Moving into my own place and want to get a good all around chef's knife.

[iusedtocook]

So a number of years ago I was a sous chef at a nice for the area restaurant and since then I've loved cooking. I graduated college and am getting my first place, so that means I'm in the market for pretty much all my kitchen stuff, but particularly knives. What I'm looking for help with is a good chef's knife that I can use for most of my cutting. I'm looking to spend $200 or less.

LOCATION
What country are you in?
Minnesota, 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)?
Chef's

Are you right or left handed?
Right

Are you interested in a Western handle (e.g., classic Wusthof handle) or Japanese handle?
Probably Japanese, but its more the blade I'm concerned with.

What length of knife (blade) are you interested in (in inches or millimeters)?
8 inches

Do you require a stainless knife? (Yes or no)
Open to all options

What is your absolute maximum budget for your knife?
250 USD but would prefer under 200


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 and chopping vegetables, slicing and trimming meats and poultry

What knife, if any, are you replacing?
None

Do you have a particular grip that you primarily use? (Please click on this LINK for the common types of grips.)
Pinch and some Hammer

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, Rock, Slice, and Walk

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 (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)?
I do like the look of a damascus blade

Comfort (e.g., lighter/heavier knife; better handle material; better handle shape; rounded spine/choil of the knife; improved balance)?
light and nimble

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)?


Edge Retention (i.e., length of time you want the edge to last without sharpening)?
Would like something that holds a good edge, but I'm fine with honing regularly.


KNIFE MAINTENANCE
Do you use a bamboo, wood, rubber, or synthetic cutting board? (Yes or no.)
Also needing to pick up a cutting board, any recommendations?

Do you sharpen your own knives? (Yes or no.)
I have in the past.

If not, are you interested in learning how to sharpen your knives? (Yes or no.)
Yes

Are you interested in purchasing sharpening products for your knives? (Yes or no.)
Yes



SPECIAL REQUESTS/COMMENTS

Thanks for any and all help ladies and gentlemen!!

 

[ThEoRy]

Gesshin Gonbei hammered damascus wa gyuto if in stock.

 

[JBroida]

210mm's are out currently... 240mm's are in stock still

 

[havox07]

Tanaka 240mm from knivesandstones, could get stainless or a blue 2 which has a damascus effect to it, and nicer fit and finish.

 

[goatgolfer]

I learned the hard way that the knife is just the gateway (as pleasant as it is until dull). The beginner budget recommendation should include 1) a way to keep the knife honed 2) a way to get it sharp regularly (stone, bucket, friend, pro) 3) a way to keep it from getting hurt by use (cutting surface) and a reminder of proper maintenance (wash, wipe and dry, store away from children and harder things). Without a link to the complete kit it is having the Porsche without insurance, gas and a place to drive it. Then the knife that still meets the budget. Obviously, the kit won't need to be repeated for every knife and we can assume they have at least one sink... ya think?

 

[sharptools]

I saw you said light and nimble. Not sure if you like lasers but in that range you can get a Gesshin Ginga. I have the stainless version in 210mm. Great F&F and cuts everything like butter. It is nice to have stainless for your only (for now) go to knife.

It is a little over 200. If your $250 budget includes getting stones, then this may not be the best choice.

 

[gic]

If you like the profile, Kramer essential

 

[Godslayer]

If you like the profile, Kramer essential

Thats what my mom has, 8 inch I pad 200 cad and its a great knife.

 

[richard]

I'm a big fan of the Kramer Essential, but I'd have to say it doesn't exactly pass the "light and nimble" criteria the OP is looking for. It has a bit of heft, weighing in at 8.8 oz for an 8" knife puts it a tad heavier than my 240 mm gyutos. I would consider the typical weight of a 210 mm gyuto around 6.5 - 7.5 oz, with 5-6 oz being the weight for one that considered light n its size. However I would describe it in a way that the great balance and large comfortable handle makes you think it's a lot lighter and nimbler than its actual weight. But the extra heft (in combination with its pretty thin geometry and excellent cutting performance) comes in handy when you can in some cases more easily tackle larger jobs where a typical 8" or 210 mm would feel more awkward, breaking down and shredding a large cabbage for example. However, it's nimble enough that I can also use it to do fine brunoise cut, though it's a little bit of an adjustment getting used to the higher tip with the Kramer's profile. I'd recommend seeing if you can find a Sur la Table near you where you can try this knife out and see if you like it.

 

[richard]

This got poo-pooed a bit by some other members in another thread when I suggested it, but I'll bring up again as a suggestion the Sakai Takayuki 33-layer Damascus 210 mm gyuto, especially since the OP is partial to damascus. It's pretty light and balanced (around 6.7 oz) without being too light, and has pretty good geometry and cutting performance from the VG-10 core steel. Compared to the 17-layer damascus model, it's an upgrade not just to the cosmetic cladding, but it also has better overall fit and finish. The handle and bolster are nicer, and the spine while still sharp, is not as ridiculously sharp as on the 17-layer. It's on sale right now for just $107 + shipping at Hocho Knife, leaving the poster some money to say buy some stones!

The Takamura R2 210 mm gyuto is also a killer choice, though I'm not sure if I had only one gyuto, whether I would want to have something so light and thin as the Takamura and not having something more substantial to switch to...

 

[gic]

Mcusta Zanmai is a nice blingy knife in the OP price range

 

[j22582536]

Since you want damascus, good edge retention, and for home use, I will go with Yaxell Gou 8-inch Chef's Knife. It has SG2 core steel (HRC63)+101 layer damascus, and I think stainless steel is a better choice for home use. The price is about $210.

Cutting board: anything except bamboo.

Sharpening: 1000 + 5000 grit whetstones are good enough. I don't recommend honing steel.

 

[richard]

Good suggestions both the Zanmai and the Yaxell Gou...though I'm wondering about the Gou and if you (or someone) has firsthand experience with it. I've had experience with a Yaxell Ran santoku, which is similar in the handle and construction but with VG-10, and I found that knife very handle-heavy, with the balance point at least 1/2 inch behind the bolster or so. How is the weight/balance on the Gou 8"?

 

[iusedtocook]

Thanks everyone for all of the input, some beautiful knives listed. I ended up making a trip to a local Wusthof dealer that also has a small selection of Japanese knives, I wanted to hold a few knives and see what I like the feel of. While there I found something I absolutely feel in love with, a Kikuichi santoku wa handle. I realize that it wasn't quite the 8' knife I was originally looking for but hey it feels amazing and for me that's a big deal. In the next couple months I plan on picking up gyuto and a nicer petty knife around 135mm. I am still looking for cutting board suggestions if anybody can help there. Basically am I just looking for something soft so as to not damage the edge?


http://www.metrokitchen.com/product/kikuichi-7in-warikomi-damascus-santoku-knife Knife I bought, I got it on a sale price at the store, still slightly over budget, but oh well.

 

[chinacats]

I am still looking for cutting board suggestions if anybody can help there. Basically am I just looking for something soft so as to not damage the edge?

http://www.metrokitchen.com/product/kikuichi-7in-warikomi-damascus-santoku-knife Knife I bought, I got it on a sale price at the store, still slightly over budget, but oh well.

Congrats on the knife, hope you enjoy! As to the board, check out some of the boards by Boardsmith...you can find his subforum here. It is by far my best cutting board and the prices are reasonable for top quality gear.

Cheers

 

[iusedtocook]

Congrats on the knife, hope you enjoy! As to the board, check out some of the boards by Boardsmith...you can find his subforum here. It is by far my best cutting board and the prices are reasonable for top quality gear.

Cheers

Are the boarsmith boards double sided? If I'm cutting raw meat or poultry on it can I just flip it over and use the other side to cut my veggies? I know some cheaper boards I see have "feet" for lack of a better word on the bottom. I'm hoping these are just flat on both sides.


EDIT: Ignore that I found my answer.

 

[j22582536]

Good suggestions both the Zanmai and the Yaxell Gou...though I'm wondering about the Gou and if you (or someone) has firsthand experience with it. I've had experience with a Yaxell Ran santoku, which is similar in the handle and construction but with VG-10, and I found that knife very handle-heavy, with the balance point at least 1/2 inch behind the bolster or so. How is the weight/balance on the Gou 8"?

I own a gou 10", here is the weight balance picture:

 

[daveb]

Re Boardsmith WHen I bought mine they came with feet. Particularly good looking feet. But the buyer had a "no feet" option. I don't like lugging the board to the sink so I drop a lightweight board on top of mine for proteirns - then wash it.

 

[richard]

I own a gou 10", here is the weight balance picture:

Thanks for that info...I'm not surprised the 10" chef is well balanced, though I strongly suspect that the 8" chef will be balanced a bit handle-heavy, since Yaxell (also like Shun, Miyabi, Kasumi) use the same sized handle for their 8" and 10" chef knives. If that wasn't the case, I'd be strongly tempted to try out the 8" chef, especially at that price.

I notice the Miyabi Artisan in the background (I have an 8" as well), curious how do you like it vs the Gou? I'm guessing the handle comfort is pretty similar, but how about other aspects?

 

[richard]

Congrats on the knife! Also a tip since you are stocking up your kitchen in your own place to not overlook Craigslist. I recently bought a pretty nice Kitchenaid food processor pretty cheap locally, and I see a number of other ones being sold, most of them hardly used or some even new in the box (sometimes unwanted gift, or never got around to using it, etc.)

 

[Keith Sinclair]

For cutting board The Kodai Hinoki Cypress on Amazon will be easy on your knives. Don't get the ultra thin the 1" thick boards are the best. I use it as Dave does on top of my boardsmith. You can use it as a stand alone board it is double side. Even has Pig Fish Chicken logo on one side and Vegetables on the other. Free Shipping

 

[iusedtocook]

I never thought of Craigslist, Thanks for the tip!!

 

[richard]

Thanks for that info...I'm not surprised the 10" chef is well balanced, though I strongly suspect that the 8" chef will be balanced a bit handle-heavy, since Yaxell (also like Shun, Miyabi, Kasumi) use the same sized handle for their 8" and 10" chef knives. If that wasn't the case, I'd be strongly tempted to try out the 8" chef, especially at that price.

Just saw a forum member review for the 8" Yaxell Ran, which is constructed similarly to the Gou, and as I suspected he wasn't happy with the handle-heavy balance on the 8".

http://www.kitchenknifeforums.com/showthread.php/23647-Yaxell-Ran-chef-knife-8-inch-36000-review