Lost in the Japanese knife forest, need guides

[LostHighway]

I'm in the United States

I'm probably looking for a 210 - 230 mm gyuto

Right handed
Wa handle
Stainless, semi-stainless or stainless clad preferred
I would prefer to stay at or under $225, absolute max is $260

Home use
Primarily vegetable prep, limited use with fish and fruit
Replacing Wusthof chef's knife
I primarily use a pinch grip but sometimes finger point
I mostly use rocking cuts but walking, push/guillotine & glide and chop are also used
I want a knife that is sharper, holds an edge longer and feels more like an extension of my hand
I care about knife aesthetics. I don't like knives that look factory stamped/mass produced. I prefer some sense of hand craftsmanship but I am intolerant of rough/ragged/crude/marginally finished work. I'm not a fan of kurouchi finishes but I do like tsuchime and nashiji.
I'm looking for a middleweight knife with an all around profile, should balance rocking and chopping usability.

I primarily currently use an edge grain maple board but soft poly for raw fish. Considering getting an end grain maple board. Hinoki or Japanese willow unlikely but not impossible

I am a beginner sharpener at this point but yes, I can sharpen and have stones

 

[LifeByA1000Cuts]

Would the Goko Hamono Nashiji be too crude looking for you? Yes, I know, recommended it a couple of times, and will still recommend it ... and it matches the rest of your requirements well - stainless clad, handmade feel, and a steel that is technically the one with the most sharpness potential possible and relatively easy to sharpen, forward balanced enough to be great in pinch and pointer grip. While that steel (White #1) is generally not known for high edge retention, it is still miles ahead of the common 1.4116-like european steels - sharpen it to arm hair shaving level, prep a big shopping bag worth of produce, strop the knife and it shaves again (dunno if Wusthof's top of the line can do that, their budget offerings certainly don't ).

Also, look at Itinomonn, Eden Dento, Wakui for other Nashiji knives that get favourable reviews regularly.

EDIT: You might want to look at the combination Tsuchime+D2-ish steels (Yoshikane, Tadafusa...) too.

 

[richard]

Tanaka VG10 Nashiji

 

[JaVa]

+1 for the Tanaka nashiji.
I'd suggest you get it from Knives & Stones. Theirs are very well finished and comes with a beautiful handle. One of the best VG10 steels around, with praised grinds.

+1 fot the Itinomonn StainLess (stainless clad with semi stainless core) too.
Though it doesn't have any special finish so it could feel a little boring. Otherwise a very competent contender. (I so need to get one! :lol2

Syousin Suminigashi R2 by Shiro Kamo from K&S. The steel is probably the best in this group so far. The grind, profile, f&f, handle, all very good too. An interesting and different damascus finish so I'm not sure how that fits in the equation.

 

[CutFingers]

Tanaka are fantastic knives...imperfect, but so good at cutting. I also like the kikuichi elite...good knife...

Think about spending 100-150$ on the knife and addition 70$ on stones...basic king stones work good.

 

[daveb]

Three come to mind whenever I see requirements such as yours. Gesshin Uraku, Itinnomon Stainless, Tanaka VG10.

All three will be an order of magnitude above your Wustie. All three will ship free to you in States from forum vendors.

Good luck in your search.

 

[Keith Sinclair]

Another option is the Blueway Japan (E-Bay) Japanese Sakai Ichmonji Kichikuni blue core stainless clad nashiji pear finish. 240mm. The Ichii octagon handle is 155.99

Same knife oval wood handle is 138.99. Keiichi Omae has a couple left It is better for smaller hands comfortable. I like nashiji with hand carved kanji. It is a good looking blade that because of it's hand forged excellent geometry cuts as well as it looks.

 

[Matus]

Yoshikane SKD, some of the many PM steel knives (e.g Gesshin Kagero), HAP40 steel knives (Kotetsu makes some if I am not mistaken), or some of the stainless-clad aogami super knives (Masakage Koishi, Ikazuchi from JKI, Kurosaki from knives&stones, ...)

 

[LifeByA1000Cuts]

@Matus Kohetsu not Kotetsu Gihei seems to be the most prevalent HAP40 brand.

 

[Matus]

@Matus Kohetsu not Kotetsu Gihei seems to be the most prevalent HAP40 brand.

Thanks for the correction. I never noticed there were Kohetsu and also Kotetsu knives

BTW, Kotetsu looks interesting too, they use SG2 (R2) PM steel.

 

[LostHighway]

Thanks for all the suggestions, they included some names I was completely unfamiliar with. I'm still struggling with the decision, beyond price and "I like the look" finding the best compromise between something that is a a rather delicate razor and a knife built for prepping for a few hundred covers a night on the line isn't easy. I'm hoping to find something that can make those amazing lateral flick cuts but at the same time isn't all that fragile in the hands of someone still developing decent knife skills.

 

[foody518]

@Matus the Shibata Kotetsu R2 line of K-tip knives is from Takayuki Shibata, the knife sharpener for the Masakage knives

 

[JaVa]

Thanks for all the suggestions, they included some names I was completely unfamiliar with. I'm still struggling with the decision, beyond price and "I like the look" finding the best compromise between something that is a a rather delicate razor and a knife built for prepping for a few hundred covers a night on the line isn't easy. I'm hoping to find something that can make those amazing lateral flick cuts but at the same time isn't all that fragile in the hands of someone still developing decent knife skills.

Which ones are the most intriguing to you at the moment?
...and why?