Hello,
I've spent the last week or so browsing forums and online stores looking for a knife to use at home and I've been a bit overwhelmed. These will be the first knives I buy and I'm not too familiar with many of the technical terms. I was originally planning to buy a Shun or Global, but from what I understand, it might not be the best for what I'm looking for.
From what I've gathered, I think I'd prefer a carbon steel gyuto and a paring knife to go with it. I won't be cutting any meats with my knives, so naturally it will be used for pretty much mostly vegetables. A 240mm length seems appropriate for me and I'm tempted to go with a 270mm length but I'm a smaller person with relatively small hands. I'm right handed, prefer a Japanese style handle and for the chef's knife, I would like a price range of around $150 (but could possibly stretch to $200). As for the paring knife, I don't have any particular budget in mind but definitely under $100. Any recommendations would be greatly appreciated.
I currently use a whetstone to sharpen my knives, but I have a combination 1000/3000 (Suehiro). I was wondering if it was worth buying an additional 6000 or 8000 grit stone, and if so, which brand would be the best (in the lower price range)? I've heard the King 1000/6000 is good for its price but it also seems unnecessary seeing as I already have the 1000 grit covered. Also, would it be advised to use a whetstone to remove scratches from the face of the knife, or is sandpaper (or some other tool) best used to remove scratches from using the whetstone?
One more thing. I've heard conflicting information about whether it's okay to use a honing steel on a Japanese knife. And if I should use one, are there any in particular that are recommended?
Of course, I'm flexible on any details I've specified since I'm not too knowledgable about knives
Apologies for so many questions. Thank you for taking the time to read all of this.
I've spent the last week or so browsing forums and online stores looking for a knife to use at home and I've been a bit overwhelmed. These will be the first knives I buy and I'm not too familiar with many of the technical terms. I was originally planning to buy a Shun or Global, but from what I understand, it might not be the best for what I'm looking for.
From what I've gathered, I think I'd prefer a carbon steel gyuto and a paring knife to go with it. I won't be cutting any meats with my knives, so naturally it will be used for pretty much mostly vegetables. A 240mm length seems appropriate for me and I'm tempted to go with a 270mm length but I'm a smaller person with relatively small hands. I'm right handed, prefer a Japanese style handle and for the chef's knife, I would like a price range of around $150 (but could possibly stretch to $200). As for the paring knife, I don't have any particular budget in mind but definitely under $100. Any recommendations would be greatly appreciated.
I currently use a whetstone to sharpen my knives, but I have a combination 1000/3000 (Suehiro). I was wondering if it was worth buying an additional 6000 or 8000 grit stone, and if so, which brand would be the best (in the lower price range)? I've heard the King 1000/6000 is good for its price but it also seems unnecessary seeing as I already have the 1000 grit covered. Also, would it be advised to use a whetstone to remove scratches from the face of the knife, or is sandpaper (or some other tool) best used to remove scratches from using the whetstone?
One more thing. I've heard conflicting information about whether it's okay to use a honing steel on a Japanese knife. And if I should use one, are there any in particular that are recommended?
Of course, I'm flexible on any details I've specified since I'm not too knowledgable about knives
Apologies for so many questions. Thank you for taking the time to read all of this.