Suggestion needed for a gyuto

[JoelV]

Hi guys!
I’ve decided It’s time to upgrade my main knife. It’s been 5 years since I’m a headchef and this year I wanna get myself a present with a new knife. I’m kinda new to the japanese knife world so I Need your help with suggestions to look for or avoid.


LOCATION
What country are you in?

-- Canada (Québec )


KNIFE TYPE
What type of knife are you interested in (e.g., chef's knife, slicer, boning knife, utility knife, bread knife, paring knife, cleaver)?

-- gyuto or kiritsuke

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)?

-- 210 mm

Do you require a stainless knife? (Yes or no)

-- I’d prefer a stainless but want to try and stainless clad

What is your absolute maximum budget for your knife?

-- Around 400$ CAD
KNIFE USE
Do you primarily intend to use this knife at home or a professional environment?

-- Professionnaly

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.)

-- Mainly meats and vegetables.

What knife, if any, are you replacing?

-- My old trusty wusthof classic and dalstrong shogun

Do you have a particular grip that you primarily use? (Please click on this LINK for the common types of grips.)

-- Pinch grip

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.)

- Rocking mouvement( I’m a norref American Classic trained chef), but trying the push movements

In order of priority:
-- ease of use
-- aesthetics: Damascus, tsuchime
-- edge retention
-- comfort: better balance, handle feeling


KNIFE MAINTENANCE
Do you use a bamboo, wood, rubber, or synthetic cutting board? (Yes or no.)

-- synthetic cutting board at the restaurant

Do you sharpen your own knives? (Yes or no.)

-- I use a leather strop and stones

If not, are you interested in learning how to sharpen your knives? (Yes or no.)

-- Definetly

Are you interested in purchasing sharpening products for your knives? (Yes or no.)

-- If different material are needed, sure

Thanks again!!

 

[GorillaGrunt]

Do you prefer taller or shorter at the heel? Thinner or thicker at the spine? How about Yoshikane SKD, cool looking tsuchime, one of my favorite steels, wicked cutter. But those run short at the heel if that’s not your thing. Shiro Kamo R2 Damascus, that one’s tall at the heel and the ones from KnS in particular are really slick looking. Have you checked out the sale at Knifewear? I think that’s still going on and they’re right in Canada.

 

[user 16756]

Tosho has some Hinoura stainless clad knives in your price range, including this nashiji one:

https://www.toshoknifearts.com/collections/gyuto-210mm-240mm/products/baa-112-fa210
it seems a little on the taller side for a 210 at 50mm, which is nice.

 

[JoelV]

I need a taller Heel, I got a ryusen tangan ryu as a gift but keep knocking my knuckles on the board When I use it st home. For the Spine I’m not quite sure. The shiro looks Really nice, Will look for sure at KnS. I’ve searched the knifewear garage sale and missed some of the knives I’ve spotted. Thanks for the info guys

 

[Nemo]

Yoshi Tsuchime is a great thicker knife but is fairly short at the heel, so may not suit. Yoshi Amekiri is much thinner but also short at the heel.

Wakui Tsuchime is similar, with the core steel being simple carbon steel (white2). The profile is qiute flat but slightly less so than Yoshi Tsuchime. Not as short at the heel as Yoshi.

If you are after pure performance, if hard to ignore Gesshin Gengetsu. Stainless clad semistainless. Fairly flat profile. Not particularly tall at the heel but taller than Yoshi. A middlewight with an excellent balance between food release and thinness. Not super tall at the heel, but not short either.

If you like the nashiji finish, look at Tanaka Nashiji. Available as blue2 or ginsan cre clad in stainless. Quite a curved profile (for a Japanese knife- nothing like a Wustoff) allows some rocking. Mine is moderately thin but it sounds like there may be some slightly thickerthicker versions. The wide bevels are pretty flat. Almost no taper.

Shiro Kamo's Syousin Suminagashi is a tall middleweight with a moderately curved profile. It's R2 steel (stainless with excellent edge retention). A middleweight knife with a good balance between food release and thinness. Almost no taper. The Shinko Kurokumo has better fit and finish (handle, spine and choil rounding, deeper etch to the damascus cladding). Note that the damascus cladding is going to be a major pain to restore at thinning time.

Have a look at Kurosaki's Shizuku. Pretty thin. Concave wide bevels. Has an unusal hammered pattern above the wide bevel. It's a moderately flat profile.

Kurosaki's Shenko lime is apparently very thin but I haven't tried it.

 

[syinx]

Hard to beat Wakui for the price. Toshihiro Wakui White #2 Gyuto 210mm Magnolia Handle

Tanaka Ginsan is also a good place to look as well.

Bit out of your price range and a bit longer than asked, but the Morihei has a nice height and is pretty solid on its own. Morihei Hisamoto White #1 Gyuto 240mm Pakka Handle

 

[Benuser]

With your use — professional, synthetic boards — edge retention should be the first criterion, I guess. Simple carbons don't match very well with poly boards, is the impression I've got. Very hard to speak in general terms about other steel types as so much will depend on the Heat Treatment they've been given.

 

[Hamso k]

As a fellow chef I still enjoy using my softer stainless knives at work more than the harder carbon ones but its up to how well you want to treat your knife. Within one week of using my carbon knife at work the tip had chipped off. I had it repaired and it chipped off again soon after. If this is your first japanese buy and you work in a pro kitchen I'd recommend getting a fairly soft stainless knife. This way you can get used to the japanese profile and handle without having to worry about ruining your fancy new knife. Just a suggestion.

 

[JoelV]

Thanks guys for all the tips, I think for the first real japanese knife I Will go in a softer stainless and then stainless clad after. So many type of knives to choose from, I found some of the interesting knives:
https://knifewear.com/products/yu-kurosaki-r2-shizuku-rosewood-gyuto-210mm?variant=32380935241776https://knifewear.com/products/makoto-kurosaki-vg10-suminagashi-gyuto-210mm?variant=32319086133296https://www.staysharpmtl.com/product-page/yoshimi-kato-black-damascus-gyuto-210mmhttps://www.knivesandstones.com.au/...nless-glad-gyuto?_pos=13&_sid=234945d35&_ss=rAre these good choices? Or some are not the best options?

 

[user 16756]

Thanks guys for all the tips, I think for the first real japanese knife I Will go in a softer stainless and then stainless clad after. So many type of knives to choose from, I found some of the interesting knives:
https://knifewear.com/products/yu-kurosaki-r2-shizuku-rosewood-gyuto-210mm?variant=32380935241776https://knifewear.com/products/makoto-kurosaki-vg10-suminagashi-gyuto-210mm?variant=32319086133296https://www.staysharpmtl.com/product-page/yoshimi-kato-black-damascus-gyuto-210mmhttps://www.knivesandstones.com.au/...nless-glad-gyuto?_pos=13&_sid=234945d35&_ss=rAre these good choices? Or some are not the best options?

You're going to struggle to do better than that Yoshikane.

 

[daddy yo yo]

Yoshikane, Wakui, Tanaka. No damascus (only bling which drives up the price).

 

[JoelV]

Will probably for with the yoshikane. Thanks!

 

[Nemo]

Will probably for with the yoshikane. Thanks!

Great knives.

Just be aware that they are mostly pretty short at the heel and have a pretty flat profile so may force you into changing your cutting technique (for the better, TBH) from rocking to push or draw slicing.