1)Pro or home cook?
Pro I work in the food industry…. I need upgrade to make easers and more precise the work. I need to replace 3 knifes. The first is a Takayuki kengata GYUTO, second is Takatuki petty and the third is Takayuki Damascus slicer (sujihiki).
2)What kind of knife do you want? (Gyuto, Santuko, Petty, Paring, Sujihiki, etc.)
Gyuto, petty and sujihiki
3) What size knife do you want?
Gyuto around 6in to 9in
Petty around 4in
Sujihiki no more than 9in
4)How much do you want to spend?
No more than 300$ each
5) Do you prefer all stainless, stainless clad over reactive carbon, or all reactive carbon construction?
I don’t have preference.... i looking for aogami super o metals near that...
6)Do you prefer Western or Japanese handle?
I am used to WESTERN but sometime is better to make changes in the life.
7)What are your main knife/knives now?
Takayuki
8)Are your knife skills excellent, good, fair?
I want to say excellent…. my knifes doesn’t retain the edge for too long ….. I don’t know is the technique or the material of the knifes.
9)What cutting techniques do you prefer? Are you a rocker, chopper or push/pull cutter?
100% Rocker
10)Do you know how to sharpen?
YES… my stone is 800/6000 (king...Matsunaga stone co.) I looking for more stones to better edge as well. Free to recommend more stones
Looking to buy 3 pro knifes same brand
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salemj
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Re: Looking to buy 3 pro knifes same brand
Your knives are probably VG-10 core, as you'd know if they were the AS version (they would patina and they would have better than ho-hum edge retention).
The ideal may be Kurosaki AS Kurouchi. This may be hard to get in-stock and the suji may be too long. The same is true for his R2 series. You'll have similar frustrations with the popular but highly recommended Masakage or Anryu options. Lots of pros love the Anryu Blue 2 line, although the preference is for the gyuto and not so much for petty or suji knives. His recent AS line share a lot of qualities with the Masakage Koishi. I would not consider the Koishi to be a "precise" knife in feel when compared to other possibilities, but it is generally precise, with a thin grind but a thicker spine. With both of these, you'll run into size limitations for certain patterns, as well as in-stock limitations from time to time.
Honestly, the most obvious thought here is one of Mark's brands (Kohetsu or Kanehide). Those are the easiest brands to get professional-quality knives in all three profiles/designs by the same brand that are thin enough to perform well in a professional environment, separate from monosteel blades by brands like Fujiwara FKM and Misono and Masamoto (monosteel series).
The Kohetsu AS and Hap40 lines are designed for pros and come with both Western and Japanese handles—you could even get the same brand but choose a Japanese handle for the gyuto and suji while sticking with a Western for the petty. The other bonus is that these knives tend to have very versatile, middle-of-the-road profiles that work well for rocking without having excessive belly. The AS lines are under budget, but the Hap40 are going to be closer to your limit (although still well under).
https://www.chefknivestogo.com/kohetsuknives.html
The other obvious possibility is some form of Konosuke laser (these will be Japanese handles). The GS+ line doesn't have a suji yet, but the stainless and HD lines do (you may have to look around at other suppliers because these are not always readily available). You could easily mix and match between the lines here, as the design and execution of each line is very similar regardless of steel type (if that is the reason you want all one brand).
Otherwise, as I mentioned above, for sheer performance and durability all under a single brand at this price point, you'll want to consider the big-name monosteels, too: Misono 440 or carbon, Kikuichi carbon, Masamoto VG or carbon, etc. I think you can do better than these given that you are willing to spend money and that you want to do more precise work...these knives tend to be nice and thin, but also tend to not be quite as hard in terms of heat treatment, so they don't necessarily feel as precise as some of the above options might feel.
As for stones, with AS or Hap40 or something similarly hard and alloyed, you'll probably want a fast-cutting stone like a Shapton. A 500 Glass plus a 2k Shapton Pro would be a great match that is often recommended; you could follow that with something in the 4-6k range, like a Rika or any number of other options (people seem less enthusiastic about the Shaptons in this range, although if you do want one, I'd probably try a glass first). The more serious and expensive options for steels like these would be the Nubatama Platinum series, which apparently cuts alloy steels very, very well, but at a cost.
The ideal may be Kurosaki AS Kurouchi. This may be hard to get in-stock and the suji may be too long. The same is true for his R2 series. You'll have similar frustrations with the popular but highly recommended Masakage or Anryu options. Lots of pros love the Anryu Blue 2 line, although the preference is for the gyuto and not so much for petty or suji knives. His recent AS line share a lot of qualities with the Masakage Koishi. I would not consider the Koishi to be a "precise" knife in feel when compared to other possibilities, but it is generally precise, with a thin grind but a thicker spine. With both of these, you'll run into size limitations for certain patterns, as well as in-stock limitations from time to time.
Honestly, the most obvious thought here is one of Mark's brands (Kohetsu or Kanehide). Those are the easiest brands to get professional-quality knives in all three profiles/designs by the same brand that are thin enough to perform well in a professional environment, separate from monosteel blades by brands like Fujiwara FKM and Misono and Masamoto (monosteel series).
The Kohetsu AS and Hap40 lines are designed for pros and come with both Western and Japanese handles—you could even get the same brand but choose a Japanese handle for the gyuto and suji while sticking with a Western for the petty. The other bonus is that these knives tend to have very versatile, middle-of-the-road profiles that work well for rocking without having excessive belly. The AS lines are under budget, but the Hap40 are going to be closer to your limit (although still well under).
https://www.chefknivestogo.com/kohetsuknives.html
The other obvious possibility is some form of Konosuke laser (these will be Japanese handles). The GS+ line doesn't have a suji yet, but the stainless and HD lines do (you may have to look around at other suppliers because these are not always readily available). You could easily mix and match between the lines here, as the design and execution of each line is very similar regardless of steel type (if that is the reason you want all one brand).
Otherwise, as I mentioned above, for sheer performance and durability all under a single brand at this price point, you'll want to consider the big-name monosteels, too: Misono 440 or carbon, Kikuichi carbon, Masamoto VG or carbon, etc. I think you can do better than these given that you are willing to spend money and that you want to do more precise work...these knives tend to be nice and thin, but also tend to not be quite as hard in terms of heat treatment, so they don't necessarily feel as precise as some of the above options might feel.
As for stones, with AS or Hap40 or something similarly hard and alloyed, you'll probably want a fast-cutting stone like a Shapton. A 500 Glass plus a 2k Shapton Pro would be a great match that is often recommended; you could follow that with something in the 4-6k range, like a Rika or any number of other options (people seem less enthusiastic about the Shaptons in this range, although if you do want one, I'd probably try a glass first). The more serious and expensive options for steels like these would be the Nubatama Platinum series, which apparently cuts alloy steels very, very well, but at a cost.
~J
Comments: I'm short, a home cook, prefer lighter, thinner blades, and have tried dozens of brands over the years.
Comments: I'm short, a home cook, prefer lighter, thinner blades, and have tried dozens of brands over the years.
Re: Looking to buy 3 pro knifes same brand
The Yahiko True Grit or Suehiro Cerax stones would also be good choices for high alloy steels like that.
I’ll further answer this tomorrow, but I think your best bet is to go with different lines. What makes for a good pro sujihiki and a good rocking gyuto can be pretty different.
I’ll further answer this tomorrow, but I think your best bet is to go with different lines. What makes for a good pro sujihiki and a good rocking gyuto can be pretty different.
Re: Looking to buy 3 pro knifes same brand
I said I would come back to this later and every time I try I hit on two things, your preference for rocking and the prohibition on a traditional length slicer.
Very few Japanese knives come made for rock cutting. The harder steel they're usually made from doesn't do that well with the twisting that always comes from that motion. Shorter sujihikis also aren't a popular length, with most people preferring a 27cm/10" or longer slicer. And of those, I can't think of any that all come from the same set, as sold here or anywhere. So, and I apologize for this, I'm going to ignore one part of your request and point you toward the following:
Harukaze 210mm gyuto: https://www.chefknivestogo.com/habl2gy21.html
Kohetsu AS 120mm petty: https://www.chefknivestogo.com/rikoaosu12pe.html
Gihei HAP40 gyuto: https://www.chefknivestogo.com/gihagy211.html
The Harukaze I think is exactly locked in as what you want for a prep gyuto. I tried one a while back and it's a great rocker, the steel in it is tough, and it's well made overall. The petty is from a professional line that prioritizes performance, also a pretty easy choice. The short slicer is the most difficult thing to suggest since very few slicers come in under 9" and fewer still are made from higher hardness steels. I don't think CKTG sells a slicer that fits what you want. It does however have a 40mm tall Gihei gyuto that, while a little tall for a slicer, is not outside the realm of possibility and is made from a steel that will hold an edge a very, very long time. I don't know if anything else out there will fit better.
I don't think the Kohetsu AS gyuto at its fairly high hardness and with its typical gyuto profile is a good choice here.
I would bet dollars to donuts this assortment serves you better than any other three knives from any set sold anywhere.
Very few Japanese knives come made for rock cutting. The harder steel they're usually made from doesn't do that well with the twisting that always comes from that motion. Shorter sujihikis also aren't a popular length, with most people preferring a 27cm/10" or longer slicer. And of those, I can't think of any that all come from the same set, as sold here or anywhere. So, and I apologize for this, I'm going to ignore one part of your request and point you toward the following:
Harukaze 210mm gyuto: https://www.chefknivestogo.com/habl2gy21.html
Kohetsu AS 120mm petty: https://www.chefknivestogo.com/rikoaosu12pe.html
Gihei HAP40 gyuto: https://www.chefknivestogo.com/gihagy211.html
The Harukaze I think is exactly locked in as what you want for a prep gyuto. I tried one a while back and it's a great rocker, the steel in it is tough, and it's well made overall. The petty is from a professional line that prioritizes performance, also a pretty easy choice. The short slicer is the most difficult thing to suggest since very few slicers come in under 9" and fewer still are made from higher hardness steels. I don't think CKTG sells a slicer that fits what you want. It does however have a 40mm tall Gihei gyuto that, while a little tall for a slicer, is not outside the realm of possibility and is made from a steel that will hold an edge a very, very long time. I don't know if anything else out there will fit better.
I don't think the Kohetsu AS gyuto at its fairly high hardness and with its typical gyuto profile is a good choice here.
I would bet dollars to donuts this assortment serves you better than any other three knives from any set sold anywhere.