Bang for buck under $40?

Miura knives
Kitchen Knife Forums

Help Support Kitchen Knife Forums:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.
killerfrenzi said:
Yeah I'm trying to decide between the Tojiro DP and FKM atm. I did read that I could get micro chipping on the Tojiro cutting butternut squash and raw beets.. I don't eat hard squash often but I do like beets and I didn't see anything in regards to the FKM and how it compares in this regard.
Click to expand...

I don't have FKM, but Tojiro DP is mediocre at best. I think FKM should be better quality/price wise.
 
killerfrenzi said:
Is there a splash stone at the same price?

I only said the King one by one recommendation, not sure about any other stones
Click to expand...

re: the eBay seller, at 100% feedback I think they're pretty trustworthy. With that said it's up to you whether you can wait a month for your knife.

If I were in your shoes I'd get one medium stone for now and practice sharpening on that until picking something else up. It's a little bit more than the King 1/6k, but the Shapton Kuromaku 1000 can be had for a good price and it's fully splash and go.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
chinacats said:
Between the two, I'd suggest getting the fkm. The tojiro really needs some work out of the box (thinning) to get it to perform as well.
Click to expand...

It seems like between the two, most forums veer towards the FKM.

What are the practical differences in terms of care and use, or it really doesn't matter? And is anything from 4000 to 6000 good for this purpose?

Is the 6000 side used like a honing rod would be used, be the medium side for getting the edge?
 
Ruso said:
I don't have FKM, but Tojiro DP is mediocre at best. I think FKM should be better quality/price wise.
Click to expand...

i bought the Tojiro just to have a semi-beater at my disposal, but man is it a bummer to use. I havent tried thinning it yet.
 
Dan suggested the 1K Shapton that is a reasonable priced S&G the plastic case doubles as a stone holder. I have the Shapton Pro 2K it is very dish resistant & will put a sharp edge on your knife. It is a true S&G just run some water on it & ready to go.

The King 1K is cheap around 25.00 it will dish easy & needs to be soaked. It does have good feedback & will get your blade sharp. Because of the feedback it is good for beginning sharpeners will raise a even burr quickly.

You do not need a bunch of stones for a gyuto a 1K stone will put a sharp functional edge on your knife. A lot of people here are sharpening junkies & like many stones.

The main thing is that you get a stone and watch some videos on how to sharpen.
 
killerfrenzi said:
It seems like between the two, most forums veer towards the FKM.
Click to expand...

I've owned both, and my recommendation is the Fujiwara FKM. I had to be talked into selling my FKM, while I sold the Tojiro without a second thought. Why? First, the need to thin the Tojiro out of the box, which has been mentioned. Second, the soft cladding of the Tojiro shows every scratch and it doesn't take long before it looks like crap. The FKM is fine OOTB and the monosteel construction will look good months or years down the road.

Rick
 
Neither fkm or tojiro are under $40. Has this become an entirely new discussion?

I would very much like to know if there is a hidden gem out there. There's gotta be someone who has done a comparison of the cheapies??
 
I have never owned, used, or even handled an FKM, but I think the 240 and 270 Tojrio DP are really underwhelming out of the box. If you're willing to invest time and effort into them, okay, but I would never be happy with using them as they come. But once you put a bunch of time and effort into it then it doesn't feel so much like a "beater" anymore.

I think the Tramontinas are some of the best cheapies around. The plastic handle is grippy even when wet, they sharpen up fine, they're completely usable performance wise and cheap as hell.
 
panda said:
Neither fkm or tojiro are under $40. Has this become an entirely new discussion?

I would very much like to know if there is a hidden gem out there. There's gotta be someone who has done a comparison of the cheapies??
Click to expand...

Well he might spend a little more.:) The Victorinox 8" Rosewood is 39.99 on Amazon. I know some like those molded plastic handles, I don't. Often the shapes are wonky, to much plastic over the spine often results in neglected heel sharpening. Even worse the molding is too close to the bottom of the heel which means over time no heel at all because of the massive plastic where it should not be.

Good luck bottom fishing for 40.00 or less chef knives. The Rosewood Vic. is about the best at 40.00 that I know of. It can be sharpened over & over. Edge retention not a strong point. Maybe those Kiwi knives I have never used one.

For a little extra coin the FKM is a good choice. Any knife you get needs sharpening so need a stone too.
 
keithsaltydog said:
Well he might spend a little more.:) The Victorinox 8" Rosewood is 39.99 on Amazon. I know some like those molded plastic handles, I don't. Often the shapes are wonky, to much plastic over the spine often results in neglected heel sharpening. Even worse the molding is too close to the bottom of the heel which means over time no heel at all because of the massive plastic where it should not be.

Good luck bottom fishing for 40.00 or less chef knives. The Rosewood Vic. is about the best at 40.00 that I know of. It can be sharpened over & over. Edge retention not a strong point. Maybe those Kiwi knives I have never used one.

For a little extra coin the FKM is a good choice. Any knife you get needs sharpening so need a stone too.
Click to expand...

Yep I stretched my budget and went for a FKM.

Now i'm just looking for a reasonable splash and go stone.
 
I was hoping $30 since the King combo stone can be had for that. I got some room to play though
 
killerfrenzi said:
I was hoping $30 since the King combo stone can be had for that. I got some room to play though
Click to expand...

I don't think you'll beat that on price. Lots of people use King stones and get results they're happy with, but around here it seems like most people prefer more expensive stones with better characteristics.

There are a number of recent threads in sharpening section about stones to start that you may want to browse for ideas. E.g: "Please recommend a set of stones for beginner with Tanaka Ginsan Nashiji - UK" and "Recommend a beginner stone."

IIRC- the cheapest other combo stone recommended was the "Suehiro Rika #5000 / Cerax #1000 stone" from Tools from Japan. The Rika 5000 is one KKF's long-term go to finishing stones, but I notice he also has other "Suehiro Cerax combo stones" (at page bottom), for not too much.
 
Get the King and spend the extra on something to keep it flat. It dishes more than most but a piece of granite or glass and some drywall screen will do the trick. A stone that is not flat will make it near impossible to get a good edge.
 
chinacats said:
Get the King and spend the extra on something to keep it flat. It dishes more than most but a piece of granite or glass and some drywall screen will do the trick. A stone that is not flat will make it near impossible to get a good edge.
Click to expand...

+1, but tell this to Murray C. :)
[video=youtube;ozZF2EgnYm0]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ozZF2EgnYm0[/video]
 
That one will work fine. Just realize that it is somewhat smaller in length and width than some of the more expensive stones. As to it helping to learn to sharpen? It will help you learn to flatten;)

My actual suggestion would be something that is more of a finisher (actually the 6k side of the King is rather nice but again, a bit small) and stick with that until you get the hang of what you're doing...you won't need the 1k side for a while or very often.
 
Yeh watch some Carter sharpening videos they are entertaining. One option if you get a soaker, I even use it on S&G is a spray bottle with water to mist your stones. Ace hardware sells the quality small size spray bottle for a few bucks. It is an efficient & cheap to keep your stones hydrated.

A stone like the King you can perma soak. If you just have one stone a small plastic container Keep mine covered with snap lid in the garage. Sharpen quite a bit so water gets changed often.

If you are space limited the Shapton link 1K stone earlier in this thread is a good option.
 
@keithsaltydog IIRC there was something about not permasoaking the 1k/6k combination due to the 6k side, or am I out of context here?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Latest posts

Back
Top