I have a real problem ...

[Asteger]

I like the idea, too. But... I had a Suisin Inox honyaki gyuto and thought I'd never need another gyuto again. But then I participated in a Dalman passaround and I absolutely loved the grind. And then I got to use some workhorses and found out I loved the Kochi. And then I had the opportunity to use the workhorse of workhorses, a Kato. And I fell in love again. And now Cris is going to make an ueber-workhorse for me... Still like the idea, though

Maybe the traditional idea of 'one knife' is just as hard to abide by as 'one wife'? Or vice versa, I don't know. Knife-wise, Mark, you sound promiscuous.

A guy just has to have some hobbies... In all seriousness though, I cope with this kind of issues by spending my time and energy mostly on cooking rather than on gears. This way the whole experience of being a knife nut became much more enjoyable, and the values of those purchases became self-evident.

Well-observed, yes.

 

[Jovidah]

Agreed. And love the octopus analogy.

Don't know if anyone here has heard of the study/studies that rate happiness as being proportional to greater income, but only to a certain extent and stopping at about $80,000 (although I don't know which $-currency that meant, presumably the USD, and how it would be relative country to country - people can google as always). So, beyond that there apparently is no more happiness to be found through getting more $; sorry for any big-earners reading this. Makes me wonder what findings the world's great researchers would get if they directed their talents toward knife purchasing? What is the optimal gyuto number, and can one be content without a deba, even a chukabocho, and does anyone really need any Shig? Time the world took a closer look.

The relationship (between income and diminishing returns in happiness) is quite prevalent. I think it's more telling in reverse though: money might not make happy, but lack of it certainly makes unhappy. While it proves difficult to 'buy happiness', lack of money and inability to provide for basic things is really stressful and a pretty big downer.
One of the problems with higher incomes is that they often have trouble translating the higher income into higher happyiness, often due to lack of time (working longer hours, working more overtime, less vacation days), increased stress (higher income = usually more stressful job), and the general tendency of people to simply buy more expensive iterations of the same stuff poorer people buy, or just wasting it on frivolous stuff.
For example a million dollar home with 5 bedrooms, a minibar and a private pool but no people in it is still an empty nest... especially when you're barely ever there.

It's kind of funny when you think about it...usually, the more expensive the house or the kitchen, the less time people actually spend in it.

 

[mark76]

Maybe the traditional idea of 'one knife' is just as hard to abide by as 'one wife'? Or vice versa, I don't know. Knife-wise, Mark, you sound promiscuous.

Let's call it serial monogamy, ok?

All of you guys pointing out that you don't need more than a few knives, that ppl don't become happier with more money above a certain threshold, that it's just things, that you could have a skiing holiday for the price of a custom knife, etc. are completely right of course.

 

[Dardeau]

I like the exchange idea. I was actually going to propose going in on a munetoishi with someone, where it ships to one of us and a month later the other person gets to try it.

I am pretty happy with my work rotation, but there are still some things I want to try: mizuno, Tillman, DT san mai, hinoura, Heiji single bevel, hell a lot of single bevels. I don't think any of these would dethrone my regulars but I still want to try them. The exchange would do that well.

Stones as well, I just bought the JNS set for the hell of it, I kept one of four stones, and may not keep that one forever.

 

[glestain]

Delete the apps if you have one, and don't browse this forum...

 

[alterwisser]

I like the exchange idea. I was actually going to propose going in on a munetoishi with someone, where it ships to one of us and a month later the other person gets to try it.

I am pretty happy with my work rotation, but there are still some things I want to try: mizuno, Tillman, DT san mai, hinoura, Heiji single bevel, hell a lot of single bevels. I don't think any of these would dethrone my regulars but I still want to try them. The exchange would do that well.

Stones as well, I just bought the JNS set for the hell of it, I kept one of four stones, and may not keep that one forever.

I honestly think we should try this, maybe with a smaller group and a cheaper knife at first. If it's something like 6 people with $50-75 each, every one keeps it 2 months... Why not?

 

[Dardeau]

If the knife interests me, I am down. You have borrowed from me before, and returned the knife in better shape than it left. Any thoughts on things to try? One of will's monosteel knives?

 

[Mucho Bocho]

Even though I do have 8 gyuto's, they range from (actual length mm) 150, 177, 198, 201, 210, 228, 240, 250. Each one is unique in character and purpose. As I see it there really isn't any overlap or redundancy. Leder is making me a 220 that should complete the Gyuto's. Unless I can get Devin to make me another.

I here ya, how many gyutos is enough right? I've got two wall magnets that hold about 18 to 20 knives and half of them are Gyutos. After five years at it, the collection is getting really tight. I laugh when I think back to the time I thought a $200 knife was then end all. I've gone through maybe fifty knives in various steels, profiles and handles. Least I found what works for me: Gyutos. Long ones and short ones. Suij's and a 150 petty. Lone gone is the deba, nakiri, yanagiba, usuba, honesuke, kiritusuke tipped gyutos. Ilike Chinese clever's too.

 

[alterwisser]

I would be down for that, have not tried one!

DT you mentioned, that would be interesting as well.

If the knife interests me, I am down. You have borrowed from me before, and returned the knife in better shape than it left. Any thoughts on things to try? One of will's monosteel knives?

 

[chiffonodd]

Fear will keep me in line . . . fear of my wife :O

 

[alterwisser]

Fear will keep me in line . . . fear of my wife :O

My wife doesn't know LOL!

The problem I have... We will probably move to another country within a year. Then we will have to create a list of all things we own including replacement value (for insurance). You might be seeing a lot of knives hitting BST before, or I might be looking for volunteers willing to give a knife or two a temporary home and ship it to ... Say Ecuador ... A few months later LOL.

Otherwise I'm screwed. Like, royally!

 

[Dardeau]

I will launder your knives!

 

[Keith Sinclair]

Yeh just sell on BST. Got my small Carter & large vintage Takeda & a Honyaki from there. Sold the Honyaki even cheaper than I bought it. Actually always sell for cheaper than purchased mostly to students & cooks sharpened with rounded spines and choils & handle modifications.

Sold off most of my carbon gyuto's & cleavers. Still have more Gyuto's than I need. Most with custom handles that may hit BST some time.:O

 

[preizzo]

Fear of wife it s always the worse.
I start to swatting just thinking about it 😧😧😧

 

[preizzo]

Mine she could chop my balls off in that case. Fortunately I telling her how many knives I own at the moment, and she is happy only because I am selling a few ones at the time and put some money in the piggy 🐽🐽

 

[OneS]

Fortunately for me, my ability to sharpen my knives has held back my desire to buy new ones. I just don't dare buy a mind blowing knife only to be disappointed that the edge I get the first time I sharpen it isn't as good as (say) Shibata-san's. So that means it could be a while before I get another expensive knife. But stones - that's a new problem.....

 

[Asteger]

Fortunately for me, my ability to sharpen my knives has held back my desire to buy new ones...

What you should do is get stuff to practise on. I don't mean cheapos really, because you can learn more or as much on more expensive knives, but cheapos are useful too. But you have to get into it at some point. Owning the knives is different from using them, and using means maintenance and customisation. If not, it's a bit like having a kitchen you don't really cook in because you don't want to deal with the mess

 

[OneS]

I'm getting better at it Asteger ! [emoji5]️ I think I was able to discern a difference between finishing on shapton pro 8000 and the Kitayama the other day.... Or maybe that was just all suggestible bias ? But yes, I must keep at it !

 

[Cashn]

Fortunately for me, my ability to sharpen my knives has held back my desire to buy new ones. I just don't dare buy a mind blowing knife only to be disappointed that the edge I get the first time I sharpen it isn't as good as (say) Shibata-san's. So that means it could be a while before I get another expensive knife. But stones - that's a new problem.....

I almost find it more enjoyable to get a cheaper (knife Knut cheaper) knife than an expensive one because I'm not afraid to put it through its paces. Putting your own edge on it makes it yours in my eyes. If it's not up to your standards you have something to work towards nothing better than the first time you feel like you put a better edge on the knife than when you got it.

 

[OneS]

Don't want to give you the idea that I shirk from spending $$$ on knives, Cashn, I think my wife moans enough about my current 9 knife rotation to dispel that ! [emoji57] but I'm not buying that honyaki knife till I know I can sharpen it real well.

 

[Jovidah]

I completely understand what you mean there. For that exact reason I made the... 'intermediate' step of a Carbonext. Great knife to learn sharpening, great to learn thinning and all those other things on, without really having the 'problem' of being afraid to screw up an expensive or pretty knife (it certainly isn't anymore, if it ever was). And the semi-stainless is a nice forgivable way to potty-train myself in caring for carbon...
Better knives will come at some point, but no point getting that Ferrari when I just got my drivers license. If you gave me a honyaki sujihiki now I'd probably manage to turn it into a short petty and a very expensive kiridashi within a week... :biggrin:

 

[mc2442]

I don't have the significant other to answer too, but I do have to limit the information that friends receive about the knives I have and the random comments by my dad (not bad, just a different view point, and loves using the knives I gift), like "does not think twice about spending $300 on a knife". If they only knew :knife:

 

[Smurfmacaw]

Fear will keep me in line . . . fear of my wife :O

Ya, my wife has hard boney little fists too....and a black belt to back them up with lol. I just distract her with diamonds....if she starts "wondering" why I need all the knives I just skip a knife buy and she gets a present.

Also, the top secret knife account helps a lot. I like knives off of BST because I can claim they are "used" knives. I was vindicated though, she recently went to visit her mom and came home griping about "how the heck can anyone use knives that dull"....I think she missed her Carter and suddenly Cutco knives aren't so swell after all. :doublethumbsup:

 

[Keith Sinclair]

Ya, my wife has hard boney little fists too....and a black belt to back them up with lol. I just distract her with diamonds....if she starts "wondering" why I need all the knives I just skip a knife buy and she gets a present.

Also, the top secret knife account helps a lot. I like knives off of BST because I can claim they are "used" knives. I was vindicated though, she recently went to visit her mom and came home griping about "how the heck can anyone use knives that dull"....I think she missed her Carter and suddenly Cutco knives aren't so swell after all. :doublethumbsup:

Yep just give her a nice knife to use and keep it sharp. My better half likes the Gesshin Ginga stainless 240. It is light & cuts well. I have smaller carbons like the Carter on the mag strip, but she goes for the ginga every time. It is her knife.