Best Workhorse Gyuto for $500

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I would reckon those qualify as 240 workhorses:

Kochi Migaki 205g
Kochi KU 215g
Watanabe KU (with small spine change) 230g
Watanabe (with small spine change) 205g
Toyama 215g

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That is a great collection of choil shots which can be a pain in the ass to do!

And sorry, useless repetition of what has been said before....you can never go wrong with Kochi's, normally considered a workhorse but very thin behind the edge, great cutter. My 240 Toyoma feels like a much more substantial knife (recently got a stainless clad 210 which feels like a much different, lighter and more nimble, knife than its big brother), plows thru food.

I just got a workhorse knife from Kippington that promises to be a great knife. It is a beast (for me as a home cook) at 255 mm x 57 mm, and 286 grams. I have not used it extensively but it has very good food release, cleanly and easily cuts thru large carrots, just a little little wedging on some hard granny smith apples. I already had a work pony and will get a laser from him at some point to complete the collection. Great guy to work with.
 
A 210 by any maker would be too light for my primary prep knife. If you like the Ikazuchi, suggest you hit Jon up with your requirements and ask him for a recommendation.

I play around with different knives when I can but my money maker is always a Gengetsu.
 
MrHiggins said:
Like I (and others) have said, Toyama is a solid choice. However, I recently received a Kochi Migaki from JKI that also might fit your needs. Because I haven't played around with it as much, I didn't remember to recommend it.

Compared to my Mizakis, it's a bit more robust. The convex grind is absolutely flawless, and JKI's burnt chestnut handle is the best off-the-shelf handle you can buy.

Anyway, if you can't find a toyama, Kochi Migaki may be another nice option to consider.
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Curse you! I've owned a couple of the wide bevel Kochis and had convinced myself I'd not like the blue 2 migaki...now i want one.
 
chinacats said:
Curse you! I've owned a couple of the wide bevel Kochis and had convinced myself I'd not like the blue 2 migaki...now i want one.
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I know, I had the same reaction. Last time I was at JKI I handled one of the migaki for a couple minutes and thought it felt super heavy. It’s probably because the balance point is farther forward, since JKI lists it as 212g vs 200 for the KU. Or maybe it’s just my inaccurate memory. But now I want one.

PSA: there’s only one left at JKI. May the odds be forever in your favor.
 
Kochi stainless clad is a beautiful blade. The ku clading is tough and highly textured. Has a lot of character why get another shiny knife mix it up a little. Chestnut handle is sweet.
 
Watanabe is my favorite of this type by far, as long as you’re ok with a good bit of reactivity.

Powers through ingredients better than any I’ve tried. Have not tried the Toyama though the stainless clad, if it’s anything like the Watanabe in performance may be my perfect blade.

Just heard about that for the first time in this thread. Just a matter of time now.
 
lucabrasi said:
Watanabe is my favorite of this type by far, as long as you’re ok with a good bit of reactivity.

Powers through ingredients better than any I’ve tried. Have not tried the Toyama though the stainless clad, if it’s anything like the Watanabe in performance may be my perfect blade.

Just heard about that for the first time in this thread. Just a matter of time now.
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I found that once i sanded the face after a thinning that it became much less reactive than the stock finish. Ymmv;)

Oh and Wat is now selling ss clad pro gyutos now as well (hmmm)...
 
daddy yo yo said:
I would reckon those qualify as 240 workhorses:

Kochi Migaki 205g
Kochi KU 215g
Watanabe KU (with small spine change) 230g
Watanabe (with small spine change) 205g
Toyama 215g

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35684442zt.jpeg


35684435oi.jpeg


35684438me.jpeg


35684439yi.jpeg


35684440uo.jpeg
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Those are by far the sexiest Wats I've ever seen--especially that ku. I'm curious what you asked for when ordering? Do they cut as nice as they look?
 
Hmm. Hasn’t been my experience, doesn’t seem to take much for mine to take on rust. More so than other full reactive blades I have tried.

I looked at Watanabe’s site and didn’t see that he’s doing stainless clad in 240. I asked him years ago and got no response. I’d definitely be picking one up...at some point.
 
labor of love said:
Maybe it’s all in my head but watanabe is some of the least reactive soft iron I’ve ever used.
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That's funny, I've seen much worse but it was enough to make me glad it improved w refinish... definitely enjoyed it more after thinning (well of course i did). I think it must have a lot to do w specific ingredients people tend to cut...for example i never thought Shigs were very reactive.
 
Loving my 210 Watanabe. Had a bit of thinning (tip) and rounding of the spine and choil, which improved the comfort by a lot.

Reactivity isn't bad at all.

Feel just a tiny bit underwhelmed by the edge retention after hearing how good it's supposed to be, though.
 
Illyria said:
Loving my 210 Watanabe. Had a bit of thinning (tip) and rounding of the spine and choil, which improved the comfort by a lot.

Reactivity isn't bad at all.

Feel just a tiny bit underwhelmed by the edge retention after hearing how good it's supposed to be, though.
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Factory edge on the Wats is often zero grind. Did you put your own edge on it?
 
Nemo said:
Factory edge on the Wats is often zero grind. Did you put your own edge on it?
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I did.

Currently going chosera 800 > king 4000 > Gesshin synthetic natural, which leaves a great refined edge on it, with plenty of toothiness.

Just feels like it gets dull a bit quicker than I expected it to. Maybe from cutting fairly acidic ingredients at work?
 
Illyria said:
I did.

Currently going chosera 800 > king 4000 > Gesshin synthetic natural, which leaves a great refined edge on it, with plenty of toothiness.

Just feels like it gets dull a bit quicker than I expected it to. Maybe from cutting fairly acidic ingredients at work?
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Well first of all, when you say the edge retention is underwhelming I wonder what knife you’re comparing it to.
 
labor of love said:
Well first of all, when you say the edge retention is underwhelming I wonder what knife you’re comparing it to.
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Shihan A2 line and to a slightly lesser extent his 52100 line.

Definitely better than the SKD Yoshikane I had, though.
 
Daddy yo that is a fine group of 240mm. Most pro cooks ever own knives as good as those. Nice how you went through the choil shots.
 
chinacats said:
Those are by far the sexiest Wats I've ever seen--especially that ku. I'm curious what you asked for when ordering? Do they cut as nice as they look?
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My request was quite simple: I had a side shot of a standard Watanabe 240 and only drew a new spine curve to the tip (tip position unchanged). Everything else remained as standard. You can see the difference in spine shapes especially between the (modification requested by me) Watanabe and the (standard) Toyama. Usually the Watanabe comes with that Toyama-like spine shape.

And yes, they cut as nice as they look!
 
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