What knife should I buy?

So, I first got into knives a few years back and got a Global Santoku. Since then, I've tried a Shun and really liked the heft and feel of that knife. I didn't think it cut as nicely as the Global, though. Recently, I took a knife skills class where I got to play with a 10" Whustof chef's knife and it was like my eyes were opened up. I had some knife skills, but I hadn't realized the advantages of using a proper 10" chef knife and how that would make my cutting so much better. I went out and got a Tojiro 240mm Gyuto. Out of the box I figured that it would have cut better than it did. Now, my GF wants a chef's knife and I'm thinking of giving her my Tojiro and getting another one for myself. I want to stay under $200 but want to have a 240mm Gyuto. I need to learn sharpening and don't mind spending the extra money to get some stones and things. I have been watching videos on youtube to learn about that and need to get a beginner's setup for that. I could also keep the Tojiro and practice sharpening with that knife.

Here are the knives that I'm considering...

* I really like that Wa Handle
* The #4 on this list is the one I think looks best. It's absolutely gorgeous and I hope that the blade will be comparable to the other ones listed here.
* If there are other ones you guys suggest, pleas

1. Gesshin Uraku 240mm Stainless Wa-Gyuto
http://www.japaneseknifeimports.com...u/gesshin-uraku-240mm-stainless-wa-gyuto.html

2. KAGAYAKI VG-10 (ES) Series KV-8 Wa Gyuto 240mm
http://www.japanesechefsknife.com/KAGAYAKIVG-10.html

3. Misono Sweden #113 240mm Gyuto (that dragon etching... lol)
http://www.japanesechefsknife.com/SwedenSteelSeries.html

4. Shiki STD5 Suchime Damascus Twinkle (this knife looks so gorgeous!)
http://www.japanesechefsknife.com/SHIKITsuchimeDamascusSeries.html

*******

What type of knife(s) do you think you want?
240mm Gyuto

Why is it being purchased? What, if anything, are you replacing?
Just for an upgrade from my Tojiro DP 240mm Gyuto

What do you like and dislike about these qualities of your knives already?
Aesthetics- Don't like the handle as much as the Wa handles
Edge Quality/Retention- It's fine
Ease of Use- It's decent
Comfort- It's pretty comfortable

What grip do you use?
pinch

What kind of cutting motion do you use?
slicing

Where do you store them?
in a plastic sheath

Have you ever oiled a handle?
No.

What kind of cutting board(s) do you use?
Michigan Maple Edge Grain (monster board)

For edge maintenance, do you use a strop, honing rod, pull through/other, or nothing?
just honing rod

Have they ever been sharpened?
no.

What is your budget?
Under $200

What do you cook and how often?
Once or a few times a week... sometimes I don't use the knife for weeks... not very often

Special requests(Country of origin/type of wood/etc)?
none

Welcome to KKF!

Of the two wa-handled knives in your list, I would choose the Gesshin Uraku. I had a Kagayaki, and it is a good knife, but not a great knife. Mine needed to be thinned behind the edge to improve performance. The spine was not rounded, either. I have used a Yoshihiro (what the Gesshin Uraku was called before Jon changed the name) and it it superior to the Kagayaki.

I would suggest that you give Jon a call and talk with him about the Gesshin Uraku as well as a stone or stones to maintain it and your Tojiro.

Rick

Of that list, I too would go Gesshin. But also want to note that not all knives come super sharp out of the box. That Tojiro can take a pretty nice edge for the money if you sharpen it up well.

Mingooch said:

Of that list, I too would go Gesshin. But also want to note that not all knives come super sharp out of the box. That Tojiro can take a pretty nice edge for the money if you sharpen it up well.

Click to expand...

I certainly can't speak for Jon, but I would think he'd be willing to put a killer edge on any knife he sells for minimal charge.

Yeah, I can't wait to call Jon but I've got to wait for the West Coast time to catch up to my East Coast time. Yeah, I'd love to have him slick it up before he sends it out. I'll be taking a personal class on sharpening this coming Thursday. It's a small Japanese knife store here in Long Island City, NY. The guy is an older Japanese knife pro and he seems to be excited to just teach me how to sharpen the knife. I'm excited to try it out on the Tojiro. I'm sure he'll want to sell me the whetstones, but if he teaches me this, I'd be more than happy to give him my business. I bought the Tojiro from him. He's only a 5 minute walk from my apartment.

Seito Trading, Inc. (no spam)
http://www.sushi-knifes.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc

Good for you,Buying a couple stones is nothing,compared to one on one teaching of freehand skills.

The Misono is the only of those I'd consider much of an upgrade.
I would urge you to stretch your budget $30 and get the Gesshin Kagero.
It is western handled, but it is going to give you a considerable bump in performance. Its profile brings features I think you will enjoy and learn from.

I would also suggest you send the Tojiro to Dave @ JKS and have him give it a performance tune up, it will be like a whole new knife.

You should get a Gesshin Ginga 240 any steel and learn how to sharpen. If I knew how to sharpen when I got my first J-knife, I probably wouldn't have fifty of them now.

I got the knife in yesterday and wow, what's a gorgeous knife. It's lighter than the Tojiro but significantly sharper. Now, they may be due to Jon's sharpening. It also has a 70-30 angle bevel which I can clearly see. I wonder if I can give the Tojiro such a bevel. In any case, I'll be taking some good pics for you guys and posting it in this thread. Thank you all so much for your help.