Most used knives - then vs now

[Ochazuke]

My most used home knife went from kiwi, to some random inox that I don’t remember the brand of, to a tf denka, and now because of wife and a new kid back to indestructible and cheap with a togiharu aus8 santoku.

 

[Choppin]

2017:

- Mac Santoku
- Toyama 210 ironclad (a few months later)

2024:

- Gesshin Ashi 180 yo-gyuto (stainless)
- Gengetsu 240 semistainless (old school version)

 

[Rangen]

2000: Dexter Cleaver for almost everything
2012: Sugimoto No 6 Cleaver for almost everything
2024: I love bouncing around from cleaver to cleaver and knife to knife. No clear winner, too much good stuff to settle on one thing too much

 

[jacobwilder5]

Poor: cuisinart

Less poor: Mac Pro chef

Super rich: Shihan a2

 

[gentiscid]

So many responses, not a single picture! Lmao

 

[Vertigo]

So many responses, not a single picture! Lmao

Couple old af pics from my 2011 kit

(Edit - and a few even older)

 

[jacobwilder5]

So many responses, not a single picture! Lmao

Used and abused through early adulthood and multiple failed attempts at different sharpening methods. Always a soft spot. My first good knife.

 

[panda]

Used and abused through early adulthood and multiple failed attempts at different sharpening methods. Always a soft spot. My first good knife.

View attachment 309141

mac pro is the quintessential good western gyuto standard. I wish they offered a carbon version.

 

[Vertigo]

Given a couple Mighty Macs as gifts to people I wouldn't trust with anything else. S-tier handles to boot.

 

[SwampDonkey]

Shun 8" for a while

Shindo 170 nakiri for a few years

In the past year it's been Munetoshi 240 but the Okubo 250 is now becoming the knife I reach for most often. They're both just no fuss, reassuringly sturdy WH that I don't have to think about at all and can leave wet on the board for a bit without issue (looking at you, Mazaki)

 

[sousme]

'95 - Forschner 8"
'00- Global 8" (Wanted to be cool like Bourdain)
'10- Henkels 10"

Now, Yoshikane SKD 240

 

[mgardiner]

My first set of “most used” were the first two I bought: wonderful carbon steel Sabatier: a 10 inch Chefs and a paring knife. Now it is a Yu Kurosawa 240 gyuto and a Meglio paring knife. A couple bunkas sneak in there too.

 

[Cliff]

After my mom's old 8" Wustoff, I moved on to these, starting with the Goko. I really learned on the Misono, which is still probably the knife I feel most comfortable with. Given that we're still in ARM, I've been using a Kanehiro 165 Nakiri mostly this month, but, before that, it had been out of the rotation for awhile.

 

[robzilla]

In my first decent solo apartment in 1975, I picked from Madame Toguri's Gift Shop a 7" Mac slicer, which I still enjoy using. Then my brother presented me with a Chicago Cutlery pile of crap for our wedding. Then a Henckels 8" chef, a Wusty Classic 10" chef and 6" boner. A bunch of other interlopers, until I saw a picture of a Hattori KD petty at Wineberserkers in 2014.

Now, at present (LOL), I rotate between 6 J's and one western— the first J, a Zakuri 210 KU AS, being the first choice, mostly sentimental, I think.

 

[Duukt]

Went from Takamura R2 to Mazaki to Birgersson for long periods of time. For more than a year now though I've been using a CCK-1303 for everything - vegetables, meats, amazon boxes, clamshell packaging, home defense etc. So easy to sharpen and cuts so well!

 

[panda]

After my mom's old 8" Wustoff, I moved on to these, starting with the Goko. I really learned on the Misono, which is still probably the knife I feel most comfortable with. Given that we're still in ARM, I've been using a Kanehiro 165 Nakiri mostly this month, but, before that, it had been out of the rotation for awhile.


View attachment 309256

dragon, good Ole j-french

 

[Keithpaints]

Mine was so far back 10" Rosewood handle Forschner $9.00. Nice 8" slicers from Japan bought from Longs drugstore $4.00. Sharpened both on King stones.

Now Yoshikane SKD gyuto
Numerous other most used Bradford magnacut, 6" Carter ku carbon, 10" carbon olive K-Sabatier.

 

[Keithpaints]

The little guys that we both use all been on mag block over 10 years. Both made handles for knew they were keepers. Carter was first knife bought off BST 2012. White steel pointy petty off Japanwoodworker same as my first 240 Yoshikane SKD before knife forum. Used the petty & Yoshi at work.

I used to Kasumi the petty to make it look nice wore off the ku finish doing that on such a small blade. Now don't care if it looks funky as long as it's sharp.
The Mac paring knife is vintage.

 

[ahhactive]

The progression:
1) $40-60 knife

2) Wusthof Icon Classic

3) Yoshikane + kurosaki

4)Various Y Tanaka blues (migoto, kyuzo, first gen hado damascus)

5) Hyde, Merion, & a few other westerns

6) Kamon + JB + prior mentioned Westerns, no more Japanese knives

7) Xerxes, Kamon, Milan, Bidinger, and other western makers

I've slowly transitioned to essentially all Western makers

ive walked this journey with you. slow is not the right word

 

[cwk.v]

ive walked this journey with you. slow is not the right word

You've been instrumental since #4!

 

[plantgainz]

First knives that started my addiction where the Tanaka ginsans which I still love. Now, as a big Sanjo fan, my most used knives are Toyama, yoshikane and wakui.

 

[captaincaed]

Early days - Mac Pro 210 Gyuto
Middle days - Yoshikane & TF 240mm
Now a days - Bidinger RHS B-grind & HSC 250mm

 

[panda]

Early days - Mac Pro 210 Gyuto
Middle days - Yoshikane & TF 240mm
Now a days - Bidinger RHS B-grind & HSC CruWear 250mm

what in da world is a B grind?

 

[captaincaed]

what in da world is a B grind?

It’s probably not your wheelhouse, but it does help keep stuff from sticking.

 

[fritzdakitzla]

Cheap IKEA knife > Wüsthof Classic > Miyabi Birchwood gyuto 240mm > Yu Kurosaki Raijin 165mm bunka + Makoto Sakura 135mm petty > Shiro Kamo AS 165mm tall nakiri > Hado B1D 240mm gyuto

This has been my short but very fun journey as a student on a budget over the last two years but once I'm a teacher there will be many more hopefully haha

 

[Pie]

~ 2014 Ryusen VG10 santoku/rando j knives
2017 denka/mazaki
Present day - Takeda/shinkiro 210/togashi bunka. Chunka, really.

It’s only been 10 years? … holy crap it’s been 10 years!

Not much comes through my hands i guess.. whatever does gets tinkered with and polished a lot tho.

Gotta say thanks kkf for playing the enabler.. knifewear only carries so much, and trips to Japan are few and far between.

 

[Avincent52]

In 2013 or so my most used knife was a Shun Classic 5.5-inch Santoku (which I still have and use frequently out of my countertop knife block)
In 2024, my most used knife is a TF Denka Gyuto 210 with a Joe Bone ironwood handle.