I'm planning to buy my first japanese knife very soon, and wanted to make sure I went in the right direction. I'm a home cook (roughly 2x/week), don't do anything terribly complicated.
I'm primarily driven by aesthetics, but I'd like something that performs well, and that I don't have to worry about breaking the blade (though I do tend to be fairly careful with how I treat my knives).
At the moment I'm looking at the Nigara Anmon (raindrop) damascus gyuto, 210mm long with the western handle in green turquoise. It's terrific aesthetically (though ideally I'd get red or blue turquoise handle, though those are sold out now). I'd also be happy with something like a more typical damascus pattern and a western handle (especially if the handle has some nice color to it) - or even a shiny hammered pattern.
Let me know if there are other knives that I should potentially be looking at, etc. Thanks for any input.
LOCATION
What country are you in? USA
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 (I think just a regular Gyuto type, not the kind with the kiritsuke tip)
Are you right or left handed?
Right-handed
Are you interested in a Western handle (e.g., classic Wusthof handle) or Japanese handle?
Western handle, I think - I've never had the opportunity to really use a knife with a japanese handle, but the western handle is definitely more familiar to me.
What length of knife (blade) are you interested in (in inches or millimeters)?
8", or 210 mm (I'm willing to consider larger knives, but this is what I'm pretty used to).
Do you require a stainless knife? (Yes or no)
Yes
What is your absolute maximum budget for your knife?
$600
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 meat for typical home meals, slicing some vegetables, chopping garlic, etc.
What knife, if any, are you replacing?
Wusthof Classic 8" chef's knife
Do you have a particular grip that you primarily use? (Please click on this LINK for the common types of grips.)
I typically use pinch grip
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 cut & slice - rarely walking if I'm chopping up herbs.
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.)
Better aesthetics
Slightly easier cutting (I've generally been pretty happy with the performance of my current 8" Wusthof Classic - but I haven't experienced anything else)
Comfort
Ease of Use and Care
Edge Retention (i.e., length of time you want the edge to last without sharpening)?
KNIFE MAINTENANCE
Do you use a bamboo, wood, rubber, or synthetic cutting board?
Synthetic (I use Oxo Good Grips plastic cutting boards currently)
Do you sharpen your own knives? (Yes or no.)
No.
If not, are you interested in learning how to sharpen your knives?
Not really - I've got a toddler & other hobbies, don't really have a lot of time to spend on sharpening knives as a hobby.
I live in the Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill area of North Carolina, and it looks like there are at least two local businesses that specialize in sharpening japanese knives. So I'm planning on using their services 1-2x/year, along with maybe stropping on my own if necessary.
Are you interested in purchasing sharpening products for your knives? (Yes or no.)
No
I'm primarily driven by aesthetics, but I'd like something that performs well, and that I don't have to worry about breaking the blade (though I do tend to be fairly careful with how I treat my knives).
At the moment I'm looking at the Nigara Anmon (raindrop) damascus gyuto, 210mm long with the western handle in green turquoise. It's terrific aesthetically (though ideally I'd get red or blue turquoise handle, though those are sold out now). I'd also be happy with something like a more typical damascus pattern and a western handle (especially if the handle has some nice color to it) - or even a shiny hammered pattern.
Let me know if there are other knives that I should potentially be looking at, etc. Thanks for any input.
LOCATION
What country are you in? USA
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 (I think just a regular Gyuto type, not the kind with the kiritsuke tip)
Are you right or left handed?
Right-handed
Are you interested in a Western handle (e.g., classic Wusthof handle) or Japanese handle?
Western handle, I think - I've never had the opportunity to really use a knife with a japanese handle, but the western handle is definitely more familiar to me.
What length of knife (blade) are you interested in (in inches or millimeters)?
8", or 210 mm (I'm willing to consider larger knives, but this is what I'm pretty used to).
Do you require a stainless knife? (Yes or no)
Yes
What is your absolute maximum budget for your knife?
$600
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 meat for typical home meals, slicing some vegetables, chopping garlic, etc.
What knife, if any, are you replacing?
Wusthof Classic 8" chef's knife
Do you have a particular grip that you primarily use? (Please click on this LINK for the common types of grips.)
I typically use pinch grip
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 cut & slice - rarely walking if I'm chopping up herbs.
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.)
Better aesthetics
Slightly easier cutting (I've generally been pretty happy with the performance of my current 8" Wusthof Classic - but I haven't experienced anything else)
Comfort
Ease of Use and Care
Edge Retention (i.e., length of time you want the edge to last without sharpening)?
KNIFE MAINTENANCE
Do you use a bamboo, wood, rubber, or synthetic cutting board?
Synthetic (I use Oxo Good Grips plastic cutting boards currently)
Do you sharpen your own knives? (Yes or no.)
No.
If not, are you interested in learning how to sharpen your knives?
Not really - I've got a toddler & other hobbies, don't really have a lot of time to spend on sharpening knives as a hobby.
I live in the Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill area of North Carolina, and it looks like there are at least two local businesses that specialize in sharpening japanese knives. So I'm planning on using their services 1-2x/year, along with maybe stropping on my own if necessary.
Are you interested in purchasing sharpening products for your knives? (Yes or no.)
No
