Longtime lurker here, finally looking to upgrade my erryday workhorse
LOCATION
Norway, but I have friends in Tokyo who visits me at regular intervals.
KNIFE TYPE
Chef's knife/guyoto, 240mm without too much belly (so more of a french/japanese profile)
I'm right handed
Are you interested in a Western handle (e.g., classic Wusthof handle) or Japanese handle?
Doesn't matter
What length of knife (blade) are you interested in (in inches or millimeters)?
240mm
Do you require a stainless knife? (Yes or no)
no
What is your absolute maximum budget for your knife?
600$
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.)
Anything but cutting down poultry and filleting fish. I.e. anything that I'm not using my deba or honesuki for.
What knife, if any, are you replacing?
Masahiro 210 moly
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, slice
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.)
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)
I like a good looking knife. BUT looks in this case, looks are probably the lowest priority. Performance is paramount
Comfort (e.g., lighter/heavier knife; better handle material; better handle shape; rounded spine/choil of the knife; improved balance)?
I like a litte bit of heft to my knife, but I think anything from 170 grams and upwards would be absolutely fine, rounded spine/choil is nice, but not necessary.
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)?
This is what I want:
A knife with as little wedging as possible (at least nearer the tip) with as good food release properties as possible. At the same time, toughness is more important to me than edge retention. Still, the ability to take a very sharp edge is important too.
Edge Retention (i.e., length of time you want the edge to last without sharpening)?
Daily honing/stropping is no problem. Sharpening as needed, but once or twice a month is not to muc.h
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, I get a fairly good edge using the combination (300), 1000 and 3000 grit stones and finishing with a fine japanese natural stone.
If not, are you interested in learning how to sharpen your knives? (Yes or no.)
always improving
Are you interested in purchasing sharpening products for your knives? (Yes or no.)
yes
SPECIAL REQUESTS/COMMENTS
To sum up, with numbers indicating level of piority (low number equalling high priority)
0. Sharpness (not necessarily OOTB, but potential)
1. Wedging and food release
2. Toughness (i.e. resistance to chipping)
4. Edge retention (hardness)
10. Looks
Now I understand that toughness and edge retention are opposites to some degree. I am not particularily brutal with my knives, and I am not going to use it to cut any frozen things or bones or use a glass cutting board or any of the other no-nos. But I don't want to worry every time I take it out either and although I have a big af knife to use for large pumpkins/cabbages I'd want my workhorse to be able to cut medium cabbages and swedes too.
What do you think? Am I being entirely unreasonable here? Are there any compromises?
LOCATION
Norway, but I have friends in Tokyo who visits me at regular intervals.
KNIFE TYPE
Chef's knife/guyoto, 240mm without too much belly (so more of a french/japanese profile)
I'm right handed
Are you interested in a Western handle (e.g., classic Wusthof handle) or Japanese handle?
Doesn't matter
What length of knife (blade) are you interested in (in inches or millimeters)?
240mm
Do you require a stainless knife? (Yes or no)
no
What is your absolute maximum budget for your knife?
600$
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.)
Anything but cutting down poultry and filleting fish. I.e. anything that I'm not using my deba or honesuki for.
What knife, if any, are you replacing?
Masahiro 210 moly
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, slice
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.)
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)
I like a good looking knife. BUT looks in this case, looks are probably the lowest priority. Performance is paramount
Comfort (e.g., lighter/heavier knife; better handle material; better handle shape; rounded spine/choil of the knife; improved balance)?
I like a litte bit of heft to my knife, but I think anything from 170 grams and upwards would be absolutely fine, rounded spine/choil is nice, but not necessary.
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)?
This is what I want:
A knife with as little wedging as possible (at least nearer the tip) with as good food release properties as possible. At the same time, toughness is more important to me than edge retention. Still, the ability to take a very sharp edge is important too.
Edge Retention (i.e., length of time you want the edge to last without sharpening)?
Daily honing/stropping is no problem. Sharpening as needed, but once or twice a month is not to muc.h
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, I get a fairly good edge using the combination (300), 1000 and 3000 grit stones and finishing with a fine japanese natural stone.
If not, are you interested in learning how to sharpen your knives? (Yes or no.)
always improving
Are you interested in purchasing sharpening products for your knives? (Yes or no.)
yes
SPECIAL REQUESTS/COMMENTS
To sum up, with numbers indicating level of piority (low number equalling high priority)
0. Sharpness (not necessarily OOTB, but potential)
1. Wedging and food release
2. Toughness (i.e. resistance to chipping)
4. Edge retention (hardness)
10. Looks
Now I understand that toughness and edge retention are opposites to some degree. I am not particularily brutal with my knives, and I am not going to use it to cut any frozen things or bones or use a glass cutting board or any of the other no-nos. But I don't want to worry every time I take it out either and although I have a big af knife to use for large pumpkins/cabbages I'd want my workhorse to be able to cut medium cabbages and swedes too.
What do you think? Am I being entirely unreasonable here? Are there any compromises?
