Time to change my knife..looking for advice.

Hello atm i have a very poor ikea knife. i wanted to learn how to grind in a stone properly and then buy a new one!!!! and that time is now.

i am at Greece so i was thinking that a carbon steel knife is not a good option for me since i failed to find ane shop selling the oil that i need to maintain it. i am open to other options though.

i am looking for a chef's knife for general use and i am learning towards japanese knives. one i have in mind is this one:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/252117039270
my budget is low. i am looking for more or less 100$ ( what ever price i see on the links a 24% more plus 15euros are added for customs duties )

thank you all for any help i can get

When normally used carbon knives won't require any oil. Use them, clean them let them dry before putting away. Cheap stainless is very unpleasant to start sharpening with. Have a basic carbon knife, e.g. by Robert Herder, Solingen. These guys send to Greece as well:
knivesandtools.de

Welcome aboard, (where are my manners...)

Or look at
japanesechefsknife.com
The sender will declare value very favourably.

oh lets fill this questionnaire out too





LOCATION
What country are you in? Greece


KNIFE TYPE
What type of knife are you interested in. Chef's knife.

Are you right or left handed? right

Are you interested in a Western handle (e.g., classic Wusthof handle) or Japanese handle? im open for both but learning towards japanese

What length of knife (blade) are you interested in (in inches or millimeters)? 6 to 7 inches more or less

Do you require a stainless knife? i dont mind to do the care for a carbon but i cant find any oil in my country

What is your absolute maximum budget for your knife?
my budget is low. i am looking for more or less 100$ ( what ever price i see on the links a 24% more plus 15euros are added for customs duties )


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.)

slicing and choping vegetables , filleting poultry and slicing boneless meat. maybe filleting fish too but not so often.

What knife, if any, are you replacing? Ikea chefs knife.....

Do you have a particular grip that you primarily use? pinch

What cutting motions do you primarily use? Push cut and chopping mostly

What improvements do you want from your current knife? good material and sharpness that last

Better aesthetics . well aesthetics are always welcome but not critical.

Comfort balance for me is more important that weight

Ease of Use. i dont have something in my mind atm
Edge Retention . long



KNIFE MAINTENANCE
Do you use a bamboo, wood, rubber, or synthetic cutting board? yes, synthetic

Do you sharpen your own knives? yes

If not, are you interested in learning how to sharpen your knives?
Are you interested in purchasing sharpening products for your knives? yes i need an upgrade on my stone

shoot. you replied before i reply with my questionnaire

With your initial choice from the bay and your budget in mind take a long hard look at the Tanaka VG10 damascus 190 gyuto with a black handle for 70$ at metalmaster. By far the best knife you can by under 100$. I bought one for my wife. Even with the much more expensive knives I have at home I tend to grab it pretty often. Crazy good cutter for the price.

The shipping is very fair too. Just know that it'll usually take about 2-3 weeks for the shipment to arrive and there is rarely any communication from the vendor. Still he is reliable and your order will come every time.

Edit.
There's only 2 left in stock so if you're interested act fast before they're gone. It'll usually take about 6 months to a year for him to restock.

...and welcome!

Black handle already out of stock so I purchased the same with different handle and cheaper with what I had in mind thanks

I would avoid Metalmaster. No communication, had to revoke through PayPal, never got an explanation.

too late! haha. anyway. one other thing what coarseness should i look on a whetstone for this knife? ,HRC62


i am considering this: https://www.amazon.de/dp/B000R40324/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20
or this: https://www.ebay.com/itm/Shapton-Pr...172475326172?_trksid=p2385738.m4383.l4275.c10

Wow, Those black handle versions disappeared fast.

You'll be fine with Metalmaster as long as your patient enough to wait for his shipment. There's a few threads about how MM does things so there's no surprises with the lack of communication and the long shipment schedules.

I'm guessing you got the ho wood version. In the pictures it seems to have horn ferrule and looks like its flush. Nice! (Some of MM handles have plastic ferrules)

The handle is untreated wood. Some like to use it as it is and you can too. You'll get great grip, but it'll stain. I dip my ho wood handles in boiled linseed oil or tung oil for 2-3 days. let it dry about three days and buff it. Turns the wood colour a little darker. I repeat the treatment when ever the handle starts to feel dry. There's other ways to treat the wood too.

JaVa said:

Wow, Those black handle versions disappeared fast.

You'll be fine with Metalmaster as long as your patient enough to wait for his shipment. There's a few threads about how MM does things so there's no surprises with the lack of communication and the long shipment schedules.

I'm guessing you got the ho wood version. In the pictures it seems to have horn ferrule and looks like its flush. Nice! (Some of MM handles have plastic ferrules)

The handle is untreated wood. Some like to use it as it is and you can too. You'll get great grip, but it'll stain. I dip my ho wood handles in boiled linseed oil or tung oil for 2-3 days. let it dry about three days and buff it. Turns the wood colour a little darker. I repeat the treatment when ever the handle starts to feel dry. There's other ways to treat the wood too.

Click to expand...

Yes ho wood! On eBay he still has black handle though and emailed him if he can ship that. We will see. About treating the handle though I don't know. Those oils you just said I don't know how easy is to find them here in a small amount

Don't hold your breath waiting for a reply. :lol2:

He might though. I've ever gotten one reply from him and that was about a week after I sent the email to him. Like I said there's usually no communication from him.

You can also use beeswax for the handle too. Just apply a couple of layers and buff in between. It won't change the colour as much, but it gives you a good protection for the handle.

beeswax i can get plenty haha thank you

Nice

filthy_dwarf said:

Yes ho wood! On eBay he still has black handle though and emailed him if he can ship that. We will see. About treating the handle though I don't know. Those oils you just said I don't know how easy is to find them here in a small amount

Click to expand...

I like the Japanese handles myself. The round handle is easier for me to grip and easier on my hands as well versus most western handles.

Regarding the oil for a carbon blade, Camelia oil is nice but not required. A gentle wipedown with canola or vegetable oil will work fine too. I would wipe or gently wash it off before first use though. I have been known to use unsalted butter too but, definitely wash it off before you start using the knife. The salt air and humidity where you live will increase knife maintainance a bit (versus an IKEA or similar cheap knife) but, it shouldn't be too bad once you get used to the routine.

Food grade linseed oil should be available without too much trouble, though probably not in your local markets. Ebay, Amazon, etc. can be your friend for things like this that are harder to source locally. ~5 Euros should get you a small bottle which would be plenty for a Ho wood handle on a single knife.

actually the ikea knife has one very good thing. very low maintainance . i have plenty of olive oil here so i can use that on the handle thnx

I wouldn't use vegetable oils, olive oils, etc. Those will never dry or harden. Sure they'll treat the wood and give some protection, but they can go stale and start to smell. From what you mentioned to be at hand, the beeswax is a thousand times better option.

It is arrived

Got it! Now how do I apply it on the handle

Bump

You could also use mineral oil sold at pharmacies (they are edible).

Sadly I can't find any. That's why I got beeswax. But it's pretty hard and I don't know how to apply it