Recommendation? What should I look for?

[noff]

Hi! Im currently looking at getting a life-long japanese chefs knife and I dont get what I should focus on.

So far ive decided I want a Wa gyuto 180mm clad/stainless from a good brand, im prepared to spend 350$ maximum but I want something of quality. Is it important to look at hardness grades, types of steel, blacksmiths etc? What is it that I should focus on?

Thank you for taking your time!

 

[KenHash]

Hi! Im currently looking at getting a life-long japanese chefs knife and I dont get what I should focus on.

So far ive decided I want a Wa gyuto 180mm clad/stainless from a good brand, im prepared to spend 350$ maximum but I want something of quality. Is it important to look at hardness grades, types of steel, blacksmiths etc? What is it that I should focus on?

Thank you for taking your time!

Pretty much any Gyuto made in Japan priced over half your budget will be of high quality.

Choice of steel:
Most folks who buya Wa-gyuto go for the Japanese carbon steel cores; white, blue, bue super.
White takesa very sharp edge but is weak on rust resistance. Blue is good and Blue Super is even better.
But these are carbon steels and you will have to take care of them; wipe and dry them after use..
Stainless cores are usiually VG10, and then there are the powder steels, like r2. sg2, zdp-189, hap40 etc.
The powder steel knives have a longest ege retention and high HRC.
Truth is all of them work fine. some have characteristics which are prefered by kitchen knife afcianados.

Choice of finish:
There are several finishes, such as Damascus, Suminagashi, Kurouchi, Tsuchime, all of which relate to appearance
rather than function. Again, these aresimply personal preferences.

PS: I would take a look at Bernal Cutlery and Chefknivestogo as a starter.

Bladesmith:
These days factory made gyutos are perfectly fine. Some people prefer those handmade by craftsmen, and some
makers are practically worshipped. Some, like Shigefusa, are regarded so highly that they aren;t easy to obtain and they cost a small
fortune. Today knives from Sakai and Echizen are the most prominent,

Wa-Gyuto:
Look for a Ho wood D-handle, and real water buffalo bolster.
Bear in mid that a Wa gyuto will have more forward weight in comparison to a yo (western) handle with full tang.

 

[noff]

Pretty much any Gyuto made in Japan priced over half your budget will be of high quality.

Choice of steel:
Most folks who buya Wa-gyuto go for the Japanese carbon steel cores; white, blue, bue super.
White takesa very sharp edge but is weak on rust resistance. Blue is good and Blue Super is even better.
But these are carbon steels and you will have to take care of them; wipe and dry them after use..
Stainless cores are usiually VG10, and then there are the powder steels, like r2. sg2, zdp-189, hap40 etc.
The powder steel knives have a longest ege retention and high HRC.
Truth is all of them work fine. some have characteristics which are prefered by kitchen knife afcianados.

Choice of finish:
There are several finishes, such as Damascus, Suminagashi, Kurouchi, Tsuchime, all of which relate to appearance
rather than function. Again, these aresimply personal preferences.

PS: I would take a look at Bernal Cutlery and Chefknivestogo as a starter.

Bladesmith:
These days factory made gyutos are perfectly fine. Some people prefer those handmade by craftsmen, and some
makers are practically worshipped. Some, like Shigefusa, are regarded so highly that they aren;t easy to obtain and they cost a small
fortune. Today knives from Sakai and Echizen are the most prominent,

Wa-Gyuto:
Look for a Ho wood D-handle, and real water buffalo bolster.
Bear in mid that a Wa gyuto will have more forward weight in comparison to a yo (western) handle with full tang.

Thank you so much!

Do you know what’s the main thing im paying for if I go for a knife around $300 instead of $150?
I’m more looking for the start of a collection of beautiful knifes than just one that works so I feel like handmade/ known blacksmith is something I am willing to pay for..
Maybe a more concrete question is if there is some ”brands” I should not buy if the overall quality is so high?

 

[KenHash]

Thank you so much!

Do you know what’s the main thing im paying for if I go for a knife around $300 instead of $150?
I’m more looking for the start of a collection of beautiful knifes than just one that works so I feel like handmade/ known blacksmith is something I am willing to pay for..
Maybe a more concrete question is if there is some ”brands” I should not buy if the overall quality is so high?

If you are looking for a "collection" I would suggest starting by looking up Kenji Togashi (Sakai) knives, Yoshimi Kato (Takefu) knives and the Kurosaki brothers (Echizen).
You'd be paying for widely respected very high hand made craftsmanship quality.
I would avoid any brands made in China. lol

 

[Dr. Rayeye]

Hi! Im currently looking at getting a life-long japanese chefs knife and I dont get what I should focus on.

So far ive decided I want a Wa gyuto 180mm clad/stainless from a good brand, im prepared to spend 350$ maximum but I want something of quality. Is it important to look at hardness grades, types of steel, blacksmiths etc? What is it that I should focus on?

Thank you for taking your time!

To start: what food are you planning to prepare? How do you use your knives? Are you a chopper or a slicer?

If you're planning to prepare Western meals, you need to consider Westernized Japanese knives.

The closer you are to being primarily a slicer, the closer you are to Japanese artisan knives.

The two knife makers who have Westernized knife designs--but manufacture them with Japanese craftsmanship in Japan are Kai Shun, and Zwilling Miyabi. Companies that have developed products that are of interest to Westerners are represented by Korin in New York and Bernal in San Francisco. Efforts to describe Japanese various handmade or small group collaborations from a Japanese perspective are described Here:

https://global.ichimonji.co.jp/

Once you know the specific Japanese knife or knives you want, you can track them back to small knife makers--even identifying one to form a relationship with and/or visit. I've recently purchased a ginsan steel knife by HADO:

https://hado-knife.jp/en

Best not to move too fast. Always good to visit a shop and see a knife face to face.