So You Want to Buy Your First Japanese Chef Knife? 

LOL!! Yeah, I nicked myself with the heel of one of the knives while I was setting up the shoot....

@@OakridgeBBQ oof!

​@@OakridgeBBQ my brand new gyuto bit me earlier as I was using it for the first time.

Wow!! Thank you so much!!

@@OakridgeBBQ He's right, you did a really good job on this. I'm a Metallurgist with a degree since the 90's just because of my love for knives. I also sharpened knives professionally for 5 years in a company and in the same time, I sharpen knives a my secondary job since my early 20's. Your suggestions where all spot on!!

it was very informative on japanese knives!@@OakridgeBBQ

thank you!!

Glad it was helpful! You're very welcome!

Thank you very much!

Thanks so much!

Thank you so much! I really appreciate that!

Thanks so much!

Thank you so much!! Congrats on your first Gyuto, and don't worry.... that 210 won't be your last. ;-)

Glad I could help! Thanks!

Thank you so much, I greatly appreciate that!

Thank you!

Thank you!!

Thank you!

Thank you!!

You're very welcome! Glad you enjoyed it!

Thank you!

Thank you and good luck on your journey into J-knives!

You are welcome!

Hey, thanks Jed! It's definitely a work in progress! Thanks for the comments!!

Excellent kitchen steel is an obsession! Once you've cut with a laser, it's impossible to go back...

I just looked up those Tanaka knives. Expensive but beautiful. I suggest you include those knives in your will.

You bet! Thanks for the comment!

Thanks for the kind comments! Good luck on your journey into J-knives!

Glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for watching!

VG10 was my first experience with Japanese kitchen knife steel. It was like my "gateway drug" LOL!

thanks!!

thank you!!

You are so welcome! Thanks for watching!

Hey @npannu89 - First, thanks for checking out the video! Regarding your question -- that's really a tall order! To my knowledge there is/was only one -- a Hiromoto Tenmi Jyuraku Honyaki gyuto -- which is no longer in production, and I purchased the last one from a knife dealer in Japan several years ago. It's solid White #2 steel made in the Honyaki tempered style with a western handle. I do not believe any of the current high carbon yo-handled non-clad gyutos are better than the Misono. There are plenty with Aogami Super or Blue #2 cores that I would consider "better", but they don't meet your qualifications since they are all clad construction. The only other truly "better" gyutos that are non-clad that I can think of would be the Akitada Honyaki Series wa-gyutos of Mizuno Tanrenjo for example. But, they start at around $1,600 each...

Thank you very much!

Thank you!!

Thank you!!

Thank you! Glad you liked it!

Love it!

Glad you enjoyed it

Thank you! Glad you liked it!

Well, what the heck are you waiting for? LOL!! Pull the trigger! Let's go!

@@miketrump1368 Ordered the JCK 240. I'm a little sad both the nakiri and the 210 are sold out and don't seem to be returning.

I think you'll really like it. It's a great knife - it needs a little tweaking once you get it, but I'll show you how to do that in my next video.

Thanks for reminding me! I need to get back to that give-away...

Athena: I've just done the same (bought a Tsuki Damascus VG-10), and after watching Michael's vid, I felt a bit dismayed. *But* I then realised it was a great way to practice my knife techniques and sharpening (on a whet stone) and honing, without being _too_ in-awe of the knife. 🤔😏😁

Thanks so much, and thanks for watching!!

Thanks, Rich!

Thank you!

Yes, I have a few carbon steel pettys and one or two stainless as well. I use the carbons for non-acidic foods and save the stainless ones for cutting lemons, limes, tomatoes etc.

It is smaller, and maybe too small... I think knuckle clearance would be my greatest concern. If you want a shorter knife, try a Santoku profile.

Thank you!!

Thank you!!

Awesome! Shuns are a great place to start. My very first Japanese knife was a Shun also.

Thanks so much, James! It is a pretty dense subject and I tried my best to distill it down to the best nuggets for new Japanese knife seekers. I greatly appreciate your comment!!

Thanks so much! Glad I could help!

Both are great choices for Japanese knives. Love Moritaka knives.

Just as @peters1515 said; both are great options. Choose the one that speaks to you the most...

love it!

Awesome! I've been a tradesman woodworker in my earlier days and still enjoy making furniture in my spare time today. I've had and used several Japanese pull saws over the years and absolutely love them. There's no better way to trim a door casing to length after a floor has been installed than a Japanese pull saw with zero set to the teeth, not to mention cutting tenons and flush-cutting dowels, etc...

nice bro thx

Glad I could help!

Thanks for the comments! My JCK short list? I really want to try one of the R2 wa-gyutos...

Hi Kadmiel! I think you can pretty much accomplish just about any task in the kitchen with the following four knives and still stay well within a very reasonable budget. Fujiwara FKH Gyuto 240mm Fujiwara FHK Petty 140mm Victorinox Fibrox Pro 6-inch Curved Boning Knife Mercer Culinary M23210 Millennia Bread Knife Hope this helps! Good luck!

Thanks for your comment! I definitely think SS has its place in everyone's knife roll. I just like to cut with HC more... [big thumbs up]

Thanks so much for sticking it out and watching the video all the way through! It was a lot of material to cover... unfortunately I cannot see your link (I think youtube scrubs them). If you repost the link without the dots I think it will be allowed through.

@@OakridgeBBQ No need friend! I was able to confirm that it WAS the knife you referenced. Additionally, I have it on good authority that my 3 sons chipped in and will be giving it to me for Fathers Day :-) I couldn't help myself. After seeing your video, I went out and bought myself a Takamura R2 powdered steel Petty Knife (150 MM) which is now the sharpest knife I own (and I have some good ones). It's sandwiched between two stainless clads and is both incredibly sharp and beautiful. Thanks for responding!

Kappabashi street in Asakusa Tokyo will be your first destination.

Hey Sli -- I think the gyuto is also a great vegetable knife. That's why I like the pattern so much. It's soooo versatile.

@@OakridgeBBQ THanks for the reply. Along with a Gyuto what other knives do you recommend for someone startiong out to get by with most of the stsuff in the kitchen? I have a normal knife set you know the ones in the wooded blocks a good quality one but they are nothing compared to these Jap blades. What else can i get to add to my new collection that are must haves?

Hey Sli, here's my Favorite 4 knives that I use all the time for just about every kitchen task... I think you can pretty much accomplish just about any task in the kitchen with the following four knives and still stay well within a very reasonable budget. Fujiwara FKH Gyuto 240mm (substitute Konosuke HD2 270mm wa-gyuto for a non-budget option) Fujiwara FHK Petty 140mm Victorinox Fibrox Pro 6-inch Curved Boning Knife Mercer Culinary M23210 Millennia Bread Knife Hope this helps! Good luck!

@@OakridgeBBQ Legend thank you kind sir!

Awesome! I hope you love it!

It's such an awesome knife. I'm really impressed with the quality of the steel.

Sadly, Master Hiromoto passed away a year or so ago and they are no longer made

I've heard really good things about the steel. It will probably be my next acquisition.

If you can afford it, I would keep the VG10 and also get the super blue. Save the vg10 for acidic foods that will wreak havoc on the blue steel edge (or even the R2 for that matter)...

@@OakridgeBBQ thanks for the tip. im saving my dp3! and i just bought Yoshihiro Aogami Super Gyuto 240mm. hope i will enjoy it! full kit and cutting board aswell. expensive christmas gift for myself but it will be worth it :)

Thanks for the feedback, David. As I said in a previous comment, it's a pretty dense topic and not something that can be fully unpacked in a 30 minute video, nor would all that extra information be meaningful or even useful to someone brand new to the subject. However, I do not believe I provided any information that was wrong -- perhaps not something you agreed with in principle perhaps -- but nothing I said was incorrect. Which statement(s) do you take issue with?

​@@OakridgeBBQ i appreciate the response and i'm sorry, i should've phrased my comment better. i'm not trying to say you were misinforming, hehe just that i think certain topics were a little oversimplified (blade steels, grinds, geometry, profiles, forging process) but i'm sure that all came down to the time constraint. i didn't mean to say you were wrong and again i apologize for phrasing it like that. i do look forward to more videos like this! maybe with some focus on individual concepts like those i mentioned, as well as differential heat treats, lamination, cladding, and artisanal knives

@@davidlerer5680 - No worries, David. Thanks for clarifying -- and thanks for watching!

Hi Miguel! Thanks for watching the video! Honestly, I might take a good hard look at either the CarboNext tool steel knives on JCK or anything made from R2 tool steel. The CarboNext is very similar steel to my Konosuke HD which sharpens very well, holds the edge decently, and does not stain easily. R2 tool steel has perhaps the best characteristics built into one, it sharpens decently easy, gets spooky sharp, stays spooky sharp longer than just about everything, and is mostly stain resistant. Hope this helps! Mike

@@OakridgeBBQ thanks for replying! Ima look into that knife the fujiwara was a good recommendation to get into Japanese knifes and carbon steel I like it a lot especially to learn how to sharpen can't beat the price

Thanks for your reply and for watching the video!! I'm still sticking with my 240mm minimum for my uses. [thumbs up]

Best of luck on your quest! Hopefully by now you have not one but many gyutos in your knife roll!! Thanks for watching the video!!

Hell man a robert welch signature series along with the sharpener will do you good and less maintenance. Stop waiting around and buy a damn knife man.

Hey Zsolt, thanks for stopping by, and that is a great question with lots to unpack... First, I think Suisin is a great brand and well known for excellent quality and craftsmanship. That said, Sandvik 19C27 is one of my least favorite steels to work with from a sharpening and cutting perspective. It just doesn't sharpen well for me and doesn't cut as nicely as the carbon steels I am more fond of. That said, in a high production commercial environment when cutting a wide variety of foods, many of which may be acidic and when having multiple blades is not practical, a stainless or semi-stainless steel knife is probably the best way to go. Also, another consideration is the cost of the knife you are looking at. It is a rather expensive knife, and if $350+ is in your budget, then there are MANY other options that might actually be a better choice from a practical use perspective, but maybe not from an aesthetics/materials perspective if stainless honyaki is your primary goal. I also know that you really need to trust the other chefs in your kitchen if you plan on bringing a high-end gyuto in to work. They are often misused by others (dropped on floor, whacked on stainless steel tables, etc) or worse, they often grow legs and walk off never to be seen again... Tell me more about your work environment and your cutting needs.

@@OakridgeBBQ I work in small kitchen as a chef, we do menus So I need a knife that stay a sharp long and because I sharp my knife at home It should be sharpable. I hope my answer is good

@@zsoltszucs8569 Sandvik 19c27 is notoriously hard to sharpen and has larger carbides, so in addition to being hard to sharpen it doesn't have the capability of becoming as sharp mechanically as other steels. However, if extreme stain resistance is your goal and you don't mind spending 5-10 times more time sharpening it when it needs it, then it is probably the perfect knife steel for you. Otherwise, I would recommend something in R2 or SG2 for stain resistance and edge longevity, while being easier to sharpen than 19c27. If you want something that can attain the ultimate edge sharpness at the expense of having to tune the edge more frequently, my vote is for something in Aogami #2 or Aogami Super. My pick for you would actually be this knife: Konosuke HD2 Gyuto 270mm. I own one and it is fantastic and an absolute laser. It looks like chefknivestogo has one left... www.chefknivestogo.com/kohd2gy27.html

Hey Fish, that's a great question. There are a few well made wa-handled gyutos I would recommend. The first would be the Tosa 210mm Bunka knife at Hida Tool. I personally own a Tosa and the steel construction & heat treat are excellent -- the rest of the fit/finish leaves a little to be desired -- but you can't expect too much from a $40 knife. I believe the core steel is White #2, but don't quote me on that. It's very hard and fine-grained and takes a super steep angle and stays sharp for a long time. Link: https //hidatool.com/item/2002 For a slightly higher budget, these would be my pick for beginner wa-gyutos: JCK Natures Blue Moon Series Gyuto 240mm - https //japanesechefsknife.com/collections/wa-gyuto/products/jck-natures-blue-moon-series-wa-gyuto-210mm?variant=32607659556961 Harukaze AS Gyuto 210mm - https //www.chefknivestogo.com/haas21gy.html Kohetsu Blue #2 Nashiji Gyuto 210mm - https //www.chefknivestogo.com/kobl2nagy21.html Tsunehisa AS Sakura Gyuto 210mm - https //www.chefknivestogo.com/tsassagy21.html Kohetsu Aogami Super Gyuto 210mm - https //www.chefknivestogo.com/rikoaosu21gy.html

Look at the Yaxell Mon. Cheap to get into and really sharp and holds an edge. My wife as been using a set I bought her in 2019 and have never been on a stone and will still shave the hair on my arms. Cutlery and More has a 20% off sale going on at this time and is where I bought mine.

Thank you!

I use my new misono @ work every day it's wonderful. No more waiting for the knife guy to drop off new knives that stay sharp for a day or two. It's just a pleasure to use! I've really enjoyed it, and that has made me appreciate having it so much that I look forward to taking it home to make sure it's well taken care of.

Just keep them dry, and don't set them on the cutting board with food stuck to them and walk away. Make it a habit to always give them a quick wipe down with a chef towel before walking away. Then, after usage is done completely, just rinse them off in very hot water from the faucet then dry right away. Good luck and enjoy the new tool and passion!

I think a 210-240mm gyuto would be the best place for you to start.

There are hundreds.

Try looking for a taller profile, I think that may help. Also, teach yourself how to freehand sharpen so dull knives are never a problem.

LOL! No, I'm keeping that one... ;-)

If you're talking about the Wa Gyuto with the blond handle, that's the 270mm Fu-Rin-Ka-Zan Aogami Super Wa Gyuto from japanesechefsknife dot com.

Thanks for the reply and for watching the video!!

@@OakridgeBBQ anytime. I love Japanese kitchen cutlery

it's fantastic. you'll love it.

Hi Ronnie, it's not a dumb question at all. For many professional chefs, the Santoku is viewed as pejoratively unnecessary. It's joked about like the fat kid at swim camp. I can see their point, because in a professional kitchen, you need one knife that can do almost everything and uni-taskers are not very popular because they are inefficient. In the home kitchen, on the other hand, it's an entirely different story. Home cooks don't make their living with their knife work, so they tend to be less proficient and perhaps even somewhat scared of long (over 210mm) overly sharp, pointy knives -- until they get used to them, but some never do. This is where the Santoku shines. It's shorter than a 210mm gyuto, has a more blunt tip (less scary), and has a taller profile which helps keep fingers away from the cutty part. Other than that, it is substandard in every other category compared to a gyuto -- in experienced hands. That said, my very first Japanese knife was a Tojiro DP (VG10) Santoku. I still have it today, albeit it's been ground down and reshaped into a wa-handled honesuki. So, the choice is really a personal one that is totally up to you. So keep in mind it may be your first Japanese kitchen knife, but it won't be your ONLY Japanese kitchen knife...

@@OakridgeBBQ yeah the plan is to either buy a FUJIWARA TERUYASU gyuto Japanese style at 240mm in length or their santoku Japanese style at 180mm in length. Since this will be used as a home kitchen knife and not used in a professional kitchen I think that the santoku will be the route that I’ll go with till I get used to using a good knife. The length doesn’t really bother me as I used to have a 8 or 8.5 inch serrated chefs knife but that thing just got so old and it couldn’t be sharpened. I bought a farberware 5 inch santoku to replace it I like how it feels but the blade is just way to small on it only being a 5 inch blade.

@@ronniecason9807 sounds like a great plan. You will like it, I know that for sure!

I would caution against using any electric sharpeners (except maybe a Tormec) on Japanese chef knives. The steel is really too thin and too hard for them. There are other options besides hand-sharpening. Several companies make sharpening jigs that utilize waterstones (Edge Pro Apex) and other than being quite expensive, they do a fantastic job.

@@miketrump1368 Thank you.

Thanks, AJ! I haven't looked at Tojiros for many years. I'll have to check them out.

@@OakridgeBBQ the VG-10 from Coutellier Nola and the Blue#2 from Sharp Edge shop are the best versions of Tojiro Atelier. The blacksmith use to work at Yoshikane Hamono when Masashi and Mazaki were there, so he has a really nice pedigree. They use molten salt baths to heat treat the knives and as a result the knives are easy to sharpen, get wicked sharp, and hold their edge in a home use environment for a long time.

I really don't know the exact angle. Most only have a large bevel on one side and a much smaller bevel on the other (asymmetric grind) so they behave and sharpen more like single bevel knives/chisels.

@@OakridgeBBQ Thank you.

I second this. Ginsan is about as close as you can get to carbon performance with stainless maintenance. Excellent advice

Hi Francois, thanks for the comment. The main reason I do not recommend Ginsan (in the context of a newbie J-knife recommendation) is exactly why you recommend it... The high chromium content makes it a real PITA to sharpen. I know some guys don't sharpen their own knives, but even when you start with a very sharp knife, at some point it has to be sharpened, and I do not enjoy sharpening stainless steels, especially this one. They "smear" on the stones and the burr is incredibly difficult to remove. Additionally, the carbide grains are considerably larger in these steels so they just do not take nearly as keen of an edge as a fine-grained high carbon steel. The R2/SG2 is a totally different animal. It is a great knife steel. Holds an edge up to 50% longer than Aogami Super and is also very fine-grained so it can also take a very keen edge. The only issue I have for it in the context of recommendations for a beginner is that semi-stainless high carbon powdered tool steels like R2/SG2 (and others) give up ease of sharpening in exchange for longer edge holding and more stain resistance. Again, not a big deal for a seasoned free-hand sharpener, but maybe a deal breaker for a newbie J-knife owner trying to learn how to sharpen their first J-knife.

@@OakridgeBBQ Great Video! sg2 and ginsan are super easy two sharpen on naniwa chosera 400/1000/3000 and a leather strop I have got a shigeki tanaka ginsan lately, 240mm gyuto and the heat treatment seems to be perfect. Actually i like the "toothiness" that the chromium carbides give the blade, especially in a pro kitchen. Sg2 feels similar, if the grind is good, and the knife starts to get dull after long usage, it still has some bite to it. Pure sharpness is better with aogami/aogami super and even a lot better with shirogami 1/2/3. My work horse knives are kanetsune knives, 2n steel (similar to sk5 i guess), 60 hrc, pretty good grind, not to thin but more durable than my more expensive ones. At around 70 Euro for a 270mm gyuto a bargain. Similar knives are sakai kikumori nihonko, they are even a bit better, grind and hardness.... But about 20-30% more expensive.