Ok. I gave in and bought one. ![[soap.gif]](/uploads/db3686/original/2X/a/a7ea1fffd3ef237e8f19d17a83270ad8452218ca.gif "soap"){kind=small}
You can do a stainless damascus (Devin Thomas does it but it is spendy), but usually not so much. It is just your preference at the end of the day. Stainless is easy to care for, but a lot of knife geeks like the higher carbon, non-stainless as many of these steels are easier to sharpen and keep an edge. A knife in CPM 154 or AEB-L stainless steel are good steel options. Randy Haas (HHH), Devin Thomas, Pierre Rodrigue, and Mario Ingoglia all do knives in these steels, and maybe Adam Marr too. If you write any one of them, they will put you in a wait list. Ingoglia does awesome knives for the price. I couldnāt recommend him more ā but honestly, I have knives from all of them and they are all better than anything you will get at W-S or SLT.
k.
In general, at retail pricing I think they are not worth the price. At clearance pricing they might be okay values, but Iād rather get a knife from japanesechefsknife.com. I really like the Hiromoto Aogami Super lineup for the price and they are usually top sellers on that website.
If you want to handle them first, at Sur La table you can try all the Shuns out and find the one that best fits your hand.
In terms of knives found at a Sur La Table, I think you get some decent value from the Zwilling Bob Kramer Carbon Steel chefās knife; it gets frequent use in my rotation.
Just keep in mind that most (though not all) damascus is āgrabbyā. You sacrifice cutting efficiency for beauty ā and I am fine with that. Devin Thomas damascus is really really good and less grabby. Other boutique stuff has more āstictionā (i.e., food release problems). It is the nature of mixing metal.
k.
This has been a very interesting thread. I want to get a new knife for the holidays. My budget is set at $200. Whatās my best options? I am very green in this area so any help would be a great help.
Actually after looking on the HHH siteā¦maybe the 240 MM gyuto for $220 is the oneā¦
if you do, sign up for a kitchen knife forums username
and after you order, post on the HHH sub forum in the cybermonday deal thread that you ordered. youāll get free shipping refund, and entry to a $100 gift cert.
it sounds like he really needs to sell through his estimated inventory.
Any thoughts on the Masahiro line in regard to utility?
Which masahiro lineup from which website?
I donāt have experience with their products, but after a brief look at their products Iād skip buying them from Williams Sonoma and would skip buying their stainless steel stuff unless you absolutely needed stainless. Not sure what virgin carbon steel they use in their other lines.
It also depends on what you plan to do, your willingness to sharpen, etcā¦
Can you post a picture of the cufflinks? Iām always in the market for interesting and unique cufflinks.
Sure, I will try to take a picture of them tonight or tomorrow. One of them is damascus that also contains meteorite. The maker bought a meteorite and integrated it into the damascus steel billets. Itās not that common, but some makers do it on rare occasions.
k.
Thanks for the info everyone. The last thing I need is more expensive habits, but I think this thread has motivated me to trade in my old Wusthof for something in Carbon that will hold a better edge. I sharpen at home and the lack of edge retention is frustrating. Also, the knife is quite heavy which makes it seem a bit clumsy for fine tasks.
Iāve checked out the knives mentioned here and many others at japanesechefsknives and chefs knives to go. I am liking the look and what I read about the Hiromoto makes it seem a good option for the price. The Hattori FH also looks nice but slightly pricier. Iām looking for a 210mm Gyuto as Iām just not familiar with the larger 240mm size. The other knives I considered were: Sakai, Moritaka, and the Misono UX10.
If anyone has any thoughts on any of these they would be appreciated.
I will report back when I get a knife.
Not sure about Sakai, but DO NOT buy a Moritaka. Theyāve have had a lot of issues of late and youāll roll the dice on having a piece of crap.
Misono UX10s are good, but not a great value since they raised the prices significantly a couple of years ago. The bevel is asymmetric too. Just FYI. So you have to sharpen the knife at different angles on each side. It is probably best to stick with knives that have a 50/50 bevel.
k.
Donāt most of the Japanese knives have asymmetrical edges? Iāve seen everything from 60/40 to 80/20. Isnāt it this that makes them sharper than a knife with a 50/50 beveled edge?
Yes, you are correct. Almost all Japanese knives have some asymmetry. Even the Hiromoto is 60/40 I believe. American-made knives in the Japanese style will usually be 50/50. Sites like Korin will note the asymmetry.
You know, I am not sure about why Japanese knives are ground asymmetrically. It isnāt just the edge, it is the whole blade that is ground asymmetrically. And from my understanding, the edge then mimics the asymmetry of the blade so that the edge is under center. There are issues of food release and a culture of using the right hand. Each maker does it differently, so I canāt speak to why they think a certain type of blade geometry would work best for a particular knife.
The difficult part is that if you unwittingly āmissā the angle or change it while sharpening over time, and you shift that edge one way or the other, then it will pull in one direction while cutting.
I bought a used 240 Misono UX10 where the previous owner went from a 70/30 edge to a 90/10 and the blade pulls, so I have to eventually fix it.
I guess I shouldnāt have said that it is best to stick to 50/50 bevels. I donāt find my hiromoto 60/40 difficult to sharpen and keep the angle. But it does make sharpening a bit easier at first to not have to worry about different angles.
k.
Thanks Karring. I am aaware of the bevel angle issues, and willing to pay attention to that when sharpening. The hirimoto at 60/40 seems safer than something more extreme.
Hiromoto Aogami Super (AS) is a good option as youāve seen.
The only thing is that you may need to do a touch up sharpening when you get itā¦depending how anal you are, and that the fit and finish of the handle is average. But for the price and the quality of blade, itās hard to beat it.
Or you can pimp the handle. Dave Martell rehandled my hiro gyuto and petty.
k.
Karring, I saw that having an aftermarket/upgraded handle put on was a popular choice. What does that cost? How long does it take to have it done?