Yet another, what knife should I buy thread

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tubes

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Lurking for a while and have an idea of what I want but would still like recommendations from experienced users. Thanks for looking.


LOCATION: Canada
KNIFE TYPE: Chef's and paring knife, questionnaire focused on chef's
Are you right or left handed? Right
Are you interested in a Western handle (e.g., classic Wusthof handle) or Japanese handle? Open to both, prefer a Western handle
What length of knife (blade) are you interested in (in inches or millimeters)? ~210 mm for chef, unknown for paring
Do you require a stainless knife? (Yes or no) No, but preferred unless you get a better carbon knife for the same price
What is your absolute maximum budget for your knife? $230 CDN or $170 USD
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.) slicing, chopping and mincing vegetables, slicing meats, trimming meats
What knife, if any, are you replacing? Had a set of 4 Victorinox Fibrox that I returned as I want more of a lifetime knife
Do you have a particular grip that you primarily use? Pinch, Finger point
What cutting motions do you primarily use? Slice, back slice, rock chop, mince
What improvements do you want from your current knife? Good overall knife, that slices really smoothly and impresses every time
Better aesthetics? N/A
Comfort? Medium weight or something not too light nor hefty
Ease of Use? N/A
Edge Retention (i.e., length of time you want the edge to last without sharpening)? Monthly at the minimum, if not longer
KNIFE MAINTENANCE
Do you use a bamboo, wood, rubber, or synthetic cutting board? (Yes or no.) Yes
Do you sharpen your own knives? (Yes or no.) Not currently
If not, are you interested in learning how to sharpen your knives? (Yes or no.) Yes
Are you interested in purchasing sharpening products for your knives? (Yes or no.) Yes

Looking for something with great value and feel. Fit and finish doesn't have to be perfect but I'd like this life to last a long time, not be impossible to sharpen, hold an edge and cut very well and smooth through vegetables and boneless meats.

The paring knife is something that I know I need but don't plan on spending more than $30 or 40 CDN out of my $230 budget. TIA.
 
Here's a few that I'm considering. Any thoughts would be appreciated, thanks.

- GONBEI AUS-10 240 mm $155

- SUIEN VC 210 mm $155

- KAGAYAKI CarboNext (ES) Series $105

- Tanaka Damascus Gyutou 210 mm VG10 Black Handle $100

- Tanaka Damascus Gyutou 190 mm VG10 Red Wine handle $70

- YAMAWAKU Yanagiba $62
 
I own the CarboNext and wouldn't recommend it for you. While it sharpens incredibly easy, and this makes maintenance a breeze, it doesn't exactly excel in edge retention. Within your budget I think there are more suitable candidates.
So at least that's one off the list.

Are you planning to buy your own sharpening gear and start doing that yourself? Or are you planning to keep outsourcing that?
 
I hope someone who has used some of this knives can contribute.

I recently acquired the Tanaka B2 KU 190mm and was pleasantly surprised at how well it cuts, has pretty decent food release and sharpens very easily. Unfortunately I can't speak about the VG10 version but people say he does a good job with VG10 so that should be good value too. Carbon ext gets the nod often around here.

Gonbei and Suien are carried by JKI and you would get a very good experience but I should warn you that with shipping, import and handling fees they are actually above your budget.

I have no idea why would you want to start considering a Yanagiba, I would go with a Gyuto first, then a petty and then a general purpose slicer unless you have a ton of fish in your diet.
There is a recent discussion about cheap yanagibas if you dig a little bit and they seem like a gamble and a ton of work guaranteed.
Also, depending on where you are I would recommend going to a Knifewear store and check out what they have in your place range.

tubes said:
Here's a few that I'm considering. Any thoughts would be appreciated, thanks.

- GONBEI AUS-10 240 mm $155

- SUIEN VC 210 mm $155

- KAGAYAKI CarboNext (ES) Series $105

- Tanaka Damascus Gyutou 210 mm VG10 Black Handle $100

- Tanaka Damascus Gyutou 190 mm VG10 Red Wine handle $70

- YAMAWAKU Yanagiba $62
Click to expand...
 
Agreed, for general-purpose work I'd forget about the yanagiba. You'd be better off getting a gyuto. Unless you're planning to make sushi and sashimi every other day.
 
Thanks guys.

Made a mistake adding in the Yanagiba. Thought it was a gyuto for some reason.

Re: JCI import fees - I can get it shipped to a border address and drive it over. Only half hour away and I can save a fair bit on gas there as well.

There is a knifewear near me but the only thing in my budget there seemed to be a Tojiro DP and that seems like an easy out. Didn't absolutely love the feel either, not sure why however.

What about the Tojiro Powdered High Speed Steel gyuto's? I've read good reviews.
 
Oh and yes I will be purchasing sharpening stones and learning proper technique.
 
If you can skip the shipping and import fees then you have a superb option in JKI, but I can't comment on the knives so you have to hope for our US friends to give you some help there.
I've heard that the Gesshin Stainless are good knives for the price too.
 
Any particular reason you've mostly got knives on the lower end of your budget on your shortlist? Given the almost 200 dollar budget you have left there should be a lot more options. Stuff made of SG-2/R2 like the Takamura HSPS are within budget. You bring up the Tojiro HSPS which is supposed to be a lot better than the DP. Have no personal experience with the knife but some here have. The steel is a lot better than the VG-10 stuff.
 
No real reason besides just not knowing what to list. I'm definitely interested in an R2. I'll take a look at the Takamura, thanks.

That cleaver looks great but shouldn't I start with a gyuto?

Anyone else care to recommend a $150-170 all purpose gyuto? Thanks
 
I've got the Tojiro 210 HSPS gyuto. It was my first J-knife and, having got the bug, I quickly moved on to bigger and better things so I haven't used it in a while but I found it to be a good knife. Mine came very sharp OOTB and held a 90% edge for a very long time. Sharpened it for the first time only recently and it was easy enough to sharpen even with my limited skills. Overall, as an inexpensive introduction to J-knives I'd definitely recommend it.

The best thing it taught me was how poor my knife skills and cutting techniques were after a lifetime of using softer German knives. I quickly learnt not to torque the blade, rock excessively or scrape food off my board with the edge. Luckily the knife was durable enough to withstand my poor treatment of it while I was learning these lessons. Best of all, even though I haven't used the knife in a while, the lessons learned have remained with me.
 
And, unrelated to your quest for a gyuto but as a general comment on Victorinox Fibrox and lifetime knives, I've got a Vic filleting knife sitting in my tackle box.

It's been in there for thirty years and my father had it in his tackle box for a good few years before that.

That's just a comment and I'm not trying to steer you away from your current path. You're definitely on the right track.
 
tubes said:
That cleaver looks great but shouldn't I start with a gyuto?

Anyone else care to recommend a $150-170 all purpose gyuto? Thanks
Click to expand...

Some people adhere to using that style as a main knife. Not a great fit if your board and counter are tall and you are not though.They're fun. Keep the edge sharp and the weight does almost all the work for you, and I've had decent edge retention using it too (for how much wear I thought it'd have through my use, it held up quite well). The monosteel carbon isn't that reactive. The Suien profile too has some curve towards the front and back since you mentioned rocking and mincing, but as with probably the gyutos in the discussion here, better for push/pull cutting

Look out for BST deals on Itinomonn gyuto? XD
 
Thanks for the info all, really appreciate it.

Seems like CKTG has a new offering - Yahiko R-2 Stainless Gyuto 210mm for $130 and is the same steel as the Takamura. Might try this, grab a $40 petty knife and go from there.
 
For under $200 you would be hard pressed to find a better knife than Itinomonn Stainless or Gesshin Uraku. Known quality knives from known quality vendors working with Japanese craftsmen. The Gobei (sp?) you cited probably also belongs in this group as does Tanaka.

http://www.japanesenaturalstones.com/itinomonn-stainless-kasumi-210mm-wa-gyuto/

https://www.japaneseknifeimports.co...oducts/gesshin-uraku-210mm-stainless-wa-gyuto

I personally would be a little leery of an unknown R2 knife at the Togo price. Also leery of Mark's "exclusive" brands. Where some vendors take pride in working closely with the craftsmen, I always get the impression that Togo is going to the lowest bidder and there always seems to be a new best one. That said the Takamura there is couple extra bucks and is a known quantity.

Good luck.
 
+1.

Remember that a steel's heat treatment is much more important than the type of steel. Much better to buy a lesser steel from a reputable smith, preferably from a reputable vendor.
 
Great input, thanks. I probably made a mistake but will live with it and learn from it. Ordered the Yahiko R2. CKTG said it's the same steel as in the Takamura but they improved the handle.

Oh well, if it's doesn't work out well it wasn't overly expensive and this was a great learning experience.

Appreciate everyone taking the time to post.
 
Tubes, let me chime here by saying three things:

1- Not sure the size of paring knife you're after, but you can very well get away with a standard $8 Victorinox fibrox parer. You mentioned that you do not sharpen your own knives ATM but these are easy to steel back to life and once they've gone too dull to steel, at $8 you can just buy a brand new one.

2-Knifewear is having a garage sale in April at all locations and online of unsual items, prototypes, blemished knives, one-offs, etc. as a Canadian that may be your best bet at finding a general purpose western handled gyuto for a decent price.

3- NVM,I saw you already pulled the trigger on a gyuto so ignore #2.
 
Last edited:
tubes said:
Great input, thanks. I probably made a mistake but will live with it and learn from it. Ordered the Yahiko R2. CKTG said it's the same steel as in the Takamura but they improved the handle.

Oh well, if it's doesn't work out well it wasn't overly expensive and this was a great learning experience.

Appreciate everyone taking the time to post.
Click to expand...

Be sure to let us know how it works out for you after you've had a chance to use it.
 
StonedEdge: already have that paring knife. It's pretty decent for the price I've found. Ordered a Fujiwara FKM Stainless 120 mm petty as well. Reviews are good and it's a bit softer than vg10 so sharpening should be doable for me.

Will update in time, cheers.
 
tubes said:
StonedEdge: already have that paring knife. It's pretty decent for the price I've found. Ordered a Fujiwara FKM Stainless 120 mm petty as well. Reviews are good and it's a bit softer than vg10 so sharpening should be doable for me.

Will update in time, cheers.
Click to expand...

Makes sense. There is a stiffer, longer parer in my future so I get what you're saying. Best of luck in your search!
 
Wish I would have known about that one before.

I have some Amazon Dalstrong POS knives that I'll practice with first.
 
Benuser has a good point- carbon steel is certainly easier to sharpen. However well heat treared R2 is by no means difficult. I find it easier to deburr than Western stainless.

Edit- I should specify that I say this as a relatively inexperienced sharpener.
 
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