Can someone help me get a good set of Japanese knives

5426 Views 24 Replies 10 Participants Last post by ordo, Dec 12, 2015

bluefrog87

Discussion Starter · Aug 9, 2015

My current set is walmart cheap special, so everything is a definite upgrade. My husband is a really good cook. I like making bento boxes and I have done quite well despite my knife set. However it is starting to bug me. The uses I use them for is sushi, apple swans and other similar 3d food art, and i bake bread daily. He uses the basic traditional chop and slice and parring activities. My biggest problem is I'm semi left handed in certain knife activities. My husband likes Japanese knives and I think they will suit my cooking style very well compared to the german.

My budget is about 600-800 (for all 4)
My husband prefers the hammered finish (tsuchime) bc he thinks it's pretty (this is flexible if i can convince him the knife is very good and pretty)
I really just want a bread, chef, parring, and utility. Extras would be boning knife and slicing knife but trying to stretch the budget. Also need a honing steel.
Ambidextrous (husband is right handed and i go back and forth)
VG 10 (very important to me)
Husband has nickel allergy
We don't care about brand, I care about function, will it work for me, and is it comfortable
Looking for mid-high end knives that will last a lifetime

My husband and I keep getting stuck on a fracking shun premier set but i have to compromise on the ambidextrous that I want and the knife set that fixes that is something he doesn't like the look of therefore He'll be more reluctant to take care of.

I know shun aren't the cream of the crop or any blade dream but is there any other knifes someone can recommend. The others i'm finding don't feel right. The shun feel good but then i'm stuck not using my better hand on some things (I'm ambidextrous but left hand dominant)

What is a good solution? get a right handed set now to please him and then get a left handed set for me? Is there an ambidextrous set similar to the shun premier in price and blade finish? I'm just feel cornered without options on knives

I get 10% off shun knives too so that helps the cost but I'm still not sold and I think there may be better for the money. Thank you in advance for your help

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rick alan

· #21 · Aug 26, 2015

http://www.cheftalk.com/products/wusthof-8001-under-cabinet-swinger-knife-storage-block

http://www.cheftalk.com/products/knife-dock

http://www.cheftalk.com/t/81817/knife-block-or-single-good-knife-as-a-wedding-gift

http://www.cheftalk.com/t/69136/drawer-trays-possible-stupid-question-other-storage-qs

Rick

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galley swiller

· #22 · Aug 26, 2015 (Edited)

On the Wusthof In-Drawer storage: http://www.wusthof.com/usa/Products...sp?/wide+in-drawer+storage+tray+8008/id-7851/

I would VERY STRONGLY SUGGEST YOU ONLY BUY AFTER PERSONAL INSPECTION !!!!

These in-drawer trays are made by a vendor who sells similar products to multiple cutlery makers, who then retail it under their house label. I bought one of these wavy knife holders in the Mundial name a few weeks ago, took it home and found out it was pretty much useless for anything with a blade taller than 1 inch, or 25 mm. Fortunately, I bought mine used at a thrift shop, so I paid a minimal price. So, my modest loss is your knowledgeable gain.

The problem is that the individual strips of wood (the "waves") are held together by multiple dowels which go at 90 degrees to and through the strips and both secure and position the strips. When a "tall" knife (read that as any knife where the blade is taller than the proverbial 25 mm or 1 inch) is put into the slot between two strips, the edge of the blade will rest on the dowels and the handle of the knife will ride up well above the "waves", so the handle will not engage on a "wave".

Consider that there are not that many knives shorter than 1 inch.

Of course, if you rest the knives so the edge is facing up, then the blades will fit into the rack very well. But who wants to reach into a drawer with knife edges facing up? That's a safety nightmare.

I was in a retail specialty shop yesterday and looked at the Wusthof version. And it is wavy and has the offending dowels.

It used to be that Wusthof's version was a simple slotted version which had chunky and clunky blocks nailed and glued to a plywood backing. That version works very well (which I have several, with one being a Wusthof brand) .

Unfortunately, some "designer" felt that the "waves" were better visual design.

Such is the price of "progress"

Galley Swiller

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bluefrog87

Discussion Starter · #23 · Dec 12, 2015

Well I took my time. I decided to do a lot more research and ask a lot of questions and I got my new knives

IMG_20151211_173233.jpg

bluefrog87
Dec 12, 2015

My new Knife block is coming soon too. I went with Gyuto, Santoku and petty.

I went with the Gesshin line from japanese knife imports because I decided it was more new person friendly

I figured the Santoku would help with my occasional short work space issues and bad kitchen design. But I debated for a while on that one of whether or not to get it. The other 2 the debate was more which one.

Eventually I will get a boning knife but that's less used for me. Working on bread knife but that will be a western knife

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