Sit down knife

[Wjhunt]

Pro or home cook? Home

2)What kind of knife do you want? (Gyuto, Santuko, Petty, Paring, Sujihiki, etc.)
Open to suggestions
3) What size knife do you want? ~165 mm

4)How much do you want to spend? Less than $200

5) Do you prefer all stainless, stainless clad over reactive carbon, or all reactive carbon construction? Stainless clad over carbon

6)Do you prefer Western or Japanese handle?
Again, open to suggestions
7)What are your main knife/knives now?
Gihei blue #2 210 gyuto
8)Are your knife skills excellent, good, fair?
Fair
9)What cutting techniques do you prefer? Are you a rocker, chopper or push/pull cutter?
Push pull
10)Do you know how to sharpen? Yes

Please also add any additional pertinent information that can help everyone with suggestions.
This knife will be a belated Fathers Day gift.
My father is getting older and tends to take his cutting board and ingredients to the kitchen table so he can sit down while doing prep.
I bought him the Gihei blue #2 210 and he loves that knife but it is too big for him to use while sitting down. The Gihei tall petty would have been my choice for the gift but it is out of stock.
I signed in for the email when it comes back in stock and don’t mind waiting for it but I’m open to suggestions. Thank you.

[lsboogy]

I have a long (30+ year) love affair with Kikuichi stuff. The Damascus line is gorgeous, and cuts like few others. They make a 150 petty that may suit him well

https://www.chefknivestogo.com/kiswwadape15.html

[-toa-]

A shame about the Gihei petty.

Next step up from the tall petty would be either a santoku or bunka.
The bunka usually have a lower tip (great for draw cuts), while the santokus often have more belly/curve and height to them (often more of a versatile profile). Not sure how they would feel to use while sitting down...
Also note that many of the 180 gyutos are actually quite low (~41mm) and can feel like a large petty. (Not sure if this is too long).

I´d look for a nimble low blade (<42mm) with a fairly low tip (easier draw cut).

I took a quick look at the petty knive: "Kohetsu Blue #2 Nashiji Petty 170mm" is pretty close to the gihei in terms of size.

[lsboogy]

Laugh if you want, but I own one and my SO loves hers
https://www.chefknivestogo.com/miskkobu10.htm
Takes a great edge, seems to hold it well, and is a cheap jknife for the money.

[slickmamba]

maybe a 180 santoku would fit. There are a bunch of 165-180mms in your price range. https://www.chefknivestogo.com/wahasa.html

[Wjhunt]

Thank you everyone for your help. I’ve been looking at a few bunka knives. I’m really not sure what to get. The Kikuichi petty is gorgeous, and it would probably end up in a drawer with my dad’s collection of bone handled case knives. If the Gihei doesn’t come back soon, I believe the Kohetsu would be a good choice.

[-toa-]

Laugh if you want, but I own one and my SO loves hers
https://www.chefknivestogo.com/miskkobu10.htm
Takes a great edge, seems to hold it well, and is a cheap jknife for the money.

They actually looks like quite fun knives. Esp. the 160mm bunka! Probably a kind of knife that will surprise you in a good way (crazy price too)
hmm.. i wonder what the illustration and writing on the handle means..

Thead about the knife here: https://www.chefknivestogoforums.com/vi ... php?t=1201

[Ut_ron]

I believe this would work.

https://www.chefknivestogo.com/anryu.html

Love my 180, stays sharp and light weight.

[Wjhunt]

Thank you Ut_ron. I’ve been looking at the 170 bunka from Anryu. The santoku looks nice too, and it is in stock.

[Jeff B]

I'd give the Gihei a little time to restock. It is a crazy good knife at such a great price, best $120 I ever spent!

[Carlo]

I'd give the Gihei a little time to restock. It is a crazy good knife at such a great price, best $120 I ever spent!

Seconded since your dad likes the Gihei 210. It’s called a tall petty but it really is a cool little gyuto.

[salemj]

I'd side with the comment above focusing on heel height. If I had to do a complete prep while sitting, I would ideally choose a shorter (210-230) suji or a gyuto that is short at the heel (<41mm). Some pros even use sujis as their main prep knives: the longer blade provides many advantages (not only a longer cutting surface, but also the ability to mince or chop with little vertical arm movement and/or while keeping the tip on the board for balance and stability, which is even more important when sitting and when your elbow is below the handle of the knife). You can get the same effect from a long petty (210). Regardless, when I think of older folk, especially ones who want to sit while doing prep (like my own dad), I also think of people who would benefit from having a longer blade that is a bit more predictable in the hand and that can be used a bit more in the euro-French style by keeping the tip on the board occasionally for balance when using guillotine and glide push and pull cuts. With age comes loss of dexterity.

Beyond all of this, the main loss of sitting while doing prep is that your elbows are lower, which totally changes the cutting action. As a shorter person, I deal with this even when standing at a taller counter or when using a very thick board. Trust me when I say that "chopping" off the board with a petty when you elbow is at or below board height is...unpleasant. I think it is often much easier to guillotine and glide with a longer blade with a shorter heel height using a modified pinch grip, even though this may seem counter-intuitive.

If you choose a knife like these, however, it would need a Japanese handle. A Western handle with a shorter heel height would be uncomfortable and wouldn't work well with this type of cutting. Lighter is better, and Japanese handles often sit considerably higher off the cutting board than Western ones on knives with shorter heel heights.

[Wjhunt]

Thank you Joe. I always enjoy your comments. You made some good points. I’m not sure if my dad’s skill level would let him take advantage of a longer knife. He really enjoys cooking and has always had an appreciation for quality knives, but watching him cut up food would make you shake your head. When I show him a different technique he tells me that’s nice, then he tells me to keep going.
I know he would like the Gihei tall petty so I will wait for it to come back in stock.

[salemj]

Thank you Joe. I always enjoy your comments. You made some good points. I’m not sure if my dad’s skill level would let him take advantage of a longer knife. He really enjoys cooking and has always had an appreciation for quality knives, but watching him cut up food would make you shake your head. When I show him a different technique he tells me that’s nice, then he tells me to keep going.
I know he would like the Gihei tall petty so I will wait for it to come back in stock.

Thanks! And happy to chime in. Reading your comments, I absolutely would do the same in your shoes. There are many people I REALLY want to buy knives for but can't because, well, they don't actually want knives with superior potential, they just want knives with functional potential for the way they choose to abuse them (even while they still appreciate and marvel at my knives). With such gifts, the key is to get what the actual user will enjoy and cherish (thank goodness for Victorinox, durable AUS8 options, and pakka wood!). I hope the Gihei comes back in stock soon!