Chef knife advice

Find deals on amazon
Miura knives
Japanese Knives - by Tokushu Knife
Kitchen Knife Forums

Help Support Kitchen Knife Forums:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.
Chunkybobcat84

Chunkybobcat84

Active Member
Joined
May 25, 2016
Messages
30
Reaction score
0
Hi knife loving community!
Ive just start a new job in university kitchen so the food preparation levels are high and I'm finding my current collection it's cutting it in one particular section ROOT VEG (Butternut Squash Celeriac etc). I don't own a Chef knife/gyuto so I am using my Global Nakari for most of my prep which isn't ideal.
Looking for some guidance, recommendations, and your own experiences.
So far I've looked at Wusthof IKON (20cm), Misono ux10, Tog and Hattori FH.
 
Butternut is the devil. If you use a peeler, you only need to make 3 knife cuts through the skin part (top, bottom, right at the neck). The rest is easy.
 
There's a "first knife questionnaire at the top of this forum that will allow you to receive advice tailored to your requirements. In the interim suggest you look at Gesshin Italy and stainless Itinommon (sp?). Both excellent values, excellent knives.
 
daveb said:
There's a "first knife questionnaire at the top of this forum that will allow you to receive advice tailored to your requirements. In the interim suggest you look at Gesshin Italy and stainless Itinommon (sp?). Both excellent values, excellent knives.
Click to expand...

Thanks dave I'll look into those knives.
Sorry to waste time I'm new to site, I'll check out that thread on advice.
 
Uk but the Internet is wonderful.
Right handed chef knife 20cm (8") blade should do
Stainless steal due to work load
Daily kitchen prep
Preferably western handle although I've never tried anything different
£150 would lead to a the end of my relationship with my lady.
I whetstone sharpen every other week and steel hone daily. (Getting good at it now).
Thanks for help!!!
 
It's me - I can't pasted links from fon.

The Gesshin I was suggesting is Uraku. Effng spell check.
 
Good suggestions! All a little left field from what I was thinking about getting.
The Sane-tatsu isn't my cuppa tea looks wise ( mirror hammered dimple )

Itinomonn is a possibility (if in stock)

The Gesshin Uraku might be a contender (looks don't wow ne but that's not important )
Wondering how both these knifes hold up in constant prep and with high lvl of root veg (root veg casserole for 200plp)
 
I'd recommend you the Eden Kanso Aogami series.
I have the 23cm gyuto. It gets scary sharp and the edge retention is really good as well.
And it won't break the bank. :)
Make sure you don't steel it on a metal rod, but the ceramic one the same shop sells is quite handy.
 
shownomarci said:
I'd recommend you the Eden Kanso Aogami series.
I have the 23cm gyuto. It gets scary sharp and the edge retention is really good as well.
And it won't break the bank. :)
Make sure you don't steel it on a metal rod, but the ceramic one the same shop sells is quite handy.
Click to expand...

This knife has me interested! Looks good nice price and a solid recommendation hmmm...

Still no western style recommendations?!? Is this because gyutos are better for this type of prep? Or is this japanese knive fan site?
Also no thoughts I'm my original selections?
 
I've recommended Wusties to several folks on here. Course it's always been on April 1st.:cool2: Other than not taking an edge and not holding an edge they would do fine for your application. And look good doing it.

Nothing wrong with Misono or Hattori. Just average.

Tanaka Ginsanko (sp?) should be on your short list. Knives and Stones, Metal Master.

If you're interested in a western handled, Japanese knife, there are several good candidates in your price range. Most will be no-frills, no visual wow factor knives - in fact I would be hesitant about an inexpensive knife showing much bling. Suisin Western Inox (Korin) comes first to mind. Korin has a retail presence in France, don't know what that would mean as far as shipping.
 
Tojiro DP or HSPS? Those are crazy for the price. Knives & Stones has them.
 
daveb said:
Tanaka Ginsanko (sp?) should be on your short list. Knives and Stones, Metal Master.
Click to expand...

Dave, just a heads up that Tanaka has ceased making ginsanko cored blades due to supply issues and now makes VG10 cored blades instead. There is no ginsanko in stock at K&S or MetalMaster.
 
Thanks guys keep it up!
Dave enough said about wusthof you've put me off lol.
I'm a tad worried about the handle feeling odd when I'm used to western (need to read up on the pros and cons of each handle ) and the japanese knives blade and weight being right for the heavy hard veg prep (presumably japanese knives being designed for soft veg and delicate meat )
 
Chunkybobcat84 said:
Thanks guys keep it up!
Dave enough said about wusthof you've put me off lol.
I'm a tad worried about the handle feeling odd when I'm used to western (need to read up on the pros and cons of each handle ) and the japanese knives blade and weight being right for the heavy hard veg prep (presumably japanese knives being designed for soft veg and delicate meat )
Click to expand...

I had the same worry but I bit the bullet and got a Tanaka Blue 2 and it feels fine. Western handles still sorta look better to me, but in use I can't say I strongly prefer one or the other.

Chunkybobcat84 said:
Don't like to be vain or picky don't like the looks of tojiro.. but I'm looking into what has is
Click to expand...

Nothing wrong with wanting your knives to look good (lord knows mine are more expensive than they have to be to cut well), but do you really want to have a flashy, attractive knife for working in a university kitchen? The Tojiros will look like nothing special and will be a lot less likely to grow legs and disappear when someone decides they look nice and expensive. And, if that does happen, they're a lot cheaper to replace than prettier ones. Just a thought, but it's like you don't use a $4000 bicycle to ride to work and lock up outside all day.

Unfortunately, the "DP" model is VG10, which works but isn't much fun to sharpen. I haven't used that, but the same powdered steel from the HSPS is in my girlfriend's santoku, and good lordy is that some nice steel.
 
DanHumphrey said:
I haven't used that, but the same powdered steel from the HSPS is in my girlfriend's santoku, and good lordy is that some nice steel.
Click to expand...
My knives are secure in my work place (hopefully :0) so I'm not worried about that. I've looked in the knowledge glossary and I can't find what HSPS is???
Sharpening doesn't bother I've seen plp say globals are tough to sharpen and I keep mine at a 8 (on my sharpness scale ) with steel and whetstones back to a 9.5 no problem.

The Zwilling Kramer does have my attention it's in the short list, great recommendation Dean. But it's a bit past my price limit and puts it in compation with my soft spot TOG chef knife ( any thoughts on these knives?)

Just a thought I will be adding a Santoku to my collection when life gives me a chance should that effect my selection of chef knife/gyuto?
 
Just want to throw this out there as I've just read this thread for the first time and noticed a few times you mention using a steel. While it can be done with J-knives (not by me:)), the edges don't roll like Euro blades so there is no need to re-align the edge...they are a bit harder so tend to micro-chip instead. Not a problem, just need to develop slightly different habits with the steels you are talking about.

HSPS=powdered steel (not sure of the acronym but there is a glossary somewhere (kitchen knife knowledge?) on the site that you may find useful.

I'll stay out of the recommendation game because I don't know much about stainless steels--though I agree about Ginsanko Tanaka but as stated they are no longer available. BTW, wa (Japanese) handles are extremely comfortable in very little time imo.

Skip the Tog...440 steel (as opposed to 440c) and lower hardness with a gimmicky look.

I'd grab a Tanaka vg-10 and have your mind blown...:viking:
 
Yeah just keep walking straight past that Tog and don't look back. At all. "HSPS" is Tojiro's name for Takefu's (I think) R2/SG2, and it's a very good steel for knives, better than the VG-10 in the Tojiro DP line.

What do you envision doing with this hypothetical future santoku that you wouldn't do with the gyuto?
 
Thank you very much Xhinacats (auto spell but I like it so I kept it ) a reassurance about the handles helps (always taught triple rivit full tang is the sign of a good knife ) so very worried about these handles not lasting etc.
The steel keeps my Global working nice until it's whetsone day (every two weeks) but once I get a new tanaka or gesshin etc I should stone only or buy ceramic style steel?.... trying not to get into sharpening discussion to much
 
So far short list is
Tanaka vg10
Zwilling Kramer.
Gesshin Uraku

My $%!@ list is
Tog
Wusthof
Hattori (my originals lol)
 
Well, the Gesshin is out of stock in the size you're after, so you'll probably want one of your first two.
 
Got a lot of prep? Don't get a 210mm gyuto. Get the 240mm and thank me later.
 
Just to through a spanner in the works if I wait another month I could possibly put another £50 to the kitty making my limit £200 ($293) would that change your recommendation or would I still be in the same ball park.

This would mean two things me doing another month of prep with my Global Nakari
And my missus (who does not thinks knives need to be sharp or think I need a knife for work if they have supply knives ) would be a little ..... fill on your own thoughts
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Latest posts

Back
Top