gyuto - Don't have one, but his knives and handles just really speak to me. And could always do with another thinish knife
And an as yet decided on Yanagi or Suji - Cause I need something else to round out the pack.

Malex

Mizuno 230mm Cleaver - Excellent edge retention.

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which steel?

berko said:

which steel?

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Unfortunately the website JCK does not identify the type of steel.

Jay

Not sure about 5, but in an emergency I'd probably first grab my Watanabe Pro 210mm gyuto and 150 petty (wavy grind, this, but great after some attention). Not sure about the rest.

stainless or not?

berko said:

stainless or not?

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Not sure who you're questioning. Me? Petty's stainless clad, but already KU so doesn't make much difference. Actually, I'd probably prefer non-stainless on it.

still wonderin which misuno cleaver jaybett s talkin about.

You're not the only one malex, nobody follows directions.

berko said:

still wonderin which misuno cleaver jaybett s talkin about.

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Virgin Carbon Steel

thanks

I have been debating this one since it first posted.

Mario 260 - My favorite and ultimate warrior dessert island knife.

Mario 270 - This knife makes the list for when the 260 becomes a suji 20 years from now. It is more or less stored until that time.

Mizuno Honyaki 240 - Beast and a beauty, love it's cutting ability and it is one of a kind. They don't make them like this anymore.

Martell 240 - This is my daily driver. My most versatile knife for non protein board work. And comfy as hell. Also has good height at the heel so it will last a long time.

Nenox Corian Petty 150 - I would a need a petty for chickens and PB&J at home and for doing butchery at work. This one keeps a parer off the list too. *I have never used or handled this knife but still feel pretty confidant about it.

I want to go to dessert island...

240mm Harner K-tip Gyuto in CPM154
210mm Takeda Bunka, old school
180mm Harner mini-gyuto
120mm harner kitchen scalpell
200mm buttersteel germanchefknife as a beater

Marko A2 250 Gyuto assymetric Workhorse grind, this is my current go to, excellent edge retention, feels great in hand and performs like a champ

Devin 270 Suji Mystery semi stainless San Mai, I had a gyuto like this and it held an edge forever, I love Hoss' super thin tips, and his Wa handles are my favourites.

Yoshihide 225 Deba, this is my current Deba and my favourite that I've tried, I love the way the spine tapers from the handle, it feels like it can handle anything, takes a great edge easily.

Kato Parer, an awesome little parer, brunoise shallots like a champ and is great for in hand work

For Home use Watanabe 190mm stainless clad Gyuto, low maintenence great edge retention and a solid little performer.

Wow, I'm an idiot. I totally misread the purpose of this thread. Thought it meant something along the lines of "which will be the final 5 knives you get". As in I could only but 5 more before I have to tap out. So let me change my answer:

- Bob Kramer 10" gyuto, because it just feels so Damn good in my hand. I'm actually one of those guys that really likes his profile.
-My Andy Billipp 10" Gyuto, because it inspires me to perform half as good as the knife itself does
- My western handle Haburn 240 gyuto, it fits with the current theme I've got going on here, and performs like a freaking champ
-My Kurosaki AS with Ian's re-handle, this knife is always pure joy tip drive
-Cris Anderson gyuto, because I like his knives "anything you can do I can can do better" attitude.

I'd also find a way to smuggle in my Mario 240, my Del Ealy 240 and my Harner 260 gyutos. Because they kickass just as much.