MetricRG
Member
LOCATION
Canada
KNIFE TYPE
What type of knife are you interested in (e.g., chefs knife, slicer, boning knife, utility knife, bread knife, paring knife, cleaver)?
Bunka
Are you right or left handed?
Right
Are you interested in a Western handle (e.g., classic Wusthof handle) or Japanese handle?
Japanese Handle
What length of knife (blade) are you interested in (in inches or millimeters)?
165mm/170mm
Do you require a stainless knife? (Yes or no)
Yes
What is your absolute maximum budget for your knife?
Aiming for less than $400CAD realistically, but could stretch up to $1,000CAD if it came with a good enough story to convince my wife
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.)
General veggie prep, slicing fruit, general meat prep (no bones)
What knife, if any, are you replacing?
Filling a gap between a 240mm gyuto and ~110mm petty
Do you have a particular grip that you primarily use? (Please click on this LINK for the common types of grips.)
Pinch
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, Slice, Drawing
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)?
Love the look of hammered finishes, Damascus can be very beautiful as well (though I've seen some references to it interfering with food release??)
Comfort (e.g., lighter/heavier knife; better handle material; better handle shape; rounded spine/choil of the knife; improved balance)?
Balance a bit blade heavy, lighter knife overall, rounded spine/choil and general comfort for pinch grip
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)?
Good food release, can be sharpened without master-level skills (willing to practice and improve), low reactivity
Edge Retention (i.e., length of time you want the edge to last without sharpening)?
High edge retention, low chance of chipping when used with care (not going to hit bone or ice, not going to use glass or other horrible cutting surfaces)
KNIFE MAINTENANCE
Do you use a bamboo, wood, rubber, or synthetic cutting board? (Yes or no.)
Yes
Do you sharpen your own knives? (Yes or no.)
Yes, but could definitely improve
If not, are you interested in learning how to sharpen your knives? (Yes or no.)
Yes - happy to practice/learn
Are you interested in purchasing sharpening products for your knives? (Yes or no.)
I have a series of water stones, exact grit unsure because I just moved and they're still in a box somewhere.
SPECIAL REQUESTS/COMMENTS
I have a sort of emergent tradition of getting a new knife each time we move and set up a new home, so looking for something that will last and be used regularly. Interested in a bunka because of the length and I just find the overall look really appealing.
I was looking at Kurosaki and Kato knives, but before pulling the trigger I figured I'd ask to see what people here might recommend. I'm a bit worried about what I don't know. Skimming the forums I've seen comments about 3rd party vendors selling poor examples of these smiths' work, somewhat hidden "gotchas" around whether a knife was rolled or hammer forged etc.
Canada
KNIFE TYPE
What type of knife are you interested in (e.g., chefs knife, slicer, boning knife, utility knife, bread knife, paring knife, cleaver)?
Bunka
Are you right or left handed?
Right
Are you interested in a Western handle (e.g., classic Wusthof handle) or Japanese handle?
Japanese Handle
What length of knife (blade) are you interested in (in inches or millimeters)?
165mm/170mm
Do you require a stainless knife? (Yes or no)
Yes
What is your absolute maximum budget for your knife?
Aiming for less than $400CAD realistically, but could stretch up to $1,000CAD if it came with a good enough story to convince my wife
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.)
General veggie prep, slicing fruit, general meat prep (no bones)
What knife, if any, are you replacing?
Filling a gap between a 240mm gyuto and ~110mm petty
Do you have a particular grip that you primarily use? (Please click on this LINK for the common types of grips.)
Pinch
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, Slice, Drawing
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)?
Love the look of hammered finishes, Damascus can be very beautiful as well (though I've seen some references to it interfering with food release??)
Comfort (e.g., lighter/heavier knife; better handle material; better handle shape; rounded spine/choil of the knife; improved balance)?
Balance a bit blade heavy, lighter knife overall, rounded spine/choil and general comfort for pinch grip
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)?
Good food release, can be sharpened without master-level skills (willing to practice and improve), low reactivity
Edge Retention (i.e., length of time you want the edge to last without sharpening)?
High edge retention, low chance of chipping when used with care (not going to hit bone or ice, not going to use glass or other horrible cutting surfaces)
KNIFE MAINTENANCE
Do you use a bamboo, wood, rubber, or synthetic cutting board? (Yes or no.)
Yes
Do you sharpen your own knives? (Yes or no.)
Yes, but could definitely improve
If not, are you interested in learning how to sharpen your knives? (Yes or no.)
Yes - happy to practice/learn
Are you interested in purchasing sharpening products for your knives? (Yes or no.)
I have a series of water stones, exact grit unsure because I just moved and they're still in a box somewhere.
SPECIAL REQUESTS/COMMENTS
I have a sort of emergent tradition of getting a new knife each time we move and set up a new home, so looking for something that will last and be used regularly. Interested in a bunka because of the length and I just find the overall look really appealing.
I was looking at Kurosaki and Kato knives, but before pulling the trigger I figured I'd ask to see what people here might recommend. I'm a bit worried about what I don't know. Skimming the forums I've seen comments about 3rd party vendors selling poor examples of these smiths' work, somewhat hidden "gotchas" around whether a knife was rolled or hammer forged etc.