Oh no, I went over board, choosing 2 out of 3

[elisa]

I go through phases where I like to cook then I don't. I grew up with and cook mostly meat and potatoes meals but have been trying other recipes that are new. Then I decided to update my apartment days knives, wow what a difference but now I've gone over board and must choose.

I've included a pic of the knives I have and have to choose which two to keep. Since I do a lot of dicing veggies I do keep reaching for the Nakiri but also like a rocker. I also have the Kramer chef which I really like. It doesn't make sense to keep them all. I know it's a personal thing but each has their benefit but I can't decide.

View attachment 76650 I

 

[Runner_up]

The two on the left.

 

[minibatataman]

Which Kramer chef's do you have? And honestly since you have that, neither the santoku nor the chefs knife have much added value. IMHO you're better off sending both of those back. If you like nakiris keep that one, and then see what else you need depending on what you cook

 

[ExistentialHero]

The two on the left.

Agreed. The santoku/bunka on the right is trying to split the difference between the gyuto and the nakiri; if you were only picking one knife, that might be better, but if you're taking two I'd take the ones that are the farthest apart so each can be better at what it's good at.

 

[elisa]

Which Kramer chef's do you have? And honestly since you have that, neither the santoku nor the chefs knife have much added value. IMHO you're better off sending both of those back. If you like nakiris keep that one, and then see what else you need depending on what you cook

I have the Kramer Chef 8". It feels so serious when using on heavier foods.

 

[bahamaroot]

...It doesn't make sense to keep them all...

You obviously don't realize who you're talking too.

 

[elisa]

You obviously don't realize who you're talking too.

LOL, I'm glad you said that. Who would have thought I'd would like knives other than for function. But I do feel guilty so I have to make a decision, which knives make sense to keep.

 

[panda]

get rid of all 4, there are better knives to be had

 

[Danzo]

Lol

 

[soigne_west]

Panda always says the stuff I’m thinking in my head, but don’t cause I’m trying to be polite.

 

[elisa]

 

[Qapla']

get rid of all 4, there are better knives to be had

Panda always says the stuff I’m thinking in my head, but don’t cause I’m trying to be polite.

OP: Miyabi's tend not to be very highly regarded on this forum because knives of similar steels are often available at better prices. (I can't say anything either way about them myself since I've never owned or used one.) Maybe you could give us a better idea of what you're looking for in the knives, so people can point you to ones that'd best suit your intended purpose?

LOL, I'm glad you said that. Who would have thought I'd would like knives other than for function. But I do feel guilty so I have to make a decision, which knives make sense to keep.

Some of the silly responses you've been getting on this thread are jokes along the lines of "We're a knife-knut community, we're all going to drive you to buy and keep more knives.". However, if this is a matter of returning stuff to stay under a given budget, such a concern is not at all unreasonable. Can you tell us what you would seek in a knife that you're not getting from your main chef's-knife?

 

[elisa]

OP: Miyabi's tend not to be very highly regarded on this forum because knives of similar steels are often available at better prices. (I can't say anything either way about them myself since I've never owned or used one.) Maybe you could give us a better idea of what you're looking for in the knives, so people can point you to ones that'd best suit your intended purpose?


Some of the silly responses you've been getting on this thread are jokes along the lines of "We're a knife-knut community, we're all going to drive you to buy and keep more knives.". However, if this is a matter of returning stuff to stay under a given budget, such a concern is not at all unreasonable. Can you tell us what you would seek in a knife that you're not getting from your main chef's-knife?

Thanks for your answer. I'm not a big cook but have been enjoying it more lately. I use the most is the Nakiri since I cut/dice a lot of vegetables and was able to use discount codes to buy it.

 

[soigne_west]

Just keep the ones you think you'll use the most and feel most comfortable with. Were a spoiled bunch here. In reality those knives have better steel, better fit and finish and will stay sharper than 95% of the knives out there in the world.

 

[pentryumf]

Just my 2¢ but if you got the nakiri for a song and you enjoy using it, keep it. Ditch the santoku it's redundant, the kramer is heavy.
In a year reevaluate and sell the gyuto if you find another good deal. The nakiri was my first quality purchase and is still my goto, along with a honesuki.

 

[daddy yo yo]

Those Miyabis have never spoken to me. Either have Kramer knives, or the Zwilling equivalents. I have had one, and I think it is chubby and ugly and the curve in the blade is awkward...

But tastes and preferences are different. I could easily choose one (!) of the 4 knives you have and get rid of the other 3: the Miyabi gyuto seems to be the most versatile knife.

But I really enjoy the idea of getting rid of all 4, and choosing 1-3 knives (a gyuto, a petty, and a nakiri if you need one).

When I jumped into that rabbit hole, I had a Yaxell Ran santoku and thought it was the hell of a knife and loved it. Now I know better. And I still have that Yaxell knife as a beater: frozen and half-Frozen food, hard produce, meat with bones. I don’t care about that knife anymore...

But whatever you do, always enjoy what you have!

 

[Nagakin]

With a discount Miyabi are a nice gateway. My first jknife was the 240mm SG2 gyuto for $160 and that carried me through hell and back before giving it away. Comfortable to use and beyond thin. My complaint is that the food release is terrible...thin and flat is a bad combo for most volume work. Also, compared to something with an actual grind there's a steering problem because of blade flex. Cracking is nonexistent though because of the short height.

Near the end of my use this knife had a weird place in my bag as a melon peeler. Since it bent so much it was perfect for skinning anything huge. Took the edge down a bit and never had chipping issues. For my purposes, I honestly really miss it as a beater.

My advice is to keep the nakiri and sell the others. There is an aesthetic to the birchwood series that's satisfying and if you're happy with it hold onto the cheapest one you'll use, then invest in some suggestions the other guys here will give you.

 

[Qapla']

Just my 2¢ but if you got the nakiri for a song and you enjoy using it, keep it. Ditch the santoku it's redundant, the kramer is heavy.
In a year reevaluate and sell the gyuto if you find another good deal. The nakiri was my first quality purchase and is still my goto, along with a honesuki.

Those Miyabis have never spoken to me. Either have Kramer knives, or the Zwilling equivalents. I have had one, and I think it is chubby and ugly and the curve in the blade is awkward...

But tastes and preferences are different. I could easily choose one (!) of the 4 knives you have and get rid of the other 3: the Miyabi gyuto seems to be the most versatile knife.

But I really enjoy the idea of getting rid of all 4, and choosing 1-3 knives (a gyuto, a petty, and a nakiri if you need one).

OP: To give you an idea of what they mean, for the price of one Kramer R2/SG2 damascus 8" chef's-knife ($399) you could instead buy a Kanjo Kori R2/SG2 210mm gyuto ($240) and a Takamura R2/SG2 150mm petty knife ($130). Other possible alternatives might've been a Takamura Pro 240mm gyuto ($380), or a Ryusen Blazen 210mm gyuto ($340).

However, in making those examples, I am still making some assumptions. I have no idea how the design and performance aspects of the Kramer vis-a-vis other R2/SG2 knives work, nor the fit/finish aspects of the others vis-a-vis that of the Kramer. Or perhaps you're left-handed and that makes a western-made knife like a Kramer a better idea. I also do not know the resale value you might expect to get off the other knives if you have in fact used them.

 

[AFKitchenknivesguy]

As the owner of Kramer originals and of the remakes, great choice!

 

[drsmp]

I’ve owned and enjoyed the Miyabi Birchwoods as well as the Kramer chef. For me the Kramer was too tall so I sold it. I had the Birchwoods for 4 years - comfortable handles, good looking knives, they never chipped and held an edge forever. The SG2 is a nice low maintenance steel, light stropping on waterstones was all I needed to keep them sharp. The 8” chef was my most used knife - I primarily push cut.
To answer your question in addition to keeping the nakiri , if you’re a push cutter keep the Miyabi chef if you rock the Santoku. Bought on sale the Miyabis are a good balance of value, aesthetics and durability. Most here don’t like them (probably a lot haven’t used them) but they are exponentially better than the majority of knives sold outside of speciality knife stores.

 

[elisa]

Thank you for replying. Qapla I'm not crazy about western handles but thanks for the suggestions. Are there any other suggestions? Is it price that fm don't like or can blades actually be better? I don't want carbon steal. Although I always have and will continue to take care of knives I'm not sure I want to do the maintenance that carbon blades would require.

Just for reference below is the price I paid for each knife listed (the others are not used and are boxed and ready for return):
Miyabi Birchwood Chef: $161.00 (used/test on veggies 1x)
Miyabi Birchwood Nakiri: $206.99 (used about 10x)
Kramer 8" Chef: $289.19 (used-tested on veggies 1-3x)

I got the Kramer because I did want one western type knife but although beautiful it is expensive. I am debating on returning it although I like how it feels when using

I'd like to get a petty knife. Any suggestions?

 

[Brian Weekley]

I’m thinking that attitudes towards some knives are somewhat influenced by the type of user. As a home chef I’m not in a hurry (mostly) to prep anything. Generally I cook for one or two and very occasionally up to 16. I take my time to adapt to the knife or knives that I’m using. I prefer fully reactive blades and will clean and dry a blade before I set it down. I enjoy adjusting my style to the knife I’m using.

Many members here are professionals in the food industry. Understandably they are very particular about the knives they use as their knife is a tool to be used constantly under the pressure of time. The knife they naturally choose must conform to their preferences. It’s probably easy and reasonable for them to dislike anything that doesn’t meet their personal preferences and standards.

I have many knives in my collection that many professionals would undoubtedly sneer at with contempt. Wustoff’s, Zwilling’s, Victorinox’s, Dalstrong etc. I have a large list of knives that possibly some professionals would happily like to have in their collection. I use and like them all. If I crack a lobster I reach for a Victorinox. Partially frozen food or the risk of bone or cartilage, I reach for a Wustoff, crusty bread I reach for my Zwilling bread knife. If I’m in a hurry and need to quickly prep something for a meal that is in the process of being served ... I often reach for a Myabi Black Santoku which I keep in my permanent block. I rotate my knives through. Right now I have two Carter’s, a Takeda, a Newham And a Catchside in my permanent block. I’m playing with Bloodroot and Lisch Gyutos at present and have a long list of new knives that are awaiting their welcome to the family meal.

Because I am a home cook I can take the time and love all my knives whether professionals here like them or not.

There is absolutely nothing wrong with your Myabi’s and Kramer. They can all be satisfying knives to a home cook. Personally I would keep them all and cautiously add some of the knives you see on BST which have been used by the Pros. My observation is that many of the Pros change knife preferences as fast as I have been accused of changing wives. Often they sell great knives on BST at a substantial discount to retail as BNIB ... brand new in the box. They’ve changed their minds before they have even used a knife.

Don’t listen to the naysayers. Collect your knives for your reasons and enjoy every one of them. When you can, develop your freehand sharpening skills. From the number of knife sharpening vans that I used to see driving the streets (pre-pandemic) there are quite a few Pros who are so busy they can’t understandably even find the time to sharpen their own knives.

 

[elisa]

Good point Brian, I don't know how cooks do it, cooking for so many in a short time. I am very slow about slicing, dicing and cooking. I'm even slower when clean up. DH has been great, most times he cleans up after dinner and I love it. It makes me want to cook more often.

 

[elisa]

I bought a Kramer bread knife (I have to be careful, I'm very visual, it's not my fault the looks made me take it home never used and based on fm comments making sense it is boxed up and ready to return. After moving past the looks, yep, how often will I use it and being serrated ...). I'm thinking the santoku isn't going to make the cut either (repetition)

On a side note, my knives before this were Zwilling (since around 2000). They were good knives but without the care (sharpening as they should be), once I got a feel for what a knife should be capable of doing I want to replace them. Thank you for your opinions and letting me talk the decision out. Going round and round just wasn't working.

So now I will need an inexpensive bread knife (no hurry) and a petty knife. Before I spend another dollar do you have suggestions on either.

 

[ExistentialHero]

Tojiro has a $20 bread knife that's spectacular: crazy sharp out of the box, thin enough to use for cutting cake layers, and cheap enough that you won't feel bad replacing it in five or ten years when it starts to dull.

 

[Gregmega]

Sometimes I think fondly back on my early days, and how one or two stainless beasts ruled the kitchen. Life was simpler. Chipping a knife was tectonic event. Brunoise to butchery, with a single blade. And some days I think ‘I’m gonna sell all these ridiculous knives and go back to my roots...’, like yesterday when I broke down 3 cases of chicken. Sell them all off and go back to a Tanaka ironwood. Or 3. No harm in these knives, most of us started with something similar. Veg knife chef knife pairing knife. All you really need.

 

[SeattleBen]

I’ll beat the drum of the victorinox wavy for bread all day long. Mine’s still going strong more than a decade later 3/4 of it’s life was in a pro setting.

 

[Gregmega]

I’ll beat the drum of the victorinox wavy for bread all day long. Mine’s still going strong more than a decade later 3/4 of it’s life was in a pro setting.

One of my old chefs swore by the Vnox half serrated chef knife. Bread business up front and brunoise party in the rear. Once it wore out, buy a new one. 30 bucks and boom.

 

[elisa]

.oops please delete