Hey folks! Got some of my knives last week. Wusthof ikon 8" chefs,bread knife,sandwich knife and a shun steel paring knife.
The hollow ground chef knife is terrific; nicely balanced,not to heavy,looks great and very sharp. The shun steel paring knife is a work of art. Especially like the angled handle so I do not drag my knuckles in the food.
These should serve me well.
Thanks again everyone for all the advice.

There is this shop in town up here in Calgary

Japanese steel, some edge'd to 16-18degs

http://knifewear.com/knives-for-sale.asp

not much more than a Henckel or Wustoff set

Thanks for the link Paul. I think when I buy a high quality Japanese knife(custom), I will want to handle it before purchasing. But that company has a lot of sweet knives that I was unaware of, so I learned something today. Anyway, thanks for making me drool.

I've owned Wusthof's for years. They're fantastic. The stainless steel set is the real deal. It costs a small fortune, but it's heirloom quality. It'll be around for generations, just like some nice All-Clad pots and pans. I love my cookware.

Cooks Illustrated finally did a proper testing of Japanese knives. They actually did a pretty decent job.

http://www.cooksillustrated.co...view.asp?docid=20986

quote:

The Eastern Edge
In test after test, the best knives stunned us with their ability to make precise, effortless slices. Taking apart a whole chicken at the joints and boning the breasts was a breeze with their narrow tips and maneuverable blades, and the rubbery skin practically opened up on its own. These precision instruments truly minced—rather than crushed—delicate herbs, leaving minuscule pieces of parsley unbruised, fluffy, and separate, rather than dark, oozing, and stuck together. For me, the difference stood out most when I cut through crisp onion. In contrast to clunky Western blades that tend to crush their way through the layers, my feeling of control—and the lack of irritating tears—was absolute as the thin, sharp blades glided through the onion with the barest pressure.

Just like anything else, it's the cook, not the tools. But the tools make cooking fun sometimes. Plus, some of the Japanese knives look so cool (Yes I'm form over function type of guy )

quote:

Originally posted by Paul Chan:
There is this shop in town up here in Calgary

Japanese steel, some edge'd to 16-18degs

http://knifewear.com/knives-for-sale.asp

not much more than a Henckel or Wustoff set

Thanks for that Paul ... right in my back yard ... who knew?

I'm going to head down on a day off and spend some time there. I know what I want for birthday, xmas ... sharpening class!!

Hey Shawn, Pauls a friend of mine and he had sent me this link in the past. Their address is
457 42 Avenue Se
Calgary, AB T2G 1Y3
(403) 243-5539

It looks pretty solid, good resaonable priced knives and all other kinds of stuff as well.

Clark

Well, I broke down and picked up a "Tadafusa Nashiji Hand Hammered" 7" Santoku with a classic pakka wood handle

The other half didn't like the big bolster and rivets with a full tang. This also meant it was a bit cheaper for the same

Its a Aogami Blue #2 Steel Core (carbon steel) wrapped in soft stainless. This means, the knife is protected from rust on the outside, and yet retains a ridiculious 62-64 rockwell hardness in the core.

I "was" going to buy a Shun, and did buy a VG10 Slitbar from IKea (recently returned) and in both cases which I've compared with (I bought my Ikea Slitbar, and they had a Shun & Global to compare... along with tons others)
This knife is ridiculious... absoutely ridiculious

For some reason, when you roll your finger over the blade, it doesn't feel sharp, even though its a 15deg double bevel. Possibly because there aren't any burr's on the edge. Wow does it cut...
Its thin, its beautiful, its hard, and its ridiculously sharp.

Sharp enough to not only pass the newspaper test but also sharp enough to shave with. I did actuality try.
It also retains it edge incredibly well, as with several uses, it remains incredibly sharp.

There are much more expensive knives that he carries, that happen to be completely finished by one individual. This one doesn't come off an general assembly line like a Shun or Global, but still does have series of employees completing the finishing.

http://www.knifewear.com/knives-for-sale.asp

Also in regards to Damascus.. it really is for show
Carbon Steel is harder, can be sharpened sharper and will retain a better edge

Stainless is corrosion resistant.

This knife is cool in another regard. You ever recall the movie "croutching tiger hidden dragon"? When you tap the blade, you get a rining sound out of it.
Something I can't reproduce with my Slitbar VG10, nor my Henckles.
Not that it means anything, but its cool!

Those are made like the knives from Tosagata Hocho. I have a few and like them a lot. (I like the look of the Tadafusas better.)