# What's your Go to Knife ?



## Mitchieline (May 10, 2019)

I just bought myself a new knife that I'll use outside of work. Hybrid Santoku Damascus. When I saw this knife, I fell in love.


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## Emojitsu (Jun 11, 2018)

It's certainly a beautiful looking knife. Do you know what kind of steel it is? I only ask because it's time to replace my home set of knives.


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## Mitchieline (May 10, 2019)

VG10. I bought this online in an Etsy Shop (https://www.etsy.com/ca/shop/IkigaiKnives). He said he hand made the handles.


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## Mischief (Dec 13, 2018)

I've been eyeballing a few Damascus knives lately, I've yet to actually use one but they sure are pretty. All the reviews seem like they are great knives that hold an edge for a long time.


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## galley swiller (May 29, 2013)

My go-to chef's knife is a Mac BK-100. It's a very basic monosteel workhorse blade with no frills. The blade length is 255mm, which is right in the sweet spot for practical working length Current discount price is in the $110 range from any number of sellers. It's definitely not damascus, which in my mind is a real plus, since I don't want to be bothered with maintaining (through polishing and acid etching) any damascus layering nonsense. Like other Mac knives, the steel (which comes from Hitachi and is proprietary to Mac) will take and hold a decent edge. It's the blade which I reach for to work with, not something I want to baby so I can show it off.

Is it my best chef's knife? No. What I consider my finest blade is a Hiromoto honyaki White #2 steel 270mm gyuto, which was one of the last batch of honyaki knives made by Master Bladesmith Futoshi Nagao before he retired (probably as legacy blades). Again, no damascus nonsense and no fancy handle, but something a knowledgeable craftsman would appreciate.

GS


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## Mitchieline (May 10, 2019)

galley swiller said:


> My go-to chef's knife is a Mac BK-100. It's a very basic monosteel workhorse blade with no frills. The blade length is 255mm, which is right in the sweet spot for practical working length Current discount price is in the $110 range from any number of sellers. It's definitely not damascus, which in my mind is a real plus, since I don't want to be bothered with maintaining (through polishing and acid etching) any damascus layering nonsense. Like other Mac knives, the steel (which comes from Hitachi and is proprietary to Mac) will take and hold a decent edge. It's the blade which I reach for to work with, not something I want to baby so I can show it off.
> 
> Is it my best chef's knife? No. What I consider my finest blade is a Hiromoto honyaki White #2 steel 270mm gyuto, which was one of the last batch of honyaki knives made by Master Bladesmith Futoshi Nagao before he retired (probably as legacy blades). Again, no damascus nonsense and no fancy handle, but something a knowledgeable craftsman would appreciate.
> 
> GS


I agree the steel is still important, I read the VG10 is very good for the home chef and enthusiast so when I saw it was beautiful, unique, and functional I couldn't help myselt 

That Hiromoto sounds pretty awesome, do you have a pic of it?


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## Mitchieline (May 10, 2019)

What do you guys think of AUS10V Damasus? http://kck.st/2Ja1gzQ


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## phatch (Mar 29, 2002)

I don't understand the sudden surge of love for aus10. IMHO it doesn't merit the super steel moniker. It has a nice grain and can harden nicely. but vastly overpriced for the performance. VG10 is a better steel properly hardened and quenched. Tends to run a bit coarser grain in most makers hands but still better characteristics.

As to knife design. Lots of belly and glam, less function. Vastly overpriced.


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## Mitchieline (May 10, 2019)

phatch said:


> I don't understand the sudden surge of love for aus10. IMHO it doesn't merit the super steel moniker. It has a nice grain and can harden nicely. but vastly overpriced for the performance. VG10 is a better steel properly hardened and quenched. Tends to run a bit coarser grain in most makers hands but still better characteristics.
> 
> As to knife design. Lots of belly and glam, less function. Vastly overpriced.


Thanks. 
I just want to help small business owners instead of giving my $$ to the big guys. I have supported some projects in the kickstarter as well, mostly to those with small budgets. LOL

I was reading the profile of the person who own the project and it said that he hand craft most of his knife handles. Maybe the the reason he is more pricey? I'll ask the owner.. Seems interesting tho.


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## galley swiller (May 29, 2013)

_That Hiromoto sounds pretty awesome, do you have a pic of it?_

Sorry, no pictures. I'm a bit of a techno-troglodyke, and haven't yet mastered the crafts of downloading pictures to sites (and I don't know where I last put my camera). In any event, there really wouldn't be anything visually spectacular about the honyaki - plain riveted handle, plain black scales, plain non-damascus monosteel blade. What counts is the heat treatment. It's differentially heat-treated, with the edge heated and hardened significantly more than the spine. For bladesmiths, it's a degree of pride and bragging rights, to be able to make honyaki blades. There's a significant degree of failure in the crafting of these blades. I can understand why honyaki's were among the last blades crafted by Master Futoshi Nagao.

_Are you using this one?_

For the Hiromoto honyaki, not at this time. I had enough extra cash at the moment in time when it was one of the last available, I lusted after it and I realized that, if I didn't buy it then & there, I would be out of luck and foreverafter regretting not buying it; so I willingly spent the money. I keep it in safe storage and on occasion, I take it out, gaze at it, give a sigh of contentment (for my foresight) and then carefully put it back safe & sound. The one additional step I have taken was to download Koki's text on what the blade was and print out a copy, so my estate will know what it is.

GS


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## harrisonh (Jan 20, 2013)

OK please understand that a pretty knife is not always an even halfway decent knife.
Despite the Japanese sounding name, those are NOT Japanese shaped blades.

Being a damscus knife (whether pattern welded or faux wootz) does NOT mean they are good.

Do NOT just shop for a Damascus blade. Buy a known good product from a known good retailer selling a knife that fits your needs of cutting style and ergonomics

Do NOT just buy a knife that CLAIMS to be VG10. The communist Chinese are selling mystery metals with similar formulas and CLAIMING it is "vg10" because the formula is similar" or claiming it is "Japanese steel" because to a country that has zero intellectual property rights they can call it whatever they want.

Also HOW you temper a blade matters. Most communist Chinese companies skip, shorten steps. IF you are baking a cake is it the same to mix a few eggs, oil sugar and flour together or does it have to be at the right time with the right sequence. Can I just bake a cake at 350 degrees for 5 minutes? The same with those guys making knives. If a knife is speced to be tempered 48 hours at 420C and then 12 hours at 220C. you can bet that the Chinese factory worker will just make it 8 hours at 240C.
They are pushed for numbers numbers numbers, and it is unlikely to be traced to the guy that was supposed to monitor the time. Those of us that know knives have kinda singled this out as one of the prime areas they cheat although there are tons others.

So that knock off may LOOK pretty but that doesn't mean it's good.


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## harrisonh (Jan 20, 2013)

mitchline said "I just want to help small business owners instead of giving my $$ to the big guys. I have supported some projects in the kickstarter as well, mostly to those with small budgets. "


Please understand that while it IS good to help a REAL artisan or small business, most "kickstarter" type sites are almost always just entropreneurs that are re-selling knives they bought on Alibaba. For the most part, they are NOT making knives. They're just building orders and then having the subcontractor brand them for them. In some cases this is OK like the Misen knife or pan, but many if not most are just pretty, but substandard stuff.

BE CAREFUL.

There are small retailers like knifemerchat, or cheknives to go that have EXPERTISE to help curate some good inexpensive knives. And there are some good retailers that have excellent house brands such as cutlery and more or MTC kitchen, but do NOT fall for flim flam.

And don't think big business is bad. cutlery mfgrs aren't really like the evil big businesses in other industries. If you buy a name brand knife you know you are going to get REAL steel (not mystery metal), you know you are going to have TRAINED employees that do NOT skip production steps like in the knives you often see on kickstarter. You know you will have FULL quality assurance unlike that kickstarter brand that can make their killing then reopen under a new name. You know if you buy Miyabi or Yaxell or Wusthof or Tojiro, etc, etc, etc. You are going to have a TRAINED worker that takes PRIDE in their work, not some guy that is pushed for numbers that will be replaced if he doesn't make an unreasonable quantity, and no one will know if he skips a step to two or a dozen. With knives, buying from a reputable company from a reputable retailer is a SMART thing to do


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## PoorlyChef (May 30, 2019)

Call me old fashioned, but put a 10' Forschner in my had and I'll slice, dice, julienne, matchstick the crap out of my mise en place..


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## Seoul Food (Sep 17, 2018)

9" to 10" Henckel or Wusthof


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## chefanr (Mar 15, 2017)

I've used a Mac 'mighty' Professional 10" chef knife for years now.

Takes an edge brilliantly and keeps it. The best workhorse chef knife I've found. Downside is they are far more expensive to get your hands on in the UK than the States. I got lucky that a rep from a catering supply firm was friendly with a former employer so the cooks got decent prices off him.

After that trusty chef knife my other go-to knives are the classic Mac 6" boning knife, Victorinox Rosewood 6" filleting knife and Victorinox Rosewood pastry knife. Between those you cover pretty much all basis.

Prior to getting a cheap deal on the Mac chef knife I started out with a couple of Victorinox knives. First the 8inch Fibrox then the 10" Rosewood. Both are terrific value for money.

A rogue call that I absolutely adored was the Fujiwara FKM 10" Gyuto from JCK. That line gets some stick from knife aficionados but I absolutely adored it and still use it at home now that the Mac has taken over at work.


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## cheflayne (Aug 21, 2004)

*Professional Series 10 3/4" Chef's Knife (MBK-110)*


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## rick alan (Nov 15, 2012)

I am not a lover of VG-10, it can take a sharp edge but does not hold suchan edge well, though since it holds a "serviceable" edge very well it is a good choice for many in a pro kitchen. And since it is such a finicky steel to HT I would not trust anything VG-10 coming from China. VG-10 is usually a pita to sharpen, but Tanaka VG-10 behaves much better than others, is a great knife and a great value, and the only VG-10 I would trust.

The Chinese do tend to do AUS-10 very well. Not a super steel as Phatch indicated but this steel done right takes and holds a sharp edge very well.


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## rick alan (Nov 15, 2012)

Mitchieline said:


> What do you guys think of AUS10V Damasus? http://kck.st/2Ja1gzQ


Do not buy any knives from kickstarter, every offering so far has been a complete ripoff, the one linked included.

Don't spend money unless you really know what you are spending it on. We do have a knife forum here where you can ask questions and get informed answers.


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## PoorlyChef (May 30, 2019)

"I got lucky that a rep from a catering supply firm was friendly with a former employer so the cooks got decent prices off him."

"Friendly" huh?.. LOL...


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## rick alan (Nov 15, 2012)

The Kickstarter is talking about a "deal" price of$130 for a 6" Chinese made chef knife. 


Mitchieline said:


> What do you guys think of AUS10V Damasus? http://kck.st/2Ja1gzQ


First off, oh but it's not at all easy to maintain the factory faux damascus finish on any of these knives. What may look breathtaking to you out of the box will look like shabbiness after a little use. And you will never duplicate that factory finish.

I got a similar looking and better profiled 8" AUS-10 chef knife on Amazon for $30! That was half the original selling price of just 60$. And the steel was well heat treated, the F+F first class, and it was ground thin at the edge.

The $155 for 9" chefs would be passable if this were an established brand, and you didn't mind the big-belly edge profile. But I don't know of a Kickstarter knife that lived up to their claims. And I can't make any sense of their funding scheme.

About the same money would buy a Damascus Tanaka in Blue #2 or Ginsan stainless, both fantastic cutters with great steel, and looks.

Some guys can be a little impulsive when it comes to knives, it does seem as though male IQ's tend to fall dramatically here, at least when it comes to those viewing knives on Kickstarter, and some other places.


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## khanhamza (Jan 7, 2021)

Mitchieline said:


> I just bought myself a new knife that I'll use outside of work. Hybrid Santoku Damascus. When I saw this knife, I fell in love.


it just a good looking knife


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## cstanford (Jul 3, 2008)

Most peoples "wicked knife skils" work would get thrown in the garbage in a decent kitchen in Europe. You'd better be able to bring it if you've got a bag of knives that run in the low four figures. There are close to 40 veggie cuts and assorted tasks you'd be expected to know and execute dead cold, not to mention protein fabrication. I've literally seen guys in tears.


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## Aldente (Apr 26, 2012)

Depends...

I have a Shun Japanese made chef knife that I use for a lot of things... most of my knife use, actually. But if I need to get through bone, I use an old stainless Walmart knife I picked up years ago. The Japanese steel is simply not designed for bone cutting. And, as I am sure you know, the Walmart knife is a lot cheaper. I would not be devastated if something happened to it. 

I never throw away my knives. They all have a use. But I know what each is best designed for and capable of. That's the key.


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## phaedrus (Dec 23, 2004)

My 240 mm Konosuke HD has been getting used a bit but my right arm has been in a sling for almost 3 months so I'm not doing a lot of knife work.:emoji_poop:


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## mike9 (Jul 13, 2012)

My go to are Hiromoto I have two AS in 270 and 240 and a Tenmi Jyuraku damascus. Nagao's heat treat is something special. Other notables are Murray Carter AS petty, Ealy petty and parer and a Goko W#1 stainless clad 240 gyuto that doesn't get much love sadly.


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## mystickrewe (Apr 27, 2015)

khanhamza said:


> it just a good looking knife


So, is the consensus this particular "knifemaker" who is in Canada, is not actually making the knives but ordering them from China and putting his own handles on them?


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## jimyra (Jun 23, 2015)

PoorlyChef said:


> Call me old fashioned, but put a 10' Forschner in my had and I'll slice, dice, julienne, matchstick the crap out of my mise en place..
> 
> View attachment 66561


I agree totally, I have been using Forschner for over 40 years.


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## rick alan (Nov 15, 2012)

Victorinox/Forschner are well known: Like most Germans meh for the steel but passable; very reasonably thin at the edge and decent profile, only slight belly; absolutely terribly shaped handle near the hilt but easy enough to fix if you have a Dremel with 1/2" drum sander bit. I see the Wusthof Pro now has a nice flat profile, and the steel does hold an edge better than the Vic.


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## chefross (May 5, 2010)

I have a Henkel that was given to me by a Chef in 1972. The knife was made in
1954, my birth year. I still use it to this day and it's edge is still very sharp


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## rick alan (Nov 15, 2012)

I'm a '54 also chefross. I take it that is a carbon Henkle?

Anyway, what happened to the Wusthof pro series NSF knives? Some are still being sold like the 12" cooks knife, but it doesn't seem like they're being made anymore. They had the hardest steel of the NSF knives.


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