Best bang for the buck knife brand?

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Re: Best bang for the buck knife brand?

Post by cooknola »

Rufus Leaking wrote: Tue Jul 17, 2018 2:19 pm I will second that misuzu bunka recommendation. $60..... Tough to beat. The only thing that comes close to it is a Dexter Chinese cleaver I think I paid $45 for. Mine got a bigass chip dead center that I lived with until I took it to a grinder and gave it a belly. I worked on it for a good while with a 400 stone before going 20 degrees on each side, and it became an entirely new and different instrument. It will spatchcock a chicken with very little effort, unique in that aspect, yet it will also mince herbs and is my go to for ginger. Every kitchen should have one.
Those dexters are total house knives that work. They make a solid oyster knife.
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Re: Best bang for the buck knife brand?

Post by nakneker »

ChefKnivesToGo wrote: Sat Jul 14, 2018 8:18 pm Masutani comes to mind.

I tried to beg Mr. Masutani to do a wa handled line when I met him a couple months ago. If he does them we’ll sell a gazillion of them.
I tried his Santuko, couldn’t agree more with this. Hopefully you did a good job begging and accepts your order. That would be marvelous.
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Re: Best bang for the buck knife brand?

Post by Chefspence »

We should t be overlooking the Yoshimitsu Fugen line here. Yes the handle is shit, but you get a great hand-crafted knife in W1, stamped kanji, durable KU, and just all around unique cool offering. IMO, they perform great...well at least the bunka did. Easily slid through plenty of stuff. Much better crafted than the Zakuri I used, which was more expensive.
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Re: Best bang for the buck knife brand?

Post by ChefKnivesToGo »

Chefspence wrote: Tue Jul 24, 2018 11:11 pm We should t be overlooking the Yoshimitsu Fugen line here. Yes the handle is shit, but you get a great hand-crafted knife in W1, stamped kanji, durable KU, and just all around unique cool offering. IMO, they perform great...well at least the bunka did. Easily slid through plenty of stuff. Much better crafted than the Zakuri I used, which was more expensive.
I love sharpening these knives. https://www.chefknivestogo.com/yofuwh1.html
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Re: Best bang for the buck knife brand?

Post by Chefspence »

ChefKnivesToGo wrote: Wed Jul 25, 2018 12:17 pm
Chefspence wrote: Tue Jul 24, 2018 11:11 pm We should t be overlooking the Yoshimitsu Fugen line here. Yes the handle is shit, but you get a great hand-crafted knife in W1, stamped kanji, durable KU, and just all around unique cool offering. IMO, they perform great...well at least the bunka did. Easily slid through plenty of stuff. Much better crafted than the Zakuri I used, which was more expensive.
I love sharpening these knives.
I could t beleive how easy it was to fix the tip on my bunka and sharpen it back up. Like 15 strokes, maybe!!
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Re: Best bang for the buck knife brand?

Post by raleighcook15 »

Kanehide tk. Similar steel to the hd for a crazy cheap price. It's become one of my favorite work knives.
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Re: Best bang for the buck knife brand?

Post by ChefKnivesToGo »

raleighcook15 wrote: Thu Jul 26, 2018 10:41 am Kanehide tk. Similar steel to the hd for a crazy cheap price. It's become one of my favorite work knives.
I'm kind of shocked that the TK line never took off. https://www.chefknivestogo.com/katkkn.html

I would have lost a bet when we brought them in that they would become the best selling line on the website.
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Re: Best bang for the buck knife brand?

Post by salemj »

ChefKnivesToGo wrote: Sat Jul 28, 2018 11:13 am
raleighcook15 wrote: Thu Jul 26, 2018 10:41 am Kanehide tk. Similar steel to the hd for a crazy cheap price. It's become one of my favorite work knives.
I'm kind of shocked that the TK line never took off. https://www.chefknivestogo.com/katkkn.html

I would have lost a bet when we brought them in that they would become the best selling line on the website.
It must have just been the PS60 competition. I haven't used one of those (although I got a friend to buy one!), but I did use the TKs I bought for friends, and they sharpen better than stainless, but perhaps the PS60s have better retention or something. Given how little extra care they require, any time I know a "serious" cook who is looking for a great knife around standard box-store prices (entry level shun, wusthof, etc), I always try to steer them towards the TK over those or the PS60. I don't think it is the most refined option, and it is definitely more fragile than something like an FKM, so I don't recommend it to people who assume all knives are like German knives. But I agree that it is just a terrific, affordable blade that does it all well and completes extraordinarily well in terms of performance for the price. I'm just glad you still have them.
~Joe

Comments: I'm short, a home cook, prefer lighter, thinner blades, and own mostly Konosukes but have used over a dozen brands.
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Re: Best bang for the buck knife brand?

Post by Cutuu »

ChefKnivesToGo wrote: Sat Jul 28, 2018 11:13 am
raleighcook15 wrote: Thu Jul 26, 2018 10:41 am Kanehide tk. Similar steel to the hd for a crazy cheap price. It's become one of my favorite work knives.
I'm kind of shocked that the TK line never took off. https://www.chefknivestogo.com/katkkn.html

I would have lost a bet when we brought them in that they would become the best selling line on the website.
Yeah, the tks are great knifes for the cash! I loved mine until I sold it an d bought an srs15 ;)
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Re: Best bang for the buck knife brand?

Post by Chefcallari »

Im going Kohetsu blue 2 all the way baby!

I picked up a 210 for a "line knife" but found myself grabbing it all the time.
I thinned mine a tiny bit and jesus christ it drops through product!
And it will hold an edge all day... Like all day.... Like 14 hours with my 200 lb frame slamming it into poly boards.
But its also tough as fucking nails! ... I had a line cook knock mine off a 3 1/2 foot prep table straight to the concrete floor!


Not a chip, nick or ding! ...........I was stunned!
The exposed edge forms a solid patina super quick and the knife becomes stainless... Lol like literally. I use a folded WET rag to wipe it down after ever cut...... And i leave it wet ALL SERVICE LONG lol.... 6 hours at a damn time!... Not one speck of rust!

Its hands down the best 210 ive ever used.
Performance, toughness, ease of maintenance... 10 10 10.
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Re: Best bang for the buck knife brand?

Post by lsboogy »

I'm hip with the Kohetsu stuff. I love mine (have a 210 HAP, 240AS, 270 AS and 270 HAP knives). Great grinds and great steel - absolutely the best bang for buck knives on the market.
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Re: Best bang for the buck knife brand?

Post by Chefspence »

Chefcallari wrote: Sat Jul 28, 2018 9:19 pm Im going Kohetsu blue 2 all the way baby!

I picked up a 210 for a "line knife" but found myself grabbing it all the time.
I thinned mine a tiny bit and jesus christ it drops through product!
And it will hold an edge all day... Like all day.... Like 14 hours with my 200 lb frame slamming it into poly boards.
But its also tough as fucking nails! ... I had a line cook knock mine off a 3 1/2 foot prep table straight to the concrete floor!


Not a chip, nick or ding! ...........I was stunned!
The exposed edge forms a solid patina super quick and the knife becomes stainless... Lol like literally. I use a folded WET rag to wipe it down after ever cut...... And i leave it wet ALL SERVICE LONG lol.... 6 hours at a damn time!... Not one speck of rust!

Its hands down the best 210 ive ever used.
Performance, toughness, ease of maintenance... 10 10 10.
Pretty good endorsement there! I used a kohetsu b2 and found it to be a little clunky. Very sturdy though for sure.
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Re: Best bang for the buck knife brand?

Post by Jeff B »

Well I think if nothing else that this thread has proven is that there are a lot good knives at reasonable prices at CKTG.
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Re: Best bang for the buck knife brand?

Post by Mike9 »

I agree with the Kanehide PS60. I bought one used to test drive and that was almost a year ago. It's what I reach for 90% of the time.
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Re: Best bang for the buck knife brand?

Post by ChefKnivesToGo »

The Takamura Chomax line also comes to mind. That 210mm gyuto we did earlier in the year is a lot of knife for not a whole lot of money. https://www.chefknivestogo.com/tachgy21.html
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Re: Best bang for the buck knife brand?

Post by Bensbites »

Are we forgetting our barefoot friend in Vietnam? I am going to spend the day trying to resist this:

https://www.chefknivestogo.com/dalespgy21.html
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Re: Best bang for the buck knife brand?

Post by Jeff B »

Bensbites wrote: Mon Aug 27, 2018 12:31 pm Are we forgetting our barefoot friend in Vietnam? I am going to spend the day trying to resist this:

https://www.chefknivestogo.com/dalespgy21.html
That is a cool knife for $50! Surprisingly good performance!
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Re: Best bang for the buck knife brand?

Post by Altadan »

ChefKnivesToGo wrote: Sat Jul 14, 2018 8:18 pm Masutani comes to mind.

I tried to beg Mr. Masutani to do a wa handled line when I met him a couple months ago. If he does them we’ll sell a gazillion of them.
How about a 210 version of the Masutani?
I've been eying the red-handled Harukaze AS, but it ain't stainless (for wife\friends), and it's probably full-tang (not to mention pricier).
Any chance, Mark?
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Re: Best bang for the buck knife brand?

Post by Bensbites »

Jeff B wrote: Mon Aug 27, 2018 12:40 pm
Bensbites wrote: Mon Aug 27, 2018 12:31 pm Are we forgetting our barefoot friend in Vietnam? I am going to spend the day trying to resist this:

https://www.chefknivestogo.com/dalespgy21.html
That is a cool knife for $50! Surprisingly good performance!
AC issues today. Toy fund = 0
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Re: Best bang for the buck knife brand?

Post by ChefKnivesToGo »

Altadan wrote: Mon Aug 27, 2018 2:54 pm
ChefKnivesToGo wrote: Sat Jul 14, 2018 8:18 pm Masutani comes to mind.

I tried to beg Mr. Masutani to do a wa handled line when I met him a couple of months ago. If he does them we’ll sell a gazillion of them.
How about a 210 version of the Masutani?
I've been eying the red-handled Harukaze AS, but it ain't stainless (for wife\friends), and it's probably full-tang (not to mention pricier).
Any chance, Mark?
I asked him when I went to his ship this spring and he was reluctant because his grinding machines couldn't do larger knives. I'll revisit it with him so it might happen in the future. If you want to do a group buy of 500 knives I'll bet I can make it happen. ;)
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