Yes, Another...My First Japanese Gyuto.

[mgoblue0484]

1)Pro or home cook?
HOME

2)What kind of knife do you want? (Gyuto, Santuko, Petty, Paring, Sujihiki, etc.)
GYUTO or SANTUKO

3) What size knife do you want?
210mm-240mm

4)How much do you want to spend?
$250 OR BELOW

5) Do you prefer all stainless, stainless clad over reactive carbon, or all reactive carbon construction?
No preference. I've never had a reactive carbon knife. I have no issues with caring for one either. The ease of sharpening and the ability to hold an edge is a plus.

6)Do you prefer Western or Japanese handle?
JAPANESE

7)What are your main knife/knives now?
HENKEL 9" CHEFS KNIFE, HENKEL 8" SANTUKO

8)Are your knife skills excellent, good, fair?
FAIR TO GOOD

9)What cutting techniques do you prefer? Are you a rocker, chopper or push/pull cutter?
COMBINATION OF A ROCKER AND PUSH/PULL. I'VE NEVER HAD A KNIFE SHARP ENOUGH TO BE A CHOPPER. WOULD LIKE TO LEARN.

10)Do you know how to sharpen?
NO, NOT OPPOSED TO LEARNING OR GETTING THE KNIFE PROFESSIONALLY SHARPENED.

Please also add any additional pertinent information that can help everyone with suggestions.

I've read several of the forums regarding Gyutos. It is all very informative. I will primarily be using the knife for Veggie prep, Meat trimming, fish trimming. If I purchase a reactive carbon knife, do I have to refrain from using it on acidic foods, i.e lemons, tomatoes, etc.? Any help/insight you could provide would be helpful. I've listed a few below that I've selected, but feel free to add to it if I'm missing one you'd recommend. I think they are listed by preference, and a lot of that may due to price, but am willing to pay, if they extra money is worth it.

#1 Anryu Blue #2 Hammered (210mm) https://www.chefknivestogo.com/anhagy21.html
#2 Kurosaki AS (210mm) https://www.chefknivestogo.com/kuasgy21.html
#3 Kanehiro AS (210mm) https://www.chefknivestogo.com/kawa21.html
#4 Kanehiro Ginsan (210mm) https://www.chefknivestogo.com/kagigy21.html
#5 Goko White #1 (240mm) https://www.chefknivestogo.com/gokogyuto240mm.html

Looking for the best bang for the buck. One other question, do you recommend purchasing a Saya? Do you recommend a 240 over a 210?

[Kit Craft]

I can say that some of the tasks you list will be better suited toward the gyuto rather than the santoku option. Not an issue as you have listed mostly 210 gyutos. It is hard to go wrong with any of the listed gyutos. I personally would go for the Anryu because I find it a good all round blade. But the others are great as well.

Now to answer your questions. No need to have a stainless knife particularly for citrus and acidic foods, imo, unless you are cutting pounds and pounds of it. A saya can be useful for short term storage in a drawer etc if you are going to be using the knife daily. I do not like them for long term storage as they are a moisture trap. Also, they are good for travel. A good magnetic knife block or strip is something that I prefer for storage but everyone is different.

I am going to do the 240 vs 210 as an aside. I use a huge array of knives in terms of size. I love santoku knives that range from 140-180 and gyutos that range from 180-255. For a long time I was very comfortable with a 180-200mm gyuto and I still think that range is really nice for a lot of things and it is nimble. So I like a 180 that is on the long side or a 210 on the short side. However, I like a 240 on either side of the spectrum. My KS is unique in that it is very suji like and I enjoy that but genreally a knife in the 215-230 range is about right for everything. Point being, it boils down to personal preference. However, if you are used to an 8 inch chef, you will have no issue transitioning to a 240 gyuto.

As for individual recommendations, I will leave that to some of these fellows who have owned hundreds of knives.

[mgoblue0484]

Thanks for the reply. I appreciate it. The Chef knife I use now, is 8 1/2", not 9". I find it plenty big for what I use it for.

[Chefspence]

I find myself using a 210 for pretty much everything. Even on larger ingredients, if I don't wanna bother getting out another knife, the 210 will suffice. Like kit, I either use a 210 or a 180ish bunka or santoku.

[cwillett]

I use a 240mm Yahiko W2 gyuto and like it a lot. It gets sharp quickly and holds its edge very well, much better than another white 2 knife that I have. The geometry works very well for me: There is a long flat spot and a thin tip. I like the looks a lot, with a pear skin finish and a frosted blade road. Even the handle is well integrated (just rough enough for good grip). All that being said, the 240mm is pretty long in a home environment and 210mm might have been a better purchase for me. The knife handles well and is a really good performer. Food release isn't stellar, but it isn't awful either. No wedging. Very minor chips (flakes, really) initially that were small enough to come out on an 8k stone. I'd highly recommend learning to sharpen. Many professional sharpeners are used to working on German type knives with machinery and can take off a lot of metal very easily. You can get a lot of information here about sharpening and that is how I got started with it.

Here is a link to the 210mm version of the knife: https://www.chefknivestogo.com/yawh2nagy21.html

[ChefKnivesToGo]

Hi Matt,

You chose some good knives that I think fit you well. I think you would be happy with any of them.

This AS Kurosaki is the one I would choose for you: https://www.chefknivestogo.com/kuasgy21.html

His knives have nice grinds, the knife is made with excellent steel (aogami super) and it will cut really well. I like the handle on it as well.

[mgoblue0484]

Thanks for taking the time. I really do appreciate it. I'll make my decision soon.