If you had to buy just one kitchen knife, and had $190, what would you buy?

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HighlanderNorth

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Jun 23, 2012
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If you had no other really good quality kitchen knives, and you really needed to buy one for a big upcoming cooking event or two, and you only had a maximum of $190 to spend on that 1 knife, which knife would you buy? What type of knife and what brand/model?


I've noticed that the prices for these different higher end kitchen knives can very greatly. You can go on Ebay and find name brand, top end, new knives for such a wide price range it almost seems ridiculous at times! I was looking into Shun's higher end knives the other day on Ebay, and I saw one person asking literally $513 for an 8" Shun Classic chef's knife! A whole 7 piece Shun classic set with an 8" chef's knife shouldnt quite cost $513!

But I also saw new-in-box higher grade Shun Kaji and Premier knives that sold for 30-50% less than they wouldve sold for at Macy's or Williams-Sonoma on ebay. So in your quest to decide on 1 knife for $190 for this exercise, lets allow for 25% reduction in MSRP prices for whatever knife you choose. So if its regularly a $225 knife, it will be allowed here as an "under $190" knife due to the likelihood of finding one on ebay for that price.

Also, another question: Aside from the post question, if you were starting out a new top quality kitchen knife collection for your own home, which knife would you start with?

Thanks.......


I'm no knife expert, nor am I an expert cook, but here's my choice for under $190 knife: Shun Kaji 7" hollow ground Santoku knife.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/New-Shun-Ka...012?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item4ab8f588e4
 
HighlanderNorth said:
If you had no other really good quality kitchen knives, and you really needed to buy one for a big upcoming cooking event or two, and you only had a maximum of $190 to spend on that 1 knife, which knife would you buy? What type of knife and what brand/model?


I've noticed that the prices for these different higher end kitchen knives can very greatly. You can go on Ebay and find name brand, top end, new knives for such a wide price range it almost seems ridiculous at times! I was looking into Shun's higher end knives the other day on Ebay, and I saw one person asking literally $513 for an 8" Shun Classic chef's knife! A whole 7 piece Shun classic set with an 8" chef's knife shouldnt quite cost $513!

But I also saw new-in-box higher grade Shun Kaji and Premier knives that sold for 30-50% less than they wouldve sold for at Macy's or Williams-Sonoma on ebay. So in your quest to decide on 1 knife for $190 for this exercise, lets allow for 25% reduction in MSRP prices for whatever knife you choose. So if its regularly a $225 knife, it will be allowed here as an "under $190" knife due to the likelihood of finding one on ebay for that price.

Also, another question: Aside from the post question, if you were starting out a new top quality kitchen knife collection for your own home, which knife would you start with?

Thanks.......


I'm no knife expert, nor am I an expert cook, but here's my choice for under $190 knife: Shun Kaji 7" hollow ground Santoku knife.

<link snipped>
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If just one to start with, then a really good Chef's Knife that I can wield. Hope you find what you're looking for!
 
I would probably buy two or three good ones, likely in the Japanese style. After using a Deba/Petty combination for the last couple of years I can't say I feel like I've been missing anything. I did buy a Forschner bread knife because bread knives make life easier.

There's really no reason to "need" more than three knives for general kitchen use, and there's no reason they have to be crazy expensive either. As long as it gets sharp, stays sharp, balances well, and doesn't fall apart, you're good. I suggest shopping around some more; the Shun knives have a lot of good (lower priced) competition
 
Select
1st choice - Zakuri 240mm Blue #1 Kurouchi Gyuto
2nd choice - SAKAI Forged White Steel Wa-Gyuto Knife 240mm

Then search-here or google for posts/articles on it. Get 210mm if you prefer a shorter one.
 
I have cooked professionally for 16 years and the Kevin Wilkin's Ryback is by far the finest chef knife I have EVER used.
 
there is a knife sharpener who sells on the bay and his english is horrible but the knives are fantastic...siva0710 or something like that...got a fantastic knife for 56 dollars because his translation was horrible.
 
Shun or Myiabi....3" parer; 8 " chef
Forschener 10" bread knife with plastic handle

There isn't much you couldn't do with that set.
 
I personally use a Shun classic set I picked up a few years back (7-piece for $325, then picked up a 7" Santoku to finish it off), deals can be found... out of the set the Santoku is used the most... Shun at the right price would be my recomendation
 
Kanetsune makes some pretty good blades for a reasonable price and Fallkniven makes an 8" chef's knife and a santoku from from VG10.
I have looked at the Benchmade blades made from 440C but don't have experience using them.
 
Gaspumps, I have a 10" chef knife by Fallkniven and like it a lot. The steel is a powdered metal. Can't recall the name. The 8" knife you mention look nice as well....and at a good price point. I think they make a santoku as well. Still, my 10" doesn't seem to be as sharp as my 8" Shun chef knife.
 
Shun classic chef knife vg10 heat-treated around 61Hrc, fallkniven K2 vg10 HT around 58.5Hrc. So Shun classic has better edge retention (and maybe sharpness) but it's more brittle/chippy. Beside vg10/SG2/SR15, there are plenty stainless steels to choose from: S**V, CPM154, M390.. I want a M390 240mm guyto production knife (custom too expensive).
 
Thanks Bluntcut....my Fallkniven 10" is SG2 powdered steel, a rare find I think. There are some Myaibi 7000's out there.... on sale..... with ZDP 189 and a hardness factor of 66. Sounds pretty good huh?
 
Shun Santoku, just like the one you picked. 2nd would be a chefs knife. Shun is good. Have a look at chef forums, much discussion on knives and whether you want to invest in a high carbon / high maintenance knife etc.
 
dan oliver said:
Thanks Bluntcut....my Fallkniven 10" is SG2 powdered steel, a rare find I think. There are some Myaibi 7000's out there.... on sale..... with ZDP 189 and a hardness factor of 66. Sounds pretty good huh?
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Good review http://zknives.com/knives/kitchen/ktknv/henckels/miyabigy240.shtml. I almost buy one 2 yrs ago but lost interest after experienced chippiness with spydies zdp knives. But yeah, you can get a starter set (8 chef + 5 parer) for under two hundred usd, look like a great deal. Buy 'em, keep angle between 26-30* inclusive, too tempting...
 
I am a lurker here on Kitchen knives. Rosselli has come out with what look like some very nice kitchen knives in their UHC carbon steel. I wonder what those are like?
 
HoosierQ said:
I am a lurker here on Kitchen knives. Rosselli has come out with what look like some very nice kitchen knives in their UHC carbon steel. I wonder what those are like?
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According to catalog: 1.5% to 2.0% of Carbon, HRC 64-65.
BFC thread http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php/751732-Roselli-UHC

My speculation: Steel used up 0.5%C, leaving 1% to 1.5%C for carbides but Carbon carbides is usable in very small percentage (0.1 to max 0.2%), so I think UHC also added V & W, which make this steel similar to Aogami Blue. Mysterious marketing steel doesn't attract me much.
 
Would love to find an M4 or M390 version of some classic blades and would take D2 models. Just can't find them, but then again, I didn't know Miyabi existed with their ZDP blades...
 
SKD11 is D2 except finer grain + smaller carbides @64hrc.
Ultimatum M390 is in development by Chefs KTG.
Can't find M4 but could settle for AS blue.
 
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