What would you bring?

[tgfencer]

Doing a little inventorying as I prepare to move overseas for a year, possibly longer. I have my thoughts, but curious what y’all would bring with you out of this lot. I left out some random single bevels and odd ball stuff, but this is the bulk of the knives I own now. And yes, I do like large knives. Also, sorry for the photos, the quality didn't upload great for some reason.

Top Row Western Makers (R to L)
Catcheside:
-260 Damascus
-260 Thin-forged geometry (think Takeda)
-270 FG, d-handle
-210mm FG Cleaver
-220mm Thin-forged cleaver
Yanick:
-240 gyuto, wrought clad
-260 gyuto, wrought clad
-270 gyuto
-250 gyuto
-190mm cleaver
-330mm suji
-300mm gyuto
Tsourkan 270 WH gyuto
Smide 270 Damascus gyuto, s-grind
Comet 300mm gyuto
The Nine 250mm gyuto, wrought clad
Raquin 280mm meat slicer/chef knife

Second Row Japanese Makers (R to L)
Toyama 270 gyuto, ironclad
Unknown mono carbon cleaver
Yoshikane Tamamoku 270
Shig 270 gyuto
Masashi 270 gyuto SLD
Kato 240 standard
Kato 240 WH
Toyama 210 nakiri iron clad
Toyama 270 stainless clad
Watanabe 270 stainless clad

Bottom Row Butcher Knives (R to L)
Silverthorn 6in boners x2
Kanehide butchers x2
Kogetsu hankotsu
Sakai kikumori hankotsu
Catcheside 280mm Breaking knife, chef pattern
Catcheside 265mm bullnose
1920s carbon bullnose

 

[KitchenCommander]

Is "all of them" not an option?

 

[AT5760]

Do you need someone to "store" the ones that aren't coming with you? My rates are quite reasonable.

 

[MarcelNL]

what would be the purpose of your stay? If anything I'd say; leave what you can do without at home....

 

[tgfencer]

what would be the purpose of your stay? If anything I'd say; leave what you can do without at home....

Family mostly. My wife's parents live in France and her company is sponsoring her for a type of work visa.

Most of the blades are staying here in the US with family. Not totally sure how many I'll bring altogether, but not more than will fit in my knife roll. Probably gonna bring a petty, suji, cleaver, couple of gyutos, a boning knife, and a breaking knife.

Is "all of them" not an option?

Haha it is an option, but not one I want to deal with. If I knew for certain I would be there much longer term, then it would be a different story.

 

[pjheff]

I’d recommend leaving them all and buying new ones. But then I hate wasting money on shipping.

 

[big D]

Odd thought but........... If the knives are not traveling in hand, how confident are you in their safety during travel. IE: airlines lose things

 

[tgfencer]

Odd thought but........... If the knives are not traveling in hand, how confident are you in their safety during travel. IE: airlines lose things

Yeah I’ve been debating this. I might ship them to myself instead of packing them into a checked bag. Not really sure which is more reliable. If anyone has any experience with knives on planes I’m all ears…

 

[sansho]

going from usa -> france, i don't think your bag getting lost is much more or less of a risk than a package getting lost. the difference is that you can insure a package.

 

[WifeNotUnderstand]

I would take the bare minimum and then go and knock on Brian, Milan and Harbeer's doors

 

[Bico Doce]

How did you manage to get so many Catchesides and yanicks? Its hard enough to get one of each!

 

[tgfencer]

going from usa -> france, i don't think your bag getting lost is much more or less of a risk than a package getting lost. the difference is that you can insure a package.

That was my thought as well, which is why I'm leaning that direction.

How did you manage to get so many Catchesides and yanicks? Its hard enough to get one of each!

Got on both boats pretty early on. Also, a significant amount of luck. You'd be even more impressed if I'd kept all the knives I've sold over the years, but alas.

 

[HSC /// Knives]

Yeah I’ve been debating this. I might ship them to myself instead of packing them into a checked bag. Not really sure which is more reliable. If anyone has any experience with knives on planes I’m all ears…

What part of France are you moving to?
I’ve shipped packages and boxes and crates to myself for my move. Every time except for once where I had to make a declaration I paid import charges and it’s a lot. And it’s not like it’s easy where you can call someone and dispute the charges.
Also they were not nice to my boxes either.
I’m a little late to This post but I would leave most of them at home and take a few in my checked suitcase

 

[tgfencer]

What part of France are you moving to?
I’ve shipped packages and boxes and crates to myself for my move. Every time except for once where I had to make a declaration I paid import charges and it’s a lot. And it’s not like it’s easy where you can call someone and dispute the charges.
Also they were not nice to my boxes either.
I’m a little late to This post but I would leave most of them at home and take a few in my checked suitcase

Yeah that’s what I had decided to do, mostly for the reasons you mentioned. My in-laws live in Saint Antonin Noble Val, about 80min north of Toulouse in Tarn-et-Garonne.

 

[ethompson]

So many properly sized gyutos

 

[Terryy]

WOW, what a collection! If you need to choose some knifes but cannot decide which ones, think of their meaning to you. Maybe some of them remind you of a good times?

 

[ethompson]

I’d take:

• Catchside, 260 Thin-forged geometry
• Comet 300mm gyuto
• Yanick 330mm suji
• The Nine 250mm gyuto
• Toyama 210 nakiri
• Butcher of your choice

That should cover the bases of any big knife lover and gives you enough variety to be entertained for a year. After your time is up, you can come home to your bigger collection and remind yourself of what makes those different and special too (and send the ones you were "stuck with" for a whole year to me)

 

[natto]

I'ld take nothing. There is always more than enough to take with. Maybe placing an order for a reasonable sharpening/thinnig stone to France. Then you are free to buy something nice that fits your hosts needs.

 

[LostHighway]

Fear the French bureaucracy, take the absolute minimum.

 

[tgfencer]

What I actually brought, for inquiring minds. Could have subtracted a gyuto or two, but variety is the spice of life.

 

[Marcelo Amaral]

Great choices! In my opinion, the only way to really know a place is to move there.
I hope you have a wonderful time there, Todd!
Bonne chance!

 

[Marcelo Amaral]

I would take that Dalman you sold me, a Mert Tansu in sc125, a Takeda and a HVB for a workhorse, all gyutos.
Kippington and Watanabe 180 nakiris, Denka 165 nakiri. Tsourkan honesuki, Takeda cleaver, Shigefusa petty and Dalman boning knife in aeb-l.

 

[tgfencer]

I would take that Dalman you sold me, a Mert Tansu in sc125, a Takeda and a HVB for a workhorse, all gyutos.
Kippington and Watanabe 180 nakiris, Denka 165 nakiri. Tsourkan honesuki, Takeda cleaver, Shigefusa petty and Dalman boning knife in aeb-l.

Nice set. I miss that Dalman gyuto sometimes. That convex grind from @RDalman was pretty much perfect and I wish he’d do them more often, even if he prefers the hollow grinds.