Hello from Down Under

[spyne]

Morning all, from the backwaters of the land down under.
Spent 15 minutes trying to figure out where the 'new thread' button was before realising I had to make an approved introduction first

Joining up as a (very amateur) home cook looking to dip my toe into the 'better knives' waters.
I've found that living in Australia I face two challenges; the comparative lack of knife choice from local sellers and then the often horrific shipping rates for buying from OS vendors (not to mention our terrible exchange rate at the moment, $1AUD = $0.67USD)

Hopefully I'll be able to get some great advice here that I can pair with some suggestions already from CKtG (though obviously some of those were biased towards that particular webshop).

 

[bkultra]

Welcome to the forum

 

[friz]

Welcome mate. I am from Canberra. Regarding knife choices we have plenty here. If you want advice you can shoot me a PM.
Cheers,
Nicola

 

[madelinez]

Welcome! If you're looking for a good Australian vendor knivesandstones has always been reliable.

 

[spyne]

Thanks all.
Yes, have been looking at the K&S site a bit these last few weeks. I think maybe my budget and wants don't necessarily align
What about Protooling? I just came across this site today and they have a couple of OK knives (on paper).
Eg https://protooling.com.au/products/hitohira-imojiya-kuma-200mm-gyuto-knife
Stainless clad Blue #2, 200mm gyuto for $190. Choil and spine look pretty square, but the steel and size are ticking boxes for me.

 

[friz]

Protooling is my favourite vendor in Australia. Paul, the owner, is a very easy guy to deal with. Shipment is very fast and service is exceptional. Great guy, I recommend him.
Regarding K&S, I dealt with James 2 or 3 times, he is also a nice guy and his showroom also fantastic to look at.

 

[friz]

You can't go wrong with either, it all comes down to what knife you are looking for, they supply different brands.

 

[Marek07]

G'day and welcome to the forum. Which particular backwater are you from?

 

[Brian Weekley]

Welcome ... Actually the great island continent below the equator is home to some excellent knife smiths starting with blade god Mert Tansu and the ever talented Will Needham. Have fun and poke around KKF ... you will find more.

 

[Nemo]

Welcome to the forums.

Where abouts are you from?

Plenty of good knives available in Oz. There are a number of vendors, including KnS, which is a forum sponsor and has some great knives.

There are quite a few excettent smiths here as well, including our own Kippington, as well as those already mentioned and at least half a dozen others.

 

[spyne]

I reckon my budget is below the entry point for local smiths. Sub $250 for a 180-210mm gyuto/chef's knife.
Have now got a thread with more info for those wanting to help me get into this rabbit hole
https://www.kitchenknifeforums.com/threads/help-me-buy-first-real-knife.44323/

Thanks for all the welcomes so fay

 

[Marek07]

I think maybe my budget and wants don't necessarily align

I think you'll find that's true of most of us on this forum. Wants have a way of exceeding available funds... always!

 

[Briochy]

Thanks all.
Yes, have been looking at the K&S site a bit these last few weeks. I think maybe my budget and wants don't necessarily align
What about Protooling? I just came across this site today and they have a couple of OK knives (on paper).
Eg https://protooling.com.au/products/hitohira-imojiya-kuma-200mm-gyuto-knife
Stainless clad Blue #2, 200mm gyuto for $190. Choil and spine look pretty square, but the steel and size are ticking boxes for me.

I have this particular knife and would not recommend it.
1. The grind isn't good
2. The edge retention is rather terrible (probably due to bad heat treatment)
3. It doesn't look that good in person

 

[spyne]

I have this particular knife and would not recommend it.
1. The grind isn't good
2. The edge retention is rather terrible (probably due to bad heat treatment)
3. It doesn't look that good in person

Thanks Briochy, always good to get feedback based on actual experience.

 

[benhendy]

Welcome as well from Brisbane!
I'm replying as it is time for me to start purchasing knives through BST even though our exchange rate is terrible as you note! Time to buy a Kipp I think..

 

[Brian Weekley]

You won’t regret it!

 

[kevpenbanc]

Welcome