# Looking to buy my first bigger (8 inch) chefs knife



## Jr86 (May 12, 2018)

Hi all.

At the moment I have got a 6 inch Zwilling motion chefs knive. Worth about $40-$50 But looking for something bigger. A around 8 incher.

I am looking at a couple of Japanse options.

1. Kai Shun Classic
2 Tojiro pro dp Damascus
3. Safe some more and go for the. Miyabi birchwood sg2

On the other hand as a european style knife
- Wusthof Ikon perhaps?

I think al the kives I mentiond are better or sharper then my current Zwilling?

I live in Holland and having a hard time how the birchwood sg2 is called around here.

Can someone give me some advice please? Or alternatives to buy in Holland or Germany. I prefer Damast or decorated knives. And sharp


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## sgsvirgil (Mar 1, 2017)

Jr86 said:


> Hi all.
> 
> At the moment I have got a 6 inch Zwilling motion chefs knive. Worth about $40-$50 But looking for something bigger. A around 8 incher.
> 
> ...


Hi Jr86 and welcome to CT! 

Its not my intent to deflect your question, however, there are many excellent threads on this site that contain the sort of information that you are looking for.

However, before answering your question, I need to know some basic information. First, do you work in the food industry or are you a home cook? The reason I ask is the amount of use the knife will endure will vary greatly between home cook and someone who works in a commercial kitchen. That difference will determine the priority of the knife's characteristics. For example, a professional chef will most likely give comfort and handling just as much emphasis as blade style and quality. This is because of the volume of ingredients a professional cook has to plow through in the course of a shift or a week. Whereas the home cook will not be using the knife nearly as much or as long.

A pro chef will also be looking to sharpen their knives far more frequently than a home cook and therefore, blade quality is very important. A busy chef can end up sharpening their knives on average of once or twice per month whereas a home cook may have to sharpen their knives once every 4-6 months.

Another piece of information that would be helpful is the intended use of the knife. A chef's knife is typically the workhorse knife in the collection. I have two. I have an Wusthof 8 inch (203mm) that I use for vegetables and fruits and another thin 8 inch Wusthof that I use for meats and seafood. I also have an assortment of other knives such hand forged Japanese knives, filet knives, cleavers etc. But, if I am working in the kitchen, 99 times out of 100 I have these two knives within arms reach.

The last question is what level of knife skills do you have? There is no sense in buying a knife that does not match your skill level. It can be a waste of money and can be quite dangerous. So, the general rule is the better the skills, the better the knife.

So, when its all said and done, there is a balance that exists between cost, quality and utility that is different for everyone. What may be good for me may not necessarily be good for you and vice versa.

If you can provide a little more information, either myself or anyone else here can give you some excellent advice and suggestions.

I hope this helps.


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## Jr86 (May 12, 2018)

sgsvirgil said:


> Hi Jr86 and welcome to CT!
> 
> Its not my intent to deflect your question, however, there are many excellent threads on this site that contain the sort of information that you are looking for.
> 
> ...


Thank you for your reply.

I am a at home cook. Having a very hard time to decide what to buy


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## sgsvirgil (Mar 1, 2017)

There are literally hundreds, if not thousands, of knifes out there that would suit you very nicely. 

If you are looking at the high end Japanese knives, you are going to pay a premium but, the knife will be excellent quality. If you do your homework, you should be able to choose a good knife. 

With high end knives, you should also make it a point to purchase a good set of wet stones and a good honing rod. Most Japanese manufacturers will offer wet stones for sale and I would strongly encourage you to invest in them and learn how to use them, if you don't already know. You do not want to trust your expensive blade to a professional sharpener who will likely use a belt sander to sharpen your blade. 

Good luck.


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## nickgoods (May 18, 2018)

Take a look at some of the chef series from MAC

Not to fancy but good bang for the buck


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## aupied (Oct 31, 2016)

Jr86 said:


> Hi all.
> 
> At the moment I have got a 6 inch Zwilling motion chefs knive. Worth about $40-$50 But looking for something bigger. A around 8 incher.
> 
> ...





nickgoods said:


> Take a look at some of the chef series from MAC
> 
> Not to fancy but good bang for the buck


I can't recommend too much on the "damast"/decorated knives. They aren't really my think. A lot of that is appearance and no performance.

I have a Mac 10" Pro that I enjoy quite a bit. I don't know your price range. You can find some killer deals on slightly used high-end knives on homebutcher.com. An 8" Zwilling Kramer Damascus that was used and resharpened by them went in the low 220's, which is an absolute steal! If I could just throw an Damascus knife out on the table, it would be a Takamura Pro (It's an R2 aka SG2 knife), but it is expensive, and rarely in stock. Check out https://www.mtckitchen.com/ I talked to them recently and they should be getting some more in sometime. Korin is another website to check out. You can contact any of these guys from those places and they'll give you solid advice for what you're looking for.


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## rick alan (Nov 15, 2012)

What I typically recommend for a mid-priced in damascus. Looks good, real engraved kanji instead of tacky decal that wears off, and hard to match the all- around performance in the price range. And Jon is the best guy to deal with.
https://www.japaneseknifeimports.co...ducts/gonbei-210mm-hammered-damascus-wa-gyuto


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## Alex88 (Jul 4, 2018)

Honestly If you want to go for high end knives like the Miyabi Birchwood you could also take a look at the Zwilling Bob Kramer but i would especially love to have the Zwilling Ken Onion chef knife. Its just beautiful. I have to say i held neither in my hand nor used them but i love how those knives look.

Did anyone use them? If someone did I would appreciate their opinion on the knives. I'm really thinking of saving up money for the Zwilling Ken Onion chef knife.

If you want to see all three knives Birchwood, Bob Kramer and Ken Onion you can find them here one after another described in the luxury section:
https://allknives.co/best-chef-knife-beginner-professional/


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## rick alan (Nov 15, 2012)

I don't recommend anything Ken Onion. QP is typically not great for offerings by the big Germans.


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## Alex88 (Jul 4, 2018)

And Bob Kramer knives?


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## rick alan (Nov 15, 2012)

Some knowledgeable knife nuts like them a lot, they have a good flat spot, and you can use them like a spatula. But lots of Japanese knives have a nice flat, and I personally don't need the spatula function, I feel they are also overpriced, especially the authentic Kramers with absolutely ridiculous insane prices.


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