(Part 3) Top products from r/chefknives

The Tojiro DP is the most knife dollar for dollar on the market, but you have a few options that could be a bit more interesting or appropriate.

• Minamoto Hamon 180mm santoku: It's really cool looking! Minamoto does great small, light western handled knives on a budget. The Minamoto Nashiji line in blue #2 is criminally underrated. The Minamoto handle has a partial tang that leaves it quite light and has some interesting contouring that is generally liked, though not across the board. This knife's fit and finish is a bit better than the average Japanese knife at this price and it's a pretty good performer.
  
  
• Takamura Chromax Santoku: To get this out of the way first: this is not a fully stainless knife. Chromax steel (it's A2) contains 5% chromium and some people have it stain more readily than others, though few owners have actual rust issues. Takamura is an excellent maker and this knife is the affordable way to get one. It is missing a bolster, which helps keep costs down, but it has a cool hammered finish and better steel performance than you're likely to see from anything else in this price bracket.
  
  
• Tanaka VG10 210mm gyuto: You would think, from all the love Tanaka gets online, this would be the automatic pick. It's a stainless steel knife from a reputable maker with a neat cladding, chiseled kanji, and a good heat treatment, and it's in budget (before shipping). Unfortunately, Tanaka's knives have a deserved reputation for weak fit and finish. A Tanaka is likely to come with a mediocre or bad edge, a rough heel and choil, and scales that might not fit terribly well. Because I know about your own knife history I would trust in your ability to get the knife into great working condition, but I would not blindly suggest this to someone I didn't know a gift. The upside is Tanakas have excellent bones and, when prettied up, they compete with and thrash knives that are much more expensive.
  
  
• Mac Chef 7.25" gyuto: Here it is, the safe pick. In home kitchens, Shun and Global are the big visible brands. In professional kitchens, they can't match Mac. Macs are durable, they're comfortable, they're simple, and if you find the right knife they're still affordable. I have personally bought this knife multiple times because it's the perfect first good kitchen knife. It's large enough to practice good knife skills but small enough it's not intimidating, the steel is a hair's breadth from immune to rust, it's difficult to chip, it's a joy to sharpen, it looks nice, and it's a pleasure to use. The Tojiro DP is a good bit more chip prone, though it does hold an edge better, and I like the Mac's handle a little better.

I don't know about that knife in particular but if you take care of it, even with normal sharpening, it should last for many many years until it's ground away to nothing.

Blue #2 is a great steel but you have to watch for rust and reactivity. This may not be practical for everyone in a commercial kitchen but at home it just means a small adjustment to your normal cooking regimen. A good stainless option would be the Misono UX10 gyuto. It was the first thing that came to mind when I read "commercial grade".

180mm is pretty short for a gyuto. I recommend at least 210mm though 240mm is even better. This 240mm Tanaka is within your budget and is an excellent knife. For a bit more you can get a better version at K&S with a significantly better custom handle and improved overall fit and finish.

> I've had a shun classic 7in Santoku but I'm over the whole fad and would live to dive deeper into authentic Japanese knives.

I like you.

>• Splash and Go vs. Stones that require soaking

A matter of taste, mostly. Splash and go means that you can apply water to the surface of the stone and begin sharpening immediately, soakers need to be soaked for a few minutes (half an hour at most). Some soaking stones need to be dried carefully or they may crack. If you don't have a lot of storage or counter space, splash and go will be more convenient.

>• Synthetic Stone vs. Natural Stone

For a first stone, you only need to look at synthetics. Natural stones are inferior to synthetics in the coarse and medium grits. Arkansas stones can make for good finishers. Japanese naturals are expensive and esoteric.

>• Fine Grain vs. Coarse Grain

Fine stones have smaller abrasive particles, coarse stones have larger ones. Fine stones tend to be denser and less porous. Coarse stones tend to cut faster, but it can be difficult to form a sharp edge using a coarse stone alone, thus the popularity of 2-grit combination stones. Most people start sharpening on a medium grit (~400-1200 grit) and finish on a fine grit (~3000-8000). The coarsest stones (80-300 grit) are mostly reserved for repairing damage to the edge and grinding large sections of the blade. Different stones, even those with the same grit rating, may grind at different rates and produce different finishes due to differences in the way they were manufactured (type of abrasive, type of binder, heat, pressure, scale used for grading, etc.).

>• Wooden Base vs. No Base

Again, personal preference. If the stones are to be kept permanently soaked, stones without bases are preferable. The stone with which this comes up the most is the Suehiro Rika, which many people prefer to keep soaked.

>What makes a quality whetstone?

Uniformity of scratch pattern, resistance to clogging, resistance to dishing (becoming concave), rate of grinding, auditory and tactile feedback. Dense stones are almost universally preferred, but it's difficult to generalize beyond that.

>What should influence my decision to purchase one over the other?

Budget, availability, the types of knives being sharpened. Knowing your boyfriend's temperament. Is he patient? Is he careful with his knives? Does he drop things all the time?


I use a King Deluxe 300 and a Shapton Ha no Kuromaku 2000 for most of my sharpening. Both are splash-and-go and very dense ("hard"). I have a dozen or so other stones that I don't use nearly as often.

Suehiro's vitrified stones are among the most user-friendly and least fussy. Almost all of them need soaking. The SKG-24 is a good combination stone on which to learn.

Naniwa makes a huge variety of stones, most of which are good. Their QA-0124 is a splash-and-go stone, although the fine side works better after a brief soak, and even then it dries out quickly. These stones can crack if soaked and then dried unevenly.

King KW-65P is a good, traditional soaking stone. It goes out of flat more easily than some of the newer types of stones but it's a nice size and easy to maintain. The KDS is also widely liked.

Imanishi/Bester can be all over the map. I like their Arashiyama, Latte, and Tamago stones but not so much the Besters. They make a lot of stones that are resold under other brand names. I suspect they're behind this combination stone, which I like—splash-and-go and wears slowly.

All the above applies to Japanese "waterstones" (I don't like that term). "Oilstones" (I also don't like that term) like the illustrious Norton India can also provide good results, and are less demanding in terms of maintenance (flattening, drying, etc.). There are also diamond plates—I like EZE-LAP and ATOMA the best.

Edit: Fixed links.

yeah thats a petty.

The differences between the white and blue paper steels are best described here. Top right are usually are more expensive. White paper steel is very pure and very reactive, easier to sharpen but less wear resistance than blue. Some say the heat treatment of any of the white or blue steels will matter more than the steel itself. In any case, the shops in Tsukiji sell a lot to chefs and market workers so the majority of their stuff should be good.

a 240mm Gyuto seems right up your alley. The Masamoto V1 carbon steel one in either the western or wa-handle is good. Be sure it has the V stamped on the back side.

If you're in Kappabashi, you may find the Misono "Dragon" for a good price (seen here on Amazon). A lot of people like it. But its easily available online so its not so much a prize in my mind.

You might find a Masamoto Sohonten brand in Kappabashi as well. They are different from Masamoto Tsukiji. The Masamoto KS gyuto is mono-steel white #2 and has a good reputation.

oh heres another thing to read thorugh: http://yayasyumyums.blogspot.com/2011/08/knife-shops-in-japan-tokyo-kyoto-osaka.html

That is not a terrible starter, but you can find a better quality King comb stone.
https://www.amazon.com/KING-KW65-Combination-Whetstone-Plastic/dp/B001DT1X9O/ref=sr_1_5?keywords=whetstone+knife+sharpener+king&qid=1551396328&s=gateway&sr=8-5.

A Shapton 1500 can be had for around $40usd, & will produce a very fine edge & will not dish as quickly. I have sharpened half a dozen knives and there is no visible dishing. Plus it is a splash & go, no soaking needed.
https://www.amazon.com/Whetstone-Sharpening-Shapton-Ceramic-KUROMAKU/dp/B001TPJARE/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=shapton+1500&qid=1551396805&s=gateway&sr=8-1

The thing with that Pebble is the 1000 grit side will dish pretty easily and fast. We have one at work. One of my cooks bought it. It will produce a nice edge, and the 6000 side will polish pretty nicely. The base is actually pretty nice.

Hi. I was going to pick up a Wusthof Ikon when a buddy of mine told me that the Victorinox Fibrox was gonna be almost as good for 1/4th the price. After doing some more research, I saw a lot of people preaching the superiority of Japanese knives in that price range. Rather than settle for the Fibrox, I decided to keep my original budget but look for a better knife. After reading the wiki, I settled on the Masakage Yuki Gyuto 240mm, which the guide said was $180.

Unfortunately, the Masakage Yuki Gyuto has gone up in price quite considerably since that guide was written. At $260, it's no longer in my budget, and I'm wondering if it's even worth that much (compared to other knives in that range). So I thought I'd post here and look for further input.

1. I'm not experienced in either style, but I like the Japanese aesthetic. I'm definitely more used to Western handles though.
   
2. Any
   
3. D-Shaped or Round preferred
   
4. Either
   
5. 180mm to 240mm max
   
6. All-purpose, entry level (or slightly above entry level) knife. Gyutos seem to fit that bill, much like the Western "Cook's" or "Chef" knife.
   
7. Honing
   
8. $120 - $200
   
   Since reconsidering the Masakage, I've been looking at these options:
   
   Tojiro DP (https://www.amazon.com/Tojiro-DP-Gyutou-8-2-21cm/dp/B000UANWIC)
   
   Gesshin Stainless (https://www.japaneseknifeimports.com/products/gesshin-240mm-stainless-gyuto)
   
   Something by Yoshihiro, I like this Santoku but it doesn't seem as "all-purpose" as a Gyuto (https://www.amazon.com/Yoshihiro-Aogami-Carbon-Kurouchi-Santoku/dp/B006DNK93Q)
   
   Another by Yoshihiro, in my price range (https://www.amazon.com/Yoshihiro-Layer-Hammered-Damascus-Japanese/dp/B00D6DVTM6)
   
   ​
   
   I also have no idea where to start with purchasing a honing rod. Building a computer was actually easier than this, haha.
   
   Thanks! Your input is really appreciated!

You could do worse than Wusties but you could do a lot better as well. As noted most "sets" are simply ways of selling you knives that you don't need. i.e. the set you cited contains a 5" Kiritsuke prep knife - what is that?

If you've got to go German this pair will serve you better and keep $100 in your pocket. https://www.amazon.com/Wusthof-Classic-Ikon-piece-starter/dp/B00005MEHP/ref=sr_1_2?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1494507125&sr=1-2&keywords=wusthof+ikon+classic+chef

I started with German but have since "graduated" to Japanese cutlery. An inexpensive knife like either below will be a better performer and easier to sharpen than any Wustie.

https://www.japaneseknifeimports.com/collections/gesshin-specials/products/gesshin-210mm-stainless-gyuto

http://korin.com/HSU-INGY-210?sc=27&category=280068

The Chef or Gyuto will be your most important knife. Suggest you start with one of your liking and then build your other knives as required.

I really can’t recommend that sharp pebble stone. It is cheap (not meant as a disparaging comment), but it’s very slow. Very frustrating to sharpen on. I had it for about a year and I never liked to sharpen on it. For great bang for the buck sharpening setup, I really like what I have. King pb-04 (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B008FU4332) and the shapton pro 2k (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B002LW54RO)

There are definitely other great combos out there, but I think this set provides probably the best experience for the amount of money spent.

I understand that rockwell hardness may seem very important when first buying good knives (I was just as obsessed with it when I was looking for my first), but it's not really all that. 58, or even 56 is ample (especially when you are honing them before use), my victorinox fibrox (56 rockwell) still takes a wicked edge and holds it long enough to do everything I need to do as a home cook.

Also is there any reason why you need a santoku AND a 20cm chef knife? They fulfill very similar roles.

I would recommend this wusthof combo and either the fibrox bread knife or the opinel

If you really crave something with higher rockwell and some swanky looking damascus maybe look at these and maybe this (bear in mind this company ships from japan so it will take a little longer and cost an extra 10 pounds to deliver)

for storage I recommend magnetic racks, these ikea ones are cheap and have very secure, strong magnets

The pretty clear answer to me is a Zwilling Diplome 8". Great knife at a great price with better steel than the other knives listed here.

it really only takes a few minutes to sharpen a knife. There is some setup time, if you have to soak a stone, and increase time for how many stones you have in your progression.

For the average home user, a single 1000 grit stone is probably enough. The recommend chosera stone is great, but is about $70, the shapton pro 1000(or 2000) is ~$40 as will do just as good.(FWIW I own and love the chosera 800, but recommend the shaptons)

https://www.amazon.com/Kuromaku-Ceramic-Whetstone-Medium-Grit/dp/B001TPFT0G

https://www.amazon.com/Medium-Grade-Millstone-Mastermind-Shaputon/dp/B002LW54RO/

What knives are you sharpening?

It sounds overwhelming, but sharpening is stupidly simple in theory, and you'll get the hang of it quickly.

Check out japaneseknifeimports on youtube for great videos.

Agree. The 8” will be good when you break down heavy vegetables like squash/pumpkin. You’ll also need a good peeler, I recommend this. Hope this helps!

So for something easily maintainable, you normally want a knife that is hardened around 55-59 hrc (rockwell hardness), learning more to the latter half of that range. Hard enough to hold an edge for a bit, but soft enough to not chip and easily steel/hone back into place.

The Victorinox Fibrox at about 55 hrc used to be suggested all the time when it was $20 and now I think it's riding on inertia now that the knife is $35, sometimes $40-45. I think that's just too much for what is a somewhat cheap knife made from okay steel.

For some other options in this range that are still by reputable companies and have decent finishing. Here are three knives that have different handles/profiles, but should treat you well in your kitchen.

1) Kai 6720C Wasabi Black Chef's Knife, 8-Inch at 57-58 hrc for $35

This is actually made by the same company that makes Shun. The steel used here is still harder than the Victorinox, but a bit softer steel than what's used in the Shun line.

2) The Mercer Culinary Renaissance 8-Inch Forged Chef's Knife at 58 hrc for $36

The 58 Hrc is bit harder than the Victorinox, but still soft enough to be easily maintainable.

3) Mercer Culinary Millennia 8-Inch Chef's Knife at 56 hrc for $14

Mercer also makes a knife similar to the Victorinox in handle and steel, but for much less

So there is an astounding amount of inexpensive knives out there right now that are insane deals compared to what used to be available 5-10 years ago, but for the moment, I wouldn't recommend any to be just bought by beginners looking for low maintenance. Mainly because in order to be so cheap, they pretty much all skip out on labor. So that mostly means that edges aren't ground even/consistent, non-cutting edges are rough, margin between handle/steel parts are not aligned properly, and/or has bad balance. For someone who is able to fix these issues, these can be great bargains, but otherwise I think dealing with these issues isn't really worth it for beginners.

https://www.amazon.com/Yoshihiro-Hammered-Damascus-Japanese-Mahogany/dp/B00D6DVTM6/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?ie=UTF8&qid=1536105796&sr=8-1-spons&keywords=yoshihiro%2Bgyuto&th=1

https://www.chefknivestogo.com/mivgda21gy.html

https://www.chefknivestogo.com/yavgdawegy21.html

https://www.chefknivestogo.com/yavggy21.html

https://www.chefknivestogo.com/kovgdagy21.html

https://www.chefknivestogo.com/todpda18gy.html

https://www.chefknivestogo.com/mavggy18.html

Some sub-200 things I found. I personally enjoy Yoshihiro's VG-10 and find that their VG-10 pretty consistently well heat treated. You don't get the chippiness issues you often hear about that I think contributes to VG-10's lessened popularity as a knife steel. It's a good steel, IMO. I have experience with Kohetsu as well, and think this model is a good knife. I've used Masutani VG-1 before but not VG-10, and I sadly don't see 210 or 240mm offerings, they just have this 180mm which is too short for me.

The others are just things I've seen recommended but have not experienced.

I like this knife.. Its thin, easy to sharpen, has good height for a 210mm, and has good fit and finish. A bit whippy tho but that doesn't bother me.

https://www.amazon.com/Suisin-Inox-Western-Style-Gyutou-21cm/dp/B0040DGNAE/ref=sr_1_1?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1500763037&sr=1-1&keywords=Suisin+inox+western

I would just buy the UX10 tho if you already know you like it

https://www.amazon.com/Misono-UX10-Gyutou-8-2-21cm/dp/B000XSX8IA/ref=sr_1_1?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1500763151&sr=1-1&keywords=ux10

Thanks!

​

My current knife is a Zwilling Artisan 8".

Maybe I am overstating it's state. There are a lot of "chips" in the edge. When I e.g. chop parsley and such, it does not cut through all of it. Maybe the chips are small enough to elbow grease it.

​

Here are some photos.

​

Nevertheless, I would still like to get a second knife, 1 tier up. Because I actually have 2 kitchens, 1 in the house, and another one in the summer house (in the same yard). And I don't want to be hauling this one every time.

I also need a "beater" knife for occasions when we have chicken and pig slaughter. I butcher ~30-40 chickens a year, and once 2-3 times a year we butcher a few pigs.

​

So I would use this new knife for everyday cooking, and the old one, once repaired, to brute force other tasks.

​

Is there anything you can say of Burgvogel Oliva Line? It's a european brand name for Messermeister.

I am debating between it and Wusthof Ikon Classic for a german contender.

I guess the only contender form the japanese side is currently Tojiro DP3, if I decide to go that route.

I can get Burgvogel and Wusthof for ~80€, and Tojiro for ~100€.

I am also confused that in USA, there is a Messermeister Oliva ELITE. Not sure if it's the same knife, or a better one. It's more expensive, so it should be better. But I can find no reviews on the EU version.

​

I have another question though.. At what hardness does honing steel "stop working"?

Is there a clean break, like, hardness 59 or whatever?

I do plan on getting an inexpensive whetstone with the appropriate grit, but I want to make sure I get a knife that I can hone regularly, and sand occasionally. I simply don't have time to sand all the time.

Another question if you don't mind: since trying to take any of these knifes to 6k is unlikely to get me good results, do you think this NANIWA stone be a better choice than the King 1/6k?

EDIT: or maybe the Suehiro 1/3k, which seems to have better reviews (and is recommended in the wiki)?

i don't use honing steels so I might not be the best to suggest...maybe a Messermeister Ceramic Rod. the fibrox have fairly soft steel so what you have might be okay already.

For stones, a King 1k/6k water stone is probably the first one that most people will pick up. It's good for value and fairly easy on the pocket.

As for videos, I learned a lot of mine from ryky tran/burrfection (two channels same guy) on youtube. There are plenty of good/intensive playlists on sharpening but I find myself relating more to him. He blunts his knife on a brick and sharpens on the spot while explaining what he's doing. He's quite easy to understand and more targetted at non professionals/home cooks.

I also watch Richard Blaine, but he's much more technical (he just released a video on honing). They are fairly lengthy which is why i don't watch very often and he makes awkward dad jokes.

I just picked up the Tojiro Kitchen Knife F-502 for home use as I wanted something to try out the nakiri form/fit and still have something that I'd use for quite a while. VG-10 sandwiched between stainless with a nice long contoured western handle that allows for a variety of grips. However, it's pretty light and thin.


When you say hard vegetables, do you mean like butternut squash and other thick-skinned ones? If you're bent on Japanese blades, maybe consider a Usaba? That's supposed to be a heavy single-bevel knife devoted to hard vegetable prep. Or maybe a Deba (single-bevel) / Western-style Deba (50/50 grind) to split through those hard veggies.

most chefs i've worked with agree, this is about as good a knife as money can buy

https://www.amazon.com/Mac-Knife-Professional-Hollow-8-Inch/dp/B000N5H2XU

and this is right up there with it

edit: misono also makes a clad gyuto that is about as good

https://www.amazon.com/Misono-Swedish-Carbon-Steel-Gyutou/dp/B002B76H1G/

in my very brief time using both of them, i'd have to say they aren't wrong

the two i use the most are yoshihiro gyoto and a shun petty. edge retention and sharpnes are fantastic.

i actually do have a few paring knives - those, that i never use because my wife uses those and doesnt let me sharpen them, im just happy she is ok with the petty and the her short santoku being sharp (the other two knives she uses)

i need want a 3-4" paring actually in carbon steel, just cant decide on a brand and metal. with my limited experience i found white steel being quite chippy and think maybe AS wouldnt be as much. for general peeling tasks i just use a $3 peeler like those.

King Deluxe 1K comes in at $22, and for a knife like either of the ones I suggested will be all you really need. If you can save more, the Shapton Ha No Kuromaku is a common recommendation.

​

Also notice you asked in another comment about the difference between certain likes of knives. Your wording was a bit odd but I assume you are asking about the difference between the forged and the stamped lines? I can't speak about the Henkels knives, but Wusthof uses fewer steps when heat treating their stamped knives. This leaves them at around 56HRC instead of the 58HRC that their forged knives are hardened to. For a $35-$40 knife this isn't all that bad, but if you were looking at the Wusthof Gourmet line it's kind of silly.

​

Edit: Knife hardness is actually a really complicated subject. There are far to many variables for me to explain here (partly because I'm not the most knowledgeable about all of them) but try not to get to caught up in it just yet. Here are three categories for you: Really hard knives (Japanese mostly), not so hard knives (European mostly), junk that looks like knives/costs more than makes sense (things that put most of the budget into marketing or aesthetics)

I've used rust erasers nlike these:
Rust Eraser Sabitoru Medium and Fine 2-piece Set https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00FS0BFJC/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_fvB.BbBE2T4AN

It gets em off pretty well.

> If so no mention of steel type. I'd suspect the usual European CroMo stainless at 55/56 HC which is a bit under-performing at ~$160.

X50CrMoV15, supposed to be HRC56.

> that funny kink is off-putting

Ditto. It's enough so that I'd get https://www.amazon.com/Victorinox-Inch-Rosewood-Chefs-Knife/dp/B0019WZEUE instead, if I wanted a rosewood-handled Victorinox. (Is the forged one, i.e., the one in the OP, really three times the weight? If it really is 15oz, I'd get the stamped one for that reason as well as for the better handle.)

You might be right, but it might be coming down to the following choices:

​

Wusthof Classic Ikon

Wüsthof Classic Ikon Bread Knife 23cm Black - £89.00

Wüsthof tr9606 N Christmas Set 2 Knives Classic IKON (Chef's + Paring) - £103.36

Wusthof Classic Ikon Utility Knife 12 cm - £51.90

Wusthof Hanging Sharpening Steel with Black Base, 26 cm - £18.58

Total (including shipping): £265.84

​

Tojiro DP

Tojiro DP Cobalt Alloy 3 Layers Bread Slicer 215mm - £49.93

Tojiro DP Cobalt Alloy 3 Layers Chef Knife(Gyuto) 210mm - £57.73

Tojiro DP Cobalt Alloy 3 Layers Petty Knife(Utility) 120mm - £35.89

Tojiro DP Cobalt Alloy 3 Layers Petty Knife(Utility) 180mm - £42.91

King Combination Grit Waterstone (Grinding stone) Sharpening Whetstone with Stand #1000/#6000 - £35.89 (added to get free shipping over a certain price point)

Total (including shipping): £220.12

​

Do they take care of their blades at all? Its a nice sentiment on your end but if they never make the steps to maintain their blades at all(be it whetstone, sending it out or even just basic honing) then it will quickly become a waste of money after a certain point.

That said, I think a MAC might be up your alley for gifts since its not super difficult to take care of, but is also high enough quality to kind of illustrate the difference between a good knife and crappy dollar store ones.

What about it is bad? Does it not hold an edge well? It's VG10 steel so that would surprise me. I could probably send it back, but I'm not sure I want to. Admittedly I don't particularly mind if it requires a little more sharpening, I'm still learning to do it and it wouldn't be the worst thing in the world to get a little more practical practice.

I'll still consider trading it in, but $100 all things considered isn't necessarily the worst price for a good looking knife with some flaws. I'd be surprised to look back with regret on it unless it fails catastrophically on me. Do you think Miyabi is to be avoided altogether, or just this model? I considered holding off to get this essentially improved version of the same knife- https://www.amazon.com/MIYABI-34373-203-Miyabi-Chefs-Knife/dp/B00BKEODHG/ or this other Miyabi with a nicer blade but less spectacular handle- https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00CPTQD6Y/ref=psdc_289857_t1_B00BKEODHG

I bought this & really enjoy using it. If you don't have one, get a decent, maple cutting board too.
https://www.amazon.com/ZHEN-Japanese-67-Layer-Damascus-Chopping/dp/B00E0EF9CQ

https://www.amazon.com/Wood-Cutting-Reversible-Pacific-Handmade/dp/B01N6G645C

On mobile so I can't do a "fancy" link, but here you go! I don't know why OP is ashamed of tell you how much he paid, it's an amazing knife!

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00BKEODHG/ref=sspa_mw_detail_3?psc=1&smid=A1S6914ST7IGDS&th=1

zwilling diplome

https://www.amazon.com/Norton-614636855653-8-Inch-Combination-Oilstone/dp/B000XK5ZDY/ref=mp_s_a_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1539581754&sr=8-3&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_QL65&keywords=norton+india&dpPl=1&dpID=41epHsuXYbL&ref=plSrch

https://www.amazon.com/Ceramic-Whetstone-Sharpening-Workstone-QA-0124/dp/B001NI5JUY/ref=mp_s_a_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1539581796&sr=8-4&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_QL65&keywords=naniwa&dpPl=1&dpID=31wXmlIa8-L&ref=plSrch

https://www.amazon.com/Suehiro-Japanese-Whetstone-Sharpening-Sharpener/dp/B00SPBWNMO/ref=mp_s_a_1_6?ie=UTF8&qid=1539581832&sr=8-6&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_QL65&keywords=suehiro&dpPl=1&dpID=31tOs0shD%2BL&ref=plSrch

https://www.amazon.com/Kuromaku-Ceramic-Whetstone-Medium-Grit/dp/B001TPFT0G/ref=mp_s_a_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1539581898&sr=8-2&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_QL65&keywords=shapton+pro&dpPl=1&dpID=41uhuBgfaBL&ref=plSrch


just wat i could find in 5 min on mobile

https://www.amazon.com/Wusthof-Classic-8-Inch-Cooks-Knife/dp/B001DERR8U/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1492491425&sr=8-1&keywords=wusthof%2Bikon&th=1

$120 with a white handle. Is this the knife I should get?

https://www.amazon.com/ZHEN-Japanese-67-Layer-Damascus-Chopping/dp/B00E0EF9CQ/

This shapton one here, right? https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B001TPJARE?

Would a Wasabi be close to what you're looking for? They're not high quality or anything but decent budget knives.

The Fibrox handles are not full tang, I believe the name is stick tang or rat tail. I would look into the rosewood handle ones, they look to be full tang

https://www.amazon.ca/Victorinox-8-Inch-Chefs-Rosewood-Handle/dp/B0019WZEUE/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1483509483&sr=8-1&keywords=victorinox+knife+rosewood

https://www.amazon.com/Misono-Swedish-Carbon-Steel-Gyutou/dp/B002B76H1G/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1526908350&sr=8-3&keywords=misono+carbon+steel

Nuf said.

My question is why would you pay $300 for Mac's 8" gyuto when you can get this $40 less and this for $70 less?

Sharpening stones can come cheap as low as $20 U.S. dollars and up to $150 U.S. dollars.

Ultimately you will only need 2 stones for all your sharpening needs. 1 rough grit stone, 1 medium grit stone, and possibly a leather strop.

Rough grit stone
Chosera 600

Medium grit stone
King deluxe stone 1000

Strop

These are all priced in US Dollars.

Hi there, your post includes a tracking/referral link. which triggers the fuck out of reddits sitewide spam filter.

if you update your post to have this https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000UAUKHI as the link for the tojiro. i'll get the post approved.

I had the same problem and chinese knives (cleaver) solved my problem. Here's a cheap one, here's a higher quality one. These are not meat and or bones cleaver. You can cut very thin layer from a single garlic clove with them. They excel at cutting vegetables and slicing meat.