Which santoku, first "real" knife

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Another knife to consider is the Kramer Essential Santoku Kramer Santoku

Western handle, good steel. It's a polymer handle and stainless steel, so not as fussy as some knives.

Someone did a positive review of a Kramer santoku a while back--can't find it right off.
 
A gyuto is quite comparable to an chef knife (it's pretty much a Japanese version inspired on French chef knives), but it has a slightly 'flatter' profile. Meaning the western (mostly German) chef knives have more of a curve to the blade (to facilitate the rocking motion). Often the chef knives have big fat (useless) bolsters running towards the edge of the blade. However, the ones you linked to don't have those. In fact the profile of the chef knife in the picture leans a bit towards a gyuto; they have no bolsters and seem to have a rather long 'flat spot' on the edge - meaning they don't start curving upwards almost straight away. So the differences between a 210mm (8,2") gyuto and your 10" chef knife would of course be length and likely a bit less curve to it.
 
Calla969 said:
I have a nice boning knife that I usually use for breaking down chickens or separating baby back ribs, I typically don't use mu santoku for anything with bones. I don't do much vegetable peeling at all. If I do, I usually just use a peeler. Most of the veggies I eat are with skin on. I usually use the knife for prepping meat, cubing chicken breasts, portioning fish, slicing and dicing veggies, and mincing garlic. I have a 14" and a 10" knife. I think they're called a skinning knife. They are more of a commercial style knife made by Tramontina, but the nicer ones with wood handles. They are very sharp and I use them when cutting very large fish fillets, like tuna or a large roast.

I'm sure that after reading my description, you will be even more insistent that I try a Gyuotou.
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Actually my friend, after reading that I'm not inclined to push you towards a gyuto. It looks like you're pretty much set and that a santoku will fit your needs just fine.

Often people are looking for one knife to do everything, and to me a santoku is not it, but it looks like you have a good selection that you're keen to keep using and that a santoku will fit in well with what you have.

I still do prefer a gyuto, even for things a santoku does well, but that's just personal preference.
 
MAS4T0 said:
I still do prefer a gyuto, even for things a santoku does well, but that's just personal preference.
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Well said. There's nothing wrong with a santoku--I'd rather have a well made santoku than a poorly made gyuto. If you have a decent knife store near your home, it might be a fun outing for you and your wife to go handle a lot of different knives to see what you like. Even among a particular style of knives, say western-handled santokus, there will be a lot of variation. Getting a great knife is like finding a comfortable pair of shoes--what works for you might not work for someone else.

As far as santokus being only for women, that line of reasoning is stale, illogical, and insulting. Fits right in with the big watch/red convertible mentality. Don't let it influence your selection.
 
Lucretia said:
Another knife to consider is the Kramer Essential Santoku Kramer Santoku

Western handle, good steel. It's a polymer handle and stainless steel, so not as fussy as some knives.

Someone did a positive review of a Kramer santoku a while back--can't find it right off.
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I have tried some of Kramers other lines and often I actually preferred the Santoku to the Gyuto due to them being slightly heavier knives to begin with.
 
Calla969 said:
Or this one?
http://www.epicedge.com/shopexd.asp?id=91019
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If you like the Tadafusa, you should check out Tokyo A-Frames. It looks like he's selling off the rest of his Tadafusa pieces at the lowest prices I've found ( that same 210 gyuto is around $80 USD). I'm considering buying that one myself. Do note that it's not a very "tall" blade if that matters to you, it's a bit like a giant petty. Also keep in mind that while the cladding is stainless, the core is blue #2, which is a carbon steel that will rust at the thin line of exposed core if you don't take care of it. For me that's a selling point, because blue #2 is a fantastic steel, but you mentioned earlier that you were shooting for low maintenance.

Also, if it's a santoku that you really want, you shouldn't feel like it's a lesser knife, it's all about personal preference like others have mentioned. BTW the Tadafusa stainless clad pear finished blue #2 santoku from the same line as the gyuto you mentioned is available on Ebay right now for $65. That's a heck of a knife for the money if you don't mind taking care of it.

Lastly, I have the Tojiro DP santoku and I flat out love it. I don't have anywhere near the experience of many of the posters here, but for me, the DP santoku is nice and thin behind the edge, it's easy to sharpen, and it takes a truly wicked edge that lasts a good long while. A knife is only as good as the person who sharpened it, and the Tojiro will be a better knife than you are a sharpener for many months. When you feel like you've mastered sharpening it, you'll find that the Shigefusa's and Geshin's are still there waiting for you, only now you'll be able to fully appreciate and care for them. Lots of folks go that route and there is no shame in it.

Case in point, I've had a $1,500 tamahagane western Iwasaki straight razor made by Shigeyoshi Iwasaki for almost 15 years; I've never even sharpened let alone used it out of raw fear. It sits in a box. My Tojiro DP has been 10x more useful for me; these knives are tools after all!

At the end of the day though, all the knives I've seen mentioned in this thread will serve you well; pick one, enjoy it, and don't look back until it feels like an old friend that feels as comfortable on the stones as it does on the board. That's my 2cents anyway. Good luck!
 
Calla969 said:
I'm sure that after reading my description, you will be even more insistent that I try a Gyuotou. I'm sure you guys are far more knowledgeable than I, that's why I came here for advice. I'm not going to ignore you just because it isn't what I think I want. What would you recommend in a Gyuotou that fits my budget, retains an edge, and looks like a nice piece?

I'm willing to listen, especially if it makes me more manly :cool2]
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Glad you recognize the jest that was intended. Enjoy the quest - it's half the fun of a new knife.
 
Jovidah said:
As for me, I always used a more 'western' style of cutting where you rock the knife while keeping the tip on the board, making this movement that sort of resembles a crankshaft (to illustrate: http://www.seriouseats.com/2014/05/draftknife-skills-the-three-basic-knife-cuts.html they call it the slice). Personally I found this a bit more awkward with a santoku because they are shorter. But you do need a bit more space. With a 21 cm gyuto I wouldn't do this on anything that is less than 10 inches deep (and bigger is nicer).
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Salty pretty much summed up the ordeal with length and the rock cutting motion in this old video of his. I assume the OP is not a professional cook, but it might still be of some relevance in choosing a knife.
 
Well, I guess i'm back to the santoku style since I have a decent selection of knives already and I find that my santokus are what I reach for most often, and it's what my wife prefers and she does about half the cooking. I'll add other knives as I learn more. I found a knife that I think looks really nice, but I wanted to see what you guys think. The price is great, the quality looks fantastic, and it has good steel, but I'm not sure if it will be difficult to care for. It says it has a white steel core clad in stainless, but then has an outer cladding of carbon steel. Why would there be carbon cladding over the stainless? I know the knife will need to be washed and dried immediately after every use, but I expect to treat any quality knife that way. Will this one need any additional special care? Also, is there any reason why I should not consider this knife?
http://www.**************.com/itryuhaw1sa.html
 
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