hello from Charlottesville, VA, looking to purchase my first Gyuto

great forum, stumbled upon it while researching chef's knives (thanks for saving me the 100 or so i would have dropped on a global)!

let me start by taking a crack at your questionnaire:

LOCATION
What country are you in? USA, Virginia

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?
Right

Are you interested in a Western handle (e.g., classic Wusthof handle) or Japanese handle?
Main exp with western but comfortable with either

What length of knife (blade) are you interested in (in inches or millimeters)?
210mm-240mm

Do you require a stainless knife? (Yes or no)
live with a gf, might not be a bad idea

What is your absolute maximum budget for your knife?
trying to keep it under $250

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

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/chopping/mincing veg, slicing meats, trimming meats

What knife, if any, are you replacing?
my gf's lousy cuisinart 8 inch chef's knife

Do you have a particular grip that you primarily use? (Please click on this LINK for the common types of grips.)
western, but i've used others

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.)
rocking, but interested in improving my knife skills to get the most out of a good gyuto

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.)
cutting ability, sharpness, ability to hold an edge, again it's an awful knife so i'm starting from a very low point

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)?
more interested in function than form, but like the look of the blades i've seen recommended on here

Comfort (e.g., lighter/heavier knife; better handle material; better handle shape; rounded spine/choil of the knife; improved balance)?
i'm 200 lbs, and i'm only cooking for home use, so i don't mind a heavier knife, more concerned with quality and balance

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'd like the knife to be user friendly (use out of box, not impossible to sharpen) but again i don't mind working for it, i obviously need to work on my cutting skills

Edge Retention (i.e., length of time you want the edge to last without sharpening)?
it's not something i know how to do, but i'm interested in learning, and putting in the time to care for my knife so this isn't a huge deal breaker either way


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

Do you sharpen your own knives? (Yes or no.)
i've only ever used a sharpening rod, but i've pulled up Jonathan Broida's sharpening video, and am interested in learning how to sharpen with a stone

If not, are you interested in learning how to sharpen your knives? (Yes or no.)
yes

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


SPECIAL REQUESTS/COMMENTS
i've perused a number of the forums on here, really impressive knowledge some of the names i keep seeing and the various price points i'm seeing them at:
itinomon (STAINLESS KASUMI) $225 for 240mm
kurosaki (AS) $210 for a 210mm
masakage (Mizu) $165 for a 210mm
Misono (Swedish dragon) $170 for a 240mm

how would i find these options give this would be my first J-knife, are there any others that you'd strongly recommend in this price range, how are the prices o the options i've listed, and are there any sales worth waiting for in the near future for any of these options?

thanks for your time and assistance!

Hello,

and welcome.

When ever there are people using your knives who aren't aware of the care carbon knives require, the best option is stainless knives IMO.

The Itinomonn stainless is a very good choice from Japanese Natural Stones.

or this
http://www.knivesandstones.com/syousin-suminagashi-r2-damascus-gyuto-240mm-by-shiro-kamo/
I have two Shiro Kamo knives and they're great. In fact next week I'll be getting one more.

The Kurosaki has a carbon core steel, but it is layered between stainless steel so it's a good compromise and a great knife.

If you want to be selfish go for the 240 size, but if you want to take into consideration your girlfriend maybe 210 is the way to go.

Welcome aboard, Erik.