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Looking for a knife, under $80

3K views 31 replies 7 participants last post by  foody518 
#1 ·
Like the title says. Probably would benefit from a stainless most as I frequently have guests and worry they may ruin something they have no knowledge about. I'd like a Gyuto, 240mm, under $80. I'd be willing to spend a little more to get a beginner set of stones also, if they could be recommended. So, yeah, I'm looking for something good in this price range. Please let me know your thoughts! :)
 
#7 ·
#8 · (Edited)
The Richmond Artifex AEB-L 240mm gyuto is on close-out for $75.  It's a stainless mono steel knife that was made by Lamson & Goodnow as a house brand for CKTG.  I have the 210mm version and the paring knife from that product line.

They are a little thick behind the edge but for me that makes it a good beater knife, which sounds like what you are looking for.  It's a competent kitchen knife that doesn't take a lot of care.

For an even better deal, they are selling the Richmond Artifex SAB 250mm AEB-L for $55 right now.  Pretty much the same knife but with more of a Sabatier profile, so a little higher tip.

If you want to use a water stone, get a decent King combo stone, and pick up a $20 pink stone fixer for stone flattening and you're good to go.

Other options are the venerable Victorinox Fibrox Pro Chef's knife, though those only come in 8" versions, or the Wusthof Pro Chef's knife which comes in 8", 10", and 12" versions.  I am not personally familiar with either of those two.  Both are about $40.  For the softer German steels, I'd personally sharpen on a Norton India IB8 Combo oil stone (about $25) and maybe finish on a hard Arkansas or just strop on leather if you are on a budget.

You can also find a Tojiro DP 240mm for about $65.  They are VG-10 stainless steel.  I haven't used one but they are frequently recommended.
 
#9 · (Edited)
The Artifex 240mm AEB-L I've seen has a terrible hole in the edge in front of the heel. And is a bit chunky. There might be reasons they are having to closeout this line to get em moved out. And the ones I've seen give me reasons not to recommend them to beginners to better knives (especially if the point is to actually experience a better knife) and especially beginners to sharpening.

You could probably put a 20-25 degrees per side edge on a Tojiro DP to make it beefy and it would still probably cut better than the Artifex.

Keep a Victorinox Fibrox with a toothy edge for the guests.
 
#11 · (Edited)
^^ by the above 'beginners to sharpening' I'm referring to issues that beginning sharpeners won't necessarily know how to solve (reprofiling, thinning, taking down huge shoulders) and also time and energy needed on coarse stones, and refinishing after thinning.
This is certainly a reasonable comment. I consider myself to be an adequate sharpener and I have a fairly broad range of sharpening tools so the Richmond AEB-L blade is not a challenge for me to thin or sharpen. I bought the ones I have because they were affordable, and I wanted something in a simple mono-steel.

I am sure there are plenty of other options.
 
#15 · (Edited)
From what I've seen, it a good competition between the Tojiro DP, and a Fujiwara. Thoughts on these two?
IIRC @LennyD had a pretty involved thread on effectively this topic http://www.cheftalk.com/t/63213/toj...d-budget-entry-level-intro-to-japanese-knives . It's an older thread, but the entry-level range of choices hasn't changed all that much. The 150-250$ or so range is really what's blown up in terms of variety as compared to what was available 6 years ago
 
#18 ·
IIRC @LennyD
had a pretty involved thread on effectively this topic http://www.cheftalk.com/t/63213/toj...d-budget-entry-level-intro-to-japanese-knives . It's an older thread, but the entry-level range of choices hasn't changed all that much. The 150-250$ or so range is really what's blown up in terms of variety as compared to what was available 6 years ago
Wow 6 years already!

Still good info, and been paying it forward as thanks to all the good help from that thread and all that posted.

If it's any help I did hold onto the original DP petty, and FKM 240 gyuto, but have sold off and replaced the santoku. The other DP in various configurations I got later as gifts are still being enjoyed by their owners who were not as strongly bitten the j knife bug and did not add to or change them.

Still would have pretty much the same opinions as I had back then.
 
#24 · (Edited)
The guests are going to be kept away from this one? XD
I gifted the Uraku 240mm stainless to my S.O last last holidays. It's a fine knife. The description of it at JKI is very much what it is. Superior toughness compared to Tojiro DP, and edge retention is not bad either. Suitable choice for someone to step up into good knives
 
#25 ·
The guests are going to be kept away from this one? XD
I gifted the Uraku 240mm stainless to my S.O last last holidays. It's a fine knife. The description of it at JKI is very much what it is. Superior toughness compared to Tojiro DP, and edge retention is not bad either. Suitable choice for someone to step up into good knives
Haha. Yes, the guests will be kept away! ;)
I'll look into this, thanks! ARE there any advantages to SS over high carbon?
 
#26 ·
Rust resistance, may be the more appropriate choice when dealing with lots of acidic/reactive foods, less need for immediate cleaning. I take a stainless knife with me when prepping away from home.

Knives of the kind we're talking about are 'high carbon', whether stainless or not.

Here is an example comparison of a stainless vs 'carbon' steel http://zknives.com/knives/steels/steelgraph.php?nm=V2C, vg10&hrn=1&gm=0
 
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