Looking to buy my first knife
1. Style?
I like Japanese knives, they look special. For the blade style, I like the Gyuto or chef knife style.
2. Steel?
Not sure, I haven't done much research on this topic. Something that is beginner friendly in terms of care.
3. Handle?
Not sure, I have only used the basic kitchen knives and the western (german chef knife inspired) styles. But I like the look of wooden handles; it brings in that natural uniqueness that I like.
4. Grip?
Handle grip. Also, I prefer to use my left hand when using a knife.
5. Length?
I am leaning towards 210mm. I don't think I need a larger knife, and from what I've read, I would probably regret having a shorter blade down the road.
6. Use cases?
Home cooking.
7. Care?
Only used the honing rod so far. I plan to learn to sharpen with whetstones.
8. Budget?
Around 200€ (including shipping). A lot of good options seem to only be available on amazon.com or elsewhere in the US, which means the shipping cost is about 50€.
Notes: I'm looking for something more unique, as in a knife you're not used to seeing in a regular European household. That's the reason I'm mostly looking at Japanese knives with a wooden handle. I'm not expecting I can get a custom unique knife at this budget.
From what I've seen, the Yoshihiro VG10 16 Layers Gyuto looks like what I have in mind in terms of style, look, and beginner-friendliness. Or the slightly more expensive Yoshihiro VG10 46 Layers (w/ Octagonal Shitan Rosewood Handle) looks great too. Are any of these a good option?
Looking forward to hearing about other suggestions :)
Edit 1: style
Edit 2: mention Yoshihiro VG10 46 Layers
Posted May 27, 2019, 11:46 AM UTC · edited
The Kaeru line from Japanese Natural Stones (Denmark) offers a lot of knife for the money. Cleancut in Sweden also serves the Euro market well.
Yoshihiro represents a consortium (for lack of better term) of knife makers - some good, some not so much. Suggest avoiding vg10.
Thanks for the suggestion.
Can you please explain more about vg10 or link to something that explains why avoid it?
VG10 is the steel of choice for decent mass produced knives that are found in the $100 neighborhood. It's the first tier of steel that is not simply "stainless steel". Shun largely popularized it. VG10 does well with the faux dammy finishes and looks "cool" to those that don't know any better. Perfect for "Housewife Knives".
Among more serious users it has quite the reputation for being chippy - so much so that Shun re-named it's forumulation VGMax or some such. I've seen VG10 chip more than a couple times and usually when it's being steeled. I've had several occasions to sharpen the VG10 knives and find it's a major pia. Very persistent burrs, does not abrade well, scuffs in a heartbeat and scuffs can't be removed without messing up that faux dammy finish.
I don't like it. Anybody asks about it, I try and discourage it. It be suck.
Thanks for the great explanation.
What steel type should I look for? I don't care that much if it stains a bit or if there is some patina. But still, something that is a bit more forgiving for a beginner like me.
Also, I've mentioned the Sharp Edge Shop (Oster Rob) above, which is probably the only shop I can visit in person. They hold mostly knives w/ ZDP-189, any opinions about this metal?
Also found https://sharpedgeshop.com/ by chance, when browsing for Sayas. Probably a less-known option here, but the good thing is that it's in my city. I didn't even expect it to have anything like that in our small country.
ATM they mostly sell knives made with ZDP-189 steel, which is said to be difficult to sharpen.
ZDP-189 is not steel for a first decent knife. You need a great stone set-up to sharpen them effectively, I would not think of trying to sharpen something with a HRC that high on a budget stone, it will be a recipe for frustration. (After sharpening to 100% ZDP will then settle down to say 95% sharpness.)
I agree with the advice to steer clear of VG10. I know it is really popular but for it's hardness is is fragile. I only have one VG10 knife and in comparison to AUS-10 santoku I bought for my wife it does not stack up well.
I enjoy sharpening, I enjoy it a lot, but not VG10 or any stainless with a lot of alloying compounds. Burr removal is difficult due to the large carbide molecules and they just do not feel very nice on the stone.
VG Max is basically identical to vg10. It is my understanding that a lot of the Japanese manufactures were unhappy about the amount of vg10 chinese knives flooding the market and they asked Takefu Special Steel Corporation to only sell to the japanese manufactures. Obviously they were not in favour of this and they produced the near identical vg max so that the japanese manufacturers could differentiate their products from the chinese "fakes."
For a first knife you can't go wrong with a san mei shirogami #2 blade. (stainless clad white paper.) Easy to sharpen, takes a wicked edge. The Masakage Yuki range fits your budget and are highly regarded.
Thanks for the explanation, it's helpful.
About the ZDP, I figured as much from what I've read about it. I'll learn how to properly sharpen a knife before I think about getting one of these.
Thanks for the recommendations. I have already purchased my first knife, it's Miyabi 6000MCT. I hope it serves me well.