Which Knife Should I Buy?

[natabega]

Hi!,
Could you please give me some advice?

LOCATION
US

KNIFE TYPE
chef's knife and utility knife

Are you right or left handed? Left-handed

Are you interested in a Western handle (e.g., classic Wusthof handle) or Japanese handle? I'm open

What length of knife (blade) are you interested in (in inches or millimeters)? 6-8 inches, preferably 6 it's difficult for me to handle a large knife, but if anybody thinks this size is inappropriate based on other answers please fill me in.

Do you require a stainless knife? Yes

What is your absolute maximum budget for your knife? 200 USD


KNIFE USE
Do you primarily intend to use this knife at home or a professional environment? Home, but I'm a culinary student

What are the main tasks you primarily intend to use the knife? slicing vegetables, chopping vegetables, mincing vegetables, slicing meats, filleting fish, trimming meats

What knife, if any, are you replacing?

Do you have a particular grip that you primarily use? Pinch grip

What cutting motions do you primarily use? Rocking, walking, chopping

What improvements do you want from your current knife?

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)? No

Comfort (e.g., lighter/heavier knife; better handle material; better handle shape; rounded spine/choil of the knife; improved balance)? lighter knife, better handle material but not the most important, improved balance

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)? I wish it be easier to sharpen

Edge Retention (i.e., length of time you want the edge to last without sharpening)? I´m open


KNIFE MAINTENANCE
Do you use a bamboo, wood, rubber, or synthetic cutting board? Yes, wood

Do you sharpen your own knives? No

If not, are you interested in learning how to sharpen your knives? Yes

Are you interested in purchasing sharpening products for your knives? Yes

Thanks a lot for your help!!

 

[Qapla']

What do you think of this?
https://japanesechefsknife.com/coll...no-440-series-gyuto-knife?variant=29223035267

 

[btbyrd]

Unless there's a good reason for it, I would rethink the 6" size limitation, especially since you're in culinary school. An 8" or 210mm chef's knife will serve you much better, especially if you're going to be prepping in a commercial kitchen. While a 210 will serve you well, many pros prefer a 240mm (or even longer). Since you're not comfortable with longer knives, I think you'll benefit from getting used to using a blade in the 210mm/8-inch range. There are many good choices out there, but one I like to recommend as a good all-arounder is the Mac Mighty MTH-80 8-inch chef's knife.

 

[Jovidah]

In general even for home use I think an 8" / 210mm is just more useful. I know there's some here who at least like the 180's, but personally I always found shorter than 8 inch to get somewhat annoying, wishing for more length pretty fast.
If you can't handle a 210 gyuto imo the solution goes more towards learning to use it properly than to compromise and get a ... 150 gyuto. Mid size petties have their uses but I wouldn't make it my main knife. Especially not if you're a culinary student; you'll be expected to use and become proficient with something in the 8 inch or larger size anyway.

 

[Benuser]

Misono and Masahiro carry left-handed versions, i.e. with an inverted geometry. Left face convex, right one flatter, edge off-centered to the right. Rock-chopping and especially walking to be reconsidered with fine, hard edges.

 

[DavidPF]

It's maybe easier to understand the size issue if you think of spoons instead of knives for a moment. Someone saying they will use only a short-handled teaspoon every time a spoon is needed for anything, is really limiting themselves. Even though that teaspoon really is easier to manage and quicker to move around, the ease of use can't compensate for it being just not big enough for a lot of purposes.

There are probably some fancy/interesting reasons why a serious cook has more than one knife, but there's definitely a boring everyday reason too: to get your work done effectively, you normally need both a big knife and a little one. The big knife doesn't have to be huge, but it does have to sort of be big enough to qualify as big, or else why have it.

("Big" is sort of generally agreed to start at 8 inches, and that's pretty much based on how large the things are that you'd normally need to cut)

 

[JaVa]

All superb points to take to heart.
Also bigger Japanese knives will feel more comfortable to use compared to most European makers as the Japanese knives are usually much lighter. You will have situations in culinary school when you wished you had at least a 210 size knife. You'll get used to it pretty fast. Usually takes only a couple of days.

I like the Mac suggestion. Tried and tested friend in the kitchen. tons of chefs use them. I did for 15 years solely. Still do from time to time.

If you'r interested in a Japanese style wa handle then the Gesshin Stainles wa gyuto 210 from JKI is a dependable and affordable starting point for a pro kitchen environment.

For a more exciting option there is the Kaeru Stainless steel 210 from Japanese Natural Stones. Really well executed knife with in your budget. Best cutting performance in this group with a really nice steel.

The pakkawood handle on Mac is sturdy and robust and basically won't need any looking after. The wood handles on the Gesshin Stainless 210 gyuto and the Kaeru 210 will benefit giving them an oil finish ootb and every so often after that. Not a big deal by any means, but good to know.

 

[DavidPF]

I believe there IS probably such a thing as a knife that's too big for you to get comfortable with for regular use, especially if you're short and have small hands, but that the too-big knives would be the 12 inch and maybe also the 10.

Your current chef's knife might be built in a heavy style, and it might have been the extra weight on the "fat style" 8-inch knife from the same brand that made it harder to use. Lighter weight knives are easier, so much easier that balance almost doesn't count anymore.

 

[HumbleHomeCook]

I believe there IS probably such a thing as a knife that's too big for you to get comfortable with for regular use, especially if you're short and have small hands, but that the too-big knives would be the 12 inch and maybe also the 10.

Your current chef's knife might be built in a heavy style, and it might have been the extra weight on the "fat style" 8-inch knife from the same brand that made it harder to use. Lighter weight knives are easier, so much easier that balance almost doesn't count anymore.

What lighter weight knives have you used or that you might recommend?

Also, could you expand how being lighter in weight makes balance almost not count?

 

[DavidPF]

What lighter weight knives have you used or that you might recommend?

Also, could you expand how being lighter in weight makes balance almost not count?

When the weight is reduced enough (and the sharpness is increased enough) that swinging the knife's weight around is no longer part of your cutting strategy (because knife weight is less necessary and less available), then you just do things a bit differently to compensate. Instead of letting the weight do some of the work, you let the sharpness plus some downward and/or forward/backward force from you do it instead. If you plan out which muscles you're going to move differently and by how much, it will fail miserably; in real life you just sort of go with the flow of getting used to the fact you have a lighter sharper knife, and using it in the easiest simplest way you can.

Difficult demo: choose two different knives and meticulously compare them. Easy demo: imagine how it would be, doing your usual knife jobs with an axe blade attached to your knife handle, and a big tree-stump cutting board. You could do it, but imagining is probably enough.

 

[HumbleHomeCook]

When the weight is reduced enough (and the sharpness is increased enough) that swinging the knife's weight around is no longer part of your cutting strategy (because knife weight is less necessary and less available), then you just do things a bit differently to compensate. Instead of letting the weight do some of the work, you let the sharpness plus some downward and/or forward/backward force from you do it instead. If you plan out which muscles you're going to move differently and by how much, it will fail miserably; in real life you just sort of go with the flow of getting used to the fact you have a lighter sharper knife, and using it in the easiest simplest way you can.

Difficult demo: choose two different knives and meticulously compare them. Easy demo: imagine how it would be, doing your usual knife jobs with an axe blade attached to your knife handle, and a big tree-stump cutting board. You could do it, but imagining is probably enough.

Wow. That's...um...interesting.

What if you have a heavy knife that is really sharp? You mentioned that lighter knives are easier but what you state above seems contradictory to that. But, perhaps, I'm just confused.

Also, what lightweight knives do you have or recommend? Or for that matter, what heavier knives do you have as a base comparison?

 

[DavidPF]

If you've never felt what I just clumsily and laboriously explained, if you think specific makers or brands are relevant to what I said, then you've never handled more than one knife and have never tried cutting things, and I can't help you until you do. If my way of explaining isn't your style, I understand, I'm a clumsy writer. If you're deliberately choosing to misunderstand, then I'm not interested in playing.

 

[HumbleHomeCook]

If you've never felt what I just clumsily and laboriously explained, if you think specific makers or brands are relevant to what I said, then you've never handled more than one knife and have never tried cutting things, and I can't help you until you do. If my way of explaining isn't your style, I understand, I'm a clumsy writer.

No, no, I don't at all think specific makers or brands are relevant to your laborious explanation. I'm just curious what light or heavy knives you use?

 

[HumbleHomeCook]

If you've never felt what I just clumsily and laboriously explained, if you think specific makers or brands are relevant to what I said, then you've never handled more than one knife and have never tried cutting things, and I can't help you until you do. If my way of explaining isn't your style, I understand, I'm a clumsy writer. If you're deliberately choosing to misunderstand, then I'm not interested in playing.

You edited your post after the fact.

My inquires stand.

 

[tostadas]

To the OP, maybe give a little more info on how you intend to use it. For the size you mention, you would probably be looking at a santoku knife if you plan to use it for general work. Otherwise, a 6" knife will have very little height to use on a board.

For all around stainless that doesnt need to be babied much, you cant go wrong with Mac or Misono as mentioned.
For higher performance, lighter weight, you can check out Takamura R2, or the cheaper Chromax/VG10.

Jon at JKI has a semi-stainless santoku on his site that looks really nice too. You can always reach out to him for solid advice based on your needs.
https://www.japaneseknifeimports.co...k-items/products/en-ginsanko-165mm-wa-santoku
If you decide you want more length, which I expect you will as a culinary student, then you open up significantly more options.