Wich is your "fantasy" knife?

Honest answer? I continue to fantasize about a 240mm white #1 steel usuba I saw for sale a year or so ago. I was used, and thus vastly reduced in price... and ultimately went for over $500, in a country (Japan) where used knives are kind of icky (sort of like using someone else's toothbrush). If I got it, I'd be totally unable to get any great merit out of it -- my 225mm white #2 Aritsugu (Tsukiji) usuba is totally out of my league as it is, though I love it so -- but still.

So what are you fantasizing about, anyway?

(Knives, I mean. Keep it on topic, and keep it clean....)

 

It's no longer fantasy but reality since some years now. Still, I love this thing! Older Tanaka in CowryX, ironwood handle. They still make it, but in another steel.

240mm of sheer beauty. Very thin blade, takes an incredible edge.

 

sweet as...! the tool maketh the (wo)man

 

Knife Genie granting me one free wish?

Easy

The one made of solid 24 ct gold and encrusted with precious stones...

Of which I would promply entrust to Christies for auction, declare myself financialy independant, and henceforth only eat at 5 star places, never touching another knife again.

Meh, I work with them all day, every day since I was 15. Nothing to get excited about.

Edward..lying in bed with kleenex, hot tea, and wondering how mch longer I can afford to be sick for......

 

Man, that's a beauty!  I didn't realize they were Cowry X before the current batches of R2.  I was sorely tempted to buy one when CKtG was selling the 240 for $499...
 

 

Yeah but if your going to do it, do it for real...I'll get this: http://www.mademan.com/2008/09/worlds-most-expensive-knife

 

Hoo boy. What a perfect question. Both these pieces cost $360 .

Just got a Christmas gift from my husband of two more Wildfire kitchen knives, that I always wanted. 5" boning knife. Carbon steel and Myrtle wood with red white spacers.I use mine in the kitchen and in the field dressing elk, boar and deer. Was hoping for it , and my husband came through with two. I think this cost around $115 from wildfirecutlery.com



Michael also made me a Mezzaluna ( half moon ) . I am part Swiss and have wanted one of these since forever. Michael's design allows me to easily remove handles and sharpen blade !! They are held on with buttonhead

allen ( sp? ) head stainless bolts. He actually sent me an alan  wrench. Michael prices are very reasonable, and his work is superb. My Mezzaluna holds a fine edge. Myrtle is the wood. Gotta go shake and bake!!

 

I'm thinking about adding another couple of knives to the block and maybe rotating a couple out.

At the top of my wish list are a 30cm suji and another petty -- but this time stainless, or at least stain resistant, for the petty.  I haven't made any decisions yet.

For the suji, if I go with a western handle, I'll probably get either the Misono Sweden, or the "Nogent" style Canadian from K-Sab.  But if I go wa, maybe Konosuke White#2 or maybe even another HD.

I'd like to get something high-zoot for the petty too, but they take such a beating and get sharpened so much, maybe not.  I want something that will hold up to citrus and can get used as a bar knife as much as for general cooking purposes.  My HD gyuto has brought me to the dark side -- not to mention the second half of the XXth Century -- and stainless has started to make (God forgive me) sense.

BDL

 

Just saying, if some genie is going to pop up and ask ME, what I WANT. He is going to work it! and if a knife is involved that tricky S.O.B better be on his game cause I am not playing around.
 

 

It's been seven days, and nobody has responded to your post, BDL.  It does seem to be worth discussing, because it's such a turn up for the book.

Over the past two or three months, I've read many essays you have written over the last two or three years.  Although you've written many complimentary things about the Misono Sweden, I've always got the impression that you regard it as being the equal of your carbon Sabatiers, not their superior ... and I would have predicted that any new carbon-steel knife would come from the Masamoto HC range---unless you were unable to contain your desire for white no. 2 steel---and that any stainless-steel knife would come from Ikkanshi Tadatsuna.

Could you share you reasoning with us?

I've seen that JCK.com does not list a Masamoto HC sujihiki as long as 30cm, which may explain why that fell off your list.  But, from what you've written, I would have expected you to give up the idea of a yo-sujihiki, upgrade your steel choice to white no. 2, and consider a Tadatsuna wa-sujihiki.

John
 

 

It's been several days and nobody has replied to BDL because we're still in shock that he made a comment like that about carbon steel.
 

 

If I had a chance....

 Petals

 

It seems I dropped this ball about two years ago. 

I ended up with a Kono HD 30cm suji -- a perfect knife for me -- and a Kono SS petty.  The petty is a nice knife, but it's a petty, does petty things, and petty hard to get excited about.  FWIW, Kono has since upgraded its SS line to "HH," which is the same steel but harder -- and competes with the Gesshin Ginga Inox, Suisun Inox Honyaki, and Tadatsuna Inox. 

My other petty is a "Nogent" Sabatier 6" slicer.  I like it just as much.  But don't draw deep conclusions, it's a petty.

Sabatier carbon chef's knives are as good as Misono Sweden chef knives, but the comparison is not equal straight across the board.  They each have their strength and weaknesses. 

I still haven't gone as far as actually owning a Masamoto HC.  I regard them as nearly perfect knives of their type, i.e., western handle, mass-produced, Japanese made, carbon steel knives, but am not really much interested in the type anymore. 

BDL