Price vs performance differential

[Nagakin]

I like sub-$200 lasers a lot, but haven't tried any thicc bois in that range admittedly. If I did it'd be between Munetoshi or Wakui.

A benefit to spending a bit more in the beginning though is that you'll usually get more of your money back outside of COVID circumstances.

I have knives from BST that I'd never buy new and am I'm definitely the 3rd-5th owner of. They were meant to be caught/released as I tried them out but...that's the danger.

Even if it's well used in a pro setting, as long as you're transparent and there are no surprises, someone will be more than happy to save some $$ and refinish it as a hobby.

 

[panda]

getting a 100 dollar knife is absolutely worth the investment if that is all you can afford. it will still beat the piss out of anything else's youre used to.
https://www.korin.com/japanese-knives/brands/togiharu/togiharu-inox-steel
sure you can get a nicer one for twice the cost, but for now, get the cheaper one. the experience is half the process..

 

[henkle]

Thanks, everyone. Great advice.

 

[Dendrobatez]

For me personally I had to use a lot of knives I didnt like and then figure out why before I knew how to spot one online. When I first started out I had to buy 4 or 5 essential knives for work so they had to be cheap, over time they all get replaced with "better" knives. If i got something more expensive to start with I'd probably have ruined it before my skills caught up.
I could probably spend the rest of my career in the $200-400 knife range. That doesn't mean I don't spend less or more on one but it's a sweet spot for my needs/wants.

 

[daddy yo yo]

200-400$ sounds quite right to me too, with only very few exceptions below 200.

I don’t know if there is any step one can skip. I mean, when you start with knives between 100 and 200$, you can find very good knives (Misono Dragon definitely is one) that will make you happy for the rest of your life as long as you don’t dig deeper into that rabbit hole.

Having tried many, many knives from basically all price ranges between 80 and 4,000$, my preferred price range is 200-400$. For me that is the sweet spot. One can find knives in that price range which will stay for the rest of your life, yet those knives are still „cheap“ enough that you will actually use them. Because one crucial point for me with more expensive knives is that I tend to baby them, keep them in a drawer, and in the end, the knives which get used most are those below 400$...

 

[henkle]

OK my take is you just have to pull the trigger and learn. I'm about 5 minutes from going with this one. Go or no???
https://www.aframestokyo.com/tesshu-wa-gyuto-210mm-white-ii-steel-nashiji-japanese-chef-kn210.html

 

[Viggetorr]

Go

 

[TRPV4]

go

 

[Chicagohawkie]

OK my take is you just have to pull the trigger and learn. I'm about 5 minutes from going with this one. Go or no???
https://www.aframestokyo.com/tesshu-wa-gyuto-210mm-white-ii-steel-nashiji-japanese-chef-kn210.html

Make sure you contact takeshi and get a thin one, some of these are beastly.

 

[backdoc]

That’s a really good knife. I have the wa handled version as a beater, and you can beat the hell out of it. My wife uses it to cut cakes on ceramic, I’ll use it to cut really crusty stuff, and possibly half frozen stuff once in a blue moon. It has never once even microchipped. And yet somehow it holds a decent edge. A+

Edit: oh, sorry, you linked to the Gesshin stainless. I was talking about the Uraku, which is $150 or so. I haven’t personally tried the stainless, but many people rave about it, so I think that’s a really great buy too.

BTW, price wasn't the issue for me. I was focused on practicality. I have been and am still willing to spend $200-$300 (ideally the lower end of that range). I chose the Gesshin Stainless because wanted to "step up" from my el cheapo knives. "Step up" is the ambiguous phrase we seem to all have different definitions for. But, for me, it meant a knife that won't fight me when I sharpen it, in other words, if I use good technique sharpening, the knife will behave as one would expect. And, I didn't want something too finicky to use as a daily driver. I don't cook food that requires a lot of knife work, especially the skills professionals require. A lot of my knife cutting needs are quick 5 or 10 min jobs a couple of times a week. When I do need a knife, I don't want to have to ask myself, "will I damage my new knife cutting this?". Plus, it's what Jon had in stock .

 

[henkle]

So somehow my Wakui got lost in the mail (thanks, new USPS postmaster). Happily, received a refund from the seller so went down to King Tak in HK (thanks for the rec @TRPV4) and picked up a TF Nashiji 210 gyuto instead. Was looking carefully at the Makoto Kurosaki SG2 (very nice feel and finish) but succumbed to the TF mystique.

 

[TRPV4]

alan allowed you to pick up a tf?! you checked for grind issues yeah?

 

[henkle]

alan allowed you to pick up a tf?! you checked for grind issues yeah?

I'm a rookie as you know. My understanding of the grind is somewhat limited. The knife seemed pretty "even" to me - no obvious inconsistencies - but I'm not really sure what to look for. Basically just pulled the trigger to check it out. Did like that Makoto, though.

 

[TRPV4]

that's alright then, as long as you took a good look! even if it turns out to be wonky, you can fix that yourself like tonnes of others here. good knife, enjoy.