WTB Reliable knives under $200 apiece

[NickMinton]

Hi all,

There’s a significant chance that I’ll be helping several restaurants with knife sharpening and maintenance, some of them may be higher end places that have high level service.

As such, it’s been suggested to me that I should have a bit of a stable of knives to swap in to chefs if I’m gonna take their knives to sharpen.

I realize I could buy a few Tojiro DP’s and call it a day but I figured I’d see what out here

1. I would lean towards mid weight or workhorse profile as these will be used in service, some fast paced

2. I’m flexible on the metal as long as it’s not crazy hard to sharpen or crazy reactive. If you’ve got stainless, all the better

TIA

 

[tostadas]

What size?

 

[iimi]

Tsunehisa's AUS10 line is pretty nice for the money. Kanehide stainless, too.

 

[ThirdJewel]

Edit: Kanehide TK?

 

[blokey]

I really enjoy the JCK Kagayaki original in VG1, monosteel, really good profile, worry free handle and available in most sizes, don’t forgot the extra sharp option.

 

[Gshep91]

Sent you a pm but here’s some quality Takamuras, assuming you don’t mind them getting beat up. About ~$140 each with the 15% discount they offer + tax

Takamura VG-10 Tsuchime 210mm Gyuto with Western Handle

The Takamura VG-10 Gyuto Tsuchime is a high-quality Japanese chef's knife that is perfect for any home cook or professional chef. The knife is made with VG-10 stainless steel, which is known for its edge retention and corrosion resistance. The blade is also hammered, which creates a textured...

tokushuknife.com

 

[NickMinton]

What size?

I’d say 210-270mm

 

[captaincaed]

Mac Pro is a pretty solid line, and very nice handles. It's been my beater for 7 years. Petty available too.
Edit: shoot didn't realize they edged over 200

 

[kpham12]

Hatsukokoro ROBUSCO VG-5 240mm Gyuto

Steel: VG-5 HRC: 59/60 Construction: Stainless Cladding Length: 240x47mm 2.6mm Spine at heel * Finish: Machine Polish Blacksmith: Hatsukokoro Handle: 3 Rivet Black Pakkawood *Best Average

homebutcher.com

These are about $60 apiece with code “dadsdoitbetter”. I don’t think you’ll find a better price to performance ratio, especially if you’re buying multiple. Having worked in restaurants, I will just say some people will beat the sh*t out of whatever you hand them so western handle+stainless is ideal. I would stay away from wa handle/carbon steel/really thin edges/super hard steel for a loaner knife. These are quite a bit better than a regular “house knife” like a Mercer or a Vic and any cook worth their salt would be fine with one as a loaner.

Misono Molybdenum 210 mm is also $76 on Amazon if you need something smaller. And there’s a “Fujitora” 210 on Amazon for $75 which is a Tojiro DP for a bit cheaper than normal.

 

[Southpaw]

Knives under 200 are never reliable. They always show up late or no show.

 

[Southpaw]

Honestly I would consider Yaxell. They give the illusion of being super nice (very comfy western handle) but are thick behind the edge so you don’t have to worry as much about people chipping when u lend them out.

 

[sanmateo]

Hatsukokoro ROBUSCO VG-5 240mm Gyuto

Steel: VG-5 HRC: 59/60 Construction: Stainless Cladding Length: 240x47mm 2.6mm Spine at heel * Finish: Machine Polish Blacksmith: Hatsukokoro Handle: 3 Rivet Black Pakkawood *Best Average

homebutcher.com

These are about $60 apiece with code “dadsdoitbetter”. I don’t think you’ll find a better price to performance ratio, especially if you’re buying multiple.

I bought one of these Hatsukokoro Robusco knives from HomeButcher. I returned it.

The blade profile was decent, comparable to a Mac Pro or Tojiro DP, but the handle finish was lacking. The scales were ever so slightly recessed relative to the metal tang, leaving a roughish edge along both sides of the full tang the entire length of the handle. I emailed Phil and he said they were all like that.

I think it could be a good deal if you're willing to sand/file the handle.

 

[kpham12]

I bought one of these Hatsukokoro Robusco knives from HomeButcher. I returned it.

The blade profile was decent, comparable to a Mac Pro or Tojiro DP, but the handle finish was lacking. The scales were ever so slightly recessed relative to the metal tang, leaving a roughish edge along both sides of the full tang the entire length of the handle. I emailed Phil and he said they were all like that.

I think it could be a good deal if you're willing to sand/file the handle.

I handled one from a different retailer and it did have the same slightly rough handle issue. I did find the grind to be above average for a production knife of this level. And the ones from Homebutcher are approximately half the price of a Tojiro or Mac Pro of the same size so if OP needs multiples to loan out, it saves a lot of money.

 

[sanmateo]

agreed. I just thought I'd mention the handle issue, as it would probably need to be addressed before loaning out.

 

[NickMinton]

Just want to put out a really big thank you to all the suggestions here as they’re all really great.

Behind the scenes, several people have also offered to sell me some of their knives that fit what I’m looking for.

I’m going to take the next week and get a better idea on what volume of sharpening I should expect before purchasing any loaner knives.

THANK YOU ALL AGAIN!!

 

[MowgFace]

Masahiro SK is a great entry to
carbon

 

[minibatataman]

Masahiro SK is a great entry to
carbon

View attachment 248046

Easily the most underrated knife out there

 

[deltaplex]

Masahiro SK is a great entry to
carbon

View attachment 248046

They make knives in SK? I think I've only seen the V2 ones?

 

[MowgFace]

They make knives in SK? I think I've only seen the V2 ones?

TBH I always just assumed it was SK-4 like all of the entry level “Japanese Steel” knives.

V2 has usually been an upgrade to SK. (Like Tsukiji Masamoto). But I’d be happy to be corrected.

 

[deltaplex]

The VCs are V2, I don't know that I've seen another steel listed for Masahiro.