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Talal

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Hi guys,

i was hoping a few of you could assist me with your respected opinions! I am in the market for my first high end knife. I was initially going for a takeda gyuto 240mm and ko-banno 120mm however the Devin Thomas AEB-L work has caught my eye.. and I personally dont mind owning a nice big 270mm Gyuto if its that magical!

Basically what would you do in my position, start out with the 2 Super Blues or a DT AEB-L? I realize this is a very subjective question

I personally am a big fan of damascus work too so i was thinking trying DT's ITK line would make alot of sense.


oh and by the way im moreso a home cook although a passionate one!

Thank you kindly for your time :D

Talal
 
Welcome to the forum! You can't go wrong with a DT! Or Takeda for that matter! Welcome to the addiction!
 
Lengths of a gyuto are subjective. Some love 210mm, 240mm seems the most popular. My 270mm is magical for me. Some even prefer 300mm That being said without trying out different knife lengths yourself you won't know your own preference.
The knives you mentioned are all good knives, and I am getting a Rodrigue custom gyuto in a 270mm. You just have to try out different makers, lengths, and styles to find what you like, then sell the ones that don't fit or were replaced by something you like better.
 
thanks all for your input so far :)

ill sleep on it and probably wake up to a DT order :rofl2:
 
When I first started my (Japanese stype) collection, I went with a 270mm gyuto. Having never held a Japanese style knife, I was shocked by how light and nimble it seemed even though I was accustomed to using a much shorter knife. I could certainly get away with using a much smaller knife most of the time (I am a humble home cook and don't prepare meals for large numbers of people on a regular basis), but the 270mm is fun to use and perfectly manageable for me (even in my relatively small kitchen).

Sounds like you are looking at some nice knives, I'm sure you will be pleased whichever way you go. Good luck with your decision and have fun!
 
Wow, you're looking at some pretty different stuff - the DT ITK and the Takedas are pretty different from one another. They're both good, just different from one another. Whereabouts are you in Toronto? Might be helpful for you to see 'em and heft 'em to see what might suit you better.
 
Wow, you're looking at some pretty different stuff - the DT ITK and the Takedas are pretty different from one another. They're both good, just different from one another. Whereabouts are you in Toronto? Might be helpful for you to see 'em and heft 'em to see what might suit you better.

yea they are totally different, hence the decision is tough! im in downtown myself.
 
I personally dont mind owning a nice big 270mm Gyuto if its that magical!

I personally am a big fan of damascus work too so i was thinking trying DT's ITK line would make alot of sense.

Talal

Welcome to the forum.

The ITK line isn't damascus, but monosteel AEB-L. Are you planning to order a custom damascus knife from Devin? If so, he'll make any size you want, no need to feel you have to get a 270. Devin also makes a great PM steel core san mai. Check out The Epicurean Edge: http://www.epicedge.com/shopdisplayproducts.asp?id=629&cat=Thomas,+Devin

If you're going the custom route, don't overlook the other custom makers on the forum: Pierre Rodrigue, Michael Rader, Bill Burke, Will Catchside, Del Ealy, Mike Davis, Randy Haas, Marko Tsourkan and our host, Dave Martell.

Rick
 
For a home chef 270 is enormous!
Personally Im more like 225, my GF is even smaller size like 180-200

You will end up with something special, however your wallet will decide what you will buy :)
 
LOL! I would have to agree. The 270 is my go to knife, and i am a home cook also.
 
Welcome to the forum.

The ITK line isn't damascus, but monosteel AEB-L. Are you planning to order a custom damascus knife from Devin? If so, he'll make any size you want, no need to feel you have to get a 270. Devin also makes a great PM steel core san mai. Check out The Epicurean Edge: http://www.epicedge.com/shopdisplayproducts.asp?id=629&cat=Thomas,+Devin

If you're going the custom route, don't overlook the other custom makers on the forum: Pierre Rodrigue, Michael Rader, Bill Burke, Will Catchside, Del Ealy, Mike Davis, Randy Haas, Marko Tsourkan and our host, Dave Martell.

Rick

I just meant basically i wanted to try it out ITK style to determine if its truly for me, then perhaps consider a custom knife from him. I will for sure consider your tips , thanks

For a home chef 270 is enormous!
Personally Im more like 225, my GF is even smaller size like 180-200

You will end up with something special, however your wallet will decide what you will buy :)

hopefully so! i ended up going to a shop today and looked at some takedas including a 270 GYUTO and WOW are they ever light... im only 5 5 so a 270 @ home will be very ninja like! :nunchucks:
 
Talal's had a good day today ... warm weather, lots of sunshine, chance to hold and feel a number of Takedas and DT's...

I don't know if it makes it any easier to make the decision, but at least I think he's got much better information on which to make his decision :)
 
Thanks to echerub's kindness my decision was a bit easier today. I finally settled on the DT Wa Gyuto. Takeda is locally available so i can easily experiment with them later ;)

Thank you all once again for you input
 
If you haven't already, you should stop by Tosho knife arts when you have the chance. They have some pretty good stuff there. Mostly Konosuke and Takeda but there's some other surprises as well.
 
If you haven't already, you should stop by Tosho knife arts when you have the chance. They have some pretty good stuff there. Mostly Konosuke and Takeda but there's some other surprises as well.

oh i have its a great shop!
 
I just meant basically i wanted to try it out ITK style to determine if its truly for me, then perhaps consider a custom knife from him. I will for sure consider your tips , thanks



hopefully so! i ended up going to a shop today and looked at some takedas including a 270 GYUTO and WOW are they ever light... im only 5 5 so a 270 @ home will be very ninja like! :nunchucks:

If you haven't already, you should stop by Tosho knife arts when you have the chance. They have some pretty good stuff there. Mostly Konosuke and Takeda but there's some other surprises as well.

A new place just opened up on Queen West this summer too. Cunningly named Knife Toronto.

http://knifetoronto.com/

I've never been, but I assume they have a bunch of stuff you could play with to help make a decision. (I realize this is too late)
 
Talal told me he dropped by both Knife and Tosho - he doesn't let anything get by him in his quest for a new knife ;)
 
There is actually another new knife store in Toronto. Haven't been to this one but it does not focus on Japanese knives. http://www.blogto.com/design/hacher-and-krain-toronto

BTW knifetoronto offers a beginner sharpening class free of charge. its not much of a class, more of an informal Q&A where the owner sharpens a knife, gives a few tips, and answers any and all questions you have. Its worth a visit. Email or facebook them to get in on a class.
 
Talal told me he dropped by both Knife and Tosho - he doesn't let anything get by him in his quest for a new knife ;)

Right you are sir!

There is actually another new knife store in Toronto. Haven't been to this one but it does not focus on Japanese knives. http://www.blogto.com/design/hacher-and-krain-toronto

BTW knifetoronto offers a beginner sharpening class free of charge. its not much of a class, more of an informal Q&A where the owner sharpens a knife, gives a few tips, and answers any and all questions you have. Its worth a visit. Email or facebook them to get in on a class.

the hacher store looks fantastic.. looks like a visit is in order.
 
Hey, that's new to me. Wow, lots of knife stores in Toronto these days :) All those western-handled knives don't do anything for me, but I'm glad there's more choice in the city now :)
 
Talal, welcome to the obsession from another guy in Ontario (Hamilton). I hope that you will enjoy your DT ITK 270. I had one and found the handle too big, although it is an otherwise incredible knife. FYI, I have a Takeda nakiri that I use like crazy at home.
 
Talal, welcome to the obsession from another guy in Ontario (Hamilton). I hope that you will enjoy your DT ITK 270. I had one and found the handle too big, although it is an otherwise incredible knife. FYI, I have a Takeda nakiri that I use like crazy at home.

Takeda's nakiris look great i must say
 
There is actually another new knife store in Toronto. Haven't been to this one but it does not focus on Japanese knives. http://www.blogto.com/design/hacher-and-krain-toronto

BTW knifetoronto offers a beginner sharpening class free of charge. its not much of a class, more of an informal Q&A where the owner sharpens a knife, gives a few tips, and answers any and all questions you have. Its worth a visit. Email or facebook them to get in on a class.

Cool, it's right down the road from Nick's Shoe Repair, where I get custom leather shoes made! A visit to both will surely happen sometime in the future.
 
If you're thinking about getting one, drop me a line sometime and I can arrange a playdate with mine.

a very generous offer, i might take you up on that someday :)

Thank you
 
What's up with Toronto's knife scene? That's crazy


It's gone from 0 to there's a couple of places you can buy decent stuff in the last 5 years.

edit: That probably sounded negative, but it's actually pretty great. It would be better if there were a quality craftsman or two in the city, but just having decent stuff available is great. Knife will do sharpening too, which is awesome. I remember looking around before I got my stones a few years ago and finding the closest place to get proper sharpening done was in Montreal.
 
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