# Looking for a Chefs Knife



## Amateur Chef 0762 (Nov 22, 2018)

Hi all, I'm trying to get some good advice regarding the chefs knife i should purchase. I'm a fan of the Premier 8" Shun Gyuto however a lot of reviews talk badly about Shuns in general which makes me a bit scared.

This would be my first serious chefs knife and the things I'm looking for are
- Similar price range
- Easy to learn how to sharpen and care for
- durable
- Japanese preferable but for western cutting styles

Any suggestions?

Thanks


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## benuser (Nov 18, 2010)

There are few reasons the Shun will not acquire that much support.
It's profile is a bit like that of the Wüsthof and Henckels: high tip, lot of belly. Fine if you're tall and your board is far too low. Otherwise, it makes tip use almost impossible.
The Damascus look doesn't benefit to its performance but makes thinning hugely problematic, as you will have to rework the entire face and re-etch it.
The used core steel wouldn't be my first choice: VG-10 is rather unpleasant to sharpen unless heat treatment has been done with meticulous care, which is not realistic in the case of mass production as with the Shun.
The ones I got for sharpening were rather thick right behind the edge, and as said, thinning is a vast operation you won't perform a few times every year.
Better consider a much less flashy appearance and much better value.
A good introduction would be a Misono from the Swedish Carbon or the stainless 440 series. Have a 240mm gyuto. Very good Fit&Finish, easy sharpening. If you get them with Korin, ask for the free initial stone sharpening. So you get a reference for your own maintenance.


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## millionsknives (Apr 25, 2014)

https://www.japaneseknifeimports.com/products/gesshin-stainless-210mm-wa-gyuto


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## rick alan (Nov 15, 2012)

If you live in the States then I'll second Million's Geshin Stainless, from the EU the Misonos are a good choice.

You have to understand though that good-cutter (what Japanese type knives imply) and "durable" are not entirely synonymous. Your typical western mass produced item is thick at the edge and tempered relatively soft and of relatively poor sharpening but tough alloys, usually either 420J2 or 4116 stainless. The Geshin is pretty thin behind the edge, and the AUS-8 steel is harder (though not super hard) and less forgiving to abuse with the combined thin edge. Though it is tough by Japanese standards you don't simply leave such knives in the sink or toss them in a drawer with lots of other hard objects. You also should use good technique on the board, good power control (no hard slamming) and no twisting on contact.

Have you thought about sharpening yet?


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## sherryvan (Jan 7, 2019)

I was also looking for some really good knives before. I saw a lot of kitchen knife set reviews on the Internet, but I don't think they are as good as the manufacturers claim. Finally, I chose Victorinox, I don't know if you know anyone about this brand. I have got this set for 1 week. All the knives are sharp and amazing! They are super sharp and very reliable.I had crappy knives from a famous retail store before, but with these, I have pride in taking care of them.


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## Patch (Dec 27, 2018)

sherryvan said:


> Finally, I chose Victorinox,...


I watched a video on YouTube recently where an expert was shown two knives designed for similar function and asked to say which he thought was the more expensive of the two. He talked about the design and execution of each of the knives and tried to explain why he thought one was more expensive than the other. There are about a dozen of these kinds of videos in different categories -- beer, cheese, condiments, hot sauce, etc. This is the only one in which the expert clearly stated that "more expensive" does not translate to "better". When they brought out two boning knives, one of them was obviously a Victorinox. He talked about why the other knife was more expensive -- forged blade, integral bolster, full tang, triple riveted scales -- and then said if he were cutting meat all day long he'd pick the Victorinox. He called it a workhorse knife that would be used and sharpened until the blade looked like a toothpick and then you'd buy another without shedding a tear.

I suspect this general line of thinking doesn't necessarily translate to all knives. There's a reason expensive Japanese knives are popular with those who cook for a living and it's not because they look good in the knife rack. But if you're looking for something in the more pedestrian price category, say $150 and under, it's likely to hold true. Functionally there's not likely to be a huge difference between the $100 boning knife and the $35 Victorinox. There was a time when I was enamored of a somewhat more expensive brand of knife and had a knife rack full of them, convinced they were a lifetime investment. I now have a knife rack populated with mostly Victorinox. They have more comfortable handles that provide a decent grip even when covered in chicken fat and they're lighter and more maneuverable.


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## rick alan (Nov 15, 2012)

Vics are OK [for the money], but unless they recently changed their handle design I'd say they are the only knife whose handles I can't stand, Fibrox or Rosewood. Far too bulbous in the front. Of course you can fix that easy enough if you have a Dremel and 1/2" sanding drum.


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## Patch (Dec 27, 2018)

I suppose handle comfort depends a lot on the particular hand that's wrapped around it. Given the price of some knives it's a little surprising someone hasn't come up with a mass market custom handle. Include some epoxy with the knife along with instructions on how to mold it to the starter handle and form it to your specific grip. I bought a kit to make custom ear plugs fit precisely to my ears. I wouldn't think a custom knife handle would be significantly more difficult. Of course, some people might not take to the rather drab red and blue of my ear plugs if it was on their knives.


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## sherryvan (Jan 7, 2019)

[QUOTE=" I suspect this general line of thinking doesn't necessarily translate to all knives. There's a reason expensive Japanese knives are popular with those who cook for a living and it's not because they look good in the knife rack. But if you're looking for something in the more pedestrian price category, say $150 and under, it's likely to hold true. Functionally there's not likely to be a huge difference between the $100 boning knife and the $35 Victorinox.[/QUOTE]

Totally agree with you. Sometime the price can't determine the quality. It's so hard for pick up what the best kitchen knife set is. Though Victorinox maybe not the best one, it serves great for me. And I pretty curious about What kitchen knife set you think is the best.


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## Patch (Dec 27, 2018)

I used Wusthof knives for a long time. I've abused a couple paring knives into oblivion but the rest of them have held up remarkably well for a very long time. I have one F. Dick chefs knife that my sister-in-law gave me. She had to buy it for a cooking class but it was way too big for her to handle with confidence. It's a monster that I seldom use because it's bigger than my cutting board. The last three or four knives I've purchased have been Victorinox with Fibrox handles. They aren't flashy. They probably won't last a lifetime. But they're relatively cheap and they get the job done. 

I wouldn't buy a knife set. Far better to buy the pieces you need and know you will use rather than what some manufacturer has decided to include for who knows what reason. A paring knife and a chefs knife will cover about 90% of what most people do at home. If you buy large pieces of meat and trim them down or buy whole chickens and cut them up, a boning knife would be helpful. As I learned very recently, if you cook larger roasts or ham, a 10-12" slicing knife will allow you to cut nice even slices much easier than a shorter knife. If you bake bread, a bread knife is an obvious choice. A smaller serrated knife can help with slicing tomatoes, particularly if you don't keep your other knives razor sharp all the time. I would go with whichever of these best fit my hand and my needs. I long ago gave up on caring if the handles matched. My kitchen is a work place, not a show place. I want the best tool I can afford for the job at hand regardless of what it looks like (within reason of course). If that means a $10 paring knife on the same rack as a $200 chefs knife, so be it.


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## benuser (Nov 18, 2010)

Small knives have only a small contact area with the board, get a lot of abuse, think packages, are sharpened much more often than say a chef's. They're ground away in little time.
Material is just small part of the knives' production costs, so they are relatively expensive while having a short life span. Don't pay too much. Have a carbon peeling knife (+/- $10), a stainless 150mm (6“) petty ($40) and put what remains in the best 240mm (9.25") chef's you may get. Consider carbon steel or stainless cladded carbon core for the chef's, you get a better value.


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## Transglutaminase (Jan 9, 2019)

Hi,
newbie here.
Was just in Mexico..watching a chef go crazy on veggies.
Asked what kind of knife he had.
It was a Tramontina 10" 24609/080.
Took the bus downtown & bought it (Electromuebles, North end of Peru, Puerto Vallarta ~$35 CDN)
"unobtainium" here in Canada
I love it! It's almost scary! Light, sharp as hell & thin. (white plastic handle though)
Have always used the big old German clunkers..and the odd Victorinox.
Getting the GF to pick me up a couple more Tramontinas next month (santoku, paring etc.)
My 2 cents anyway..


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## Niftynorm (Oct 13, 2018)

Amateur Chef 0762 said:


> Hi all, I'm trying to get some good advice regarding the chefs knife i should purchase. I'm a fan of the Premier 8" Shun Gyuto however a lot of reviews talk badly about Shuns in general which makes me a bit scared.
> 
> This would be my first serious chefs knife and the things I'm looking for are
> - Similar price range
> ...


Do you have any experience using knives? From your request I gather not, so I am wondering why you want to jump in with an expensive knife. Personally I would suggest going to a store where you can handle some different knives and see what you feel comfortable with. I personally vote for the stamped Victorinox. I find them comfortable to use and easy to sharpen. They are low cost and durable for commercial work.


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## rick alan (Nov 15, 2012)

Transglutaminase said:


> Hi,
> newbie here.
> Was just in Mexico..watching a chef go crazy on veggies.
> Asked what kind of knife he had.
> ...


Trams are really just rather ordinary NSF knives. They used to sell ridiculous cheap here in the States, occasionally still do.

I'll second Benuser's advice


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## CookingVink (Jan 30, 2019)

You only need one knife, one more. 
Kevin Kent (Knife Shop owner)

Knives are great and we can buy more down the road. Get the best steel you can afford, in a knife you are excited to own. Then save to buy more. Pay very close attention to the knives you like. How much belly does it have. Is it 8” or 9.5”. Knuckle clearance. 

This will help you avoid mistakes. I have a $320 Chefs knife I rarely use because I don’t like how it feels.


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## benuser (Nov 18, 2010)

Handling a new knife will learn you very little about what you actually handle. It will tell you what you're used to.
I haven't used one of my first knives for almost a year. It didn't feel comfortable. I now know why: the balance point was ¼" away from what I was used to.
That’s why you should take the time to get used to the new one. Best way I've found is by using it as the one and only for one or two weeks.
Probably you will slightly adapt your grip and refine your technique. Or find out very new ways. Pulling where you always sliced forward. Even for tasks it obviously is not made for. If that means peeling an apple or cutting bread with a Honesuki: that is how you will learn to know it.


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