Michael_Aos said:
I tend to think it's a little long too, especially for carry. Even in the kitchen at home, I tend to think an 8" chefs knife is plenty. It doesn't even see as much use as the 7" Santoku.
I realize you misread the length, but as an avid home chef and kitchen knife user, I wanted to point out something about kitchen knife lengths.
Not too long ago I bought a 240mm (~10") Japanese gyuto (the Japanese version of a chef's knife), having never really used a knife longer than about 8" before, and commonly using a 6" "santoku" (what most people think of as a santou, which is really a western version of a santoku, much heaver and thicker and not as hard). I very recently bought a 270mm gyuto, and I am even thinking about buying a 300mm.
The extra length really IS useful (as long as you don't have space issues -- like a tiny kitchen preventing you from using a decent sized cutting board). But it is the design of the gyuto that makes it useful. A 300mm western chef's knife would be a real pain (literally) to use. I don't even want to think about the sore hands and arm that would result!
For anyone interested in making longer kitchen knives -- actually, anyone interested in making kitchen knives at all, definitely take a look at the way the Japanese do it. The main advantage the gyuto has over the western chef's knife is weight. It is significantly thinner and lighter. This means that with the added length, you still have quite a nimble knife.
Even their other knives are typically much thinner and lighter than western knives, unless it is for specific heavy duty tasks (such as a deba for cutting off fish heads). They know that 90% of the cutting we do in the kitchen really doesn't require a big heavy knife. So why not make a much thinner, lighter, and sharper knife?
(Obviously, people are going to have different opinions about kitchen knives, but the point is, I think it is worthwhile for anyone who plans to make them to really take a look at how the Japanese make them. There is a lot to learn, even if you decide you don't agree with them.)
For anyone interested in using a longer knife, I suggest trying a pinch grip above the heel of the knife, which likely isn't the way you are used to cutting with a western knife. I support the handle with my back two fingers, and hold the top of the blade with my front two. This gives me a lot of control over the knife, while still letting me take advantage of the length.
Hope this helps someone.
