# Japanese knives' advices



## shibby (Nov 9, 2014)

Hello,

I'm currently looking for 1 or 2 knives, so I was thinking of finding those by myself on the internet but it was not as easy as it sounds.

There are a lot of brand, a lot of knives with a lot of different reviews.

So I thought about asking in a forum where people can share their experiences and knowledge.

Hence if anybody has some advice about a brand, a specific model or anything else I would appriciate.

I am looking for a japanese style knife, with a preference for a Petty, and a Santoku or a Gyuto.

My budget is not set in stone, I'm willing to pay for high quality knives so it depends on the ratio price/quality of the knives. Ideally, 150-300$ by knives would be good, but as I said if the knife is worth it I would consider spending more.

I plan to buy a new sharpening stone in order to keep the knives sharp.

I hope to hear some news soon.


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## phaedrus (Dec 23, 2004)

Welcome to CT, Shibby.  Have you used the search feature here?  Your question has been asked and answered a hundred times.  I myself have answered it at least 20 times!  No need to type if all out again, there's some great info already written here.  Former member/member emeritus BDL has a great primer here as well.


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## shibby (Nov 9, 2014)

Hi Phaedrus.

Thanks for your welcome, I am glad to be here.

I already checked a lot of post on this forum, indeed most of them were answered by BDL.

But it seems to me that the response depends on the person rather than a general rule or ranking.

I did not took the time to read all the posts or comments on the forum though.

My main issue here is that I have read a tons of different reviews about different brands. Once a brand is the best you can find and the other time it's the contrary. I am pretty sure there is no "super knife" or "number one brand" but I am kind of lost between all those opposite reviews. Thus, when I find a new review which by chance does not shatter the impression I have from a previous one, it gives me another lead to look for.

So far I have seen a lot of different knives and could not tel which one are truly better, or at least worth their price.

I do not have the time right now but I try to check for further information on the forum.

Anyway thanks for your quick reply, have a nice day.


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## phaedrus (Dec 23, 2004)

No problem.  It depends a lot on where you are and what you want to do with the knife.  It's always going to be a trade off.  For starters, in what country do you reside?  No use in recommending something if you can't get it where you life.


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## shibby (Nov 9, 2014)

Yeah I guess the location influence the recommendation.

I'm living in France.


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## chefboyog (Oct 23, 2013)

Tojiro DP Gyutou 21cm. 

I bought one of these last month 72$ in Canada. I like it.
Tried to post a pic for you but something is wonky with the servers...


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## rick alan (Nov 15, 2012)

We do need a new post entitled, "Where you can buy when you're living in wherefrom."

JapaneseChefKnives ships worldwide for $7 as you might have noticed.  There is a recent post listing places to buy if you're in Europe.

But there is no definitive answers as to what knives will best suite you unless you have definitive answers to cover what you are partial to.  You've read a lot about profiles, handles and alloys here, along with faux Damascus and other superficials.  You're going to have to sort and put that together for yourself.

In the end there are lots of very good knives which you can't go too far wrong with.

I'll make some definitive statements to cover one important area.  The Iminishi combination stone is a very good one for the money, and get yourself a 12" Idahone for truing and touchups.

Rick


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## phaedrus (Dec 23, 2004)

I was actually going to mention JCK.  Absolutely great vendor, Koki will hook you up with exactly what you want.  Sorry I sounded curt, that wasn't meant as a reproach but rather a suggestion to dig into the advice already written.  As for suggestions my love for the Kagayaki CarboNext is well documented here.  Great knives for the money.  Moritaka knives are also great if you like Aogami steel (and c'mon, who doesn't?).  You can't go wrong with Konosuke either.


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## shibby (Nov 9, 2014)

Thanks for all those advices. I'm still digging into the advices alreay written, and taking into consideration yours.

Is it easier for you if I give you more information about what I am looking for, how I plan to use them so on and so forth?


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## shibby (Nov 9, 2014)

I don't have great knives, I wanted to bought real ones for a while now.

Currently I am using a knife from ikea which I sharpen with a ceramic sharpener.

The plan is to buy a sharpening stone along with the knives.

I already know how to sharpen a knife with a sharpening stone so I am not affraid of this improvement.


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## shibby (Nov 9, 2014)

Thanks.
I am looking at Kagayaki, Misono and Hiromoto on JCK they seems pretty good.

Where do you stand on Konosuke HD? I heard about them quite some time on this forum especially from the famous BDL.

I am not affraid to pay the price for the quality so the budget is not really an issue, unless you propose me a knife which costs over $1 000. But still I would be glad to knew its name though.


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## mrbushido (Apr 24, 2014)

Shibby said:


> Thanks.
> 
> I am looking at Kagayaki, Misono and Hiromoto on JCK they seems pretty good.
> Where do you stand on Konosuke HD? I heard about them quite some time on this forum especially from the famous BDL.
> I am not affraid to pay the price for the quality so the budget is not really an issue, unless you propose me a knife which costs over $1 000. But still I would be glad to knew its name though.


i have the konosuke hd2 270mm gyuto and love it but its a laser so not good for everything and hard use.


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## shibby (Nov 9, 2014)

It seems that those lasers are pretty different from the other knives.

What is the big deal with them?

Is it that hard to start with a laser?


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## mrbushido (Apr 24, 2014)

Shibby said:


> It seems that those lasers are pretty different from the other knives.
> What is the big deal with them?
> Is it that hard to start with a laser?


thinner more fragile more chippy harder to sharpen etc


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## torchskitchen (Oct 15, 2014)

I bought my primary chef's knife from japaneseknifeimports.com  If you contact "Jon" the owner he will provide you the best customer service without trying to sell you high end product that you may not want/need. I specifically purchased the Gesshin Ginga 240mm Stainless Wa-Gyuto for $250. I have not had to sharpen the knife since I bought it in July.


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## phaedrus (Dec 23, 2004)

Benuser said:


> I would stay away from Moritaka as long as its retailer hasn't addressed the numerous overgrind issues.


I think that's overstated by quite a bit. I've done quite a few Moritakas and found them to be no worse than any other handmade kurouichi knife. I do have a personal one in my kit that had an _under_grind; that was interesting! Most folks would have had to send it back but I had no trouble spiffing it up. At any rate they're at least as good as a Takeda. Most of those kind of knives can have some "quirks" to them. Any good reputable vendor will stand behind the knife though and make sure you get a good one and fix it if you don't.


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## shibby (Nov 9, 2014)

I feel lost with all those brands, pros and cons, etc

I get that laser required more experience, but still I am considering of buying one along with two others in order to get used to it because they seem to be pretty good knives.

But what can I buy in order to keep them around me without being disappointed later?


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## millionsknives (Apr 25, 2014)

If you want a laser thin gyuto, and are aware of the usage/maintenance warnings, I'd say go for it.  A thin knife will cruise through onions like a dream. No wedging on carrots or potatoes   but be extra careful to not torque the blade, no rock chopping, no bones.

On the plus side, maybe maintenance is easier.   Since they are so thin to begin with, you don't need to thin as much when you sharpen.  As a home user, just sharpening the edge normally can probably get you by for years without noticeable performance decrease, and that much is easy to learn.  You can be an adequately good at basic sharpening in a few sessions.


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## rick alan (Nov 15, 2012)

The whole laser thing is very relative.  The 10" Vic rosewood I recently bought to do a review on is 2.46mm (.96") at the spine above the heal, very close to a typical laser, plus it has a full distill taper which the Kono laser does not really.   I easily put a 3deg secondary bevel in with a 1K stone, bringing the edge thickness from .4mm to .25 (.010").  Convexing of the edge gives added perceived thinness.  Thinning the tip reasonably did take a bench grinder though (I'll finish that when I have access to a belt sander).  Not real laser numbers but very close.  Nothing I can do about the mediocre steel of course.

Anyways the Vic glides effortlessly through potatoes and not bad with carrots either, and a citrus seed is not going to harm the edge at all, nor do I have to fear carving a chicken or working around cow bone, though there is really no need for me to do that.

And of course other knives mentioned here are better non-laser options to this Vic.

Rick


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## phaedrus (Dec 23, 2004)

Benuser said:


> That was exactly the problem with these blades. Their distributor preferred to deny the overgrind issues instead of replacing the knives.


Which vendor? I've purchased mine only from CKTG, no problems on that front. But I've seen about the same amount of badly done Takedas as Moritakas, so it's always important to buy from a vendor that stands behind whatever you're buying.


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## shibby (Nov 9, 2014)

Where did you bough your Konosuke?

Maybe I'll find some other brand to look into, or find some of the knives you talk about previously.

I was looking at JCK Kagayaki VG-10 (ES) SERIES, are they good or should I consider other brands?


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## galley swiller (May 29, 2013)

If you do decide to go for a Hiromoto Gin-3, please be advised that availability of Hiromoto knives is limited to stock on hand. The owner of the company, Futoshi Nagao, had been running a "one-man-shop", and did not have either a son or an apprentice to continue the business. Since he is 78 years of age, his retirement means that once the existing stock of Hiromoto knives has been sold, then no more will be available.

This is not to say that the knives have any fault - they have gotten very good reviews - but that if you want to buy one, then you should make the decision while they are available.

Galley Swiller


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## phaedrus (Dec 23, 2004)

That's a shame!  Hiromoto knives are great for the price.  I don't have any anymore but I might need to grab one while I still can.


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## shibby (Nov 9, 2014)

Does the Hiromoto Dasmascus serie is better than the other series?


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## mowgface (Mar 30, 2012)

What makes a knife better to you?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## shibby (Nov 9, 2014)

I am still hesitating between the Konosuke, the Hiromoto and the Kagayaki, unless there are other brand to consider for a super sharp and durable knife wich I intend to cherish and sharpen with all my might.


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## galley swiller (May 29, 2013)

I agree with Benuser about the Hiromoto Damascus.  Besides being more expensive and the VG-10 edge being more finicky to sharpen, it is simply not as good a cutting edge as either GIN-3 or AS (Aogami Super Steel).

If I had to make a decision on the 3 series, my choice for sharpness would be the AS series.  My choice for ease of maintenace would be the GIN-3 series.  I personally would not consider the Damascus VG-10 series, unless I intended to keep it unused and either as a display-only knife or as a potential investment (though that last "use" is problematic, what with the large number of Damascus blades floating around nowadays).

Galley Swiller


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## shibby (Nov 9, 2014)

Ok thanks for your advices about the Damascus series, it narrows down my options.


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## shibby (Nov 9, 2014)

About the sharpening stone which one would you recommend?

I saw that there are some with 2 different faces.


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## ordo (Mar 19, 2009)

Better get a one grit stone.


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## shibby (Nov 9, 2014)

There are different wet stones (1000, 6000, 8000 etc), which one should I take first?

Do you have a prefered brand for the wet stone?


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## ordo (Mar 19, 2009)

Hmmm...Benuser, not so sure a fast cutter is good for a novice. Could screw up the edge easily in a couple of bad passes.

Other #1000-1200 stones:

King Deluxe #1000 (used by Murray Carter).

Bester #1200 (i have it, my favorite).

Chocera Naniwa Super Stone #1000 (i have it, very good but not so easy to work stone)

Naniwa Aotoshi #2000 (also known as _Green Brick of Joy_).

Arashiyama 1K.

Sigma Power #1000 (was a favourite among sharpeners some years ago)

Shapton Glass Stone #1000 (i have it, i do not recommend it).

Gesshin #1000 Extra large Stone (by Japanese Knife Imports, a big, expensive stone that could last generations).

There're many other stones. For the value, the King and the Bester. Just an opinion of course, as there's a love affair between sharpeners and stones that you must learn by yourself.


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## millionsknives (Apr 25, 2014)

Slower cutting stones have their own problems too. More time to round the edges, fatigue, loss of focus. A faster cutting stone is still nowhere near a belt sander or wheel. If a beginner is going to wreck their edge, it will happen on any stone. Luckily there's not so much damage on a waterstone that can't be fixed. It's all part of the learning process.


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## shibby (Nov 9, 2014)

In your opinion what is your favorite or the ranking of your favorite japanese Petty knives.


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## ordo (Mar 19, 2009)

MillionsKnives said:


> Slower cutting stones have their own problems too. More time to round the edges, fatigue, loss of focus.


Truth.


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## ordo (Mar 19, 2009)

Shibby said:


> In your opinion what is your favorite or the ranking of your favorite japanese Petty knives.


If i had the money i would love this beauty:





  








wapetty_1.jpg




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ordo


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Nov 19, 2014








Perfect lenght (in my opinion a petty should not be short) and $246 at Japanese Knife Imports.


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## shibby (Nov 9, 2014)

On which site can I buy a Konosuke HD2? I did not see a lot of site offering Konosuke's knives.

I am still hesitating between Kagayaki, Hiromoto and Misono.

Regardless of what I am going to choose I think I will buy a Konosuke along 2 wet stones.

If you have anymore advices I will glady read them.


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## shibby (Nov 9, 2014)

I do not have a specific series in mind so is you have some advices regarding those it would be great. 
For now my goal is to buy at least a Gyuto and a Petty.
Regarding the Misono I saw 4 series between for which I do not know which one to choose: Molybdenum, Sweden, UX10 and 440.
Regarding the Kagayaki I consider the VG-10. 
And finally for the Hiromoto I consider the Gin n3 and the AS.
If you need more informations or details do not hesitate to ask me.


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## rick alan (Nov 15, 2012)

In terms of a petty the Kono is of course nice.  I'd like to think there were options at 150mm and a lot under $100 that were almost as good, but most of what I see available are rather chunky in profile or too short.

Rick


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## shibby (Nov 9, 2014)

Is Tôshô Knife Art is a good website our should I stay away from it?

I am currently looking at JCK for the knives and the wet stone, but saddly they don't have any Konosuke.

As my dilema is still the same between the Misono, Kagayaki and Hiromoto, I wanted to check if there is a good website offering Konosuke.

But still it's not like I have to get my hand on a Konosuke, but rather finding refine and sharp blades I can keep around for a while.


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## millionsknives (Apr 25, 2014)

Tosho is good although currently out of stock of all the konosukes I was looking for. The exchange rate works well for me in the US. In France, I'm not sure what you'd pay in import taxes and VAT. Another option is buying from the konosuke website direct. It's all in japanese, but you can find your way through if you translate the webpage in google chrome. If you email them what you want, it will be faster than through Tosho probably and might be cheaper from Japan than Canada.

http://konosuke-sakai.com/contact_en/index.html


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## shibby (Nov 9, 2014)

Thank you MillionKnives, I contacted them on the website of Konosuke. They should tell me soon if they can work with a retailer in France in order to send me the knife.
I have another questions regarding JCK:
Are their wet stones good quality ones?
What is the difference in therm of quality, sharpeness etc between the KAGAYAKI CarboNext and the KAGAYAKI VG-10?


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## shibby (Nov 9, 2014)

Hi,

I have just ordered the Tenmi Jyuraku Damascus Petty TD-1L on JCK. I wanted an AS or a Gin 3 but they were both out of stock so I took the Damascus.





  








Img923.jpg




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shibby


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Dec 9, 2014








The plan is to order the whetstone as soon as I get some money. I wanted to buy 2 whetstones also on JCK, but I will investigate on the forum to find interesting alternatives if there are.

In the near future I might buy 1 or 2 Konosuke directly from Japan, because their shipping fees are quite expensive and a friend of mine is going there so she will be alble to buy them directly for me.

Thus, I just wanted to thank you all for helping me finding my first high quality japanese knife.


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