Santoku search

Find deals on amazon
Miura knives
Kitchen Knife Forums

Help Support Kitchen Knife Forums:

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

serenenomad

Member
Joined
Oct 12, 2016
Messages
19
Reaction score
0
My first post on KKF:
Looking to purchase a santoku profile 6.5" to 8" knife. In search of an SG2 Damascus blade or comparable and a ornate WA style handle of box elder burl ebony bolster with stainless or nickle silver. A mosaic pin would be cool too. I was looking at the Miyabi Birchwood santoku...but not sure how that rates with so many other options other that a mass produced knife.
This knife will primarily get used on weekends and not see commercial use. Trying to stay around $500 ....long shot but hey?:scared4:
Can any of you guys steer me in the right direction?

Thanks,
Nomad
 
Closest off the top of my head is a takamura hana 165mm santoku
 
I would suggest to look into the Syousin Suminagashi R2 Damascus Santoku 170mm by Shiro Kamo that you can find at the website of one of the forum's vendors: knives and stones. ALthough the handle is not as ornate as you are looking for it is a great knife IMO and it will cost half of what you have budgeted for.
 
Nomad,

500 bucks puts you right on the cusp of custom knives or the very high end of off-the-shelf.

We have a questionnaire that is used to capture requirements and (usually) results in recommendations that are tailored to requirements. It is:

http://www.kitchenknifeforums.com/s...hich-Knife-Should-I-Buy-quot-Questionnaire-v2

Pls fill it out and we'll have at it. Meanwhile in Seattle you should make a point of visiting Epicurean Edge, one of our sponsors that is located there. You'll be able to touch and feel several knives and get a sense of what you like. Sounds like you might be a candidate for an off-the-shelf knife with a custom handle. They'll do that too.

And welcome.
 
daveb said:
Nomad,

500 bucks puts you right on the cusp of custom knives or the very high end of off-the-shelf.

We have a questionnaire that is used to capture requirements and (usually) results in recommendations that are tailored to requirements. It is:

http://www.kitchenknifeforums.com/s...hich-Knife-Should-I-Buy-quot-Questionnaire-v2

Pls fill it out and we'll have at it. Meanwhile in Seattle you should make a point of visiting Epicurean Edge, one of our sponsors that is located there. You'll be able to touch and feel several knives and get a sense of what you like. Sounds like you might be a candidate for an off-the-shelf knife with a custom handle. They'll do that too.

And welcome.
Click to expand...

The link is a closed thread?....do I copy and paste?
 
LOCATION
What country are you in? USA



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)? Santoku

Are you right or left handed? Right

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

What length of knife (blade) are you interested in (in inches or millimeters)? 6.5" to 8"

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

What is your absolute maximum budget for your knife? @$500



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.) Multitask

What knife, if any, are you replacing? N/A

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

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.) N/A

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)? Damascus / Burl wood

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

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)? N/A

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



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

Do you sharpen your own knives? (Yes or no.) Yes, japanese whet stones

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

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



SPECIAL REQUESTS/COMMENTS
 
You can always count on dave to dissuade everyone from Miyabi :biggrin:

I think Miyabi are solid knives. While not my favorite brand, I have one that I do still enjoy, I have gifted a couple, and I will recommend at times where I think it may be a good fit. In your particular case, if you are partial to the design of the Birchwood and you are located in Seattle, please do go to the Pike Place market Sur la Table and try them out there. I think one of the most important qualities of a knife first and foremost is how it feels in your hand and using it on the board. I will say that I find the Birchwood handle very comfortable, and the texture of the handle feels very great in the hand. Grind-wise, the Birchwood is quite thin. Not quite as thin as some other lasers but thinner than most knives. You can also read a review of the 240 mm gyuto from an older thread here.

Now given the choice between the Miyabi Birchwood santoku at $280 and the Takamura Hana santoku at ~$330, I would recommend the Takamura. However the Birchwood 8" chef is on promo for $230, and will very likely be 20% off at Cutlery and More around Black Friday, and that is a pretty decent deal. Do also check out Epicurean Edge in person over in Kirkland. They run a large Cyber Monday (or is it Black Friday? One of those) online sale, with different things up for grab every hour.
 
Run, don't walk, from any Jwannabe that expresses length in inches. Especially when they are made by Zwilling/Henkels. I use them enough (house knives where I do some demos) to have a firm opinion of them. But if you like small handles, to low for any clearance, edges that suck and made by a German company that wants on the JKnife bandwagon, they may be perfect for you. :cool2:

Hugs.
 
richard said:
You can always count on dave to dissuade everyone from Miyabi :biggrin:

I think Miyabi are solid knives. While not my favorite brand, I have one that I do still enjoy, I have gifted a couple, and I will recommend at times where I think it may be a good fit. In your particular case, if you are partial to the design of the Birchwood and you are located in Seattle, please do go to the Pike Place market Sur la Table and try them out there. I think one of the most important qualities of a knife first and foremost is how it feels in your hand and using it on the board. I will say that I find the Birchwood handle very comfortable, and the texture of the handle feels very great in the hand. Grind-wise, the Birchwood is quite thin. Not quite as thin as some other lasers but thinner than most knives. You can also read a review of the 240 mm gyuto from an older thread here.

Now given the choice between the Miyabi Birchwood santoku at $280 and the Takamura Hana santoku at ~$330, I would recommend the Takamura. However the Birchwood 8" chef is on promo for $230, and will very likely be 20% off at Cutlery and More around Black Friday, and that is a pretty decent deal. Do also check out Epicurean Edge in person over in Kirkland. They run a large Cyber Monday (or is it Black Friday? One of those) online sale, with different things up for grab every hour.
Click to expand...

I plan to go to Epicurean Edge to check out a few but have the feeling I will end up spending alot more than I had planned...I am intrigued by the Takamura...maybe a custom handle...hmmm.... Maybe even wait and save a 1k for a custom.
I have been machining and working with metal for 30 yrs and have seen some knife makers charge exorbitant amounts of money because of a name....some are true artists that don't charge enough.
I have been drewling over some of Ian's "Haburn" knives.

The santoku does not seem to be as popular of a profile as I had hoped.

Cheers
 
daveb said:
if you like small handles, to low for any clearance
Click to expand...

Translation: Dave has big, thick hands and finds them uncomfortable, and thus must tell everyone they will also find them uncomfortable.

I say go try and decide for yourself.

Will not comment on the other inflammatory points to avoid getting drawn into a flame war.
 
daveb said:
Run, don't walk, from any Jwannabe that expresses length in inches. Especially when they are made by Zwilling/Henkels. I use them enough (house knives where I do some demos) to have a firm opinion of them. But if you like small handles, to low for any clearance, edges that suck and made by a German company that wants on the JKnife bandwagon, they may be perfect for you. :cool2:

Hugs.
Click to expand...

you probably would love my kitchen beaters "shun classics":lol2:
 
Good luck with your search. I would recommend talking to seveal of the knife purveyors here on KKF for their opinions. They know their stuff and tend to be fairly honest about what they are selling.
 
Definitely go to Epicurean Edge and handle some knives to find out what's really comfortable for you. If you are willing to consider a western handle, the Epicuren Ryusen is very nice & SG2 steel. Rounded spine & choil, very comfortable knife, easy to sharpen, and a beautiful knife.

If you do go to EE & see something you like, it might be worth it to wait a few weeks to make a purchase. They have some great Black Friday/Cyber Monday deals.
 
Don't have one but I'd be considering the Asai PM series ... might be too plain a handle though :)

EDIT: If you want the same steel type the "upper" Miyabi grades use, discretely look in the direction of Sukenari ;)
 
Thank you guys for all the responses.....reconsidering my choices now.
 
With that budget you can get a Shigefusa Santoku (if you can find one)
 
I think he was referring to these Kitten-edgy-something Shigefusas, not the "plebeian" brut de forge ones?
 
I don't see the use of a 4mm thick santoku.

The birchwood is a good choice for home use.

Otherwise I recommend searching a dozen online stores until something stands out. You'll have to change your criteria though.
 
LifeByA1000Cuts said:
I thinke was referring to these Kitten-edgy-something Shigefusas, not the "plebeian" brut de forge ones?
Click to expand...

The KU finish Shigs remain a reasonable choice, especially for someone new to the JKnives. Had a KU Nakiri once upon a time, fine knife but at 210mm was a little large.
 
I would rather buy a top of the line damascus santoku out of gate than inch my way up.
 
Yes that's the one. :) I'm getting knife envy just thinking about it
 
My vote is for Tanaka R2 or Yoshikane SLD damascus. I own gyutos from both of these lines and they're great cutters. Not too shabby looking either.
 
Zwilling Kramer Meiji from SLT? It's FC61 (Zwilling-speak for AEB-L, 13C26, or similar), not R2, but otherwise ticks the boxes on your want list.

You can get two, or the Z-Kramer and another knife, for your $500 budget.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Latest posts

Back
Top