# Knife help... BDL are you there... Everyone else please chime in.



## knife clue (Aug 21, 2012)

Hey BDL, I've got some questions and I'm hoping that you can help.  I've spent months reading your posts and recommendation to others, I have run around testing and I've hit on a couple knives I like but I may be missing something and before I spend a few hundred I thought I might give this a shot and find a few more recommendations from you.

Some basics about me...

At a young age I was taught to cook by my parents, who love food, and I've worked in a few restaurants over the years but it has been over 20 years since I've been in a professional kitchen.  I've since spent many years in synthetic laboratories, which is very much like cooking without the knives.  I cook at home and I'm never afraid of tackling a difficult meal.  I create recipes and reinvent many, and I cook 95% of the meals we eat.  I usually have a very delicate pinch grip on my chef's knife, but after 20 years of constant use and improper sharpening my knives are shot.  After much discussion, my wife and I have decided that I can get one very good chef's knife since it's the one I use the most.

Basic knife knowledge...

Handling is fine.

Sharpening is rudimentary at best.

I'm fine at honing and able to click in.

Plans for knife care...

I will get an Idahone rod for honing

I will use an Apex A4 system for sharpening

I will send the knife in to Epicurean Edge for sharpening

Knives I'm looking at...

First, I'm looking at 300 and under.

Second, I haven't cut anything with the knives I've handled.

So after trying many knives at EE (I live in Seattle), I've fallen in love with the Bu-Rei-Zen Gyuto and the Asai Enji Damascus Gyuto (both 210mm). 

I guess my question is am I missing anything.  I've handled many knives, a lot based of of your recommendations, and I'm wondering what the big difference between the two is.  I could go either way but I did enjoy the D handle of the Asai.  I also enjoyed the Bu-Rei-Zen.

My goal is to get that one knife that I can use for life and enjoy it for life.  While I may go crazy buying knives after this, that is not my goal.  I want the one knife I will cherish.  I also need it to be a work horse, especially for a constant stream of vegetables, meats and fish.  I will have the people at EE work on my Henckels and will use that chef for cutting chicken and rough work.  The gyuto will pretty much handle everything else.

So, opinions about the two?  What else should I try?  I've handled the usual suspects (global, mac, shun, wusthof, misono, mess., etc), so where should I go before handing money over.  I'm both nervous and new to this high end knife thing.  Honestly, the henckels would have lasted forever prior to chefs choice sharpening, but now the bolster goes down farther than the blade and for reasons unknown the blade will not hold an edge for long (couple days at most).

All opinions and recommendation will be appreciated.  Everyone, feel free to add to my knowledge base or laugh.

Thanks,

Clueless (AKA -  John)


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## french dough (Jul 13, 2012)

BDL here, Sab Sab Sab Sab, Mac, Sab, Mac! Konosuke, Henkels warranty, 2k 8k, nogent. Stropex Chosera knife skills. Blip blarn blop, good luck with that. SAB MAC SAB!


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