Hey folks! Currently mulling a knife purchase and I think that I'm finally narrowing it down, but would like feedback on whether I'm on the right track given my needs/desires. See below (my responses bold for legibility).
LOCATION
What country are you in?
United States
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)?
Gyuto
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 - 240mm
Do you require a stainless knife? (Yes or no)
No, but I think that I want stainless cladding. I do have a reactive Yanagiba, but it gets used so infrequently that day-today with a reactive blade may be a learning process and having a bit more margin for error would be nice. Maybe a KU finish on reactive cladding would be okay? Not sure how much those finishes help and whether or not they stick around for the long haul.
What is your absolute maximum budget for your knife?
$300-ish, but would prefer closer to $200-250
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.)
Slicing, chopping veggies, slicing/trimming meats, mincing herbs
What knife, if any, are you replacing?
Primary user is a Miyabi Koh, 8”. I also keep a Wusthof chef’s knife around for things like splitting squash or separating a whole chicken.
Do you have a particular grip that you primarily use? (Please click on this LINK for the common types of grips.)
Pinch, mostly
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.)
Push and draw. I do tend to rock with herbs, but not frantic or heavy-handed, ‘specially with a sharp knife.
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.)
Sharpness, ease of sharpening, cool factor. Don’t know if it’s poor technique or blade properties, but I don’t exactly fly through things like horizontal cuts when dicing onions. Not a fan of potatoes and whatnot suctioned on to the blade.
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)?
Something with visual interest – KU and/or hammered or Nashiji(?). Subtle Damascus would be fine if the blade checked all of the boxes otherwise; not a big fan of in-your-face Damascus.
Comfort (e.g., lighter/heavier knife; better handle material; better handle shape; rounded spine/choil of the knife; improved balance)?
Decent balance near the pinch. Not looking for anything too hefty. Willing to ease my own edges if necessary.
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)?
Looking for a decent all-around, every-day user.
Edge Retention (i.e., length of time you want the edge to last without sharpening)?
2-3 months? I’m cooking for two adults and two small children, so I’m not processing a ton of food daily. If it’s not a pain in the butt to touch up, I’m okay with more frequent.
KNIFE MAINTENANCE
Do you use a bamboo, wood, rubber, or synthetic cutting board? (Yes or no.)
Synthetic and wood
Do you sharpen your own knives? (Yes or no.)
Yes
If not, are you interested in learning how to sharpen your knives? (Yes or no.)
N/A
Are you interested in purchasing sharpening products for your knives? (Yes or no.)
Not at this time - I already have some water stones and strop.
SPECIAL REQUESTS/COMMENTS
I think that I would like a white steel core – while the lower reactivity and better edge retention of something like Blue Super would be nice, I’d give that up if it means that a screaming edge is easier to attain… but with no real-world comparison between the two, I don’t know if the differences (in terms of ease of sharpening, edge retention, etc) are splitting hairs, ‘specially when compared to the Wusthofs and Miyabi that I’m used to (which aren’t very good, compared to my Yanagiba and woodworking tools)
In terms of maker, I’d strongly prefer smaller makers at this time and I’d like something that’s primarily attributable to a single smith (I understand that other hands are often involved). This just appeals to my sensibilities concerning craftsmen.
A couple of knives of particular interest to me:
Wakui Gyuto 210mm White 2 Stainless Clad Hammered Finish (KNS)
Tesshu Wa Gyuto 240mm White II Steel forged by Mr. Wakui (AFramesTokyo)
I don’t know how much these knives differ in terms of geometry and/or thickness (the A Frames measurements seem to be in 1/16s and then converted to mm, so I’m not sure how precise they are) and would be interested to hear thoughts on whether they’d be appropriate to my desires and/or if one might be better than the other.
I’d also be interested in a stainless clad W2 Mokoto Kurasaki but they seem to be harder to come by at this point.
Mazaki looks interesting, too, but I see sentiment that the width/heft might be a bit much for a n00b.
Obviously open to other recommendations, as well. Thanks in advanced!
LOCATION
What country are you in?
United States
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)?
Gyuto
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 - 240mm
Do you require a stainless knife? (Yes or no)
No, but I think that I want stainless cladding. I do have a reactive Yanagiba, but it gets used so infrequently that day-today with a reactive blade may be a learning process and having a bit more margin for error would be nice. Maybe a KU finish on reactive cladding would be okay? Not sure how much those finishes help and whether or not they stick around for the long haul.
What is your absolute maximum budget for your knife?
$300-ish, but would prefer closer to $200-250
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.)
Slicing, chopping veggies, slicing/trimming meats, mincing herbs
What knife, if any, are you replacing?
Primary user is a Miyabi Koh, 8”. I also keep a Wusthof chef’s knife around for things like splitting squash or separating a whole chicken.
Do you have a particular grip that you primarily use? (Please click on this LINK for the common types of grips.)
Pinch, mostly
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.)
Push and draw. I do tend to rock with herbs, but not frantic or heavy-handed, ‘specially with a sharp knife.
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.)
Sharpness, ease of sharpening, cool factor. Don’t know if it’s poor technique or blade properties, but I don’t exactly fly through things like horizontal cuts when dicing onions. Not a fan of potatoes and whatnot suctioned on to the blade.
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)?
Something with visual interest – KU and/or hammered or Nashiji(?). Subtle Damascus would be fine if the blade checked all of the boxes otherwise; not a big fan of in-your-face Damascus.
Comfort (e.g., lighter/heavier knife; better handle material; better handle shape; rounded spine/choil of the knife; improved balance)?
Decent balance near the pinch. Not looking for anything too hefty. Willing to ease my own edges if necessary.
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)?
Looking for a decent all-around, every-day user.
Edge Retention (i.e., length of time you want the edge to last without sharpening)?
2-3 months? I’m cooking for two adults and two small children, so I’m not processing a ton of food daily. If it’s not a pain in the butt to touch up, I’m okay with more frequent.
KNIFE MAINTENANCE
Do you use a bamboo, wood, rubber, or synthetic cutting board? (Yes or no.)
Synthetic and wood
Do you sharpen your own knives? (Yes or no.)
Yes
If not, are you interested in learning how to sharpen your knives? (Yes or no.)
N/A
Are you interested in purchasing sharpening products for your knives? (Yes or no.)
Not at this time - I already have some water stones and strop.
SPECIAL REQUESTS/COMMENTS
I think that I would like a white steel core – while the lower reactivity and better edge retention of something like Blue Super would be nice, I’d give that up if it means that a screaming edge is easier to attain… but with no real-world comparison between the two, I don’t know if the differences (in terms of ease of sharpening, edge retention, etc) are splitting hairs, ‘specially when compared to the Wusthofs and Miyabi that I’m used to (which aren’t very good, compared to my Yanagiba and woodworking tools)
In terms of maker, I’d strongly prefer smaller makers at this time and I’d like something that’s primarily attributable to a single smith (I understand that other hands are often involved). This just appeals to my sensibilities concerning craftsmen.
A couple of knives of particular interest to me:
Wakui Gyuto 210mm White 2 Stainless Clad Hammered Finish (KNS)
Tesshu Wa Gyuto 240mm White II Steel forged by Mr. Wakui (AFramesTokyo)
I don’t know how much these knives differ in terms of geometry and/or thickness (the A Frames measurements seem to be in 1/16s and then converted to mm, so I’m not sure how precise they are) and would be interested to hear thoughts on whether they’d be appropriate to my desires and/or if one might be better than the other.
I’d also be interested in a stainless clad W2 Mokoto Kurasaki but they seem to be harder to come by at this point.
Mazaki looks interesting, too, but I see sentiment that the width/heft might be a bit much for a n00b.
Obviously open to other recommendations, as well. Thanks in advanced!
