StupidTexan
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- Oct 5, 2015
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Hey. I am more of a home cook who is quite the foodie than a knife expert, but I've been slowly working on my knife skills and technique and figured that I would take the plunge and move on to higher quality gear. With that being said I've been a bit mesmerized by all of the different choices. FWIW the searching I have done thus far has yielded a close look at either the the Miyabi Artisan or Birchwood SG2 8 inch chef knives, but most of my searching has yielded the same five or six brands (Shun, Miyabi, Suisin, etc) everywhere and I really don't care about paying for a brand name or not. I havent had much luck looking on ************** or some other site and being able to figure out which one is better/better for me. I am not 100 percent set on a Chef's Knife or Gyuto and would consider a Santoku.
Thanks in advance for your help!
LOCATION
What country are you in?
U.S.A./Texas
KNIFE TYPE
What type of knife are you interested in (e.g., chefs knife, slicer, boning knife, utility knife, bread knife, paring knife, cleaver)?
I have been looking at both Western Chef's knives and Gyutos, but probably prefer the lighter Gyuto.
Are you right or left handed?
Right
Are you interested in a Western handle (e.g., classic Wusthof handle) or Japanese handle?
Lean towards a Japanese handle
What length of knife (blade) are you interested in (in inches or millimeters)?
8"/210 mm
Do you require a stainless knife? (Yes or no)
Prefer, but not required.
What is your absolute maximum budget for your knife?
~$250
KNIFE USE
Do you primarily intend to use this knife at home or a professional environment?
At 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, chopping and mincing vegetables, fruits and herbs.
slicing and trimming meats.
I won't be breaking down bones with it or using it to fillet a fish. From time to time I would like to use it to carve out a cooked poultry breast.
What knife, if any, are you replacing?
~ $50 8" Henckels Chef's Knife
Do you have a particular grip that you primarily use? (Please click on this LINK for the common types of grips.)
Pinch Grip
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.)
Rocking Motion and then slicing
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.)
ease of use: easier to sharpen, ability to use it out of the box.
comfort: Lighter knife, improved balance
more aesthetics: Wood handle with some the grain showing decently, layered/damascus pattern of steel. The wife said this is a requirement. She always gets her way.
edge retention: Sharpen it once a month or so. I don't typically cook every night and I would say that the knife would get use about 3-4 times a week between cooking/etc.
KNIFE MAINTENANCE
Do you use a bamboo, wood, rubber, or synthetic cutting board? (Yes or no.)
Wood
Do you sharpen your own knives? (Yes or no.)
Not currently
If not, are you interested in learning how to sharpen your knives? (Yes or no.)
Yes.
Are you interested in purchasing sharpening products for your knives? (Yes or no.)
Yes
Thanks in advance for your help!
LOCATION
What country are you in?
U.S.A./Texas
KNIFE TYPE
What type of knife are you interested in (e.g., chefs knife, slicer, boning knife, utility knife, bread knife, paring knife, cleaver)?
I have been looking at both Western Chef's knives and Gyutos, but probably prefer the lighter Gyuto.
Are you right or left handed?
Right
Are you interested in a Western handle (e.g., classic Wusthof handle) or Japanese handle?
Lean towards a Japanese handle
What length of knife (blade) are you interested in (in inches or millimeters)?
8"/210 mm
Do you require a stainless knife? (Yes or no)
Prefer, but not required.
What is your absolute maximum budget for your knife?
~$250
KNIFE USE
Do you primarily intend to use this knife at home or a professional environment?
At 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, chopping and mincing vegetables, fruits and herbs.
slicing and trimming meats.
I won't be breaking down bones with it or using it to fillet a fish. From time to time I would like to use it to carve out a cooked poultry breast.
What knife, if any, are you replacing?
~ $50 8" Henckels Chef's Knife
Do you have a particular grip that you primarily use? (Please click on this LINK for the common types of grips.)
Pinch Grip
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.)
Rocking Motion and then slicing
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.)
ease of use: easier to sharpen, ability to use it out of the box.
comfort: Lighter knife, improved balance
more aesthetics: Wood handle with some the grain showing decently, layered/damascus pattern of steel. The wife said this is a requirement. She always gets her way.
edge retention: Sharpen it once a month or so. I don't typically cook every night and I would say that the knife would get use about 3-4 times a week between cooking/etc.
KNIFE MAINTENANCE
Do you use a bamboo, wood, rubber, or synthetic cutting board? (Yes or no.)
Wood
Do you sharpen your own knives? (Yes or no.)
Not currently
If not, are you interested in learning how to sharpen your knives? (Yes or no.)
Yes.
Are you interested in purchasing sharpening products for your knives? (Yes or no.)
Yes