Help me find this knife!

R

Runway1

Joined
Jul 12, 2020
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Looking for a knife similar in profile to a rocking santoku or a Shun classic chefs.

--Some belly for rocking
--7-9" blade
--Not VG10 but preferably powdered metal, R2 or SG2
--<$200

Thanks for the help!
 
Well, maybe a Miyabi Artisan Rocking Santoku Knife, 7"? SG2 steel, they list at about $220, a little over your budget but not a lot. I checked several sites and they are all identically priced, so probably a MAP thing. If they go on sale anywhere, they wlll go on sale everywhere at the same time. There is a similar Zwilling Kanren Rocking Santoku Knife, 7", in FC61 steel, same price - $220.

There is also a Shun Kaji Rocking Knife, 7" with SG2 core. Kind of a weird blade shape to me but may be just what you wanted. I prefer a flatter profile myself. That one is $269 though.

Shun's two lines (as far as I know) that use SG2 are Kaji and Fuji. https://shun.kaiusa.com/exclusives The Fuji line doesn't really have any patterns that fit what you are looking for, but the Kaji line does - their regular Chef's and Western Chef's, as well as the Rocking Knife I mentioned above. However, they are above your price point by a fair bit. Both Kaji and Fuji are exclusive to one reseller (Williams-Sonoma), but they have sales every so often so maybe you could wait and see if you can get them when they are discounted.
 
The Shun Elite series is SG2, but you'll have to catch one on the secondary/used/auction market as they were discontinued some time ago. In my opinion, it was the classiest looking of the Shun lot.
 
Shun Hiro, also discontinued, was a really pretty knife family that was in SG2. Wish I had snagged one when they were still made.

I have two knives from the Kaji line and one from the Fuji line. All are great knives for my needs. I got them during sales, a few years ago. Prices are a bit higher now.
 
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Thanks all, very helpful...more please! I've been eyeballing the Miyabi Artisan Rocking Santoku Knife. Seems closest to what I need. LOVE that Shun Kaji, but a bit pricey. Would love to find a Shun Elite as well.
 
I really can't think of any Japanese maker offering the European profile. Much less in a powder steel.
Apart from KAI doing it to compete with Zwillng/Wustoff in the US market.
 
KenHash said:
I really can't think of any Japanese maker offering the European profile. Much less in a powder steel.
Apart from KAI doing it to compete with Zwillng/Wustoff in the US market.
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Well, I wouldn't call a santoku or Shun Chefs a "European profile". I ordered both a Miyabi Rocking Santoku and 6" Chefs to compare. Both in SG2. Both are excellent but for now, I kept the santoku. Slight over budget at 220, but quite an excellent handling knife.

Sure appreciate all the inputs. Thanks All!
 
Runway1 said:
Well, I wouldn't call a santoku or Shun Chefs a "European profile". I ordered both a Miyabi Rocking Santoku and 6" Chefs to compare. Both in SG2. Both are excellent but for now, I kept the santoku. Slight over budget at 220, but quite an excellent handling knife.

Sure appreciate all the inputs. Thanks All!
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That is excellent, sir. Did the classic and got both. It really is a sickness. 🤗😱🤣
 
Runway1 said:
Well, I wouldn't call a santoku or Shun Chefs a "European profile". I ordered both a Miyabi Rocking Santoku and 6" Chefs to compare. Both in SG2. Both are excellent but for now, I kept the santoku. Slight over budget at 220, but quite an excellent handling knife.

Sure appreciate all the inputs. Thanks All!!
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The Santoku isn't European at all, in concept or design, It;s an entirely Japanese concoction that merged the utilities of the Gyuto and Nakiri (Kamigata style) in one to adapt to the changes
in the Japanese household diet post WWII.
And Shun's gyutos were the first Japan made chefs knives with the European belly and as far as I'm aware stilll are.
 
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Runway1 said:
For $200? I made many customs myself 15 yrs ago. Price back then was 300+
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I designed a santoku a while back, and it's getting made in Magnacut @ 64HRC ;) . Hopefully it will be completed in a couple of months. It was under $300, but I'm sure you can get something around the $200 range.
 
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