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Qapla' said:
VG-10 steel is a bit controversial among forumites, but if that's something you like, then you might also find this to be of interest:
https://miuraknives.com/japanese-kn...d991-japanese-knife-zanmai.html#/36-size-24cm
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That's nice too, as are the $860 blades at MTC, lol That's difficult for me to comprehend. I feel like it should be a whole set for that price, lol

I like the one I mentioned because I prefer wood handles, the hammered look, and across Damascus layers. And the size. I'm used to a 12" chef knife. 7-8 is too short for my liking - as a chef knife. I think the 9.4 would be a good fit. I don't use my 12 much because it requires a big ass cutting board that I prefer not to drag out in a home kitchen, cooking for 2. I need to read up on types of steel, I didn't even consider that aspect.. my pick was mostly aesthetic.

I'm just dreaming though...

I'm in the process of getting approved for RFA treatments that will hopefully kill enough pain that I can get a PT job to supplement disability. SSDI pays about 1/4 of what I was making. These checks don't go far! I learned the hard way why you shouldn't get paid under the table for 10 years!
 
BrokenChef said:
That's nice too, as are the $860 blades at MTC, lol That's difficult for me to comprehend. I feel like it should be a whole set for that price, lol

I like the one I mentioned because I prefer wood handles, the hammered look, and across Damascus layers. And the size. I'm used to a 12" chef knife. 7-8 is too short for my liking - as a chef knife. I think the 9.4 would be a good fit. I don't use my 12 much because it requires a big ass cutting board that I prefer not to drag out in a home kitchen, cooking for 2. I need to read up on types of steel, I didn't even consider that aspect.. my pick was mostly aesthetic.

I'm just dreaming though...

I'm in the process of getting approved for RFA treatments that will hopefully kill enough pain that I can get a PT job to supplement disability. SSDI pays about 1/4 of what I was making. These checks don't go far! I learned the hard way why you shouldn't get paid under the table for 10 years!
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Not sure what you mean? From what I understood, you were looking for VG-10 damascus 240mm for under $200. The Sakai Takayuki 240mm you were looking at was $186. The Zanmai I was pointing out was 26400 JPY ~= $178.20 for a 240mm (i.e. 9.45" cutting-edge length, usually a substitute for a 10" chef's knife), so it's definitely within your budget as a possible alternative (though it doesn't have the hammered appearance, and it has a polymer handle rather than a stabilized-wooden one).

If you seek specifically a substitute for a 12" chef's knife, then I would look at 300mm (i.e. 11.81") gyuto's. Those are less common, but they're definitely out there. Definitely post up a recommendation request in the main forum.

More generally though, definitely take your time in shopping around, especially since you are stating that price is a very significant issue.
 
Qapla' said:
Not sure what you mean? From what I understood, you were looking for VG-10 damascus 240mm for under $200. The Sakai Takayuki 240mm you were looking at was $186. The Zanmai I was pointing out was 26400 JPY ~= $178.20 for a 240mm (i.e. 9.45" cutting-edge length, usually a substitute for a 10" chef's knife), so it's definitely within your budget as a possible alternative (though it doesn't have the hammered appearance, and it has a polymer handle rather than a stabilized-wooden one).

If you seek specifically a substitute for a 12" chef's knife, then I would look at 300mm (i.e. 11.81") gyuto's. Those are less common, but they're definitely out there. Definitely post up a recommendation request in the main forum.

More generally though, definitely take your time in shopping around, especially since you are stating that price is a very significant issue.
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Sorry if I misled you. My thread was about sharpening stones for my current knives - mostly Forschners.

Throughout the thread, MTC was mentioned and upon perusing the site for stones, I decided to look at knives... My comment said - "And I thought $200 was a lot for a knife" because I started this thread off by talking about $200 being an expensive knife.- I was referring to the knives listed for up to $860 as being way more expensive than my $200 guess. I simply posted a knife that I like from the site. It's $186 minus the 20% sale = $148. Still more than I can afford. As I said in the beginning I'm a disabled chef who never had the pleasure of using fine blades. A $50 Forschner was a lot in my mind.

At no point in time did I say I was looking to buy a knife, in fact, I said multiple times that I don't have the money for a $200 knife and that I'm relying on my mom to buy me a couple of stones for x-mas.

If you go back and follow my new ramblings from the beginning, you'll see how I asked for help because I know nothing about fine knives, types of metal, or even sharpening stones.

I apologize if what I said mesled you. I thought you had read the other posts and were following along.

Now I see others are chiming in with knife suggestions, lol
 
BrokenChef said:
Sorry if I misled you. My thread was about sharpening stones for my current knives - mostly Forschners.

At no point in time did I say I was looking to buy a knife, in fact, I said multiple times that I don't have the money for a $200 knife and that I'm relying on my mom to buy me a couple of stones for x-mas.
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Sorry about that; please disregard my posts then. The moderators can decide if my posts in the thread should be deleted/moved to another thread.
 
Qapla' said:
Sorry about that; please disregard my posts then. The moderators can decide if my posts in the thread should be deleted/moved to another thread.
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No worries... I was confused too.. couldn't figure out where all these recommendations were coming from, lol.

I do appreciate everyone's efforts to help me. This forum is incredible... Filled with great people!!
 
jedy617 said:
We should get this man a knife, I would chip in 10 for a takamura
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No need. I didn't want to say anything as to not call attention to this but since you said this, I'll say that some insanely generous member has already requested my mailing address. I believe they intend to send me a knife that was given to them to pass on to a hopeless gimp, lol

Can't even begin to express my gratitude! I look forward to more conversations with you gracious folks and learning all I can about knives and how to sharpen them!
 
"I'm here for the stones"

"Stones for what knife"

"Haven't got much knife at the moment tbh"

"You should buy knife. This knife. Nice knife"

"That is a really nice knife, but not really planning to spend at the moment"

"WE BUY YOU KNIFE"

"Really, it's OK"

"CHRISTMAS IS COMING TELL US WHERE U LIVE WE SEND U KNIFE NICE KNIFE"
 
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mengwong said:
"I'm here for the stones"

"Stones for what knife"

"Haven't got much knife at the moment tbh"

"You should buy knife. This knife. Nice knife"

"That is a really nice knife, but not really planning to spend at the moment"

"WE WILL BUY YOU KNIFE"

"Really, it's OK"

"CHRISTMAS IS COMING TELL US WHERE U LIVE WE WILL SEND KNIFE NICE KNIFE"


I'm in for $10 too but keeping the original requirement for stones in mind, why not start there? Unfortunately it looks like sharpeningsupplies.com doesn't have a gift voucher system, I wonder if anyone does.
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You will be assimilated. Resistance is futile.
 
mengwong said:
"I'm here for the stones"

"Stones for what knife"

"Haven't got much knife at the moment tbh"

"You should buy knife. This knife. Nice knife"

"That is a really nice knife, but not really planning to spend at the moment"

"WE WILL BUY YOU KNIFE"

"Really, it's OK"

"CHRISTMAS IS COMING TELL US WHERE U LIVE WE WILL SEND KNIFE NICE KNIFE"


I'm in for $10 too but keeping the original requirement for stones in mind, why not start there? Unfortunately it looks like sharpeningsupplies.com doesn't have a gift voucher system, I wonder if anyone does.
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Lol

I wanted stones for my (apparently crappy) knives. All these years, I thought I had decent knives. come to find out, there are people who wouldn't be caught dead with a Forschner in their hand, lol

I looked on Amazon and didn't like what I saw so I thought I'd join a forum and ask whats a good stone, I don't want to waste money on a garbage stone.

1 day on this forum and you mother forgers feel so bad about my ****** knives, that you're sending me a knife, taking up collections for another, and gifting me a membership.

I was blown away by the fact that so many people jumped on the chance to answer my questions and here you are turning me into a knife swallower.

I am beyond blown away!!!! I'm utterly shocked at the generosity here. It's honestly quite hard for me to understand.

I'm a 52yo disabled chef, living with my 76yo mom. I cook for 2 and I'm not even going to say what I use as my every day knife. Some of you would cry, others would burst into laughter...

As I said, one of the members here sent me a dm, saying other generous members gave him a knife to pass along to someone... Apparently to some poor broken chef using pathetic knives his whole life lol.

If you feel the need to buy me another, I clearly can't stop you, but the one knife I'm getting is really all I would need. I pretty much get by with 2 knives... Paring and I'm not even going to say what I've been using as my main blade. I am not sure what the knife is that's being sent to me. So maybe talk to daveb and if you still insist on a second, make it a paring knife. I'd be beyond ecstatic with second hand blades. I don't know steel types so I don't have the slightest idea what I would "want". The blade I posted, I liked purely for aesthetics.. I haven't the slightest idea what V10 is... 10mg Valium would be my first guess, if I didn't know from other comments that it refers to steel.

daveb has my name/address, and my permission to pass it on for the sake of this discussion. If he's not comfortable with that, DM me and I'll provide it again. I don't feel comfortable posting it publicly in a thread.

One more THANK YOU!! YOU GUYS ARE INCREDIBLE!!!
 
Awwwwwwwwwwe Yeah baby!!!!!

Getting 2 dental implants tomorrow, thanks to Donated Dental, then I have a ton of reading to do before I start messing up some blades.

Can I at least see the books you all are running on the results of my first attempt to sharpen a blade? Lol

Put me down for $50 that it turns out as duller than a butter knife. 😂😜

IMG_20231127_175443406~2.jpg
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BrokenChef said:
Awwwwwwwwwwe Yeah baby!!!!!

Getting 2 dental implants tomorrow, thanks to Donated Dental, then I have a ton of reading to do before I start messing up some blades.

Can I at least see the books you all are running on the results of my first attempt to sharpen a blade? Lol

Put me down for $50 that it turns out as duller than a butter knife. 😂😜

View attachment 284799View attachment 284800
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🫶 SG 500
 
Leave the SP and the SG8000 in another room, you won't need them for a bit.

Toss the edge thingy in the bin.

Watch the JKI Utuber from his playlist at Knife Sharpening Playlist

Have at it with the SG500. You'll soon reach the first milestone towards proficiency - the knife will be sharper when you're done than it was when you started. Then (and only then) splash the SP1000 and give it a go.
 
mengwong said:
Had to get it out of my system, hope I'll never touch this subject again lol

But it kinda does explain why my straight razor doesn't get along with my SG16k
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Chisels and plane irons.

You can sharpen 1-2k, then jump straight to 16k. Because it cuts so fast for the grit, you go from edge repair straight to a finish that is so good, you don't need to sand the wood after. You get a reflective finish.

The overall process time saving can be huge. Wouldn't want to rub the chisel on my face, but it's got a great use case in cabinetry.

Short vid.



More detail, 1k vs 16k finish



Ok now I have it out of my system too 🙈
 
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Wasn't sure where to post this...

A few months back I was gifted some used stones.

I just wanted to throw out another THANK YOU!!!

After watching MANY videos and reading several articles, I managed to bring back to life several blades from the bottom of my toolbox.

I'm a bit shocked that I didn't make them worse and at how little effort it took. They certainly aren't razor sharp, but sharp enough to use again.

One old filet knife lasted about a month of home use and I'm about to give it another run on the stones.

My mom was volunteering at the church food pantry. The church sold the property they were using so they had to clear out the freezers. I don't know where it came from but she come home with a 22# PRIME strip loin. It's frozen solid so while it defrosts the next couple days, I'll be sharpening some blades!

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