Well, I bought all of them after owning most of their shapes made by Victorinox, except the sheepsfoot Santoku. Buying knives can be like falling down the proverbial rabbit hole: you’ll buy more than you “need.” So far, my most used knife has been my Santoku, but today I packed it away and brought out my Bunka, just to see if I liked it better. Whatever kitchen knife you choose, love the one that you’re glad you buyed!
A petty is a great option for somebody getting into these knives imo. I own big and expensive knives but my 80 bucks iron clad petty is probably my most used tool in the kitchen. Just a dumb reach and also works with smaller cutting boards!
Ya exactly! I have three of them and one of them was like $900 with tax, but ZERO buyers remorse here man. Ok so my wife could have killed me for a few weeks there, granted. But I got through it. No regrets.
@@royalcityjazzyou justify it by cooking for her! My wife doesn't complain because she sees me smiling when I'm cutting and she gets yummy food. Win win
Great video. I think always remember that if you like a knife but wished it was a little shorter/longer, heavier/lighter, flatter/curved, there’s a lot of differences between makers and you can probably find what you want. For example, I use a short gyuto.
All good advice. For me the feel in the hand must perfect. So I help friends who don’t know shop and I make sure they pick what feels best while guiding in feature or stats. Don’t get a hard 62+hrc sharpening is a skill best learned on white or blue 1 or 2. Gets wicked sharp and is much easier than a AS, sg2, HAP or ZDP189. I will have friend try ceramic knifes as they chip and can test how carefully you are with placement. Also works well for those acid foods. I do push friends to try a cleaver especially when they are the minimalists. Cleavers are fun and can be much more affordable workhorse.
Thanks for pointing out the for a type of knife and the one has in handling it. I made the mistake of getting the traditional 3 knife set recommended by everyone and never use the chef's knife as it's too unwieldy for me. Too heavy, long and awkward feeling for me. From what I've learned so far, a nigiri, santoku and petty would pretty much be all I'd ever need.
@@itsmederek1 I’m a 220lb mesomorph with hands to match. It sounds like you don’t know how to hold a knife in a pinch grip or how to brunoise properly…
Don't forget to consider how you like to use your knife! I rarely use a pairing knife and instead use the same knife for the big and the small stuff. I always pick knives with the reverse K tip for this reason. I get precision at the tip and use the belly for the bigger stuff. Only ever had buyers remorse over knives bought in cheap sets and nakiri without the reverse k tip. 😅
id say or gyuto dont get one that is too thin/hard, rather sharp it every month then 2 times a year... that way u can beat on it a bit more.. have a bit more use out of it.. or get a german shefs knive instead.. and some japanese knifes for more delicate cutting.. U can have all sorts of japanse knives, a good old german beater is always good to have with them.
Just buy a 150mm petty in a basic carbon steel. Most of the time you don’t need anything else if you’re cooking at home and the carbon steel is easy to sharpen.
01:28: looks like the santoku I just bought a few hours ago at KAMATA. They sell oyster 'knives' in small and large at what appears to be at cost. The santoku fits my hand perfectly. The paring knife I got across the street at KIWAMI doesn't feel as good in the hand (slippery oval wood rather than octagonal, which is what I wanted) but the blade sold me. It cut better than similar ones there that had chunkier handles. The Nakiri at KOUJIN, also on Shinbori street was on sale (later I observed it had initials carved on it - but for 40% off, who cares?) Now to buy a petty knife (this one in carbon steel, as an experiment), and my veggie and bivalve beginner set is done. My big question is this: outer market at Tsukiji (Fish Market) or Kappanbashi (cutlery and kitchen supplies street)? At first I thought the selection looked low-end, but I think I was wrong, just they are very simple-looking and the area is full of foreign tourists. Doesn't mean the knives are low grade. Or does it?
Hey! We don't have a ton of experience there, but I think you'd likely find better knives in the cutlery area. The fish market is a big tourist destination, and we've seen mid-range knives with a big markup there in the past.
I am a Japanese. Don’t go to Tsukiji outer market. It’s too crowded with tourists and chaotic. The place is not what it was used to be. I bought some Knives at 有次Aritsugu in Tsukiji but it was a long time ago.
This is a great video, and I appreciate you demeanor and presentation. I've had a Shun chefs knife (Ken Onion) for better than a decade and want to add some more Japanese blades to my arsenal. This is some good info.
Great overview and looking at buying my first high end Japanese kitchen knives. I cook mostly Asian and Mexican food so lots of chopping vegetables and cutting up mostly boneless chicken, pork and beef into small cubes or strips. What Japanese knives would you recommend for these tasks?
Great tutorial indeed! Long time ago I bought a the carbon steel Kiritsuke with traditional Japanese handle ( I’m a long time ethical vegan ) as my universal kitchen knife. Very high maintenance, but super sharp and visually pleasing^^ Cheers!
So I recently bought three different knives from Amazon because I was trying to save some money and I have been disappointed in all of them. The first two marketed themselves as Japanese knives but it would seem that they were actually made in China. They were extremely heavy and using them actually made my wrist hurt. The third knife is a western style knife that looks amazing and it's super sharp, but I am beginning to realize that I'm not a fan of the western style. I'm ready to purchase a new knife and I'd love to spend a little bit more to get something I actually enjoy using, but I am REALLY struggling with buyers remorse. Can someone point me in the right direction?
Shoot us an email at hello @knifewear.com and we can walk you through the process! We'll help you figure out exactly what you like and don't like, and if you end up with a knife that feels off when it arrives, you can exchange free of charge if it's unused. Hope that helps!
Hey, it depends! If you just want a pretty, blades like this are excellent: knifewear.com/products/haruyuki-zanpa-gyuto-210mm knifewear.com/products/masakage-kumo-bunka-170mm But if you want something hand-folded, we have some great stuff: knifewear.com/products/kisuke-manaka-enn-gyuto-240mm
Based on what I learned from CATRA tests and other enthusiasts carbon steel actually does not have good age retention. There is misconception that higher hardness means better edge retention which is not true. So carbon steel is good for someone who wants to make their knife super sharp and likes to sharpen often.
Yes and no. Higher hardness in the SAME steel means higher edge retention (but also higher risk of chipping). But where you are correct is that HRC alone doesn't tell you much. Any stainless or high alloy steel that has more than just Iron Carbides, will have better edge retention than a simple low alloy high carbon steel.
Correct, but youtube often say like “this knife has high hardness so it will retain edge for long” so it’s not in relation to the same steel with lower HRC .
Buyers remose for me = 165 MM teruyasu fujiwara maboroshi nakiri and 165mm hitohira futana AS bunka. No matter how hard I try to like these knives, I will always hate them.
First knife choice that personally I beliee is best. A 210mm or 240mm Gyuto. This is just a standard profile that does everything. Don't go buying weird and wonderful niche knives that look cool, because they tend to only have certain uses. 180mm tojiro DP3 gyuto was my first knife. Great knife, CHEAP!
1:57 is that 210 or 240 mm? Which size would you recommend if you're coming from a 20 cm (8") German chef's knife? The 20 cm never felt too big. (That's what she said)
Some vendors run long and short. I asked for a 220+ Takeda and have the sashano at 225 and for me that’s perfect and the 240 tall Gyuto. Think short 240 or long 210. Many 210s are closer to 200. Put the knife in the hand and for me it should say yes immediately.
I use honesuki daily.. I'm happy with that. But i get confused what should i buy next.. Nikiri allready in my list, cause i cut onion allot in small size. gyuto vs santoko still.. i don't understand.. would anyone tell me simple idea ???
For sure! If it's your first one, a Santoku is a great mid-size knife. I really like these: knifewear.com/products/tadafusa-hocho-kobo-santoku-170mm-hk-2 knifewear.com/products/fujimoto-sld-santoku-165mm knifewear.com/products/masakage-kiri-santoku-165mm
@@KnifewearKnives HIII!!! Thank you for your reply!!!, this wont be my first knife, but it'll be my first expensive knife, im currently using retail 30 euro knives, however I feel like the shape of the santoku is a little awkward, I have relatively large hands, do you think a gyuto would be any good? and if so, what sizes would you recommend ?
I want to buy a kiritsuke knife but my budget is, well, only 40euros...I came across TUO Kitchen KnifeJapanese Kiritsuke Knife 21.5cm on amazon, but people seem to be complaining about the handle but since it's going to be my first knife, I'm not quite sure what they mean, sounds like the handle is "rough" or something? Would you mind helping me out? Am curious if it can be fixed somehow if it turns out to be, well, crap xD
If you think this was hard I’m going to up the difficulty level. Imagine looking for a traditional Japanese steak knife. Been looking forever and all I can find is Hazaki which comes from non Japanese owners. I’m a carnivore, all I eat is meat every day. I want the Hattori Hanzo samurai blade of a steak knife. I want the freaking lightsaber of steakknifes and it has proven damn near impossible to find it made by a proper Japanese craftsman. Screw the box sets I just want 1 steak knife. How is this so hard???
My first knife was a Messermeister. My second was by Mutsumi Hinoura. My most recent purchase was a Ryusen Oukoku Ryu. I'm done now. Those 3 will do me for life 😂
My friend got me a knife in Japan and I kinda fucked up. Got a 195mm Deba knife. Now I have a $500 knife that I don’t really use. Only really for thicker steak slices
Well, I bought all of them after owning most of their shapes made by Victorinox, except the sheepsfoot Santoku. Buying knives can be like falling down the proverbial rabbit hole: you’ll buy more than you “need.” So far, my most used knife has been my Santoku, but today I packed it away and brought out my Bunka, just to see if I liked it better. Whatever kitchen knife you choose, love the one that you’re glad you buyed!
A petty is a great option for somebody getting into these knives imo.
I own big and expensive knives but my 80 bucks iron clad petty is probably my most used tool in the kitchen. Just a dumb reach and also works with smaller cutting boards!
They're super handy, I can cook a whole meal with a petty no problem!
Buyers remorse LOL.. Which japanese knife should I get first? The answer to your question Lordy is Yes..
😂
Ya exactly! I have three of them and one of them was like $900 with tax, but ZERO buyers remorse here man. Ok so my wife could have killed me for a few weeks there, granted. But I got through it. No regrets.
@@royalcityjazzyou justify it by cooking for her! My wife doesn't complain because she sees me smiling when I'm cutting and she gets yummy food. Win win
better question is where to get them?
This might be the best knife channel on UA-cam. Also the best knife store in toronto
Thank you so much!
Great video. I think always remember that if you like a knife but wished it was a little shorter/longer, heavier/lighter, flatter/curved, there’s a lot of differences between makers and you can probably find what you want. For example, I use a short gyuto.
All good advice. For me the feel in the hand must perfect. So I help friends who don’t know shop and I make sure they pick what feels best while guiding in feature or stats. Don’t get a hard 62+hrc sharpening is a skill best learned on white or blue 1 or 2. Gets wicked sharp and is much easier than a AS, sg2, HAP or ZDP189. I will have friend try ceramic knifes as they chip and can test how carefully you are with placement. Also works well for those acid foods. I do push friends to try a cleaver especially when they are the minimalists. Cleavers are fun and can be much more affordable workhorse.
Thanks for pointing out the for a type of knife and the one has in handling it. I made the mistake of getting the traditional 3 knife set recommended by everyone and never use the chef's knife as it's too unwieldy for me. Too heavy, long and awkward feeling for me. From what I've learned so far, a nigiri, santoku and petty would pretty much be all I'd ever need.
Happy we could help, I couldn't agree more!
Nigiri is a type of sushi :P
Just buy the petty. You probably won’t need the other knives.
@@TheGreatAmphibian If you have baby hands lol
@@itsmederek1 I’m a 220lb mesomorph with hands to match. It sounds like you don’t know how to hold a knife in a pinch grip or how to brunoise properly…
Don't forget to consider how you like to use your knife! I rarely use a pairing knife and instead use the same knife for the big and the small stuff. I always pick knives with the reverse K tip for this reason. I get precision at the tip and use the belly for the bigger stuff. Only ever had buyers remorse over knives bought in cheap sets and nakiri without the reverse k tip. 😅
Absolutely!
In my opinion the best knives for proper use are a carbon steel/stainless steel laminate. Carbon steel middle layered between 2 layers of stainless.
It's a winning combo for sure!
id say or gyuto dont get one that is too thin/hard, rather sharp it every month then 2 times a year... that way u can beat on it a bit more.. have a bit more use out of it.. or get a german shefs knive instead.. and some japanese knifes for more delicate cutting.. U can have all sorts of japanse knives, a good old german beater is always good to have with them.
Hardly ever use a pairing knife, any old cheap thing will do for me. Chefs knife all day
Just buy a 150mm petty in a basic carbon steel. Most of the time you don’t need anything else if you’re cooking at home and the carbon steel is easy to sharpen.
Great video. I am going to go Fukuoka soon and expecting to buy my first japanese knife.
Awesome!
01:28: looks like the santoku I just bought a few hours ago at KAMATA. They sell oyster 'knives' in small and large at what appears to be at cost. The santoku fits my hand perfectly. The paring knife I got across the street at KIWAMI doesn't feel as good in the hand (slippery oval wood rather than octagonal, which is what I wanted) but the blade sold me. It cut better than similar ones there that had chunkier handles. The Nakiri at KOUJIN, also on Shinbori street was on sale (later I observed it had initials carved on it - but for 40% off, who cares?) Now to buy a petty knife (this one in carbon steel, as an experiment), and my veggie and bivalve beginner set is done.
My big question is this: outer market at Tsukiji (Fish Market) or Kappanbashi (cutlery and kitchen supplies street)? At first I thought the selection looked low-end, but I think I was wrong, just they are very simple-looking and the area is full of foreign tourists. Doesn't mean the knives are low grade. Or does it?
Hey! We don't have a ton of experience there, but I think you'd likely find better knives in the cutlery area. The fish market is a big tourist destination, and we've seen mid-range knives with a big markup there in the past.
I am a Japanese. Don’t go to Tsukiji outer market. It’s too crowded with tourists and chaotic. The place is not what it was used to be. I bought some Knives at 有次Aritsugu in Tsukiji but it was a long time ago.
Great video Lordy. Thank you!
This is a great video, and I appreciate you demeanor and presentation. I've had a Shun chefs knife (Ken Onion) for better than a decade and want to add some more Japanese blades to my arsenal. This is some good info.
Thank you, I'm glad I could help!
Great overview and looking at buying my first high end Japanese kitchen knives. I cook mostly Asian and Mexican food so lots of chopping vegetables and cutting up mostly boneless chicken, pork and beef into small cubes or strips. What Japanese knives would you recommend for these tasks?
If you like a larger knife, probably a 210mm gyuto. If you're comfortable with a smaller knife, a santoku or Nakiri!
Great tutorial indeed! Long time ago I bought a the carbon steel Kiritsuke with traditional Japanese handle ( I’m a long time ethical vegan ) as my universal kitchen knife. Very high maintenance, but super sharp and visually pleasing^^
Cheers!
Great video, love your positivity
Thank you!
Im thinking about Kiritsuke
So I recently bought three different knives from Amazon because I was trying to save some money and I have been disappointed in all of them. The first two marketed themselves as Japanese knives but it would seem that they were actually made in China. They were extremely heavy and using them actually made my wrist hurt. The third knife is a western style knife that looks amazing and it's super sharp, but I am beginning to realize that I'm not a fan of the western style.
I'm ready to purchase a new knife and I'd love to spend a little bit more to get something I actually enjoy using, but I am REALLY struggling with buyers remorse. Can someone point me in the right direction?
Shoot us an email at hello @knifewear.com and we can walk you through the process! We'll help you figure out exactly what you like and don't like, and if you end up with a knife that feels off when it arrives, you can exchange free of charge if it's unused. Hope that helps!
I bought 2 santokus with a western handle: a Masutani Vg10 and a Takamura R2. They're both worth their price. But I like to use the Takamura...
Ive got a full set of japanese and theu are nice but i want to get into damascus and dont know where to start
Hey, it depends! If you just want a pretty, blades like this are excellent:
knifewear.com/products/haruyuki-zanpa-gyuto-210mm
knifewear.com/products/masakage-kumo-bunka-170mm
But if you want something hand-folded, we have some great stuff:
knifewear.com/products/kisuke-manaka-enn-gyuto-240mm
Based on what I learned from CATRA tests and other enthusiasts carbon steel actually does not have good age retention. There is misconception that higher hardness means better edge retention which is not true. So carbon steel is good for someone who wants to make their knife super sharp and likes to sharpen often.
Yes and no. Higher hardness in the SAME steel means higher edge retention (but also higher risk of chipping). But where you are correct is that HRC alone doesn't tell you much. Any stainless or high alloy steel that has more than just Iron Carbides, will have better edge retention than a simple low alloy high carbon steel.
Correct, but youtube often say like “this knife has high hardness so it will retain edge for long” so it’s not in relation to the same steel with lower HRC .
Can you tell me which shape/blade is best for slicing tomatoes, onions, grapes and strawberries?
For most folks, a santoku would be perfect!
A petty. More control, less cost.
Buyers remose for me = 165 MM teruyasu fujiwara maboroshi nakiri and 165mm hitohira futana AS bunka. No matter how hard I try to like these knives, I will always hate them.
First knife choice that personally I beliee is best. A 210mm or 240mm Gyuto. This is just a standard profile that does everything. Don't go buying weird and wonderful niche knives that look cool, because they tend to only have certain uses. 180mm tojiro DP3 gyuto was my first knife. Great knife, CHEAP!
I love a good gyuto, definitely the most versatile!
1:57 is that 210 or 240 mm? Which size would you recommend if you're coming from a 20 cm (8") German chef's knife? The 20 cm never felt too big. (That's what she said)
That looks like a 240mm! If you find a 200mm comfortable, I'd absolutely give the 240 a try, the extra length is awesome!
Some vendors run long and short. I asked for a 220+ Takeda and have the sashano at 225 and for me that’s perfect and the 240 tall Gyuto. Think short 240 or long 210. Many 210s are closer to 200. Put the knife in the hand and for me it should say yes immediately.
I use honesuki daily.. I'm happy with that. But i get confused what should i buy next.. Nikiri allready in my list, cause i cut onion allot in small size.
gyuto vs santoko still.. i don't understand.. would anyone tell me simple idea ???
It's totally personal preference. If you like a smaller knife, get a santoku. If you like a larger blade get a 210 or 240 gyuto!
hello, do you think you could help me pick out a style of japanese knife for myself? im unsure of which to go for.
For sure! If it's your first one, a Santoku is a great mid-size knife. I really like these:
knifewear.com/products/tadafusa-hocho-kobo-santoku-170mm-hk-2
knifewear.com/products/fujimoto-sld-santoku-165mm
knifewear.com/products/masakage-kiri-santoku-165mm
@@KnifewearKnives HIII!!! Thank you for your reply!!!, this wont be my first knife, but it'll be my first expensive knife, im currently using retail 30 euro knives, however I feel like the shape of the santoku is a little awkward, I have relatively large hands, do you think a gyuto would be any good? and if so, what sizes would you recommend ?
Was that Gyuto a 210 or 240?
Just buy all of them
Great video. I think i will sell the knife I have and buy a Gyuto.
I want to buy a kiritsuke knife but my budget is, well, only 40euros...I came across TUO Kitchen KnifeJapanese Kiritsuke Knife 21.5cm on amazon, but people seem to be complaining about the handle but since it's going to be my first knife, I'm not quite sure what they mean, sounds like the handle is "rough" or something? Would you mind helping me out? Am curious if it can be fixed somehow if it turns out to be, well, crap xD
Hey, a bit of sandpaper is usually all you need to smooth out a rough handle!
@@KnifewearKnives thanks for the quick reply! hope they meant the wood part and not steel part, thank you very much :)
What’s a good brand of Japanese knife to buy
Check out Haruyuki, Fujimoto, and Masakage!
what was that music playing in the background?
Hey! We use a variety of lofi music from Epidemic Sound.
Nice content! I had a Bunka, the next one is Petty for sure!
Nice!
Helpful video, thank you!
thank you, very helpful
awesome video
If you think this was hard I’m going to up the difficulty level. Imagine looking for a traditional Japanese steak knife. Been looking forever and all I can find is Hazaki which comes from non Japanese owners. I’m a carnivore, all I eat is meat every day. I want the Hattori Hanzo samurai blade of a steak knife. I want the freaking lightsaber of steakknifes and it has proven damn near impossible to find it made by a proper Japanese craftsman. Screw the box sets I just want 1 steak knife. How is this so hard???
We've definitely received hand forged steak knives before, send an email to hello @ knifewear.com and we'll see.if we can source anything!
My first knife was a Messermeister.
My second was by Mutsumi Hinoura.
My most recent purchase was a Ryusen Oukoku Ryu.
I'm done now.
Those 3 will do me for life 😂
DAMN, that's an incredible 3!
I don’t like people can you recommend a good knife /
Unless you are vegetarian or vegan, get the Nakiri. Otherwise, you can't go wrong with the Gyuto
Słusznie mówisz Mordo.
My friend got me a knife in Japan and I kinda fucked up. Got a 195mm Deba knife. Now I have a $500 knife that I don’t really use. Only really for thicker steak slices
Speaking of that do you know anything about ginsan silver #3? Curious if it’s a good choice
Ahh, I'm sorry to hear that! You can also use a deba to break down whole fish, and even chickens, ducks, and turkeys. I hope that helps!
That's great steel! Keeps a nice edge, easy to take care of and sharpen.
Don't buy stuff... Easy.. but that's bad for sales, huh...