Hi everyone,
I'm in the market for a new knife - had a planned trip to Japan that got "modified" by the pandemic, so I'm looking to buy online instead. New here, but I have some decent knives already and have been fortunate enough to spend a decent period of time in the Kansai region/Osaka some years back, so know my way around a bit. I would welcome some advice from people who've used a few of the contenders.
I'm basically looking for a bigger gyuto - my current main knife, a Sakai Takayuki Aoniko 240mm, gets a lot of use and in many ways it's great knife (love the steel which gets and stays super sharp and is easy to maintain, profile is great). But: a) it's rather functional, more of a workhorse; b) quite short (i.e. in terms of height at the heel, like a Sabatier); c) the jump up to my 12" Sab (which is a beast!) is rather large. I'm looking to "fill the gap" and get a 270mm or a taller 240mm that's quite nimble and can better deal with large amounts of prep (big family meals, larger items) without breaking out the Sab. Also keen to buy and enjoy using something a bit more special.
I was fortunate enough to visit both Suisin and Konosuke in Sakai some years back (among others). Didn't come away with a gyuto then but the Suisin Inox Honyaki particularly lodged in mind as being something to come back for (in the hand I remember it feeling nicer than it should by just looking at the specs); Konosuke HD too. So, these two would be definite contenders, in 270mm form. Other than that, just wondering if there's anything else to particularly consider? Open to any suggestions, doesn't need to be japanese or japanese handled either (but I'm not fond of lots of belly and I very rarely rock/chop). I've seen also e.g. Knife Merchant's 240mm Mininokuni Komurra 240mm which also looks nice as a tall 240mm option, going shorter but taller would be fine too.
Happy to source from both the US and Japan (or of course the UK and EU, but range here is not as great). Currently favouring getting the Suisin shipped from Japan but would really appreciate some opinions before dropping the cash!
Thanks for any advice, some more info below.
Cheers!
LOCATION
What country are you in?
UK
KNIFE TYPE
What type of knife are you interested in (e.g., chef’s knife, slicer, boning knife, utility knife, bread knife, paring knife, cleaver)?
Chef's knife/gyuto
Are you right or left handed?
right
Are you interested in a Western handle (e.g., classic Wusthof handle) or Japanese handle?
Either, but have a slight preference for Japanese
What length of knife (blade) are you interested in (in inches or millimeters)?
270mm or a tall 240mm
Do you require a stainless knife? (Yes or no)
No but if carbon prefer a low-stain variety, and if stainless prefer ease of sharpening
What is your absolute maximum budget for your knife?
USD400 ex tax/shipping
KNIFE USE
Do you primarily intend to use this knife at home or a professional environment?
Home - cook most days and am not shy of lots of prep
What are the main tasks you primarily intend to use the knife for (e.g., slicing vegetables, chopping vegetables, mincing vegetables, slicing meats, cutting down poultry, breaking poultry bones, filleting fish, trimming meats, etc.)? (Please identify as many tasks as you would like.)
General efficient prep of veg & meat. No bones, no fish (have other knives for these!)
What knife, if any, are you replacing?
I also own:
Henckels Professional S 8"
K Sabatier Au Carbone 8"
Victorinox rosewood 10"
Sakai Takayuki Aoniko 240mm - this is my main knife
Nogent Sabatier 12"
Do you have a particular grip that you primarily use? (Please click on this LINK for the common types of grips.)
Pinch
What cutting motions do you primarily use? (Please click on this LINK for types of cutting motions and identify the two or three most common cutting motions, in order of most used to least used.)
Push cut and draw
What improvements do you want from your current knife? If you are not replacing a knife, please identify as many characteristics identified below in parentheses that you would like this knife to have.)
Bigger and badder!
Better aesthetics (e.g., a certain type of finish; layered/Damascus or other pattern of steel; different handle color/pattern/shape/wood; better scratch resistance; better stain resistance)?
Aesthetics not so important, function more so, and at this kind of price you're no doubt getting an attractive knife!
Comfort (e.g., lighter/heavier knife; better handle material; better handle shape; rounded spine/choil of the knife; improved balance)?
Nimble/light relative to length.
Ease of Use (e.g., ability to use the knife right out of the box; smoother rock chopping, push cutting, or slicing motion; less wedging; better food release; less reactivity with food; easier to sharpen)?
Lower reactivity is good but not essential; good profile for push cutting a must.
Edge Retention (i.e., length of time you want the edge to last without sharpening)?
Longer is better - I'm pretty good but not obsessive about staying on top of the sharpening.
KNIFE MAINTENANCE
Do you use a bamboo, wood, rubber, or synthetic cutting board? (Yes or no.)
Yes
Do you sharpen your own knives? (Yes or no.)
Yes and have a decent set of stones (340-8000 grit)
If not, are you interested in learning how to sharpen your knives? (Yes or no.)
Are you interested in purchasing sharpening products for your knives? (Yes or no.)
SPECIAL REQUESTS/COMMENTS
I'm in the market for a new knife - had a planned trip to Japan that got "modified" by the pandemic, so I'm looking to buy online instead. New here, but I have some decent knives already and have been fortunate enough to spend a decent period of time in the Kansai region/Osaka some years back, so know my way around a bit. I would welcome some advice from people who've used a few of the contenders.
I'm basically looking for a bigger gyuto - my current main knife, a Sakai Takayuki Aoniko 240mm, gets a lot of use and in many ways it's great knife (love the steel which gets and stays super sharp and is easy to maintain, profile is great). But: a) it's rather functional, more of a workhorse; b) quite short (i.e. in terms of height at the heel, like a Sabatier); c) the jump up to my 12" Sab (which is a beast!) is rather large. I'm looking to "fill the gap" and get a 270mm or a taller 240mm that's quite nimble and can better deal with large amounts of prep (big family meals, larger items) without breaking out the Sab. Also keen to buy and enjoy using something a bit more special.
I was fortunate enough to visit both Suisin and Konosuke in Sakai some years back (among others). Didn't come away with a gyuto then but the Suisin Inox Honyaki particularly lodged in mind as being something to come back for (in the hand I remember it feeling nicer than it should by just looking at the specs); Konosuke HD too. So, these two would be definite contenders, in 270mm form. Other than that, just wondering if there's anything else to particularly consider? Open to any suggestions, doesn't need to be japanese or japanese handled either (but I'm not fond of lots of belly and I very rarely rock/chop). I've seen also e.g. Knife Merchant's 240mm Mininokuni Komurra 240mm which also looks nice as a tall 240mm option, going shorter but taller would be fine too.
Happy to source from both the US and Japan (or of course the UK and EU, but range here is not as great). Currently favouring getting the Suisin shipped from Japan but would really appreciate some opinions before dropping the cash!
Thanks for any advice, some more info below.
Cheers!
LOCATION
What country are you in?
UK
KNIFE TYPE
What type of knife are you interested in (e.g., chef’s knife, slicer, boning knife, utility knife, bread knife, paring knife, cleaver)?
Chef's knife/gyuto
Are you right or left handed?
right
Are you interested in a Western handle (e.g., classic Wusthof handle) or Japanese handle?
Either, but have a slight preference for Japanese
What length of knife (blade) are you interested in (in inches or millimeters)?
270mm or a tall 240mm
Do you require a stainless knife? (Yes or no)
No but if carbon prefer a low-stain variety, and if stainless prefer ease of sharpening
What is your absolute maximum budget for your knife?
USD400 ex tax/shipping
KNIFE USE
Do you primarily intend to use this knife at home or a professional environment?
Home - cook most days and am not shy of lots of prep
What are the main tasks you primarily intend to use the knife for (e.g., slicing vegetables, chopping vegetables, mincing vegetables, slicing meats, cutting down poultry, breaking poultry bones, filleting fish, trimming meats, etc.)? (Please identify as many tasks as you would like.)
General efficient prep of veg & meat. No bones, no fish (have other knives for these!)
What knife, if any, are you replacing?
I also own:
Henckels Professional S 8"
K Sabatier Au Carbone 8"
Victorinox rosewood 10"
Sakai Takayuki Aoniko 240mm - this is my main knife
Nogent Sabatier 12"
Do you have a particular grip that you primarily use? (Please click on this LINK for the common types of grips.)
Pinch
What cutting motions do you primarily use? (Please click on this LINK for types of cutting motions and identify the two or three most common cutting motions, in order of most used to least used.)
Push cut and draw
What improvements do you want from your current knife? If you are not replacing a knife, please identify as many characteristics identified below in parentheses that you would like this knife to have.)
Bigger and badder!
Better aesthetics (e.g., a certain type of finish; layered/Damascus or other pattern of steel; different handle color/pattern/shape/wood; better scratch resistance; better stain resistance)?
Aesthetics not so important, function more so, and at this kind of price you're no doubt getting an attractive knife!
Comfort (e.g., lighter/heavier knife; better handle material; better handle shape; rounded spine/choil of the knife; improved balance)?
Nimble/light relative to length.
Ease of Use (e.g., ability to use the knife right out of the box; smoother rock chopping, push cutting, or slicing motion; less wedging; better food release; less reactivity with food; easier to sharpen)?
Lower reactivity is good but not essential; good profile for push cutting a must.
Edge Retention (i.e., length of time you want the edge to last without sharpening)?
Longer is better - I'm pretty good but not obsessive about staying on top of the sharpening.
KNIFE MAINTENANCE
Do you use a bamboo, wood, rubber, or synthetic cutting board? (Yes or no.)
Yes
Do you sharpen your own knives? (Yes or no.)
Yes and have a decent set of stones (340-8000 grit)
If not, are you interested in learning how to sharpen your knives? (Yes or no.)
Are you interested in purchasing sharpening products for your knives? (Yes or no.)
SPECIAL REQUESTS/COMMENTS
