Miyabi 600D vs. Tojiro DP

What type of knife(s) do you think you want? 8" Gyuto

Why is it being purchased? What, if anything, are you replacing? Want something better than my Cuisinart 8" Chef's Knife

What do you like and dislike about these qualities of your knives already? These are all about the Cuisinart 8" Chef's Knife
Aesthetics- Not terribly concerned about this.
Edge Quality/Retention- Doesn't hold the best edge, frequently not sharp
Ease of Use- It is relatively easy to use other than it not being sharp at times.
Comfort- It is reasonably comfortable

What grip do you use? Pinch Grip

What kind of cutting motion do you use? Rock

Where do you store them? Drawer with a blade guard

Have you ever oiled a handle? No

What kind of cutting board(s) do you use? Have 2 wood, one wood pulp and one plastic.

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

Have they ever been sharpened? Yes

What is your budget? $160

What do you cook and how often? Mostly boneless meats and vegetables including onions, carrots, celery, etc.

Special requests(Country of origin/type of wood/etc)?

I went to SLT and preferred the Miyabi Fusion 600D. After doing some research, I'm curious about the Tojiro DP. It sounds like it is a similar quality knife, but just without the damascus and half the price. The problem I have is buying a knife without trying it first. Do you all buy your knives online without ever trying them? My main concern is it looks like the Miyabi Fusion has just a little more of a belly making it better for rocking. Although it does not appear to be a drastic difference, I know I likeed the way the Fusion rocked when using it.

Oh, I plan on getting some whetstones and practicing on my Cuisinart and other old Chicago Cutlery knives. If I need to sharpen the new one before I feel comfortable, I will either take it or send it to someone for sharpening.

Thanks for your input!!

Welcome!

i have experience sharpening both knives and i found the tojiro easier to sharpen. the miyabi was thicker behind the edge also and was quite a pain to thin. and i prefer the feel of the tojiro handle also.

Thanks for the response. Sorry for my ignorance, but is it completely a good thing to be easier to sharpen? Does that mean it dulls easier too?

Very curious to hear from anyone who has used both. Does the Miyabi lend itself better to rocking or are they both about the same?

One other thought. The Togiharu Inox Steel Gyutou looks interesting. How would you rate it in comparison to the others I'm considering. When you are looking at knives on the Korin site, what does the "initial western sharpening" mean? Why would a Japanese knife have western sharpening? thanks!

Ok, so as i browse the forums more, i have a feeling most of you will come back and say carbonext and maybe some suisin. I could be swayed, but am a bit concerned about carbonext not being stainless. Exactly how meticulous would i have to be to prevent rusting issues?

well im not certain of the profile for a miyabi chefs knife, my sharping experience was with a santoku. The santoku had alot of curve for a santoku atleast. i think both the miyabi and the tojiro would be good choices for rocking motion cutting. carbonext shouldnt develop rust if you just wipe the blade clean, especially after cutting reactive/acidic foods like fruit or onions. overtime the steel will dull alittle and it wont be so shiny and stainless looking. i personally love semistainless steel and they dont really need much maintenance. if you dont have alot of experience sharpening i would suggest you pick up something like a carbonext, they should be a little easier to sharpen than either tojiro or miyabi. japanese knife imports carries yoshihiro stainless knives that are within your budget. id recommend checking those out too.

Welcome, I say go stainless for your 1st purchase/intro into the world of true sharpness. The Korin products are excellent, and the Tojiro knives are a great knife for the price as well.
Ask Mari (the Korin vendor here) your Togiharu questions.
You can get a great introductory Gyuto in your price range, just do more research.
You are in exactly the right place, my friend.

Thanks for your feedback!

bbartel said:

Ok, so as i browse the forums more, i have a feeling most of you will come back and say carbonext and maybe some suisin. I could be swayed, but am a bit concerned about carbonext not being stainless. Exactly how meticulous would i have to be to prevent rusting issues?

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I have the Carbonext and I find absolutely no problems at all with stain/rust. I'm barely seeing any kind of patina to be honest, and I've been using it for about 8 months. It's a very good knife for the money. The handle is extremely comfortable, but it doesn't come as sharp as it could be. Learning how to use stones is important.

I've used the various Miyabi lines, Tojiros, CarboNEXT, Suisin, etc. They are all good but if I personally was going to buy a nice but not too expensive knife for someone inexperienced, it would be the Suisin. It is a better cutter than Miyabi or Tojiro in pretty much every way. It looks pretty handsome, too. CarboNEXT is a nice knife in terms of performance but it looks just okay and the fit and finish is okay. I have not seen a Tojiharu (although one should be arriving any day) but Salty and others have said they are nice cutters, so for true stainless, I'd put that ahead of a CN.

Thanks for everyone's input. I think I've settled on the Suisin Inox Western Style. It's going on my Christmas Wishlist and if no one gets it for me, then I will order. Thanks again!