Help me choose a (cheaper) gyoto!

[bcemail]

I have one Japanese knife, a nakiri is aogami steel, which I really like and I want to add a gyoto now. Budget is low, but I don't know enough about makers and knives to know what's a good deal and what's crap. Was going to post on the Buy/Sell forum to see if anyone had something not getting enough use, but not enough posts (yet).

Here's what I'm thinking:
210mm or 240mm
Japanese handle
Would prefer more of a rounded than flat profile as I do some rocking as well as chopping
For steel, I would prefer not SS, since I've enjoyed having something different in my nakiri. The aogami seems great so far
In USA

Please let me know what makers or shops you would recommend. Also happy to get something that's second hand (if well cared for), open box, returns, etc.

Thanks for the help and all the great info around the site!

 

[Pie]

That sort of profile at a lower price.. munetoshi? Something I haven’t got my hands on yet, but the price is right, iron clad white steel, rough around the edges on purpose, unsure of profile..

Other side of the coin is masakage. Kurosaki bros come to mind. Lots of stainless offerings, a few blue/whites. Makoto’s stuff is budget friendly, Yu makes some visually stunning (or garish) things. Wheel finished so mostly concave bevels, but “fancier” finishes and a bit more polish than the mune. Used mine last and got annoyed with the belly, profile is a long gentle belly with a short flat. Kurosaki grinds changed a bit in the last few years, but these are crazy laser ground and sticky af on wet product.

Many other options exist, which will soon be flooding this post .

 

[blokey]

Fujiwara Kanefusa FKH or Kanehide Bessaku seems pretty good choice at lower price range.

 

[Nemo]

Budget?

 

[HumbleHomeCook]

Probably be best to bracket your budget as "low" is highly subjective.

 

[brimmergj]

Check out Real Sharp Knife . Dustin has a bunch of lower cost knives. I can't speak with experience on these particular brands, but Muneishi and Hinokuni could be options. It looks like the Hinokuni brand knives have a bit less belly and may not be as much fun for rocking.
I do have a Munetoshi 210 and it's wonderful to use. Great geo and a nice profile. A bit of belly for rocking and sharpens up real nice. I'm letting a co-worker of mine borrow it for a bit. He wanted to try a Japanese knife and seems to really enjoy it.

 

[HumbleHomeCook]

I have a Hinokuni and can say that you run a risk of uneven grinds. Mine had issues in multiple directions with the worst being a shallow recurve in two places that caused accordions. I've heard the same for Muneishi. No doubt there are good ones just making sure the risk is known. I used to recommend both brands but don't anymore.

 

[bcemail]

Thanks for the help! I've already started looking up the Smiths as I get lost easily!
Budget...hmmm. I know it’s an investment. Maybe somewhere from $100-125 us? Didn’t know if there was a point where a little more results in bigger returns

 

[bcemail]

On the higher end of budget, but is this any good? Didn’t see many reviews
Link

 

[HumbleHomeCook]

Thanks for the help! I've already started looking up the Smiths as I get lost easily!
Budget...hmmm. I know it’s an investment. Maybe somewhere from $100-125 us? Didn’t know if there was a point where a little more results in bigger returns

I think if you can save up and move into the $150-175 bracket you'll be exposed to a much broader selection of solid knives.

 

[tostadas]

RSK has a 15% off sale going on right now. Check the main page for the code.
https://realsharpknife.com/collections/gyuto/products/muneishi-stainless-clad-210mm-gyuto
I have a Kyohei in a smaller size and its a really fun knife with a killer grind. To order from cleancut, you need to email them. You get to subtract the VAT, but will have to pay shipping. Also, the stock handle on these knives is pretty crappy, but the blade is great.
https://www.cleancut.eu/butik/knifetype/gyuto/aogami_gyuto-detail

 

[birdsfan]

I have one of those Muneishi Blue2 stainless clad gyuto in 240 length. It has pretty good performance for the money. The profile definitely works for rock chapping. It has a stout spine that can stand up to some work, but it is fairly thin behind the edge. Performance could be improved by easing the shoulders a bit, and I have noticed that the stainless cladding has some "texture" to it. I have not taken it to the stones yet, but I suspect that finishing the cladding to a higher grit would also reduce resistance in taller veg.

 

[Philip Yu]

Moritaka. Solid general purpose knife.

 

[chefwp]

Check this out at CKTG:
Minamoto Nashiji Blue #2
Disclaimer: I don't have first hand experience when this but on paper it checks all your boxes (that we know of)
Good luck

 

[chefwp]

Here is another I would consider with your specs

 

[Nemo]

Shinko Selian is a little more expensive (175ish US for the 240) but is a whole lot of knife for the dollars.

The gyuto is a thinly ground Ku AS wide bevel. The grind is pretty even. The ku is quite smooth and thin. Possibly fake Ku? I'm not 100% sure. Heat treat is fairly standard Takefu (i.e. conservatively hardened). Sharpening and deburring are easy, it gets very sharp and has decent edge retention (more than most blue2, less than aggressively hardened AS such as Sukenari)

 

[superworrier]

Another option is Sakai Kikumori Nihonkou. Mono carbon steel, and around 100, available at Carbon, Bernal, etc

nvm im an idiot those are western handled

 

[tostadas]

This posting for the S Tanaka is a great deal if you're willing to up your price range by a little bit

https://www.kitchenknifeforums.com/threads/smedja-aspen-simon-maillet-s-tanaka.58039/#post-900123

 

[HumbleHomeCook]

Another option is Sakai Kikumori Nihonkou. Mono carbon steel, and around 100, available at Carbon, Bernal, etc

nvm im an idiot those are western handled

While I understand why you said it, I don't think you're an idiot at all. There's some good knives in western handles around this price range.

 

[M1k3]

Takamura Chromax. I know it doesn't have your preferred handle type, but, it punches above it's price point. Alternatively, the VG-10 version

 

[chefwp]

Another option is Sakai Kikumori Nihonkou. Mono carbon steel, and around 100, available at Carbon, Bernal, etc

nvm im an idiot those are western handled

I also missed the wa handle requirement. I'm very skeptical you can get a decent wa handled carbon knife for around 125, at least new. Watch the second hand market and in the mean time, save some more $.

 

[MrHiggins]

This seems like a lot of knife for the money:

https://www.kitchenknifeforums.com/threads/yoshimitsu-white-1-250mm-gyuto.54073/

 

[Jeff]

I have one Japanese knife, a nakiri is aogami steel, which I really like and I want to add a gyoto now. Budget is low, but I don't know enough about makers and knives to know what's a good deal and what's crap. Was going to post on the Buy/Sell forum to see if anyone had something not getting enough use, but not enough posts (yet).

Here's what I'm thinking:
210mm or 240mm
Japanese handle
Would prefer more of a rounded than flat profile as I do some rocking as well as chopping
For steel, I would prefer not SS, since I've enjoyed having something different in my nakiri. The aogami seems great so far
In USA

Please let me know what makers or shops you would recommend. Also happy to get something that's second hand (if well cared for), open box, returns, etc.

Thanks for the help and all the great info around the site!

DAOVUA KNIVES are a lot of knife for the money.

I don’t think you can go wrong for the money.

Try CKTG because they have a great selection

 

[tostadas]

@refcast tends to find a bunch of interesting things that may be in your price range

 

[refcast]

Eh yeah get the yoshimitsu

 

[M1k3]

https://www.kitchenknifeforums.com/threads/yoshimitsu-white-1-250mm-gyuto.54073/

 

[HumbleHomeCook]

More bunka like maybe but pretty darned good price I think!

https://www.kitchenknifeforums.com/threads/cruzeiro-facas-205.58820/

 

[chefwp]

There are a lot of great suggestions here as well
https://www.kitchenknifeforums.com/threads/budget-options-with-great-value.57651/

 

[bcemail]

Thank you all for the great suggestions! I'm now leaning more toward 240mm since it might be a bit more useful, especially since my Nakiri is 180mm. Also seems like there are different measuring styles out there, since some knives seem to have different actual measurements than what's listed. And some sites have pictures with rulers that seem different (although I do have to keep converting from mm to freedom units...).

And now my car's in the shop, so guess my gyuto search will be a bit delayed! Guess that leaves me time to save up a little extra as well since I might be able to get something nicer for a bit more money. And I can keep an eye on the WTS forum.
Thanks again!

 

[toddnmd]

It’s challenging to find decent wa handled gyutos in your price range. Moving up to $150-200 gives a lot more options. Or if you’re open to a yo handle, there are some good options that are a bit cheaper.