# Help chosing the right knife



## Alexec (Jan 6, 2018)

Hello guys,
I am up for buying new knives, again.
Recently bought Misono UX10 Gyuto and Santoku and I'm more than pleased with my purchase. 
I' ve read a lot abput knives, makers, steels and all that stuff. Though I haven't used or felt a lot of knives. Maybe is my country, i dont know but here you don't see much brands, mostly Shun, Wusthofs, Zwilling, Victorinox, Globals, preety much that's all you see around here.
About my query, I work in an always full booked restaurant, I do non-stop prep (veggies, fishs, meats, chicken bones and wings, lobsters). I preety much hold meats-fish-poultry and sauce station. Tho a lot of vegetables, especially mirepoix(onion,celery, carrot) are required. Also I do own sharpening stones. Naniwa pro 400 / 1000 / 3000. I do sharp, tho I ain't professional.
So, to the point. I am interested on spme knives series/ brands. I would like to have reviews on those series or even suggestions and recomendations.
The series are:
- Takamura r2
- Shibata Kotetsu sg2
- Masakage Hikari
- Masakage Kiri
- Misono UX10 ( I own some and I like them but Id like to try some new brands)
- Miyabi Artisan SG2
- Glestain K Series ( I do not know anything about this)
- Yoshikane Hammer Finished
- Hiragatake Tsuchime SLD 

I don't know how to treat high carbon knives, I've never owned one. Also I do think it would be a pain using them at work while I am in rush all day with hard prep. Arent I right?

Thanks for responding, in advance,


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## brianshaw (Dec 18, 2010)

Carbon blades are swell, but I wouldn’t in a professional kitchen unless you can take the time to ensure they stay wiped off and dry... and who can do that?

I’ll let the folks who areJapanese knife geeks give you advice on which would be a better choice. 

But it might help if you say the name of your country.


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## Alexec (Jan 6, 2018)

I do live in Cyprus, Europe.
Thanks for the answer Brian.
Sorry but I do not know how to edit my first post to update my origin there too.


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## Hemantaryaa (Jan 7, 2018)

Ya I guess this is best- Masakage Kiri..!!


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## Alexec (Jan 6, 2018)

Hemantaryaa said:


> Ya I guess this is best- Masakage Kiri..!!


Thanks for responding.
So have you tried it? Did you try anything else to compare with? What are your impressions?


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## rick alan (Nov 15, 2012)

As far as the Masakage, I would never spend that kind of money on a VG-10 knife.

The Takamura is a super buy, far better knife and value over the Masakage, and better value than Kotetsu, but like the Kotetsu it is a laser. SG2 steel is very fine grained stainless with excellent edge retention, but it is chippy and needs a micro bevel, but all knives benefit from micro bevel.

The Hiragatake Tsuchime is only available in blue2 so far as I see, and looks like a good value at $175

yoshikane hammered is skd, similar to sld but not as fine grained.


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## Alexec (Jan 6, 2018)

rick alan said:


> As far as the Masakage, I would never spend that kind of money on a VG-10 knife.
> 
> The Takamura is a super buy, far better knife and value over the Masakage, and better value than Kotetsu, but like the Kotetsu it is a laser. SG2 steel is very fine grained stainless with excellent edge retention, but it is chippy and needs a micro bevel, but all knives benefit from micro bevel.
> 
> ...


First of all thanks for the answer. The takamura r2 are the first series I consider buying by the way, seems a very good purchase after all Ive read - never tried one tho. Shibata Kotetsu, I just consider this because Sg2 seems to be a preety decent metal but again never used it. About the masakage, more about the looks but I also read some good reviews on them on plenty forums and websites.
Also I want to ask.. what do you mean chippy? How chippy? Will I have problem with it?


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## millionsknives (Apr 25, 2014)

There is no perfect knife that's why I have so many.. For this purchase you should rank what is important to you.
- rusts if neglected and dirty or stainless
- easy to sharpen or requires less sharpening
- holds an edge or less likely to chip

Anything you pick will have to give in some other category.

My first recommendation is to get a carbon steel meat cleaver for $20-40. Just make sure it is thick and heavy and carbon steel. This is your beater knife for chopping through chicken backs, wing tips, lobster, etc. Sharpen it at 30+ degrees per side and even microbevel at 45. Save your good knife from the abuse. It should build a patina quickly from cutting all that protein and is easy to sharpen.

I haven't used any of the chefs knives you listed in particular; they are not really my style. I will comment on the steel types at least. As you get into harder steels, they are more likely to chip than bend. If you are boning a chicken and you don't hit the joint spot on, you twist the edge when you're peeling a squash, etc. If your usage isn't perfect, you could get small or big chips.

SG2 is a powder steel that's harder than most knife steels in use. Coupled with the fact that the knife is on the thinner side, it is a recipe for chipping.

VG-10 is really an average stainless steel with good marketing because of big cutlery companies. In my experience it takes more work to sharpen than other average stainless steels AUS-8, Ginsan, AEBL, etc. It is harder to raise a burr and deburr and get a clean edge.

Based on the types of knives you are interested, and your location. I would recommend this tanaka g3 from knivesandstones. http://www.knivesandstones.com/tanaka-ginsan-nashiji-gyuto-240mm-lite/ He ships worldwide from australia. The knife is fully stainless, not too hard or soft, thin but not thin enough to be chippy. It's easier to sharpen than vg-10.

If you're open to stainless clad carbon, look at wakui on the same site. good luck!


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## Alexec (Jan 6, 2018)

millionsknives said:


> There is no perfect knife that's why I have so many.. For this purchase you should rank what is important to you.
> - rusts if neglected and dirty or stainless
> - easy to sharpen or requires less sharpening
> - holds an edge or less likely to chip
> ...


Good evening and thanks for responding at my thread.
I will surely take a look on that one, and listen to your advices aswell.


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## Alexec (Jan 6, 2018)

millionsknives said:


> There is no perfect knife that's why I have so many.. For this purchase you should rank what is important to you.
> - rusts if neglected and dirty or stainless
> - easy to sharpen or requires less sharpening
> - holds an edge or less likely to chip
> ...


How about the stability and agility on the knife you recomended? Im trying hard to get info on the Tanaka's! 
Thanks


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## millionsknives (Apr 25, 2014)

I had the blue #2 tanaka, The ginsanko (g3) is supposed to be a little thinner and has good reviews. It's not too hard or thin so I don't expect it to be very chippy. Since you already have a stainless steel Misono Ux-10 gyuto, I guess the question for you is what you really want out of your next gyuto. 

You want to try a longer 270mm? Thinner? Carbon? Different handle? What are you really going to do with this that you couldnt with the UX-10 already? I would say get some good butchery knives: a heavy cleaver and a boning knife. You can see if you like carbon steel there. Don't fall into the trap of collecting chefs knives. You can only use one at a time after all.


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## Alexec (Jan 6, 2018)

millionsknives said:


> I had the blue #2 tanaka, The ginsanko (g3) is supposed to be a little thinner and has good reviews. It's not too hard or thin so I don't expect it to be very chippy. Since you already have a stainless steel Misono Ux-10 gyuto, I guess the question for you is what you really want out of your next gyuto.
> 
> You want to try a longer 270mm? Thinner? Carbon? Different handle? What are you really going to do with this that you couldnt with the UX-10 already? I would say get some good butchery knives: a heavy cleaver and a boning knife. You can see if you like carbon steel there. Don't fall into the trap of collecting chefs knives. You can only use one at a time after all.


Thanks for noticing my miscall. Clumsy me. I wish i know how to edit the thread. About the point of UX10. I was meaning what about other knife types of Ux10. Sujihijis, pettys and all that.
I took a look on a lot of knives and seriously I think I brainwashed myself finding knives.
I do care about the performance mainly, tho I care about the looks aswell. I wanna be bonded with my tool.
And yes, i do want a new gyuto more like a workhorse, a longer around 24 to 27cm even 30.
But im also interested in your opinions on any knife type or steel type. I am going to take time and save money to get a full knife and tool kit im gonna respect.


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## kognqk (Apr 6, 2014)

Takamura R2 - Kotetsu sg2 - I'm probably one of the few who do not like them . They are in the knifecase, I do not remember when I used them for the last time.

Miyabi Artisan SG2 - My version out of the box comes with convex edge .According to different reviews , looks like quality are inconsistent.
I have experience with several of them, each with comes out of the box different quality, Cosmetic defects.
sujichki 24cm - in the factory convex edge, bad performance . Few slices salmon , tuna , 3 bunch of spring onion , the edge went away. 50 /50 edge , up to 10K stone + strop 13k. Very good performance . No chipping. Sharpening up to 6K , very aggressive edge but get dull fast , rather then 10k.
Gyuto 24cm - same story .
Santoku 18cm - Factory edge convex , few chippings comes . Decided to keep the convex , same sharpening as sujihiki but very soft strop , to keep Convex. Good performance , filleting fish , trough vegetables. Sharpening up to 6k better then 10k. Chippings comes .
After few months , discoloring on the handle , letters on the blade blur .
Not bad knives .
My SG2 ASAI - outperform them all,including Takamura , Kotetsu 

Glestain 21cm - Very stain resistant , handle heavy , easy to sharpening , but asymmetrical edge . Good for any detail work , including sashimi .Durable knife , small but comfortable handle , not for big thenar.
Good performance up to 10k stone , bad performance up to 6k . Easy to maintain just with stropping or Dick Polishing steel , but once get dull , stones needed . One of my favorite + Glestain honesuki , when comes to situation like you described . Soft cutting board ,keep them sharp much longer .
Regards


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## kognqk (Apr 6, 2014)

benuser said:


> I wonder why the factory edge seems that important to you.
> Traditionally, Japanese knives left factory or workshop unsharpened. The end-user, or, for him, the retailer, was expected to put his own edge on it.
> This is not acceptable for users outside of Japan, and today manufacturers deliver their blades with some kind of an edge, put on it with a few strokes on a grinding wheel, with perhaps some buffering for deburring. In most cases, their only benefit is in making final sharpening a bit easier. These factory edges are rarely usable and almost never correspond to what would be an adequate edge for the knife, its geometry and its use.
> From the maker's point of view, putting a good edge would rarely make sense. The only people who care about it are able to put their own one on it, and still will do. Others simply won't notice.
> So, please don't judge after a factory edge. It's fully arbitrary what you will get.


Benuser , 
The topic is "Help chosing the right knife" - everything are on description.
"I would like to have reviews on those series or even suggestions and recomendations."
"I do care about the performance mainly, tho I care about the looks aswell. I wanna be bonded with my tool."

"I wonder why the factory edge seems that important to you."

It is not . Simply test out of the box. I always do with all my knives , named curiosity if you like . Share my experience , with Alexec as he requested on his post.
"These factory edges are rarely usable"

 depends . For example , my "Toyokuni " " Sanetsu " "Asai " and many others part of my collection comes with excellent edge out of the box. However , this is a long , long talk , I do not want to get in to . But , YES i m familiar with what you say, and not only.
If i need to get in to suggestions , not recommendations / this is very personal , no way recommendations for that , Alexec knows him self better /. My F.Dick 1778 , also outperform , Takamura R2, Kotetsu , out of the box . 
However 
Thank you for taking time to write all this.
Regards


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