Recommend a knife for a newbie.

[xaiverson]

1)Pro or home cook?
Home

2)What kind of knife do you want? (Gyuto, Santoku, Petty, Paring, Sujihiki, etc.)
Gyuto or something similar, a work horse

3) What size knife do you want?
Open to suggestions

4)How much do you want to spend?
$120 - $300 (if the performance is really worth it)

5) Do you prefer all stainless, stainless clad over reactive carbon, or all reactive carbon construction?
No preference really, don't mind a little extra maintenance if needed. I'm a cast iron user

6)Do you prefer Western or Japanese handle?
Unsure. I don't have enough experience to have a preference. I'm sure I could adapt to either.

7)What are your main knife/knives now?
Just a Chicago Cutlery block from our wedding.

8)Are your knife skills excellent, good, fair?
Fair

9)What cutting techniques do you prefer? Are you a rocker, chopper or push/pull cutter?
A little rocking, some push/pull

10)Do you know how to sharpen?
Not yet but I plan on learning. I've been told the Sharpton Pro 1000 is a good starting point.

Please also add any additional pertinent information that can help everyone with suggestions.

I emailed support and Mark suggested this knife: https://www.chefknivestogo.com/satahach ... ml#yswCart

I'm cooking a lot so this knife will be used everyday mostly.

[Robstreperous]

Hey there. Thanks for posting.

Just so I/we can recommend a size for you, could you tell me a little about your workspace? If you have a tiny kitchen with a very small cutting board you're going to want a knife on the shorter size. If not you're probably going to want something in the 210 / 240 range.

Anything special regarding size of hands and strength? My tiny wife can't really manage a blade much more than a 6" but brutish ogre that I am I'm most comfotable with something 9 inches and up.

PS: I like the one Mark suggested. But you never know what else might be out there....

[xaiverson]

Hey there. Thanks for posting.

Just so I/we can recommend a size for you, could you tell me a little about your workspace? If you have a tiny kitchen with a very small cutting board you're going to want a knife on the shorter size. If not you're probably going to want something in the 210 / 240 range.

Anything special regarding size of hands and strength? My tiny wife can't really manage a blade much more than a 6" but brutish ogre that I am I'm most comfotable with something 9 inches and up.

PS: I like the one Mark suggested. But you never know what else might be out there....

Hey thanks! Normal kitchen and normal to large cuttings boards so shouldn't be a problem. Been using the 8" chef knife in the block for years just fine (not married to the size).

[Radar53]

Hi there & welcome to the forum.

This is a knife I often recommend as a first JK;
Harukaze G3 Nashiji Gyuto 240mm ~ https://www.chefknivestogo.com/harukaze240.html

Really good, well respected brand, it has a Ginsan 3 core which is a great steel, easy to sharpen, takes a very keen edge & holds it well, cuts well, stainless cladding with a pear-skin finish and hammered (both finishes to aid food release and just plain look good). At USD130 it has to be one of the best value for money knives on the site. It also comes in a 210, but this is currently OOS.

HTH

[xaiverson]

Hi there & welcome to the forum.

This is a knife I often recommend as a first JK;
Harukaze G3 Nashiji Gyuto 240mm ~ https://www.chefknivestogo.com/harukaze240.html

Really good, well respected brand, it has a Ginsan 3 core which is a great steel, easy to sharpen, takes a very keen edge & holds it well, cuts well, stainless cladding with a pear-skin finish and hammered (both finishes to aid food release and just plain look good). At USD130 it has to be one of the best value for money knives on the site. It also comes in a 210, but this is currently OOS.

HTH

Thank you for the rec! I like the looks of that one. Any differences or better build between that and the one Mark recommended?

[Jeff B]

Hi there & welcome to the forum.

This is a knife I often recommend as a first JK;
Harukaze G3 Nashiji Gyuto 240mm ~ https://www.chefknivestogo.com/harukaze240.html

Really good, well respected brand, it has a Ginsan 3 core which is a great steel, easy to sharpen, takes a very keen edge & holds it well, cuts well, stainless cladding with a pear-skin finish and hammered (both finishes to aid food release and just plain look good). At USD130 it has to be one of the best value for money knives on the site. It also comes in a 210, but this is currently OOS.

HTH

Thank you for the rec! I like the looks of that one. Any differences or better build between that and the one Mark recommended?

The biggest difference between those two knives is going to be the size and profile. One is 7" Santoku and one is a 9.5" Gyuto(chefs knife). Otherwise they come from the same maker and are both quality knives. The G3 steel in the gyuto is a higher quality steel.
You need to decide which profile you like better and which length you would be happier with to choose between those two knives.

And just to complicate things even more for you, here is a very good bang for the buck 210mm(8") gyuto with a carbon core. An excellent steel that will have better edge retention than the other two knives but the others will be much better than you're used to.
Tsunehisa AS Sakura Gyuto 210mm - https://www.chefknivestogo.com/tsassagy21.html

[Radar53]

I only have Harukase G3 & not the VG10 knife, so can't do a side by side comparison. There are a couple of differences that come to mind.

The handle on the one Mark recommended looks to be better than than the G3 Nashiji, which is pretty basic & plain, but I think that is offset for the G3 with the money going into the steel. IMHO G3 is a better steel than VG10 ~ I have knives in both and definitely prefer the G3.

The santoku will have a flatter heel-to-tip profile, with the balance point maybe 25 - 30mm further back & for me the gyuto is a bit more versatile. Obviously one has a wa (Japanese) handle and the other a yo (western).

[xaiverson]

Hi there & welcome to the forum.

This is a knife I often recommend as a first JK;
Harukaze G3 Nashiji Gyuto 240mm ~ https://www.chefknivestogo.com/harukaze240.html

Really good, well respected brand, it has a Ginsan 3 core which is a great steel, easy to sharpen, takes a very keen edge & holds it well, cuts well, stainless cladding with a pear-skin finish and hammered (both finishes to aid food release and just plain look good). At USD130 it has to be one of the best value for money knives on the site. It also comes in a 210, but this is currently OOS.

HTH

Thank you for the rec! I like the looks of that one. Any differences or better build between that and the one Mark recommended?

The biggest difference between those two knives is going to be the size and profile. One is 7" Santoku and one is a 9.5" Gyuto(chefs knife). Otherwise they come from the same maker and are both quality knives. The G3 steel in the gyuto is a higher quality steel.
You need to decide which profile you like better and which length you would be happier with to choose between those two knives.

And just to complicate things even more for you, here is a very good bang for the buck 210mm(8") gyuto with a carbon core. An excellent steel that will have better edge retention than the other two knives but the others will be much better than you're used to.
Tsunehisa AS Sakura Gyuto 210mm - https://www.chefknivestogo.com/tsassagy21.html

What benefits would a Santoku have over the Gyuto? Better for slicing or chopping? The price difference between all these recs isn't a big factor for me. My practicality tells me I should just get the Tsunehisa you linked if I like the profile/size if it's a better quality metal. EDIT: Just talked with my SO and she doesn't think she wants to go much bigger than what we currently have, so that Tsunehisa is looking even better.

[Jeff B]

...What benefits would a Santoku have over the Gyuto? The price difference between all these recs isn't a big factor for me. My practicality tells me I should just get the Tsunehisa you linked if I like the profile/size if it's a better quality metal.

For me, there is no benefit of a Santoku over a Gyuto. It's more about personal preference, some people like a Santoku more for the smaller size than anything. A Gyuto is a more versatile and better general purpose knife overall to me. With an initial purchase into a new endeavor I tend to follow my instincts. All of the knives proposed so far are quality purchases so go with what calls out to you the most and you'll be fine. And now that you have a few ideas, browse through the store and see of anything else catches your attention and come back for opinions.

[xaiverson]

...What benefits would a Santoku have over the Gyuto? The price difference between all these recs isn't a big factor for me. My practicality tells me I should just get the Tsunehisa you linked if I like the profile/size if it's a better quality metal.

For me, there is no benefit of a Santoku over a Gyuto. It's more about personal preference, some people like a Santoku more for the smaller size than anything. A Gyuto is a more versatile and better general purpose knife overall to me. With an initial purchase into a new endeavor I tend to follow my instincts. All of the knives proposed so far are quality purchases so go with what calls out to you the most and you'll be fine. And now that you have a few ideas, browse through the store and see of anything else catches your attention and come back for opinions.

Any maintenance I need to watch out for with the Tsunehisa? Is this a kind that will develop a patina on a portion of it or anything?

[Jeff B]

Really not difficult at all, just don't neglect or abuse it basically. Hand wash after using the knife, no dishwasher and don't let it sit dirty all day or overnight. It has stainless cladding but the exposed cutting edge will develop a patina over time and can rust if not properly cared for as stated before.

[Radar53]

Here's another one that might be worth considering, which I think has just hit the store;

Harukaze AS Santoku 170mm 20th Anniversary Sale! <https://www.chefknivestogo.com/haassa16.html>

I imagine that at USD99, that would be pretty hard to beat

[gladius]

Here's another one that might be worth considering, which I think has just hit the store;

Harukaze AS Santoku 170mm 20th Anniversary Sale! <https://www.chefknivestogo.com/haassa16.html>

I imagine that at USD99, that would be pretty hard to beat

---
+1
THAT is a good deal.
Since you are a "carbon skillet kind of guy", Also consider the Harukaze AS Gyuto 180mm << or the Harukaze AS Gyuto 210mm <<, if you prefer a gyuto style a little longer. Excellent performance and AS steel (Hitachi Aogami Super Blue) carbon core with stainless cladding for easy maintenance. Easily sharpened too.

[xaiverson]

Thank you everyone for the recommendations. I ended up going with the Tsunehisa AS Sakura Gyuto 210mm - https://www.chefknivestogo.com/tsassagy21.html

[Jeff B]

Thank you everyone for the recommendations. I ended up going with the Tsunehisa AS Sakura Gyuto 210mm - https://www.chefknivestogo.com/tsassagy21.html

An excellent knife, I think you will enjoy it!

[packster]

Great choice! AS is a great steel, 210 is a good length, and the price is right