210mm Pro chef Knife Recommendation

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Nemo said:
Some Wakuis are workhorse knives. My Wakui Tsuchime (hammered) certainly is. Very different to the descriptions of the Hairline Wakui, which is a thin knife. But it is white paper steel (simple carbon) clad in SS.

I have heard that the Ku/ Nashiji Wakuis are also beefy (although I've never held one).

Some of the Tsuchime Yoshikanes sar beefy workhorses. Mine is in SKD12 clad in SS. It is very workhorsey.
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Have you got the dimensions on your tsuchine Yoshikane. How does it differ from the nashiji version?
 
Yoshi said:
Have you got the dimensions on your tsuchine Yoshikane. How does it differ from the nashiji version?
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The profile is similar. It's hard to compare weights because my Nashiji has an ebony handle and the Tsuchime has a ho handle. The blade on the Tsuchime is a lot thicker and feels a lot heavier, with convexed wide bevels. One of my most workhorsey knives. Very different to the very thin Nashiji.

I have heard reports that some Tsuchime Yoshikanes are thin knives, but I have never seen one.
 
Nemo said:
The profile is similar. It's hard to compare weights because my Nashiji has an ebony handle and the Tsuchime has a ho handle. The blade on the Tsuchime is a lot thicker and feels a lot heavier, with convexed wide bevels. One of my most workhorsey knives. Very different to the very thin Nashiji.

I have heard reports that some Tsuchime Yoshikanes are thin knives, but I have never seen one.
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I have a 2 yoshikanes. A nashiji skd 240 gyuto and a tsuchime skd 180 santoku. Both are disgustingly thin nail flexing grinds.

Is your tsuchime the w2 version? First time hearing yoshikane described as being workhorsey. I thought all of them were thick at the spine but extremely thin nail flexxers at the edge.
 
runninscared said:
I have a 2 yoshikanes. A nashiji skd 240 gyuto and a tsuchime skd 180 santoku. Both are disgustingly thin nail flexing grinds.

Is your tsuchime the w2 version? First time hearing yoshikane described as being workhorsey. I thought all of them were thick at the spine but extremely thin nail flexxers at the edge.
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Yea I’ve heard it being quite laser. So I’m kinda contemplating getting them for a pro kitchen
 
Nemo said:
If you want a thicker knife it's hard to think of a stainless or semistainless example in your price range.

If you are interested in an all rounder middleweight knife, do consider Kaeru SLD.

Shiro Kamo's R2 range is excellent value and would fit in the middleweight category. Be aware that it's quite a tall blade.

If you can find a Gengetsu SS, it's a great middleweight but possibly over budget.

I haven't used it but by reputation, I suspect Heiji SS would work well (but maybe break the budget).
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Alright, if it’s something carbon(?) do u have any good reco? Maybe cladded with steel or it doesn’t have to! Trying to broaden the range of options
 
Mazaki makes some decent workhorses. Quite reactive iron cladding, though.

The old ironclad Watanabes and Toyamas were great workhorses. The newer stainless ones are said to be a bit thinner, but I have never held one. I suspect they are still decently hefty knives. There have been a few price rises over recent years, so I don't know whether they are still in your price range.
 
runninscared said:
I have a 2 yoshikanes. A nashiji skd 240 gyuto and a tsuchime skd 180 santoku. Both are disgustingly thin nail flexing grinds.

Is your tsuchime the w2 version? First time hearing yoshikane described as being workhorsey. I thought all of them were thick at the spine but extremely thin nail flexxers at the edge.
Click to expand...
My Tsuchime is SKD12. It's not super fat behind the edge but definitely not nail flexing. Great convex grind. Excellent food release.
 
runninscared said:
I have a 2 yoshikanes. A nashiji skd 240 gyuto and a tsuchime skd 180 santoku. Both are disgustingly thin nail flexing grinds.

Is your tsuchime the w2 version? First time hearing yoshikane described as being workhorsey. I thought all of them were thick at the spine but extremely thin nail flexxers at the edge.
Click to expand...
How do you like the 180 santoku? Never had a Yoshikane santoku before and quite keen to try it, read a review saying the tsuchime food release is quite bad, do you find that when comparing to your nashiji?
 
Yoshi said:
How do you like the 180 santoku? Never had a Yoshikane santoku before and quite keen to try it, read a review saying the tsuchime food release is quite bad, do you find that when comparing to your nashiji?
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i like it. food release is decent but nothing to write home about. wet produce like potatoes etc still stick sometimes but fall off with a little shake. for most of my knives if i want food to stay where its cut im usually just doing tip drag cuts. love yoshi SKD12 though, i find it very easy to sharpen and they hold an edge for a good while as well although im just a home cook so your mileage may vary.

i saw nemo rec kaeru earlier, this is a very good rec. i picked up a 210 gyuto from JNS on a sale and it has a permanent spot in my knife drawer. very easy to sharpen, good edge retention and for the price i paid i feel comfortable using it for all tasks. it was a bit thicker BTE than i expected and has sorta become my heavy use knife. kinda caught me off guard with how much i like this knife.
 
runninscared said:
i like it. food release is decent but nothing to write home about. wet produce like potatoes etc still stick sometimes but fall off with a little shake. for most of my knives if i want food to stay where its cut im usually just doing tip drag cuts. love yoshi SKD12 though, i find it very easy to sharpen and they hold an edge for a good while as well although im just a home cook so your mileage may vary.

i saw nemo rec kaeru earlier, this is a very good rec. i picked up a 210 gyuto from JNS on a sale and it has a permanent spot in my knife drawer. very easy to sharpen, good edge retention and for the price i paid i feel comfortable using it for all tasks. it was a bit thicker BTE than i expected and has sorta become my heavy use knife. kinda caught me off guard with how much i like this knife.
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Do you find much difference between SKD and SLD in terms of edge retention, easy to sharpen and reactivity?

Home cook here as well.
 
Going to blow the budget and suggest this:
https://birchandbevel.com/en-ca/products/carbon-steel-gyuto
Monosteel so you won't have to worry about cladding rusting. The 1.2419 steel should be good to stay wet for a bit without rust. Fredrik Spare who is the smith is an ex-chef so his design/grind in good for pro work. Sure it's a 230, but the swept back heel makes it feel smaller than it is.

I have the similar knife in ApexUltra steel and it is wonderful.
 
If you drop in to Razorsharp and KitchinTools you can handle the candidates and see how they fit your hand and cutting style.

If you want to take something for an extended test drive I can lend you a couple knives from my personal collection. I’m curious to see how long their edges last under pro conditions. (The edges! Not the tips!)
 
Nemo said:
Some Wakuis are workhorse knives. My Wakui Tsuchime (hammered) certainly is. Very different to the descriptions of the Hairline Wakui, which is a thin knife. But it is white paper steel (simple carbon) clad in SS.

I have heard that the Ku/ Nashiji Wakuis are also beefy (although I've never held one).

Some of the Tsuchime Yoshikanes sar beefy workhorses. Mine is in SKD12 clad in SS. It is very workhorsey.
Click to expand...
what about a hinoura 210? Gyuto
 
mengwong said:
If you drop in to Razorsharp and KitchinTools you can handle the candidates and see how they fit your hand and cutting style.

If you want to take something for an extended test drive I can lend you a couple knives from my personal collection. I’m curious to see how long their edges last under pro conditions. (The edges! Not the tips!)
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that is very generous of you.. but it'll be a huge risk for both you and I hahaha
 
If you just want to get your feet wet, you can borrow the first J-knife I ever bought, Sakai Kikumori Japanese Carbon Steel Gyuto (Chef's knife) 210mm

I doubt there's anything you can do to it that I can't fix. I'd be curious to see how long it lasts for you between sharpenings. I know it's not quite to your original spec but could be worth a test drive anyway.
 
mengwong said:
If you drop in to Razorsharp and KitchinTools you can handle the candidates and see how they fit your hand and cutting style.

If you want to take something for an extended test drive I can lend you a couple knives from my personal collection. I’m curious to see how long their edges last under pro conditions. (The edges! Not the tips!)
Click to expand...
Definitely best to handle them at a store or in person
 
mengwong said:
If you just want to get your feet wet, you can borrow the first J-knife I ever bought, Sakai Kikumori Japanese Carbon Steel Gyuto (Chef's knife) 210mm

I doubt there's anything you can do to it that I can't fix. I'd be curious to see how long it lasts for you between sharpenings. I know it's not quite to your original spec but could be worth a test drive anyway.
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OP this is a great candidate! The SK steel, while carbon is pretty robust and these are pro-oriented knives.
 
Yoshi said:
Do you find much difference between SKD and SLD in terms of edge retention, easy to sharpen and reactivity?

Home cook here as well.
Click to expand...
truthfully they are very similar steels. neither are hard to sharpen although the thinner yoshikane's sharpen up quite a bit faster just because of how thin they are.

in terms of reactivity, with the yoshikane nashiji and kaeru both might as well be stainless. although the yoshi santoku has a kuroichi finish in the hammered pattern and i noticed a few tiny rust spots in the kuroichi which was kinda odd. I do use those felt lined sleeves for most of my knives, i try to dry them really well before i put them in the sleeve and this is the first time ive seen this on any knife ive used the sleeves with.

i wonder if others have had tiny rust specs in the kuroichi on their tsuchime yoshi's? i remember reading a comment about it awhile back.
 
Strange that the stainless steel cladding would rust but not the semi stainless core
 
harken said:
I might be chiming in a bit late, but I have a knife that fits your initial description almost exactly. 210 Nihei SLD. Hard tool steel that’s semi stainless (so it will patina over time) and ground to be more of a workhorse (very convex). Here the link from carbon : Nihei SLD Nashiji Gyuto 210mm
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Despite the description, I’ve found mine to be much more “workhorse” than some of the thin knives I have (including a yoshikane).
 
runninscared said:
truthfully they are very similar steels. neither are hard to sharpen although the thinner yoshikane's sharpen up quite a bit faster just because of how thin they are.

in terms of reactivity, with the yoshikane nashiji and kaeru both might as well be stainless. although the yoshi santoku has a kuroichi finish in the hammered pattern and i noticed a few tiny rust spots in the kuroichi which was kinda odd. I do use those felt lined sleeves for most of my knives, i try to dry them really well before i put them in the sleeve and this is the first time ive seen this on any knife ive used the sleeves with.

i wonder if others have had tiny rust specs in the kuroichi on their tsuchime yoshi's? i remember reading a comment about it awhile back.
Click to expand...

No rust on mine but a couple dark spots. They might be carbon migration but I remember someone else had a plausible explanation which now I completely forget.

Your rust might be some dust contamination from high-carbon steel during forging. If that’s the case it shouldn’t spread. If it ever spreads then I’d be more confused and concerned.
 
Delat said:
No rust on mine but a couple dark spots. They might be carbon migration but I remember someone else had a plausible explanation which now I completely forget.

Your rust might be some dust contamination from high-carbon steel during forging. If that’s the case it shouldn’t spread. If it ever spreads then I’d be more confused and concerned.
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Could the tsuchime actually breached the SS clad and got down to the core?
 
Nemo said:
The profile is similar. It's hard to compare weights because my Nashiji has an ebony handle and the Tsuchime has a ho handle. The blade on the Tsuchime is a lot thicker and feels a lot heavier, with convexed wide bevels. One of my most workhorsey knives. Very different to the very thin Nashiji.

I have heard reports that some Tsuchime Yoshikanes are thin knives, but I have never seen one.
Click to expand...
yours is pretty old no? if you look at this newer tsuchime from CKC, it's pretty identical to the nashiji Yoshikane Kurouchi Tsuchime White #2 Gyuto 240mm Chestnut Handle
 
harken said:
I might be chiming in a bit late, but I have a knife that fits your initial description almost exactly. 210 Nihei SLD. Hard tool steel that’s semi stainless (so it will patina over time) and ground to be more of a workhorse (very convex). Here the link from carbon : Nihei SLD Nashiji Gyuto 210mm
Click to expand...
I've got the same knife as well. Definitely on the hefty side with the spine at 4mm. Not at all fragile on the edge, but good release ain't superb with the high polish
 
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