# Loved my entry level MAC but now ready for the real thing



## Jazzled (Nov 12, 2017)

Hey guys 

A while ago I posted a few questions regarding which knife to purchase as a first J-knife. I got great feedback from here and ended purchasing a MAC chef's knife, which I found online for a bargain. The knife is a pleasure to work with and now with Christmas getting closer I want to invest in something new. I did end up buying sharpening stones, including leather strop and ceramic honing rod and I also have a good cutting board. The following specs would be for a knife only and yes, I DO want a fancy one! 

Handle: Wa (something like dark rosewood in octagon shape with black water buffalo horn)
Length: 210 to 240mm
Height: I like a broad(ish) knife which makes me "feel safe"
Type: Gyuto "razor"
Hand: Right handed (I have big hands)
Steel: Something that holds a good edge. Carbon is also good (I will care for this knife)
Location: Vancouver, Canada
Cost: $500 CAD (around $380 USD) - but willing to pay more if needed
Use: Home cooking
Aesthetics: Somewhat important. I'd prefer a knife that's not going to show blemishes. 

I hope this is enough information for you to give me a few options. There are many of you on this forum whom I'm sure are much deeper down the rabbit hole than me and I'm sure have a big selection of J-knives. Which one of those is your favorite knife, puts a smile on your face and is a pleasure to use? 

Our local knife store, Knifewear, recommended a few options like Konosuke, Masashi, Kurosaki Sasame and Takeda NAS. My salesman had a big man-crush on Takeda and highly recommended his blades. 

I would love to hear about your favorites. 

Kind regards


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## millionsknives (Apr 25, 2014)

blemishes? like... patina?

My knives get used and I don't really care what they look like until I'm selling. That's the only time I would spend the effort making it look nice. If I worked in an open kitchen or was trying to impress guests I guess it is a different story.

For a knife that doesn't look like butt after you thin and sharpen it I would go with a wide bevel. Or something stainless clad that you can simply sand it to a normal matte kind of finish.

Sharpening the edge is the easy part IMO. Getting knives to look 'new' is the next rabbit hole.


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## Jazzled (Nov 12, 2017)

millionsknives said:


> blemishes? like... patina?


Wrong choice of wording from me. I quite like the patina look on a blade as it shows character. My meaning was more towards new blades finished to a mirror finish which will show off scratches easily. This is one of the reasons why I have been leaning more towards a blade like Takeda. For all purposes, we can totally ignore the aesthetics section.

Random question: Any idea why Takeda doesn't get recommended more on various forums?


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## rick alan (Nov 15, 2012)

Takeda's appeal was never anything like universal, there have also been design changes such as many enthusiasts simply responded, "Why?", and quality has suffered since the early days.

No need to feel you have to maintain a factory finish as Millions already stated. A 6k stone does a nice mat, 10k gets you a decent, if not quite mirror, polish.


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