Hello all, this is my first post, so go easy 
I'm an enthusiastic home cook in Scotland with no real training, other than reading and YT videos.
I mainly use a Henckels 5 Star 7" santoku (https://www.zwilling.com/us/zwillin...ntoku---visual-imperfections/30048-180-5.html - this one). I like it, including the handle shape and light weight/balance, but it doesn't really hold an edge all that well.
I was almost tempted to try Dalstrong or Zelite but, after doing a bit of reading, I was put off by their apparent quality control issues (which I should have expected with their spec vs price). I'm itching for a new knife, but I'm a little stuck. I know santokus aren't very popular on here, mostly because people seem to feel that a cook's knife is more productive. My knife skills are probably mediocre, I suppose, and I find the 10" cook's knife I've got to be a little unwieldy. Food also sticks to it a fair bit more than the hollow santoku. Having said that, the cook's knife is of low-to-middling quality and I feel I should suspend judgement of other such knives of better quality.
So, to finally get to the point: do I stick with the santoku style and try the Wusthof Ikon version? Or should I just try to improve my knife skills with something like a Wusthof 8" cook's knife? I like the look of these and they've had good reviews, not to mention that the handle style would suit me. I know they're slightly harder than Henckels knives, but shouldn't be as brittle as something like a Damascus blade.
To answer the normal follow-up questions: I have a 1000/6000 whetstone. I cut with a pinch-grip style, and I use a plastic board of around A3 size (I fancy swapping to a decent wooden block). Thanks for your help!
Scott
I'm an enthusiastic home cook in Scotland with no real training, other than reading and YT videos. I mainly use a Henckels 5 Star 7" santoku (https://www.zwilling.com/us/zwillin...ntoku---visual-imperfections/30048-180-5.html - this one). I like it, including the handle shape and light weight/balance, but it doesn't really hold an edge all that well.
I was almost tempted to try Dalstrong or Zelite but, after doing a bit of reading, I was put off by their apparent quality control issues (which I should have expected with their spec vs price). I'm itching for a new knife, but I'm a little stuck. I know santokus aren't very popular on here, mostly because people seem to feel that a cook's knife is more productive. My knife skills are probably mediocre, I suppose, and I find the 10" cook's knife I've got to be a little unwieldy. Food also sticks to it a fair bit more than the hollow santoku. Having said that, the cook's knife is of low-to-middling quality and I feel I should suspend judgement of other such knives of better quality.
So, to finally get to the point: do I stick with the santoku style and try the Wusthof Ikon version? Or should I just try to improve my knife skills with something like a Wusthof 8" cook's knife? I like the look of these and they've had good reviews, not to mention that the handle style would suit me. I know they're slightly harder than Henckels knives, but shouldn't be as brittle as something like a Damascus blade.
To answer the normal follow-up questions: I have a 1000/6000 whetstone. I cut with a pinch-grip style, and I use a plastic board of around A3 size (I fancy swapping to a decent wooden block). Thanks for your help!
Scott
