What's your go-to entry level gyuto recommendation at the moment?

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Migraine

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I know this gets discussed a lot but availability changes quite quickly and new stuff comes out etc.
 
Munetoshi, fit and finish leaves much to improve but if I would look purely a great cutter under 200$ and a knife that is easy to sharpen and gets really sharp, this would be my choice.
Second would be Tanaka ginsan, much better fit and finish, stainless so more care free than Munetoshi.
 
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JNS is £25 shipping unless you spend £210 which makes knives from there a bit harder to recommend for a newbie
 
Nailed it in one. I recommend the Munetoshi for anyone that’s keen to try a carbon blade and the kaeru for those that prefer stainless.
I consider this price point to be ideal for good quality to ‘get’ knives
 
I'd probably try for something cheaper and easier to find. I bought a Kaeru stainless 210 for my daughter as her first real knife. If it wasn't a gyuto, I'd recommend a CCK cleaver.
 
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My go to entry level is the gesshin stainless wa handled 210 or now available 240 as a great entry level.
 
Fujiwara FKH are nowadays very decent carbons. The former complaints about sulfur in the steel don't apply any longer.
 
MrHiggins said:
Takamora chromax is a really solid entry level knife. Last year, I gave them away as Christmas gifts, and everyone still raves about them.
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Any comparison between Chromax and Kaeru? This two looks nice as entry level knives and holiday season is near - need some gifts ideas.
 
All the ones that just got said. I haven‘t tried any of the JKI entry level stuff but I’d be confident in saying you can’t go wrong with Jon. Munetoshi or S Tanaka for someone who has the potential to get more seriously into knives, Kaeru for pros (which has supplanted recommending Mac), Takamura or Misono or Tanaka again for someone who’d enjoy something more lasery.
 
daveb said:
In the states it's hard to beat the Gesshin Stainless or Gesshin Wa Stainless from JKI or Suisin Western Inox from Korin. Internationally, the Kaeru gets my nod.
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With the Suisin Western Inox from Korin are the handle sizes graduated between the 180 and 210 sizes or are they all the same size? One if the things that I dont care for with the FKM's is that they are all the same size, including the 240 and 270 suji.
 
S. Tanaka (Love the Sekiso and R2 series, Ginsan is nice, too, haven't tried his VG-10 yet), Kohetsu, Harukaze G3 are my 3 main recommendations. Kohetsu has a good mix of western/wa handles and steels and styles/sizes. Fujiwara SS or carbons are good budget knives.
 
Migraine said:
I know this gets discussed a lot but availability changes quite quickly and new stuff comes out etc.
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Depends on budget, skill level, where they're coming from, etc. For people coming from western (Wustof et al), I've recommended Mac Pro, or Masamoto HC if wanting carbon. If wanting a carbon, J-handle gyuto I'd probably recommend Mazaki.
 
I'd say Kaeru. I like the pointy profile and it's a tough knife.
I'd like to try one of the Gesshin stainless. And one of the Takamura chromax. I like the looks/price of both.
I like Wakui as a good value in the ~$200 window. But maybe this is outdated info? I agree, in the past few years, options at that price point have blown up.
 
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This sort of stuff confuses me because I don't understand the point of suggesting any knife over $100 to an absolute beginner.

At the end of the day - more at the end of a few months, really - the knife will only perform as good as the person's sharpening skills. That goes for knives at any price point.

Usually people already have cheap knives that will hold a 1k - 3k edge, so I tell them save their money, buy a cheap combo stone and get a more expensive knife after they're able to maintain an edge they're happy with. This leaves them with sharpening skills and a better knife at the end of the day.
 
nakiriknaifuwaifu said:
This sort of stuff confuses me because I don't understand the point of suggesting any knife over $100 to an absolute beginner.

At the end of the day - more at the end of a few months, really - the knife will only perform as good as the person's sharpening skills. That goes for knives at any price point.

Usually people already have cheap knives that will hold a 1k - 3k edge, so I tell them save their money, buy a cheap combo stone and get a more expensive knife after they're able to maintain an edge they're happy with. This leaves them with sharpening skills and a better knife at the end of the day.
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Definitely a good point, in my second year of cooking and cutting and sharpening I got some knives in exotic steels that I didn't have the sharpening skill to get any benefit from. But also if I give someone a knife or advise them on picking one I assume I'm going to be sharpening it for them, teaching them how to, or both :p
 
I think it depends on what type of beginner you are talking about - new to cooking, new to quality knives, or new to gyutos and Japanese knives. For people in the third category (like me not long ago), it absolutely makes sense to start in the ~$175-$275 range. They want to try something new, they know that they cook enough to use knives, and there's a good chance they are stepping up from the brands that Williams Sonoma sells. I continue to be very happy that more experienced folks recommend that I start with a S. Tanaka.
 
I was asking this as there's a guy on another forum I post to who was asking about new knives as the knife set they bought is falling to bits after a few months. I've posted about knives there before so he dropped me a message.

He doesn't want to spend over £150 all in though and even a Kaeru + King 1000/6000 combi (which is what I planned to suggest before this post) is well over that once you factor in the JNS shipping (Kaeru doesn't meet the minimum spend for free shipping; not even if I split the order with him and got myself an atoma).

Think I'll have to give up and tell him to get something German.
 
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