First Post

[jtlove]

Good Evening, My name is Jeff and this is my first post. I am a home/firehouse cook. I have been using German knives for the last 30 years but I was gifted a Santoku and I like the shape and thinness of the blade. I would like to try a Gyuto and a Petty and try to keep the total cost under $350. Although my Santoku has a Western style handle, I think I would like to try an Octagon or D style handle on my next knife. Seeing that it is Black Friday, I was hoping to find a deal but I keep falling down a Rabbit Hole of brands. I see from some of the other posts that Tojiro is a reputable brand, what else is there in my price range. I also am not opposed to buying a used knife from the classified section. Any Advise is appreciated. Thank you.

 

[daveb]

Welcome.

You'll do well to fill out the "Which knife" questionnaire and post it under the Kitchen Knife Forum. You'll get recommendations that are (mostly) tailored to your requirements.

That said, a friend is a fireman cook, and has asked me about a knife for him. I've suggested the Gesshin Wa Stainless for a first "good" knife, cause it's inexpensive, it's well made and it will have a lot of utility for his cooking tasks.

https://www.japaneseknifeimports.co...als/products/gesshin-stainless-240mm-wa-gyuto
I'll do everything I can to discourage him, you and everyone else from Tojiro. Yes they're cheap. But will need sharpening right out of the box, most will need thinning to cut well, the handles are sheet, and blades can be wonky. They basically sell newcomers a knife that needs $100 worth of work - that the newcomer doesn't know how to do.

 

[jtlove]

Welcome.

You'll do well to fill out the "Which knife" questionnaire and post it under the Kitchen Knife Forum. You'll get recommendations that are (mostly) tailored to your requirements.

That said, a friend is a fireman cook, and has asked me about a knife for him. I've suggested the Gesshin Wa Stainless for a first "good" knife, cause it's inexpensive, it's well made and it will have a lot of utility for his cooking tasks.

https://www.japaneseknifeimports.co...als/products/gesshin-stainless-240mm-wa-gyuto
I'll do everything I can to discourage him, you and everyone else from Tojiro. Yes they're cheap. But will need sharpening right out of the box, most will need thinning to cut well, the handles are sheet, and blades can be wonky. They basically sell newcomers a knife that needs $100 worth of work - that the newcomer doesn't know how to do.

Thank you for the reply. I was looking on Japanese Knife Imports a good bit. It seems like he is often out of stock on many things. I will fill out the survey and post it.

 

[Dull_Apex]

Welcome Jeff!

I'll second Dave's comment on Tojiro, i bought one because I'm a lefty and the cheap recommendations are right-biased. It's all good until the knife has pierced what I'm cutting... then I can feel the difference between it and thin knives like my Kiwis (in a bad way).

It's the reason I joined here.

 

[coxhaus]

I have been using German knifes for more than 30 years and the change to using a Santoku seems strange to me. I feel like I am dragging the tip around on a 7-inch Santoku.

I have around 30 total knives, Henckels 4 & 5 star with 6 or 8 Wusthof classic knives.