[denisl]

Hello - glad I found this forum.

I was about to buy a shun classic 9-piece set and after reading posts on this forum am looking for a little more bang for my buck.

Most of the threads I've read here are about someone looking for a single type of knife and the japanese chef knife sites appear to be more geared towards a single or double knife set.  

Any recommendations for a knife and block set in the $800 range? Should I piece meal build my own?

Thank you

 

[denisl]

Thanks for the reply.

I would like to learn how to sharpen but if need be would send them out to be sharpened when needed.  

I really don't have a good knife or set of knives this would be replacing so there isn't a specific type of handle or blade that we favor.

Is there a good brand / steel type that would be recommended for home use?  Something that I can build into a set?

Thanks

 

[denisl]

Thank you all for the detailed responses.

I think I'll take kevpenbanc's advise and go with tojiro dp and a king 1000/6000 to get a feel for what I like.  It seems that for under $100 it's a good investment towards my ultimate purchase and a great way to practice sharpening.

I see that Korin is in NYC.  

I work in NYC and plan on stopping by their store sometime this week or next.  They're actually only a few blocks away.

I share the kitchen with my wife and we cook all types of food. We live in New Jersey.

Typical chicken/fish/beef/lamb type dishes.  Sometimes we'll order fresh sushi grade fish and mangle the salmon or tuna because we have terrible knives to slice it.

We typically cook for 2 but have dinner parties with 10-15 people.  A day or two of prep. Especially with the holiday's coming up.

I expect I'll end up with a gyuto and petty in the near future.  

Maybe when i go to Korin's store I'll end up going home with something. 

Thank you for the links on sharpening I'll review them.

When it comes to personal preference, is it all about the handle of the knife? Or both handle and blade?

I do like the look of a Japanese damascus steel blade knife.  Is there a recommended damascus steel brand?

Thanks