I think you hit the mark.salemj wrote: ↑Tue Oct 30, 2018 12:33 am
I bought my first Japanese knife while in Switzerland. I remember feeling limited due to the costs and distance from suppliers. I think the key is to know exactly why you are buying these knives. If you want a terrific knife that will last a long time, I think there are different things to consider. But if you want a "stepping stone" to more Japanese knives, then your desire for a slicer and your interest in cosmetics make more sense. It might be worth thinking about that for a little bit and sharing your thoughts with us.
I read your post more than two times and i reflected a bit.
I'm not only looking for a very good knife, i'm looking for my first truly japanese knife, so i think it'd be better to buy 1 knife, and then see if i like it, the steel, how it sharpens,... and mostly how my sharpening skills advance, no point on ruining 2 knives because of a lack of experience.
Now i'm between a Bunka and a Gyuto...
I do love the looks of the Bunka, but the versatility of the Gyuto that you all suggest makes me think that i can surely sacrifice looks for something more useful.
With that in mind, i looked at some Bunkas on the website, all between 100 and 200 dollars, and these are the ones which i like the most:
- Anryu Kurouchi Damascus Bunka 165 https://www.chefknivestogo.com/ankudabu16.html ;
- Anryu Blue #2 Hammered Bunka 170 https://www.chefknivestogo.com/anbl2bu17.html ;
- Kohetsu AS Bunka 175 https://www.chefknivestogo.com/koaosubu17.html (don't know about the 40/60 grind, maybe with the sharpening service Mark can bring it to a 50/50).
And i also looked at some 210 Gyutos:
- Anryu Kurouchi Damascus Gyuto 210 https://www.chefknivestogo.com/kaankusugy21.html ;
- Anryu Blue #2 Hammered Gyuto 210 https://www.chefknivestogo.com/anhagy21.html (which is a bit above budget) ;
- Kohetsu AS Gyuto 210 https://www.chefknivestogo.com/rikoaosu21gy.html (same 40/60 issue) ;
- Yahiko White #2 Hammered Gyuto 210 https://www.chefknivestogo.com/yabl2hagy21.html .
Do you guys have any suggestions on them? Also as far as sharpening goes.
For the stones i decided to go with the combo, to keep the budget low for the first purchase and then work my way up buying single stones.
Sorry for all the confusion i caused, i'm confused myself and i got all excited about buying that my feet left the ground. Now that i'm back on earth i can make a good and thoughtful decision.
Thank you for your answers and your patience.