Jesse R
Member
Here goes! In short I am looking for an aesthetic sexy knife that will look great on display, put a smile on when it cuts, and does take some maintenance to keep up. Particularly attracted to kurouchi finishes for the aesthetic. Probably a gyuto for functionality, maybe with a k-tip!
Read on and let me know what you think...
LOCATION
——California
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)?
——chefs
Are you right or left handed?
——right
Are you interested in a Western handle (e.g., classic Wusthof handle) or Japanese handle?
——Japanese
What length of knife (blade) are you interested in (in inches or millimeters)?
——210 to 300
Do you require a stainless knife? (Yes or no)
—— no, probably not desired
What is your absolute maximum budget for your knife?
——$250 but preferably less
KNIFE USE
Do you primarily intend to use this knife at home or a professional environment?
——home
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.)
—— veg work, fish slicing, anything without bones. General utility but nothing heavy duty.
What knife, if any, are you replacing?
——he needs an actually sharp chefs knife
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.)
——-n/a
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.)
—— he has no properly sharp tool
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)?
—— this is pretty important. Damascus would catch his eye. I think a kurouchi finish is really the ticket here. Handle can be simple but should be real wood. The knife can require maintenance, it’s a gift of love and having some work behind it will keep it feeling important and substantial.
Comfort (e.g., lighter/heavier knife; better handle material; better handle shape; rounded spine/choil of the knife; improved balance)?
—— lighter and ... all of the above? A knife with great attention to detail would be best, but I know in my price range that could be hard. Honesty none of this matters as much as the 1. Aesthetics and 2. Cutting ability/motion.
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)?
—— could take some regular sharpening (I’m buying him stones with the knife) but it otherwise should be pretty user friendly. Flat spot desired. He has western knife technique. If we go for a gyuto he’ll be using it as a chefs all-arounder. I’ll have it sharpened before he gets it.
Edge Retention (i.e., length of time you want the edge to last without sharpening)?
——well honestly longer edge retention would be better. In my reading I’m seeing that on JKI as blue as opposed to white steel. More difficult sharpening would be a good trade off for longer edge retention.
KNIFE MAINTENANCE
Do you use a bamboo, wood, rubber, or synthetic cutting board? (Yes or no.)
—— wood
Do you sharpen your own knives? (Yes or no.)
—— I will buy him stones, he’ll be stoked to learn.
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
This is a gift for an incredible friend who helped me build my house. A real selfless guy...he got injured on the job...bad angle grinder accident... I want to show him my appreciation for his kindness and help. A knife with some pedigree or history would make a real impression, and he’s attracted to an aesthetic design. I know in my price range that could be tough to find, but I am quite eager to hear your thoughts.
Combing the site and talking to Josh at JKI I’ve identified a few knives (all gyutos) I think would fit the bill, also looking for feedback on that—
-Gesshin Uraku 240 in white #2 kurouchi finish
-Kintaro 210 stainless clad blue super w/kurouchi
-Zakuri 240 aogami OR blue super gyutos with kurouchi
-Kochi 210 k-shaped gyuto w/ kurouchi
Thanks everyone! Can’t wait to hear your thoughts.
Read on and let me know what you think...
LOCATION
——California
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)?
——chefs
Are you right or left handed?
——right
Are you interested in a Western handle (e.g., classic Wusthof handle) or Japanese handle?
——Japanese
What length of knife (blade) are you interested in (in inches or millimeters)?
——210 to 300
Do you require a stainless knife? (Yes or no)
—— no, probably not desired
What is your absolute maximum budget for your knife?
——$250 but preferably less
KNIFE USE
Do you primarily intend to use this knife at home or a professional environment?
——home
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.)
—— veg work, fish slicing, anything without bones. General utility but nothing heavy duty.
What knife, if any, are you replacing?
——he needs an actually sharp chefs knife
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.)
——-n/a
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.)
—— he has no properly sharp tool
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)?
—— this is pretty important. Damascus would catch his eye. I think a kurouchi finish is really the ticket here. Handle can be simple but should be real wood. The knife can require maintenance, it’s a gift of love and having some work behind it will keep it feeling important and substantial.
Comfort (e.g., lighter/heavier knife; better handle material; better handle shape; rounded spine/choil of the knife; improved balance)?
—— lighter and ... all of the above? A knife with great attention to detail would be best, but I know in my price range that could be hard. Honesty none of this matters as much as the 1. Aesthetics and 2. Cutting ability/motion.
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)?
—— could take some regular sharpening (I’m buying him stones with the knife) but it otherwise should be pretty user friendly. Flat spot desired. He has western knife technique. If we go for a gyuto he’ll be using it as a chefs all-arounder. I’ll have it sharpened before he gets it.
Edge Retention (i.e., length of time you want the edge to last without sharpening)?
——well honestly longer edge retention would be better. In my reading I’m seeing that on JKI as blue as opposed to white steel. More difficult sharpening would be a good trade off for longer edge retention.
KNIFE MAINTENANCE
Do you use a bamboo, wood, rubber, or synthetic cutting board? (Yes or no.)
—— wood
Do you sharpen your own knives? (Yes or no.)
—— I will buy him stones, he’ll be stoked to learn.
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
This is a gift for an incredible friend who helped me build my house. A real selfless guy...he got injured on the job...bad angle grinder accident... I want to show him my appreciation for his kindness and help. A knife with some pedigree or history would make a real impression, and he’s attracted to an aesthetic design. I know in my price range that could be tough to find, but I am quite eager to hear your thoughts.
Combing the site and talking to Josh at JKI I’ve identified a few knives (all gyutos) I think would fit the bill, also looking for feedback on that—
-Gesshin Uraku 240 in white #2 kurouchi finish
-Kintaro 210 stainless clad blue super w/kurouchi
-Zakuri 240 aogami OR blue super gyutos with kurouchi
-Kochi 210 k-shaped gyuto w/ kurouchi
Thanks everyone! Can’t wait to hear your thoughts.
