Advice on a japanese style kitchen knife

[Gator97]

Are these knives very hard to sharpen ?
Francois.

No, white steel, even at 63-64HRC is not hard to sharpen. And takes very fine edge, if you want to take it there. Everything is comparable in this world, so if you compare white steel to western knives at 54-56HRC then yes it's harder, but not by much.

I'd skip Carters. Price/Performance ratio is clearly not in Carter's favor. Unless you like his designs that much, or have other compelling reason to pick Carters then there's bunch of others.

I've used Fallkniven K2 white whale for 3-4 years. Eventually it was given as a present to a friend. It's was a good knife, very much Japanese style, thin, sharp and 59HRC which is not very typical for western knives. I've picked up other Japanese knives that perform better. Can't say they're too expensive in comparison.

just be aware a deba is NOT....i repeat NOT an all-purpose knife....

I agree Deba isn't. On the other hand, neither is Yanagi nor Sujihiki. I've heard more than once that experienced chefs use those as their all purpose knife. I've tried that myself, but I'm nowhere near with my skills to feel comfy stemming strawberries with 300mm yanagi. It's all experience and skill.

Brogan Good to see you back. I've heard you're foodies exclusive these days??

 

[looker]

I didn't want to be at the origin of a flame war. The Deba is not an all-purpose knife: point taken. What about the Gyutos listed on this page :http://minilien.com/?j88uAxjKVQ

Sorry for fanning the flames. I was just trying to point out that I use a Chef’s knife more often and for more things than anything else. The rest are just for things that a Chef’s knife can’t or doesn’t do well.

My only caveat was the blade being more flexible / whippy than I’m used too. Otherwise, you may be paying extra for the Masamoto name, but getting a well-refined product from a highly regarded Japanese brand. I thought the fit and finish was fine. I didn’t notice anything amiss or “diamond in the rough” shortcomings. The center of balance on the 240mm was right at the front of the bolster; which is where most ppl who use a pinch grip want it to be. The heel height seemed to be a little shorter than normal, but the blade profile (like most Gyutos) is shaped like a French chef's knife. Mostly flat throughout its’ length with a pointy tip; adept at "push cuts" (straight down), “draw strokes” (pulling towards the user) and fine, precision slicing.

The blade steel is solid VG-10, hardened to ~60 hrc which (based on others) offers a great balance of everything. Wear and stain resistance for acidic foods (tomatoes, onions or lemons). Can take a sharp enough edge for all, but the most delicate things. Enough edge retention for above average home usage. Yet soft enough to be re-sharpened and avoid chipping from light chopping, incidental hard contact. They are less forgiving of abuse or misuse, are not made for chopping or hard items (shells, bones, frozen food) and should not be maintained / sharpened with a steel hone and /or electric sharpener.