kennyc
Well-Known Member
I was trying not to inconvenience the fine folks of this forum with something so (seemingly) basic so I posted in a few Facebook groups - turns out most people didnt bother reading my post before replying lol.
So standard questionaire below, additional notes included. The combination of blade height and yo handle seemed to exclude many knives right off the bat. The knife I'm envisioning might not exist but my fingers are crossed!
LOCATION
What country are you in?
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)?
Gyuto/k-tip gyuto
Are you right or left handed?
Right
Are you interested in a Western handle (e.g., classic Wusthof handle) or Japanese handle?
Western (or at least a very western wa handle ala Shun Blue/zKramer Meiji). Spine has to be in line with the handle; no gaps/seams at the handle/blade transition.
What length of knife (blade) are you interested in (in inches or millimeters)?
230-270mm length, 60 +/-5mm blade height
Do you require a stainless knife? (Yes or no)
No. Open minded to AS/52100/HAP40/SG2/ZDP189
What is your absolute maximum budget for your knife?
$400 USD (I know this should be technically possible, zKramer Euroline & Meiji come pretty close to all requirements except blade profile
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.)
veg prep, boneless protein portioning
What knife, if any, are you replacing?
-Augmenting zKramer Carbon, CCK 1302, various cheaper gyutos
Do you have a particular grip that you primarily use? (Please click on this LINK for the common types of grips.)
-For this knife, mostly 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.)
-Push cut, draw
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.)
-Very flat (for a gyuto) edge profile, low tip. Kramer blade shape would be just about perfect - if it were upside-down.
-If the zKramer Euroline Damascus was available as a 12", I would just buy that to shorten it myself & refinish.
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)?
-Some kind of lamination line. SS clad or damascus clad for asthetics.
-synthetic/stabilized handle materials only (but if its slab handled wood, I dont mind removing existing scales and rebuilding it)
Comfort (e.g., lighter/heavier knife; better handle material; better handle shape; rounded spine/choil of the knife; improved balance)?
-balance point 4-18mm in front of index finger pinch grip
-large circumference handle (zKramer Euroline is pretty good at the first rivet, too narrow at the bolster)
-SHORT tang(machi?) length between choil and tang (I think this is the correct technical term; I choke up really far forward on my pinch grip, see Shun's KO line as an extreme example. Miyabi Birchwood is an example of LONG tang length)
-rounded/square choil & spine is not a deal-breaker; I can do that work myself
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)?
-can come unedged for all I care, I usually end up refinishing knives ootb anyway.
-the wide blade + low tip in this blade shape have been hard for me to find, the proper knife would probably solve my draw cut problems/laziness
Edge Retention (i.e., length of time you want the edge to last without sharpening)?
-I dont mind sharpening, but would expect performance to be proportionate with steels listed above.
KNIFE MAINTENANCE
Do you use a bamboo, wood, rubber, or synthetic cutting board? (Yes or no.)
wood, synthetic
Do you sharpen your own knives? (Yes or no.)
yes
Are you interested in purchasing sharpening products for your knives? (Yes or no.)
If necessary. Already have stones from 200-10k & various polishes
Attached: knives I have & like but don't fit all my requirements.
Thank you KKF!
So standard questionaire below, additional notes included. The combination of blade height and yo handle seemed to exclude many knives right off the bat. The knife I'm envisioning might not exist but my fingers are crossed!
LOCATION
What country are you in?
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)?
Gyuto/k-tip gyuto
Are you right or left handed?
Right
Are you interested in a Western handle (e.g., classic Wusthof handle) or Japanese handle?
Western (or at least a very western wa handle ala Shun Blue/zKramer Meiji). Spine has to be in line with the handle; no gaps/seams at the handle/blade transition.
What length of knife (blade) are you interested in (in inches or millimeters)?
230-270mm length, 60 +/-5mm blade height
Do you require a stainless knife? (Yes or no)
No. Open minded to AS/52100/HAP40/SG2/ZDP189
What is your absolute maximum budget for your knife?
$400 USD (I know this should be technically possible, zKramer Euroline & Meiji come pretty close to all requirements except blade profile
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.)
veg prep, boneless protein portioning
What knife, if any, are you replacing?
-Augmenting zKramer Carbon, CCK 1302, various cheaper gyutos
Do you have a particular grip that you primarily use? (Please click on this LINK for the common types of grips.)
-For this knife, mostly 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.)
-Push cut, draw
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.)
-Very flat (for a gyuto) edge profile, low tip. Kramer blade shape would be just about perfect - if it were upside-down.
-If the zKramer Euroline Damascus was available as a 12", I would just buy that to shorten it myself & refinish.
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)?
-Some kind of lamination line. SS clad or damascus clad for asthetics.
-synthetic/stabilized handle materials only (but if its slab handled wood, I dont mind removing existing scales and rebuilding it)
Comfort (e.g., lighter/heavier knife; better handle material; better handle shape; rounded spine/choil of the knife; improved balance)?
-balance point 4-18mm in front of index finger pinch grip
-large circumference handle (zKramer Euroline is pretty good at the first rivet, too narrow at the bolster)
-SHORT tang(machi?) length between choil and tang (I think this is the correct technical term; I choke up really far forward on my pinch grip, see Shun's KO line as an extreme example. Miyabi Birchwood is an example of LONG tang length)
-rounded/square choil & spine is not a deal-breaker; I can do that work myself
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)?
-can come unedged for all I care, I usually end up refinishing knives ootb anyway.
-the wide blade + low tip in this blade shape have been hard for me to find, the proper knife would probably solve my draw cut problems/laziness
Edge Retention (i.e., length of time you want the edge to last without sharpening)?
-I dont mind sharpening, but would expect performance to be proportionate with steels listed above.
KNIFE MAINTENANCE
Do you use a bamboo, wood, rubber, or synthetic cutting board? (Yes or no.)
wood, synthetic
Do you sharpen your own knives? (Yes or no.)
yes
Are you interested in purchasing sharpening products for your knives? (Yes or no.)
If necessary. Already have stones from 200-10k & various polishes
Attached: knives I have & like but don't fit all my requirements.
Thank you KKF!
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