Chefknivestogo Forums

This is not generally a category where it makes sense to spend up. The basic Kanehide and Tojiro's are terrific and functional. If you want harder steel -- to my mind, not really necessary here -- you could look to Moritaka, still well within your budget. I like the Misono carbon 165. It's a little ...

I think Takamura's 210 red handle would fit the bill. It's out of stock at MTC right now, but they do get them. It's not mass produced enough to stay in stock anywhere.

For Ktips, I have the Shibata Bunka, a Shiro Kamo Bunka, a Yoshikane Gyuto, and a Sukenari Gyuto. Yoshi's are always pretty flat; I think the Sukenari is flatter than their regular gyuto profile. But I see other Ktips that are pretty curvy. In the end, in terms of cutting style, I think flatter is b...

I think it's a knife to knife situation, but, yes, all things equal, a k-tip will tend to have a flatter profile. If you're looking for a flat profile, though, why not just look at makers like Yoshikane and Moritaka that have flatter profiles? How do you feel about height? That may be an issue as we...

I don't think we know exactly. Feels like a toothy tool steel. It patinas gradually; I've never had rust. I think it's happiest finished on a hard Aoto or Okudo Suita, with a bit more tooth than AEBL or White no. 2. It holds that edge pretty well.

Alas. But he's pretty active. I doubt the wait would be too long. In the alternative, that Yashemin looks great

Not sure what I'd do. The good news is, you can't go wrong here.

In Blue steel, Toyama is hard to beat, but prices for that are very high.

If you're flexible on steel, what about this: https://www.chefknivestogo.com/shkar2na16.html

I don't see what size is the Anryu? If that is a 240, I would definitely get the 210 Kono. While I have the 240 HD2 myself and agree it is extremely nimble, I quite like the 210 size in that particular knife.

Do you need it? Certainly not. The HD2 won't do anything the Anryu won't. But they do complement one another nicely. The Anryu is more authoritative and solid feeling, better for big jobs. The HD2 is more nimble and better at detail.

I have a bunch of boards and find myself reaching for Hasegawa the most. It's light and can go in the dishwasher. If you don't have a good board, then, yes, that should be a priority.

How do you feel about the Wustofs in terms of feel? Those Shibata's are wonderful knives, model lasers. I also like Shiro Kamo's R2, which is a little thicker, while still very, very thin, and taller. I really like that height on a 240 gyuto. If you want something a bit more classically proportioned...

That is a good question! I am honestly not sure. For smaller jobs, I use a Shibata Bunka a lot, but I have also been using a Y. Tanaka 210 in B1, which is really more like a 200. For everyday use, I am guessing that my Munetoshi 240 has seen the most use. I spent a fair amount of time working on the...

Fair point, those are much less bulky. For carbon, I prefer an old school, wood saya, but for stainless I use felt lined plastic most of the time.

It depends on the knife roll, but you can definitely fine one. I have a Valentich that takes a 300mm suji and a couple of 270 gyutos in their sayas.

I'll second R2 or Hap40. I like Takamura, Shiro Kamo, and Sukenari for Hap40. Yoshikane"s SKD holds its edge quite well, too. ETA - Takamura should be the most affordable. For price, look at Ogata. Great R2 edge retention, very similar to Kamo. For price, I think Moritaka AS is a great value. M...

The best stones for Hap40 are vitrified or resin-bonded diamond stones. I haven't tried the ones Mark has, but they look to be a very good deal: see here for the 1K: https://www.chefknivestogo.com/dmddist10.html. See here for 6K: https://www.chefknivestogo.com/dmddist60.html Among traditional stones...

I think it really depends what you're after. Thinning a bit behind the edge and easing the shoulders should help performance a lot without turning into a life's work. I've done this on similar knives. If you really want to move up the shinogi with stones, you can..., but it will be a lot of work; an...

I don't understand how you guys manage full photo essays. When I'm cooking, I'm usually busy trying to get everything in order. But I got a couple of rather random shots of today's work towards Gougères, beet spread with cayenne and Za'atar, Butternut squash soup, Balsamic braised short ribs, a cele...

I started with a Goko 240, which is on the beefier side, and it felt enormous at the time. I thought I had made a mistake. But I got used to it in a couple of weeks. Since then, I've gotten comfortable with 270's. It's really all about preference and, to a degree, volume. I am a home cook, so I'm no...