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Guys, what are your thoughts on a Gengetsu as a first j-knife? I've been waiting impatiently with my knife money envelope in hand for the 240mm Ginga wa handle to come into stock... Every time I read one of these Gengetsu threads though, I come awfully close to diverting my money in its direction...
 
Evilsports - I have owned both and loved both ... Ginga is truly in the laser category - super thin/light/fun ... the first time I used it there was definitely an "ah ha" kinda moment for me (so too for the Gengetsu though but that came later). Having said that over time I used it less and picked up the Gengetsu's more ... in the end the Ginga was gifted to a chef friend who still "loves the hell out of it" to this day and I sharpen it for him ... but I wouldn't give my Gengetsu away as a gift ;-)

My $0.02 is to call and chat with Jon at JKI he may have some idea of shipment timing, etc. for the Ginga plus he can help you decide about a possible knife purchase ... FWIW - he doesn't like spending people's money for the sake of it and he may even talk you into a different knife altogether ...

Either way you will be very, very happy IMO
 
Evilsports - I have owned both and loved both ... Ginga is truly in the laser category - super thin/light/fun ... the first time I used it there was definitely an "ah ha" kinda moment for me (so too for the Gengetsu though but that came later). Having said that over time I used it less and picked up the Gengetsu's more ... in the end the Ginga was gifted to a chef friend who still "loves the hell out of it" to this day and I sharpen it for him ... but I wouldn't give my Gengetsu away as a gift ;-)

My $0.02 is to call and chat with Jon at JKI he may have some idea of shipment timing, etc. for the Ginga plus he can help you decide about a possible knife purchase ... FWIW - he doesn't like spending people's money for the sake of it and he may even talk you into a different knife altogether ...

Either way you will be very, very happy IMO

Thanks for the advice, I appreciate it. I actually did speak with Jon a few weeks ago, and he recommended the Ginga which is why I've been hanging tight. I know that my judgement isn't nearly on par with his as far as the right knife for me. (I also got the impression that he legitimately wanted to figure out the proper knife for my use, and was not worried about upselling me, which was appreciated and didn't go unnoticed.) He wasn't sure at the time how far out the restock on that specific knife was, unfortunately.

I keep seeing people on this site whose judgement I trust more than my own, and there's definitely a fair sized group of folks who are big fans of the Gengetsu. Of most moderately priced knives out there, this one keeps showing up on my radar as a relatively "safe bet". (Short of spending an arm and a leg on the "Elite" class of knives)
 
Jon knows what he is talking about. Only you can figure out what works for you, but it is difficult to do without actually trying the knives. I have both and even though ginga is a fantastic knife, I prefer gengetsu. Buy what is available now, try it and if you don't like it sell it and buy something else, you will lose some money in the process, but it won't be much and you will enjoy the knife in the mean time. You might like it enough to keep it and not need another...... At least this is how I lie to myself. Gengetsu is a very high quality knife though.....
 
I'm relatively new into the world of fine chef's knives. I find each new one I've tried to my liking but some a little more than others. I recently purchased a gengetsu and really do like it. I'm sure Jon will point you in the right direction and you'll be happy. Jon called me prior to shipping the gengetsu to be sure I understood the care of a carbon knife since I had not ordered from him in the past. I thought that was above and beyond for any merchant.
 
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