First Japanese knife for a problematic hand

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I have not used the knife you have posted, but for that money I'd buy a 210mm Kaeru from JNS, hard to beat to $: Knife of a Kaeru. For $150 (your budget) i would buy a 210 Kaeru and a simple sharpening stone to maintain it.
 
Spadazzo88 said:
https://www.knivesandtools.com/en/pt/-eden-kanso-aogami-santoku-18-cm.htm

Is this stuff any good (I know is carbon and non stainless) or is it better anything listed in the posts above?
Like Kaeru or wakui?
Click to expand...
Eden Kanso is a house brand for that vendor. Usually house brands have multiple makers they source from depending on which knife it is. I’m usually wary of house brands just because I’ve run in to issues with consistency of quality in the past. Sometimes you get great product for the money, but sometimes you don’t. But I think that really does vary vendor to vendor. Some house brands, like the Gesshin Uraku, have a great reputation. Others, not so much...

Unfortunately, I don’t know Knives and Tools that well as a vendor. Hopefully somebody else here might be able to speak to their standards and quality control. Good luck!
 
I don't know the knife you linked to. It looks decent, and is likely going to be fine. But, if you can have only one knife, I would probably give the Santoku a miss and pick a Gyuto instead. A Gyuto is the one knife that you'll find yourself always going back to, and it is good at pretty much everything. You can push cut, pull cut, slice, chop at the heel, rock near the tip, do fine work with the tip. A Santoku can do that, too, but not as elegantly.

Also, 180 mm for the "one" knife is too short, IMO. Would recommend 210 mm. That's long enough to allow you to do almost anything, but not so long that it gets in the way.
 
Michi said:
I don't know the knife you linked to. It looks decent, and is likely going to be fine. But, if you can have only one knife, I would probably give the Santoku a miss and pick a Gyuto instead. A Gyuto is the one knife that you'll find yourself always going back to, and it is good at pretty much everything. You can push cut, pull cut, slice, chop at the heel, rock near the tip, do fine work with the tip. A Santoku can do that, too, but not as elegantly.

Also, 180 mm for the "one" knife is too short, IMO. Would recommend 210 mm. That's long enough to allow you to do almost anything, but not so long that it gets in the way.
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Thanks for your opinion. I’ll head to the 210mm :)
 
Ochazuke said:
Eden Kanso is a house brand for that vendor. Usually house brands have multiple makers they source from depending on which knife it is. I’m usually wary of house brands just because I’ve run in to issues with consistency of quality in the past. Sometimes you get great product for the money, but sometimes you don’t. But I think that really does vary vendor to vendor. Some house brands, like the Gesshin Uraku, have a great reputation. Others, not so much...

Unfortunately, I don’t know Knives and Tools that well as a vendor. Hopefully somebody else here might be able to speak to their standards and quality control. Good luck!
Click to expand...

Ok :)
And what you think about the one suggested before? The Kaeru?
 
I have the Kaeru 210 gyuto and I think it is a very good all around knife. It could easily serve as my only home knife.
Kaeru.JPG
 
It's actually stainless clad SLD, so only the exposed core can patina.
I would describe it as "low maintenance".
 
Spadazzo88 said:
https://www.knivesandtools.com/en/pt/-eden-kanso-aogami-santoku-18-cm.htm

Is this stuff any good (I know is carbon and non stainless) or is it better anything listed in the posts above?
Like Kaeru or wakui?
Click to expand...
Don't know that very knife, but the retailer is very serious. Expect at this price point a bit of work to be done as rounding spine and choil, and a full sharpening, starting with a medium-coarse stone and a bit of thinning, and getting rid of the factory edge.
Like the profile a lot. Quite similar to my 180 gyuto by Masahiro.
 
Benuser said:
Don't know that very knife, but the retailer is very serious. Expect at this price point a bit of work to be done as rounding spine and choil, and a full sharpening, starting with a medium-coarse stone and a bit of thinning, and getting rid of the factory edge.
Like the profile a lot. Quite similar to my 180 gyuto by Masahiro.
Click to expand...

Ok thanks for that. I prefer to buy something ready to go just because it’s my first knife and I have to set a standard in my mind :)
 
Completely agree with Benuser about Knives and Tools, a serious and very reputable vendor - I’ve bought sveral things from him, including an Eden Kanso (parring) knife which is perfectly fine. Having said that I would, however, take the Kearu (I have the 240 mm) any day of the week. I actually use that knife as my daily driver, and the SLD steel has so far not shown any sign of reactiveness.
 
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Spadazzo88 said:
Ok thanks for that. I prefer to buy something ready to go just because it’s my first knife and I have to set a standard in my mind :)
Click to expand...
In my experience, good out-of-the-box edges are rare, very rare. Most come with a weak edge due to overheating by deburring with buffers.
Traditionally, Japanese knives were sent unsharpened, as the end user or retailer was expected to do that part of the job according to his own wishes. Nowadays, they put an edge on it, that's all you can say about it. That's why some retailers offer a first stone sharpening. In Europe I only know Maxim from www.japanesenaturalstones.com
Most so called pro sharpeners use powered equipment which is likely to ruin thin Japanese knives.
Stone sharpening takes much more time and isn't easily economically viable. People who take care do it themselves.
I guess you may find in this forum trustworthy people who will be glad to perform it for you, against shipment costs. Ask a Moderator.
Be aware, though, that the knife, once sharpened, cannot be returned.
 
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Benuser said:
In my experience, good out-of-the-box edges are rare, very rare. Most come with a weak edge due to overheating by deburring with buffers.
Tradionally, Japanese knives were sent unsharpened, as the end user or retailer was expected to do that part of the job according to his own wishes. Nowadays, they put an edge on it, that's all you can say about it. That's why some retailers offer a first stone sharpening. In Europe I only know Maxim from www.japanesenaturalstones.com
Most so called pro sharpeners use powered equipment which is likely to ruin thin Japanese knives.
Stone sharpening takes much more time and isn't easily economically viable. People who take care do it themselves.
I guess you may find in this forum trustworthy people who will be glad to perform it for you, against shipment costs. Ask a Moderator.
Be aware, though, that the knife, once sharpened, cannot be returned.
Click to expand...

Thanks. Ok I know how to (more or less I can cut journal paper) sharpen a knife, I do it for my cheap kitchen and pocket knife. I have a few stones. :)
 
idemhj said:
Completely agree with Benuser about Knives and Tools, a serious and very reputable vendor - I’ve bought sveral things from him, including an Eden Kanso (parring) knife which is perfectly fine. Having said that I would, however, take the Kearu (I have the 240 mm) any day of the week. I actually use that knife as my daily driver, and the SLD steel has so far not shown any sign of reactiveness.
Click to expand...

Thanks a lot for your opinion. So for you the Kaeru (210) is the best entry level knife under 150 euros? :)
 
Spadazzo88 said:
Thanks a lot for your opinion. So for you the Kaeru (210) is the best entry level knife under 150 euros? :)
Click to expand...
I've obviously not tried evry knife out there so can't really say, and I don't think a term like 'best entry level knife' makes much sense. Don't overthink it
 
idemhj said:
I've obviously not tried evry knife out there so can't really say, and I don't think a term like 'best entry level knife' makes much sense. Don't overthink it
Click to expand...

Thanks. This is a wise thought :)
 
I say that because I see kurosaki works and I must say I love their knives but are almost 50% expensive
 
Spadazzo88 said:
I’ll check now. I thank you for your help but I think to keep under 150 euros the budget I have to switch to another brand.

https://www.japaneseknives.eu/
This is a big store in Europe. Maybe here there is something for me :)
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This is probably a bit over budget but might be worth it if it helps stabilize the knife. Would the finger notch in the Fujiwara Teryasu be of any help to you? I don’t know how to add a photo to illustrate but with my middle finger in the notch and forefinger and imagined half thumb in a pinch grip, it felt pretty stable. Obviously not the Denka line but maybe the Nashiji line is within reach.
 
JChooMtl said:
This is probably a bit over budget but might be worth it if it helps stabilize the knife. Would the finger notch in the Fujiwara Teryasu be of any help to you? I don’t know how to add a photo to illustrate but with my middle finger in the notch and forefinger and imagined half thumb in a pinch grip, it felt pretty stable. Obviously not the Denka line but maybe the Nashiji line is within reach.
Click to expand...
I check that. I’ll back soon
 
Spadazzo88 said:
I check that. I’ll back soon
Click to expand...

Ok maybe the gyuto 195mm in the series you saying is about 210 euros, like the kurosaki in 210mm.

Wakui and Kaeru are around 150 euros for the same length.
I think 200 would be my best stretch in the budget if really is worth. In the opposite case i’ll Stay on the cheap ones
 
Spadazzo88 said:
Ok maybe the gyuto 195mm in the series you saying is about 210 euros, like the kurosaki in 210mm.

Wakui and Kaeru are around 150 euros for the same length.
I think 200 would be my best stretch in the budget if really is worth. In the opposite case i’ll Stay on the cheap ones
Click to expand...

I have both the Wakui and Kaeru in 240 and they are both great knives. Great value for the price. If only there was a way for you to compare the comfort of the TF with finger notch vs a standard knife. Good luck with your search.
 
Spadazzo88 said:
Ok maybe the gyuto 195mm in the series you saying is about 210 euros, like the kurosaki in 210mm.

Wakui and Kaeru are around 150 euros for the same length.
I think 200 would be my best stretch in the budget if really is worth. In the opposite case i’ll Stay on the cheap ones
Click to expand...

I have both the Wakui and Kaeru in 240 and they are both great knives. Great value for the price. If only there was a way for you to compare the comfort of the TF with finger notch vs a standard knife. Good luck with your search.
 
JChooMtl said:
I have both the Wakui and Kaeru in 240 and they are both great knives. Great value for the price. If only there was a way for you to compare the comfort of the TF with finger notch vs a standard knife. Good luck with your search.
Click to expand...

Here in Italy is impossible to test it. I have to buy one and in the worst case I have to resell again :)
 
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