If you could have only one! The do it all knife.

[kdizzog6]

I know these threads are annoying sometimes but let's have some fun and I am curious to others opinions.

I have bought and sold an assortment of good knives over the years starting with low end productions, customs, to ingredient specific single bevels and all different kinds of steel.

I recently got a hold of a tanaka x kyuzo gyuto 240 extra height in iron clad with KU finish. I find it to be the almost perfect knife. The bevels are beautiful, the edge is super thin, but its no laser, nor workhorse. It has a great balance, not super heavy, nor light. It seems to be the medium of a do it all kind of blade. The performance blows me away every time I use it with a mix of hard, soft veggies, goes through meat, and has a great tip. The grind on it gives good release, doesn't wedge much and I love tanaka's blue 1. It seems very hard on the stones but I can get it hair splitting sharp with minimal effort and stays sharp. I mean, besides the aesthetic of the ugly KU (KU in general), I think this might be my favorite knife I have used. And the patina is really pretty on the blue 1 and the cladding. Fit and finish seem to be pretty darn good also. And the knuckle clearance makes it really enjoyable.

Please tell me about your favorite user blade so I can read opinions and compare.

 

[Qapla']

I like my Kanehide TK gyuto a lot. It's just that good an all-around performer in my experience, has excellent fit-and-finish, and it's "stainless enough" not to pose any hassles.

 

[Hz_zzzzzz]

If I can only have 1 knife, I would keep an inexpensive stainless gyuto, otherwise I would have to worry about it if I need to bring it to a party or cook for a big meal. That being said, I think a Ryusen Blazen sg2 western handle 240 would fit the bill given what I currently have. It's well ground (modest taper on the spine and subtle convex grind), well balanced, and well heat-treated (really long edge retention sharpened on diamond). It's not super thin behind edge, but thin enough to cut carrots/onions effortlessly after I put a low angle edge (like 8 degree per side) on it. The tip is thin and solid. Fit and finish is great as it's shiny and smooth everywhere. Overall, it just feels nice, solid and relaxing when I use it. Sometimes I don't even wash it until I finish eating, and I won't cry if my wife puts it in the sink.

 

[mikaelsan]

I think for me the anwser would be pretty boring, a somewhat thin, mostly stainless non WA, thin convex directly behind the edge and slight contious convex on the face of the knife, easy to sharpen somewhat tough steel. Long enough to not be limiting and short enough to do in hand stuff and similar, not too tall not excessively short. Like a 210 44-45mm tall sld, vg1/5/10, ginsan/aus10 at a common 59-61 hrc or similar with a moderately low tip and a continues curved profile without too drastic a belly. Guess that describes what most entry level knives looks like thinned in a controlled manner. If i were to choose, 2 knives though or 3,4,5 ...

 

[panda]

in this scenario I would choose mizuno ks because it also excels as a suji. if that wasn't a factor top choice would be my one of a kind TF (iron clad, doesn't need grind tweaked)

 

[Cliff]

Ashi Ginga in AEBL, probably a 240

 

[kdizzog6]

If I can only have 1 knife, I would keep an inexpensive stainless gyuto, otherwise I would have to worry about it if I need to bring it to a party or cook for a big meal. That being said, I think a Ryusen Blazen sg2 western handle 240 would fit the bill given what I currently have. It's well ground (modest taper on the spine and subtle convex grind), well balanced, and well heat-treated (really long edge retention sharpened on diamond). It's not super thin behind edge, but thin enough to cut carrots/onions effortlessly after I put a low angle edge (like 8 degree per side) on it. The tip is thin and solid. Fit and finish is great as it's shiny and smooth everywhere. Overall, it just feels nice, solid and relaxing when I use it. Sometimes I don't even wash it until I finish eating, and I won't cry if my wife puts it in the sink.

The dreaded “let me use your knife” scenario… that’s why I got this shinko seilan. The wife doesn’t know the difference. Great knife for rather cheap, but the devil is into details.

 

[timebard]

Shihan AEB-L 220x50. Perfect size and weight for a go-to, do-it-all knife, tough, cuts great, and beautiful in an understated way. I've got a slightly bigger version in A2 in the works so we'll see if that one can claim the throne.

If you wanted a Japanese option, Kagekiyo ginsan or Kochi B2 would be my top picks.

 

[bradmacmt]

My hand's-down favorite knife of everything I own is a Sakai Kikumori Nashiji Blue no.2 Bunka. Even though it's among the least expensive knives I own, it is the last knife I'd part with. Mine is slightly oversized, 56mm x 188mm. I think it's one of the best bargains in the knife world. 180mm with a good flat spot hits the sweet spot for what I want from a knife. However, we are a meatless family so that may explain part of it. I will say, I've been using a 240mm Gyuto quite a bit lately, and am starting to change my mind about that size. I could see just having a 240mm Gyuto, the 180 Bunka, and a 110mm Petty. Three knives is probably more realistic than one.

 

[Kgp]

Butch Harner mini chef

 

[aporigine]

Can I cheat a little?

I cannot think of a one-knife solution for paring, julienning, carving, breaking, crusty loaves etc.

So with this little unit I can compel the loan of a useful kitchen knife should civilization collapse and I cannot any longer hear that anthem of Gracious Living “supersize it, sir?”

 

[shobudonnie]

For me, it would be an apex ultra steel with a takada no hamono suiboku grind. 240mm gyuto

 

[Delat]

For Western makers I’d be happy with either Birgersson, Hyde, or Eddworks. Japanese makers I’d keep my myojin or anything sharpened by him.

 

[YumYumSauce]

If I had to pick just one, things probably aren't going well for me, and possibly the rest of the world; ie zombie apocalypse.With that in mind, I'd be content with a carbon cck. Affordable. Thin and slides thru food. Im comfortable segmenting citrus with it. Use it to scoop up food. Turn it upside down and wack things. Easy and quick to sharpen. Don't have a problem with maintenance. I've left it with my parents for extended periods of time and its been abused.