Manaka - Can get the shirogami well under $300 but aogami and AEB-L will be over.
Top 5 Knives to try at Under $300
- Thread starter Xenif
- Start date
Help Support Kitchen Knife Forums:
@MSicardCutlery also often has sub-$300 offerings listed.
Gotta mention matsubara, makes a killer blade with a nice heat treat on his blue #2 and stainless clad. Also, any deba in that price range is so nice for fish butchery.
Jovidah
I'll make you a sponsor offer you can't refuse...
For me, lists like these are all about the variety. In my opinion for the first 5-10 knives it makes sense to just try knives that are as different as possible so you can figure out your own preferences.
So you want:
-A laser, whether it's a Takamura or an Ashi Ginga or something else
-A workhorse, whether that's a Mazaki, a Mazaki or something else made by Mazaki (honestly can't think of another cheap one)
-One of the cheaper yo-handle knives, just so you can experience what handle you truly prefer - and how good the cheap stuff still is. Whether it's a Fujiwara, a Tojiro, a Carbonext, a Misono or whatever.
-A monosteel, just to feel the difference in cutting feedback in mono vs san-mai
-Different lengths... 210 vs 240 at least
-Both carbon & stainless...
-Different blade heights...
Well you get the gist of it. The only way to figure out 'your' perfect knife is to actually try and experience very different things...eventually your favorite attributes will start floating to the top.
So you want:
-A laser, whether it's a Takamura or an Ashi Ginga or something else
-A workhorse, whether that's a Mazaki, a Mazaki or something else made by Mazaki (honestly can't think of another cheap one)
-One of the cheaper yo-handle knives, just so you can experience what handle you truly prefer - and how good the cheap stuff still is. Whether it's a Fujiwara, a Tojiro, a Carbonext, a Misono or whatever.
-A monosteel, just to feel the difference in cutting feedback in mono vs san-mai
-Different lengths... 210 vs 240 at least
-Both carbon & stainless...
-Different blade heights...
Well you get the gist of it. The only way to figure out 'your' perfect knife is to actually try and experience very different things...eventually your favorite attributes will start floating to the top.
- Joined
- May 3, 2011
- Messages
- 9,795
- Reaction score
- 4,510
Usually prices increase a lot with the size. Not easy to find out if a 270 will suit you. A very simple NOS carbon that won't require much work, apart from choil and spine. Thinner behind the edge than most modern ones. No bolster. Typical Japanese low tip. 210g.
https://www.japanesenaturalstones.com/minamoto-no-masakane-gyuto-270mm/
https://www.japanesenaturalstones.com/minamoto-no-masakane-gyuto-270mm/
Last edited:
Wolffire99
Member
Love this thread…
Takamura r2
Ashi/Gesshin Ginga
Shibata Koutetsu
Yoshikane
Tanaka Ginsan
Takamura r2
Ashi/Gesshin Ginga
Shibata Koutetsu
Yoshikane
Tanaka Ginsan
myguidingmoonlight
Senior Member
Munetoshi to get a taste of a workhorse with good taper and good White #2 steel.
Kaeru for stainless workhorse
Takamura R2 for stainless laser
Yoshikane for pure laser, this thing is insanely thin yet has a sturdy spine
Sukenari for more exotic steel options
Kaeru for stainless workhorse
Takamura R2 for stainless laser
Yoshikane for pure laser, this thing is insanely thin yet has a sturdy spine
Sukenari for more exotic steel options
I always recommend these knives. I have 3 different lengths:
Epicurean Edge: Japanese and European professional chefs knives
Unfortunately the price has gone up, so now the 240mm is $300. I was able to get the 240mm last year on their Black Friday sale for $140! Still, if it wasn't for my Yoshikane, they would be my favorite knives. SLD great steel.
Epicurean Edge: Japanese and European professional chefs knives
Unfortunately the price has gone up, so now the 240mm is $300. I was able to get the 240mm last year on their Black Friday sale for $140! Still, if it wasn't for my Yoshikane, they would be my favorite knives. SLD great steel.
I got a few old used knives off of eBay and converted them to wa handles. One of them went to my favorite bartender, the other one is staying in my roll
Still pretty affordable, Takamura Chromax. Really nice, no nonsense laser.
CCK1302 or 1912
Funny that this thread was revived during Black Friday... there were a whole lot of higher end knives fitting the price cap. 
Regular prices though, my choices aren't different from most above:
S. Tanaka A#2 or Ginsan - after four of this maker I'm always surprised just how ridiculously good they are. Rather poor F&F though. Can't honestly advise for Dammy VG-10 (one I had sharpened nicely though), and the R2 are overexpensive in my opinion. Midweight.
Wakui - amazing knives, superb F&F for the price paid. IME consistently delivers a high polish on the core, seldom seen even with much more expensive knives. Heavy-midweight, thick Sanjo spine.
Takamura - must try and a good occasion to a Yo variation as well. Laser.
Matsubara - they're tall and rather flatter profiles. Midweight but tend to have a thicker spine than average which is nice. If it's not a good enough reason/requirement, I must admit I much prefer S. Tanaka myself.
Fifth? Well... I'd really really try and wait for a deal on a Myojin SG2 that sort of respect the price cap. It's possible - I've seen it.
Regular prices though, my choices aren't different from most above:
S. Tanaka A#2 or Ginsan - after four of this maker I'm always surprised just how ridiculously good they are. Rather poor F&F though. Can't honestly advise for Dammy VG-10 (one I had sharpened nicely though), and the R2 are overexpensive in my opinion. Midweight.
Wakui - amazing knives, superb F&F for the price paid. IME consistently delivers a high polish on the core, seldom seen even with much more expensive knives. Heavy-midweight, thick Sanjo spine.
Takamura - must try and a good occasion to a Yo variation as well. Laser.
Matsubara - they're tall and rather flatter profiles. Midweight but tend to have a thicker spine than average which is nice. If it's not a good enough reason/requirement, I must admit I much prefer S. Tanaka myself.
Fifth? Well... I'd really really try and wait for a deal on a Myojin SG2 that sort of respect the price cap. It's possible - I've seen it.
Trying to keep 1 in each category to build a knife rack.
Kochi 240mm gyuto - $270 as many have mentioned already I don't need to expand much. I've got the ironclad version and am in love.
Shiro Kamo "Tora" 210 gyuto (blue #2 damascus)- $140 I really enjoy his gyuto profiles across the board. They're tall, hard, and thin with enough belly to make things fun. This is an incredible knife for the money, and I find Shiro Kamo's knives are often very reasonably priced. The iron dammy makes a great patina canvas.
Kei Kobayashi SG2 santoku (or gyuto) - $235 for santoku, the gyuto price can get volatile. Bona-fide lasers, gorgeous handles and overall f&f. I like the santoku because it's quite tall whereas the gyuto is a touch short in the heel for my taste. Not chippy or fragile in my experience, though I'm gentle because they're so freaking light.
Makoto Kurosaki Ryusei 210 gyuto VG7: $200 this one I bonded with immediately and have a hard time explaining without getting flowery. It's not quite a laser, maybe light-midweight. I have other knives that outperform it in pure cutting ability, but something about the profile make it intuitive and it feels very fluid. The knife just wants to dance across the board and is happy to accommodate multiple cutting styles. I usually push cut but it has a gentle belly that makes rocking chives or scallions really fun. The VG7 is tough and holds a working edge for quite a long time, not hard to sharpen and it doesn't want to bite in to the cutting board like some of my AS knives. I think it's subtly gorgeous too.
Kyohei Shindo nakiri (or bunka): $80-115 I firmly believe everyone should have a nakiri and this one is killer. Laser edge but has some ass at the spine, it out-cut cheaper lasers until the Kobayashi came along. Hardy blue #2 that sharpens wonderfully and can take abuse, mine is about 172mm. He hammers a little thumb groove in the spine for right-handers that feels excellent, I thought it was a fluke until the bunka had it too.
The bunka is much the same behind the edge, though shorter at 165 length and probably 5mm shorter in the heel. It has replaced a petty for me, the tip is genuinely the thinnest I've seen on a knife and fantastic for fine work. You can't go wrong with either here, I'll continue to fanboy Shindo's blue #2 stuff. Poor f&f though, hope you're down with rustic hammer marks all over. I only had to sand edges on my gyuto but I think I may have just gotten lucky or the shop I bought the nakiri/bunka from did it.
Honorable mentions: Yoshimi Kato ginsan santoku, Tanaka ginsan gyuto, and a beat up Old Hickory butcher knife to take care of all your butchering needs.
Kochi 240mm gyuto - $270 as many have mentioned already I don't need to expand much. I've got the ironclad version and am in love.
Shiro Kamo "Tora" 210 gyuto (blue #2 damascus)- $140 I really enjoy his gyuto profiles across the board. They're tall, hard, and thin with enough belly to make things fun. This is an incredible knife for the money, and I find Shiro Kamo's knives are often very reasonably priced. The iron dammy makes a great patina canvas.
Kei Kobayashi SG2 santoku (or gyuto) - $235 for santoku, the gyuto price can get volatile. Bona-fide lasers, gorgeous handles and overall f&f. I like the santoku because it's quite tall whereas the gyuto is a touch short in the heel for my taste. Not chippy or fragile in my experience, though I'm gentle because they're so freaking light.
Makoto Kurosaki Ryusei 210 gyuto VG7: $200 this one I bonded with immediately and have a hard time explaining without getting flowery. It's not quite a laser, maybe light-midweight. I have other knives that outperform it in pure cutting ability, but something about the profile make it intuitive and it feels very fluid. The knife just wants to dance across the board and is happy to accommodate multiple cutting styles. I usually push cut but it has a gentle belly that makes rocking chives or scallions really fun. The VG7 is tough and holds a working edge for quite a long time, not hard to sharpen and it doesn't want to bite in to the cutting board like some of my AS knives. I think it's subtly gorgeous too.
Kyohei Shindo nakiri (or bunka): $80-115 I firmly believe everyone should have a nakiri and this one is killer. Laser edge but has some ass at the spine, it out-cut cheaper lasers until the Kobayashi came along. Hardy blue #2 that sharpens wonderfully and can take abuse, mine is about 172mm. He hammers a little thumb groove in the spine for right-handers that feels excellent, I thought it was a fluke until the bunka had it too.
The bunka is much the same behind the edge, though shorter at 165 length and probably 5mm shorter in the heel. It has replaced a petty for me, the tip is genuinely the thinnest I've seen on a knife and fantastic for fine work. You can't go wrong with either here, I'll continue to fanboy Shindo's blue #2 stuff. Poor f&f though, hope you're down with rustic hammer marks all over. I only had to sand edges on my gyuto but I think I may have just gotten lucky or the shop I bought the nakiri/bunka from did it.
Honorable mentions: Yoshimi Kato ginsan santoku, Tanaka ginsan gyuto, and a beat up Old Hickory butcher knife to take care of all your butchering needs.
Okay, my Top 5 will include a lot of repeats from previous posts but I reckon that's just an endorsement of how good they really are.
1. Munetoshi: Serious bang-for-your-buck knives that compromise little and put the focus on performance. My 210 has become a favorite. Just some light easing of the edge bevel shoulders and some softening of the spine and you have a knife that flat runs. Easy to sharpen to a great edge and the cladding is not overly sensitive. I rinse and wipe my knives as I use them but not overly so and by no means do I baby them. I do not subscribe the motto of "wipe before they touch the board." I rinse/wipe after acidic stuff or if it's going to sit for more than five or so minutes but otherwise, I'm really just using my knives and my Munetoshi takes it stride.
https://www.japanesenaturalstones.com/munetoshi-kurouchi-gyuto-210mm/
2. Kisuke Manaka: I have one of his 210's in shirogami and have a deep crush going on with it. I actually tried to sell it when brand new as it was an impulse buy but it didn't move. And I'm really glad it didn't! Again, a little rubbing on the shoulders and massaging of the back and this is another real driver. Taller than the Munetoshi, it has a more substantial feel in all the right ways. Manaka-san's hammer finish is really unique and sexy. On mine, the KU was gorgeous but pretty weak. I gave it a good scrub and got rid of the flaky stuff but still left enough behind to be distinct. Many others report no such issue. He does his own steel too. I'm sure his aogami is great as well I just haven't tried it. And like all my iron clad knives I've tried so far, it is not sensitive.
https://miuraknives.com/japanese-kn...panese-knife-manaka-hamono.html#/34-size-21cm
3. Watanabe Pro 180 Nakiri: Yep, the oft lauded Wat Pro deserves it's place among, if not at, the top of the nakiri heap. A truly amazing cutter that makes you stare at it trying to understand how something that feels so substantial can be so slicey. I will say, the edge is so thin and the steel so hard that it can be a touch chippy at first. Just need to play with raising the angle a smidge until it stops. Even with the 2022 price jump, with the current exchange rate, a base model comes in at just a hair under the $300 limit.
https://www.kitchen-knife.jp/pro/nakkiri.htm
4. Hatsukokoro Kurosagi 180 AS Bunka: This one is very new to me but I'm already loving it! At the current list price of $130USD, I personally think it's a steal. I mean you get AS, a wenge/buffalo horn handle and a softened spine right out of the box. My example needed a little edge work to get started but now it is running great. This is another substantial knife that has a great grind so it cuts very, very well. Really looking forward to getting to know this one better and I have no doubt I'll be exploring more offerings from this line!
https://homebutcher.com/collections/featured-knives/products/hatsukokoro-kurosagi-180mm-as-bunka
5. Akifusa AS: This one strays outside the artisan maker realm and into factory-made but aside from nostalgia, it gives up nothing and no doubt brings consistency confidence into the discussion. Very well executed knives that I at least put in the laser category. I have a 180 gyuto but have no doubt the 210's and 240's are excellent as well. In fact, I'm confident all their offerings are really nice. The AS core on mine has been excellent. I've turned mine into something of a test mule so it isn't pretty anymore but holy cow does it perform! Mine is also quite symmetrically ground so I believe this might be a good option for left hand users too.
https://www.epicedge.com/shopexd.asp?id=97273&bc=no
1. Munetoshi: Serious bang-for-your-buck knives that compromise little and put the focus on performance. My 210 has become a favorite. Just some light easing of the edge bevel shoulders and some softening of the spine and you have a knife that flat runs. Easy to sharpen to a great edge and the cladding is not overly sensitive. I rinse and wipe my knives as I use them but not overly so and by no means do I baby them. I do not subscribe the motto of "wipe before they touch the board." I rinse/wipe after acidic stuff or if it's going to sit for more than five or so minutes but otherwise, I'm really just using my knives and my Munetoshi takes it stride.
https://www.japanesenaturalstones.com/munetoshi-kurouchi-gyuto-210mm/
2. Kisuke Manaka: I have one of his 210's in shirogami and have a deep crush going on with it. I actually tried to sell it when brand new as it was an impulse buy but it didn't move. And I'm really glad it didn't! Again, a little rubbing on the shoulders and massaging of the back and this is another real driver. Taller than the Munetoshi, it has a more substantial feel in all the right ways. Manaka-san's hammer finish is really unique and sexy. On mine, the KU was gorgeous but pretty weak. I gave it a good scrub and got rid of the flaky stuff but still left enough behind to be distinct. Many others report no such issue. He does his own steel too. I'm sure his aogami is great as well I just haven't tried it. And like all my iron clad knives I've tried so far, it is not sensitive.
https://miuraknives.com/japanese-kn...panese-knife-manaka-hamono.html#/34-size-21cm
3. Watanabe Pro 180 Nakiri: Yep, the oft lauded Wat Pro deserves it's place among, if not at, the top of the nakiri heap. A truly amazing cutter that makes you stare at it trying to understand how something that feels so substantial can be so slicey. I will say, the edge is so thin and the steel so hard that it can be a touch chippy at first. Just need to play with raising the angle a smidge until it stops. Even with the 2022 price jump, with the current exchange rate, a base model comes in at just a hair under the $300 limit.
https://www.kitchen-knife.jp/pro/nakkiri.htm
4. Hatsukokoro Kurosagi 180 AS Bunka: This one is very new to me but I'm already loving it! At the current list price of $130USD, I personally think it's a steal. I mean you get AS, a wenge/buffalo horn handle and a softened spine right out of the box. My example needed a little edge work to get started but now it is running great. This is another substantial knife that has a great grind so it cuts very, very well. Really looking forward to getting to know this one better and I have no doubt I'll be exploring more offerings from this line!
https://homebutcher.com/collections/featured-knives/products/hatsukokoro-kurosagi-180mm-as-bunka
5. Akifusa AS: This one strays outside the artisan maker realm and into factory-made but aside from nostalgia, it gives up nothing and no doubt brings consistency confidence into the discussion. Very well executed knives that I at least put in the laser category. I have a 180 gyuto but have no doubt the 210's and 240's are excellent as well. In fact, I'm confident all their offerings are really nice. The AS core on mine has been excellent. I've turned mine into something of a test mule so it isn't pretty anymore but holy cow does it perform! Mine is also quite symmetrically ground so I believe this might be a good option for left hand users too.
https://www.epicedge.com/shopexd.asp?id=97273&bc=no
choppuchoppu
Well-Known Member
I want to keep this thread alive.
My choices would be
1. Kei Kobayashi SG2 270mm Sujihiki, an absolute pleasure to work with.
2. Sabun aogami 1 210mm usuba, such a fun knife to play with with a better heat treatment than my Nakagawa aogami 1's, and you can get one for $160!
3. Hatsukokoro Kumokage 210/240mm aogami 2 gyuto, solid all-rounder gyuto under $200.
4. Hokiyama AS 165mm nakiri, cheap, easy to thin, stainless clad, and a blast to to go fast with.
5. Kanehide Bessaku Gyuto, everyone needs a no frills workhorse
My choices would be
1. Kei Kobayashi SG2 270mm Sujihiki, an absolute pleasure to work with.
2. Sabun aogami 1 210mm usuba, such a fun knife to play with with a better heat treatment than my Nakagawa aogami 1's, and you can get one for $160!
3. Hatsukokoro Kumokage 210/240mm aogami 2 gyuto, solid all-rounder gyuto under $200.
4. Hokiyama AS 165mm nakiri, cheap, easy to thin, stainless clad, and a blast to to go fast with.
5. Kanehide Bessaku Gyuto, everyone needs a no frills workhorse
I hope this line comes back in stock. My 210 is a ridiculous value!
https://homebutcher.com/products/hatsukokoro-3-layer-blue-2-gyuto-210mm?_pos=1&_sid=ac650c1ce&_ss=r
https://homebutcher.com/products/hatsukokoro-3-layer-blue-2-gyuto-210mm?_pos=1&_sid=ac650c1ce&_ss=r
choppuchoppu
Well-Known Member
Oh yeah you can't beat that, I believe it's also made by Toru Tomura and Tateo Myojin
It has a great general purpose grind and so far I haven't felt the need to smooth the spine or choil.
choppuchoppu
Well-Known Member
It's also super resilient, it's my go to kabocha cutter
- Joined
- Dec 15, 2011
- Messages
- 11,235
- Reaction score
- 7,509
I’ve had my eyes on this one which looks similar.
https://bernalcutlery.com/collectio...ainless-clad-walnut-pc?variant=40874462249112
https://bernalcutlery.com/collectio...ainless-clad-walnut-pc?variant=40874462249112
choppuchoppu
Well-Known Member
That looks really nice, the 240 has some nice height too
