Looking to buy my first hand-forged knife

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gicasorzo

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Joined
Jul 30, 2021
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Location
United States
Hey guys, I’m new in the high-quality knives world and I want to buy my first good knife. I will use it mainly at home for cooking for myself, so, more than an efficient knife I´m looking for a knife to be fun to use.

LOCATION: United States

KNIFE TYPE
- Type: Wa-Gyuto / Kiritsuke. Short blade height (45-50mm).I really like Kiritsuke aesthetics.

- Right handed

- Japanese handle.

- Blade length: 240mm to 270mm.

- I prefer carbon steel over inox because I think they look AWESOME when the patina is formed. I saw some kurouchi finishes and I really liked them.

- Budget: Ideally 150-200, but I could do 250 for something that would really make the difference.


KNIFE USE
- Home use.

- Main tasks: slicing, filleting fish, mincing, trimming meat, sushi roll cutting, rock chopping. I don’t do any heavy tasks like breaking bones, so I’m not looking for a thick and heavy knife.

- My current knife: Mercer chef knife 8”

- Grip: Mostly hammer and pointed finger. However, with a better knife I would like to try pinch.

- Cutting motions that I use the most: Push-pull slide, rock chopping. I dont usually chop becausewith my current knife the food jumps everywhere.

- What improvements do you want from your current knife?
Better edge retention, thinner blade, lighter weight (more maneuverability), better aesthetics, longer and less-tall blade.

- Aesthetics: I like steels with a pattern; however, my budget is not much so this is not a priority. I like the kurouchi finish. I also really like carbon knives that are prone to develop blue/purple patina.
About the handle, I would like a classic round or octagonal wood handle, I don’t care the type of wood or color.

- Comfort: light weight knife, I don’t know much about balance, rounded spines and shapes. Flatter profiles call my attention.

- Ease of Use:
Easy to sharpen, hopefully sharp out of the box, descent food release, good slicer.

- Edge Retention: I hope to have a great edge retention.


KNIFE MAINTENANCE
I use a wooden cutting board (Teak)

I just started sharpening my knives with a Shapton Pro 1000 whetstone and a leather strop with compound. I still don’t have a polishing stone. However, I still don’t know if I should spend more money in more stones.


SPECIAL REQUESTS/COMMENTS
It may sound dumb. But I want a beautiful knife that make me feel like a Japanese badass with a katana cutting an onion like if it was butter hahaha. Also, I don’t care if the knife is used if it is in good condition.


Here are some options that I saw and I liked (I don't know nothing about brands though, and I dont know if the price is the best):

KIRITSUKE
Moritaka AS 240mm- https://www.**************.com/moritaka13.html

Shinko Seilan AS 240mm - Shinko Seilan Aogami Super Gyuto Kiritsuke Ktip 240 mm by Shiro Kamo

Kohetsu Kiritsuke HAP40 240mm, I read some good things about this steel, but I dont know. Also, it has a more round profile. There's also a similar one in super blue steel - https://www.**************.com/kohaki24.html

Yoshimitsu Fugen 240mm (White #1), I'm a bit concerned about the brittleness of White#1, however I wont use it to cut bones or frozen food. I like its low-height profile, but I don't know if it's good as my first and only good knife. - https://www.**************.com/yofuwh1ki24.html

Gyuto

Harukasze AS Morado 240mm - https://www.**************.com/hamoasgy24.html

Kohetsu AS 240mm - https://www.**************.com/rikoaosu24gy.html

Makoto VG7 Ryusei Gyuto 240mm - https://www.**************.com/marygy24.html

JCK Natures Blue Moon (Blue#2) 240mm - JCK Natures Blue Moon Series Wa Gyuto (180mm to 240mm, 3 Sizes)

THANK YOU GUYS! I WOULD REALLY APPRECIATE YOUR HELP!
 
Hello,

The Shinko Seilan seems to fit most of your criteria.

Kiritsuke style, Kurouchi, not too tall, and great edge retention. Blue steel also tends to have a better looking patina. It's one of the best values you can find.

The only negative is that's it's on the heavier side.

That being said, all of the knives you listed are high quality, so you should just pick whichever catches your eye.

As for white #1, I haven't found it to be much more brittle than other steels. As long as you don't cut hard things and avoid lateral movements, chipping shouldn't be an issue (applies to all Japanese knives).
 
gicasorzo said:
KNIFE MAINTENANCE
I just started sharpening my knives with a Shapton Pro 1000 whetstone and a leather strop with compound. I still don’t have a polishing stone. However, I still don’t know if I should spend more money in more stones.
Click to expand...
I'm new to Japanese knives and sharpening. One of the best videos I've seen is Jon from Japanese Knife Imports, Knife Sharpening Basics- Stone Setup- Japanese Knife Imports. In it he suggests starting with one stone.
 
Infrared said:
The Shinko Seilan seems to fit most of your criteria.
Click to expand...

Thank you for your response! I think that's a very good option considering the price and what I'm looking, I read really good reviews about it and about the shop. Also, I just read some not good reviews about the chef knife to go shop.
About the weight, if the edge is sharp enough I don't think that it will be a big problem. Besides, it will be still be lighter than the Western chef knives.
Great to here that about the chipping. I will take special care on that 😄.

rstcso said:
I'm new to Japanese knives and sharpening. One of the best videos I've seen is Jon from Japanese Knife Imports, Knife Sharpening Basics- Stone Setup- Japanese Knife Imports. In it he suggests starting with one stone.
Click to expand...
Thank you for the advice!! Just saw the video. I still don't have a flattening stone. I might get one when my whetstone starts to wear.
 
Welcome.

Shinko Seilan and the Tsunehisa AS Kiritsuke were the first that came to my mind.

Get a flattening stone of some type. Your water stone is always wearing and it is important to keep it flat. If you happen to have been watching Burrfection videos, just stop. ;)
 
Last edited:
Shinko Selian seems to fulfil most of your criteria.

It's a very good value knife at its price point.

The gyuto is quite thin, fairly easy to sharpen and has decent edge retention.
 
Last edited:
HumbleHomeCook said:
Get a flattening stone of some type. Your whetstone is always wearing and it is important to keep it flat.
Click to expand...
After reading through many sharpening threads on this forum, right or wrong, I bought the Atoma 140 from Amazon. This comment from another thread sums it up: "The Atoma 140 as a good lapping plate for Shapton pro and glass stones"

HumbleHomeCook said:
If you happen to have been watching Burrfection videos, just stop. ;)
Click to expand...
I wish I'd known that earlier, but like most things in my life, I had to learn the hard way. 😬
 
HumbleHomeCook said:
Get a flattening stone of some type. Your whetstone is always wearing and it is important to keep it flat. If you happen to have been watching Burrfection videos, just stop. ;)
Click to expand...
Great advice! Hopefully, I searched for reviews about him after he put Dalstrong knives in his top knives in all his videos. What YouTuber do you advice for learning more about sharpening? I already get my mercer chef knife to cut paper, but not too smooth as I've seen in some videos. I want to learn more about it haha. Thanks!

And thanks everyone! I think I will be going for the Shinko Seilan Kiritsuke, and also a flattening stone. Can you advice me a flattening stone cheaper than the Atoma 140, please?
 
Check out the diamond stones on Chef Knives To Go. I think there is an 80 and a 140.

Lots of great sharpening videos out there. As mentioned, Japanese Knife Imports has some great content on their channel. Knifewear has some good stuff, Peter Nolan, Murray Carter, Triple B Handmade, etc.
 
One 1000 grit is good enough for kitchen knives but it might consume your steel faster than necessary. But practicing sharpening and even thinning with 1000 grit is a very good idea so I don’t see you “needing” more stones. Once you master 1000 grit you might want to consider some higher grit stones. I use Jnats for edge now but before that I use chosera 3000 to setup and refresh edges mostly. I barely go lower than 3000 grit. When the edge is thin enough and the steel is carbon, 3000 grit almost feels too much steel removed so I switched to Jnats.
 
Atomas are great and you'll want one eventually, but they're a chunk of change and difficult to justify at this stage of your journey. They bring no joy, only convenience. The cheaper ones aren't worth it in my opinion, they'll wear out quicker and can even rust, better to save up for the real thing.

You can use 120 grit wet/dry sandpaper and your stone will be just as flat. Check the surface with a ruler to make sure it's dead flat (or get a 99 cent piece of tile from lowe's), use a circular motion to avoid making grooves with loose particles, and use with water because breathing abrasive dust is a bad idea. More of a pain for sure, but cost effective.
 
gicasorzo said:
Also, I just read some not good reviews about the chef knife to go shop.
Click to expand...

I've purchased from them many times and had no issues. You can also email them personally if you have any questions. Very helpful and friendly in my experience.
 
gicasorzo said:
Hey guys, I’m new in the high-quality knives world and I want to buy my first good knife. I will use it mainly at home for cooking for myself, so, more than an efficient knife I´m looking for a knife to be fun to use.

LOCATION: United States

KNIFE TYPE
- Type: Wa-Gyuto / Kiritsuke. Short blade height (45-50mm).I really like Kiritsuke aesthetics.

- Right handed

- Japanese handle.

- Blade length: 240mm to 270mm.

- I prefer carbon steel over inox because I think they look AWESOME when the patina is formed. I saw some kurouchi finishes and I really liked them.

- Budget: Ideally 150-200, but I could do 250 for something that would really make the difference.


KNIFE USE
- Home use.

- Main tasks: slicing, filleting fish, mincing, trimming meat, sushi roll cutting, rock chopping. I don’t do any heavy tasks like breaking bones, so I’m not looking for a thick and heavy knife.

- My current knife: Mercer chef knife 8”

- Grip: Mostly hammer and pointed finger. However, with a better knife I would like to try pinch.

- Cutting motions that I use the most: Push-pull slide, rock chopping. I dont usually chop becausewith my current knife the food jumps everywhere.

- What improvements do you want from your current knife?
Better edge retention, thinner blade, lighter weight (more maneuverability), better aesthetics, longer and less-tall blade.

- Aesthetics: I like steels with a pattern; however, my budget is not much so this is not a priority. I like the kurouchi finish. I also really like carbon knives that are prone to develop blue/purple patina.
About the handle, I would like a classic round or octagonal wood handle, I don’t care the type of wood or color.

- Comfort: light weight knife, I don’t know much about balance, rounded spines and shapes. Flatter profiles call my attention.

- Ease of Use:
Easy to sharpen, hopefully sharp out of the box, descent food release, good slicer.

- Edge Retention: I hope to have a great edge retention.


KNIFE MAINTENANCE
I use a wooden cutting board (Teak)

I just started sharpening my knives with a Shapton Pro 1000 whetstone and a leather strop with compound. I still don’t have a polishing stone. However, I still don’t know if I should spend more money in more stones.


SPECIAL REQUESTS/COMMENTS
It may sound dumb. But I want a beautiful knife that make me feel like a Japanese badass with a katana cutting an onion like if it was butter hahaha. Also, I don’t care if the knife is used if it is in good condition.


Here are some options that I saw and I liked (I don't know nothing about brands though, and I dont know if the price is the best):

KIRITSUKE
Moritaka AS 240mm- https://www.**************.com/moritaka13.html

Shinko Seilan AS 240mm - Shinko Seilan Aogami Super Gyuto Kiritsuke Ktip 240 mm by Shiro Kamo

Kohetsu Kiritsuke HAP40 240mm, I read some good things about this steel, but I dont know. Also, it has a more round profile. There's also a similar one in super blue steel - https://www.**************.com/kohaki24.html

Yoshimitsu Fugen 240mm (White #1), I'm a bit concerned about the brittleness of White#1, however I wont use it to cut bones or frozen food. I like its low-height profile, but I don't know if it's good as my first and only good knife. - https://www.**************.com/yofuwh1ki24.html

Gyuto

Harukasze AS Morado 240mm - https://www.**************.com/hamoasgy24.html

Kohetsu AS 240mm - https://www.**************.com/rikoaosu24gy.html

Makoto VG7 Ryusei Gyuto 240mm - https://www.**************.com/marygy24.html

JCK Natures Blue Moon (Blue#2) 240mm - JCK Natures Blue Moon Series Wa Gyuto (180mm to 240mm, 3 Sizes)

THANK YOU GUYS! I WOULD REALLY APPRECIATE YOUR HELP!
Click to expand...

This might fit the bill, have heard good things from a friend that has one, it's within your budget.

https://mtckitchen.com/kintaro-white-2-kurouchi-gyuto-240mm-9-4/
 
rstcso said:
I bought the Atoma Diamond Sharpener Coarse Grade＃140 off Amazon. It's priced at $68.40. I thought it was a fair price, unless it's a counterfeit.
Click to expand...
After reading some reviews, I decided to get that one too. It seems that it's impossible to go wrong with it. And it may last for lots of years. Thank you for the advice!


Thanks everyone for your help! I really appreciate it. At the end, I bought the Shinko Seilan Kiritsuke. I'm really anxious for it to arrive!
 
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