(Part 2) Best 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 personally would go for a stainless steel knife compared to high carbon for your first knife, just from ease of cleaning/sharpening (trust me I almost gave myself a heart attack the first time I went to sharpen my high carbon and this is after years).

And starting out, I was in the same boat as you when I started cooking professionally. Wasn't really sure where to go, started out with a Victorinox 210mm as it was the "standard" in the kitchen I was working in. I didn't love it, it was a bit heavy for me compared to a few of my colleagues japanese knives (I say japanese meaning japanese made, but still a western style knife with a 50/50 bevel) and I found after a day or two of hard prep the edge would need some serious love, even with honing.

One of my more helpful sous chefs let me try his Global's out for a week or so; I liked them more than the Victorinox despite the stupid slippery stainless handles as the edge was much finer and it also seemed to last longer with the same amount of chopping. So I knew I liked japanese knives for the lighter weight/finer edge but didn't like Global's handles (you might though). I then tried out the Mac MTH-80 and have used it as my workhorse knife since around 2011 (still using the same one). For the price it is very reasonable and it will take/hold an edge for a great amount of time solong as you're not trying to cut through rocks. I've used a ton of other knives since then, all kinds of Shun's, Miyabi's, Misono's, etc but can't seem to find one I feel more comfortable using than that Mac.

That being said, the best advice I can give you is to go a local kitchen/knife store and ask to use a couple of the knives you're interested in. Ask to put them down and chop on a cutting board, use them against a steel, etc. Honestly whatever feels best in your hand and for you is what you should choose. I have friends who use $300+ custom or japanese knives and I have friends who swear by their $20 plastic handled Henckel's, because they love the feel of them.

As for whetstones I would actually go for a 400 or 500/1000 grit stone and a ceramic steel compared to a 1000/6000. I personally got more practice and was able to understand the feel of how a stone is actually sharpening taking the edge from a bit more worn out but this again comes down to personal experience. The King KDS they're talking about are good, another more entry level one I've recently tried and was pleasantly surprised with was from Sharp Pebble.

https://www.amazon.com/Sharp-Pebble-Sharpening-Waterstone-Flattening/dp/B01LVZ2OZU/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1549003831&sr=8-4&keywords=sharp+pebble

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Double sided, and comes with a rubber base/flattening stone for less than $30 US, pretty good in my books.

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I apologize for the crazy long post, hope it was at least mildly helpful. Good luck with whatever you choose.

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500$ is an astronomical budget for beginner water stones, so let me just make sure that's out in the open.

Yes, 8k is on the high end of what you want to finish most kitchen knives on. Something along the lines of a Wusthof will retain a coarser edge more readily. Harder steels will generally retain a higher grit edge for longer. This is a gross over-simplification, but is sufficient for this conversation.

Since you want to go with splash and go and, from what I gather, this is intended to be a somewhat special gift for a special person... I'm going to forgo the budget options in the splash and go category, since I'm personally not a fan of them and wouldn't want them for myself.

All of that out of the way, you're going to want at bare minimum one medium grit stone (about 1k to 2k grit). If you have somewhat harder knives or if your skill is sufficient, you can make good use of a finishing stone for certain tasks (about 3k-8k is recommended for kitchen tasks, although you can go higher). You can make do without a flattening stone or plate for a little while, so you can view this piece as optional, but recommended since it will improve your mileage with your stones by keeping them flat and your angles consistent. Lastly, you might want a stone holder. These are generally adjustable rubber contraptions designed to keep the stone in one place while you're sharpening and help raise it off whatever surface you're sharpening on for comfort.

For a medium grit splash and go stone, the Naniwa Professional 1k would be my primary choice as a forever stone. You'd be hard-pressed to find any detractors for this stone among regulars on this sub or elsewhere. It's a great stone.

There are a few other options that I'd also recommend, but personally don't favor as highly as the Naniwa for the price. Those are the Shapton Pro 1k the Maido 2k and the Gesshin 1200 Splash and Go. Each of these stones will be splash and go, but will cut it slightly varying speeds, dish somewhat differently and feel a little bit different while using. Each of these are solid choices, but I have a preference to the Naniwa Pro.

For a finishing stone that is splash and go, I'd probably recommend the Gesshin 5k Splash and Go as my primary choice. The Naniwa Professional 5k is, like the rest of the line, an amazing stone in my opinion. The price is double that of the Gesshin, though, and I don't think it's worth dropping the money on as a first finishing stone regardless of budget; it's simply hard to justify that difference in price unless you're really discerning in what you want. I guess the Shapton Pro 5k deserves an honorable mention because it has a lot of fans. It's a little too glassy feeling for me and lacking in feedback so I wouldn't recommend it to a beginner sharpener.

For a flattening plate, I'd recommend either a DMT 325 diamond plate or an Atoma 140/400 grit diamond plate. The Atoma plates are constructed a little better in my opinion, but any of those plates will work for you as long as you keep its primary function to flattening your stones. The 140 Atoma will be the quickest at its job, but will leave somewhat deep scratches in your finishing stone so you'll want to smooth it out with your medium grit stone after lapping.

For a stone holder, you can honestly just stack some towels up or make your own out of some stuff around the house, but I like using a dedicated stone holder like this one.

That's about it. Keep in mind I kept my recommendations on the high end given the occasion seems to be special and your budget was fairly high to begin with. If you'd like some more budget recommendations just let me know.

I know you said you wanted a Japanese handle but I think you should consider a Misono Molybdenum. It was my first knife and I’m honestly still happy with it.
Its inexpensive, tough, takes a pretty good edge, and has good fit and finish. It won’t take as keen of an edge as the knives you mentioned.. but its easy to sharpen which is great if you’re learning how to.

I own a Ginga too and its pretty amazing but I wouldn’t want it as my sole knife. It’s a really thin blade so its a bit more fragile than the Misono. I personally would rather have a tougher knife if I only had one.

I also really like the Hi-soft cutting board. It’s easy on knives, has some weight and theres very little maintenance. Just don’t put it in the dishwasher.

Misono Molybdenum 240mm ~ $112.50

(Korin is having a 15% off sale on knives right now)
http://korin.com/HMI-MOGY-240?sc=27&category=280076

Hi-Soft Cutting Board ~ $48.00

(From Korin. Combine the shipping with the Misono)
http://korin.com/HiSoft-Cutting-Board_3?sc=28&category=286082

Bester 1200 ~ $55

(Leaves a good edge alone)

OR

Shapton Pro 1000 ~ $35

(I like the Bester better but this is a really good deal on Amazon Prime)
https://www.amazon.com/Kuromaku-Ceramic-Whetstone-Medium-Grit/dp/B001TPFT0G/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1500081962&sr=8-1&keywords=shapton+pro+1000

Suehiro Rika 5000 ~ $50

(Optional.. nice to have tho)

Atoma 400 ~$60

(For stone flattening. You can buy a cheaper plate if you want)
https://www.amazon.com/Generic-Diamond-Sharpener-Medium-400/dp/B0031KNR2O/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1500081982&sr=8-1&keywords=atoma+400
I know the link says generic.. but this is an Atoma 400. Just make sure you buy the one that is Amazon Prime

I wouldn’t spend all $500 at once. You can always buy a nicer knife later.. and having two knives is convenient anyway.

Which is better really comes down to what you prefer and what you will be using a knife for. Classic European cooking, for example, really benefits from being able to rock chop as Jacques Pépin does in this video. Of course you don't have to do any of that to process garlic but rather its just one set of techniques and styles. In this realm, Wusthof and knives like it do very well. There's also Messermeister, Zwilling, and more. The caveat is while they all offer good quality knives, they also offer some very poor quality ones. Make sure you do the research and go for top tier products if you're going to get one.

On the other end of the spectrum we have French and Japanese style knives like a Sabatier and a gyuto which can rock chop but you're not going to be able to come close to what Jacques did to that garlic. Of course there are santokus which you mention. These don't rock chop at all but are great for slicing, dicing, and mincing. I find a classic Wusthof nothing but a pain to mince with. Even santokus come in different styles. On one hand you have this Tojiro DP santoku with a big of a curve compared to this Kohetsu which has very little.

Somewhere in the middle we get things like this Victoronix 8" which is one the best values available. The profile is not quite European and not quite Japanese.

So, back to your original question: which is better, the Shun or Wusthof santoku? If I had to choose one I would go with the Shun simply because it is a Japanese manufacturer making a Japanese knife with Japanese steel. The steel used its harder than the Wusthof which pairs very well with how a santoku is meant to be used. You get all the benefits of a harder steel (ie. edge retention) while not having to worry about its toughness which can be an issue while rock chopping since it can cause twisting. However, I would also recommend you look beyond the Shun if you have other options available to you. Not including any import tax, the Fujiwara Santoku on japanesechefsknife costs about the same and has a much better steel (though it is reactive). Its fit an finish might not be as good as the name brand's but other than that I personally think is a better knife in every way.

I recommend the Victorinox Fibrox, it performs well, it's comfortable and it's very durable. If you find the Fibrox handle too ugly, they offer the same blade but with a rosewood handle.

Care wise, touch up the edge with a hone to ensure it performs the best it can before you begin preparing food. Eventually however the edge will wear down, at which point you will need to sharpen it. For this I recommend the Shapton Kuromaku 1000, for guidence on how to use a whetstone check this playlist out.

The whetstone itself will also need to be maintained, as you use it you will wear it down unevenly and it will need to be flattened. Most people use a diamond plate but there is a more cost effective option that I use which is lapping the stone using SiC powder on glass, which is done like this (be aware however, that this method is MUCH louder and a bit messier than lapping with a diamond plate).

If all of this sounds like too much and you want a more simple care solution then you can get by very well by just using a ceramic sharpening rod. It combines the ability to touch up the edge quickly before use with the ability of a whetstone to remove material from the blade.

I got by with just a ceramic rod for a long time, but eventually bought whetstones when I wanted more control/better long term maintenance.

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.

>Care? honing
>
>Budget? 150-200

This part as a knife enthusiast bothers me a little.

Any knife you buy in your price range is going to benefit immensely from learning sharpening, otherwise it will be a loss for you. Whether you do it yourself or have them professionally sharpened is up to you, but if you have the time and inclination I highly recommend learning to sharpen, as it extends the life of your knife much more. No matter what knife you buy, it will eventually get dull and need to be sharpened.

If you don't feel like learning to sharpen, just get a cheaper nice looking knife, like a victorinox rosewood (or fibrox is cheaper though) or mercer renaissance (best bang for your buck forged steel knife). That way you can have them belt sharpened locally without worrying about the knife being damaged. most sharpeners will use belt sanders which will not be great for the knife, but it is a cheaper knife so no fuss. I would also recommend these knives if you are a beginner with knives.

If you will never sharpen your knives, don't read further.

If you want to go down the rabbit-hole of /r/chefknives, then get a stone. Decent quality sharpening stones begin at around 40 or so bucks. I recommend the king kds 1000/6000 as a good starting point. with a stone, you can get most cheap knives hair shaving sharp, but it requires practice. if you get a stone, get something like a Gesshin 210mm stainless chef knive. The balance, feel, fit and finish are all the best you can get at that price, and is about as high quality a type of knife you should ever go for a first knife.

For $120 and two knives, there is the omnipresent starter option - the Tojiro DP line.

I'd start with the gyuto or the santoku. They overlap for the larger tasks and its really more preference on the shape. They both are too thin and the steel is too brittle to cut bones or hard vegetables (pumpkin/squash) with (which your Wusthof can take care of) but will go through veg and protein pretty easily.

Then you have budget left over for the petty, which is kind of like a long thin paring knife. Good for smaller tasks or things that need delicate tip work.

you might even have some budget left over to pick up a stone. This is a popular beginner option.

Edit: The other option is MAC knives. Same shapes apply

I got this knife for myself while I was employed as a cook at a local vegan restaurant. My first "real" kitchen knife! Of course I am the way I am and needed to personalize it for my own use, so I sanded and refinished the handle, had my friend scribble a little bit on the saya before it was coated with polyurethane. Then I lost the plastic saya pin, and crafted a replacement out of a chunk of black locust tree. The thin string is spyderwire braided super line used for fishing, and the sageo rope is just a piece of synthetic silk. The blade used to be less refined, but many many sharpenings and use of small natural stones have brought it to a nice finish.

Yoshihiro Mizu Yaki Aogami Super Blue High Carbon Steel Kurouchi Santoku Chef’s Knife (7'' (180mm) & No Saya) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B006DNK93Q/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_tai_f5T-BbBTZCW96

https://imgur.com/gallery/amTH5t1

https://imgur.com/gallery/yN3lsj1

Thanks for looking.

*edit the knife is apparently 180mm not 185mm

I'll play devil's advocate here: sometimes knife blocks are put together sensibly and are good value. A set of matching knives also looks good in a home cook's kitchen.

This is decent quality and good value. Make sure go get a hone and a decent cutting board if you don't have either.

Save the rest of your budget for when you have more experience of using your knives and have a better idea of what you want from them.

> i know that i could possibly just take any ol chef knife from home and pack it safely, but im thinking of like some sort of all purpose pocket knife or something along those lines.

Could you speak a bit more about a couple things? 1) What sounds appealing about a pocket knife version? 2) What sounds unappealing about carrying around a chef knife from home?

Does a chef knife from home seem too big? Do not want to pack your more expensive knives? Are you afraid of your packing failing and cutting things up in your bag? Does a folding knife just appeal to you? Or a smaller packable knife?

And in general, suggesting a knife is still wrought with personal preferences. Do you know how to sharpen? Do you like harder steels? What handle shapes do you like?

When I was stuck in a hotel for a couple months, I really appreciated bringing my 8 in chef knife. I packed it in a knife guard that clip around it. I've travelled tons and those cases have served me well.

For me, I wouldn't like using a folding knife for any extended period of time bc they would necessarily be back heavy and they tend to use meh steels (or super expensive otherwise).

So, tell me more about what you want/need.

I really like this knife, it's a great size/profile and I enjoy the handle. Gets way more use than most of my expensive stuff. Takes an edge pretty easily and holds it for months at a time with occasional honing.

($46 w/ prime)
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000UANWH8/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1

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!

>you should only buy a sharpening stone if you want to get in the knife hobby ( which I'm not getting into at the moment.

If you're getting into the knife hobby or cook very frequently, its a good idea. But I don't generally recommend it heavily to the average home cook. Though if you are lacking in a good knife sharpening service nearby, you may want to learn anyway. Or get another blade so you aren't left without a good one when you ship out the other for sharpening.

>disagreement on whether the king 1/6 k stone is good and worth it

It's a budget stone. It's not bad for the price and will get the job done. But its not really "recommended" if you're serious about your tools.

>that you only need a 1k stone

Technically, yes. Think of it as the equivalent of your chefs knife in a sense. You can most things with it just fine, but having other stones will let you do more things easier. Just like having other knives will let you do some things easier. Get my analogy?

>you shouldn't hone Japanese knives or only use ceramic and I've read somewhere that you can use steel on a tojiro dp gyuto

Ceramic is fine, but some folk aren't as adept at honing and that can lead to chipping and damage on harder blades. If you're on a budget, the Lansky Sharp Stick is decent for VG10 knives and won't be too hard on the edge. I have no idea what to expect from the Tromintina.

Hmm. Looking at amazon.in, I see plenty of other Chinese cleavers that are cheaper and of similar or better quality, like various Winco. The Victorinox should be better.

For a good cleaver (though different profile): https://www.amazon.in/Chinese-Superior-Stainless-Ergonomic-Comfortable/dp/B06XRRGCVY/

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.

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.

ok so no bolster then...I'm fine with that.

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And I can do stainless.

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I was only going with western because I understood them to be more durable (longer lasting), more versatile (I could cut all sorts of things and not worry about chipping the blade), and had more heft to them.

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I overall prefer the Japanese knives for the reason that they

>are thinner and will pass through food better than the slightly more chunky western knives

​

Edit: so if an issue with the western knives are not being allowed to pass through food as easy as the Japanese ones...what about the Stealth option? 25% thinner and 10% lighter. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0079R1BN2/?coliid=I38IDXOR5W1NF2&colid=1SI7V56JTIA6H&psc=0&ref_=lv_ov_lig_dp_it

Fibrox 8” chef knife:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000638D32

Shapton 1k Sharpening Stone: Ha No Kuromaku Ceramic Whetstone:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B001TPFT0G

Lapping stone (to flatten your whetstone after it needs leveling from use...you won’t need this right now and can make do without):
Atoma Diamond Sharpener Medium -... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0031KNR2O

Here’s the utility knife version of the larger knife, one of my personal favorites, same thing but 5” instead of 8” : https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000QCLEFC

The fibrox has relatively soft steel compared to most Japanese styles so it is a more forgiving blade and won’t chip. This also means you can use a honing rod between uses to maintain its edge and not have to sharpen as often.

https://www.amazon.com/DMT-D8C-Dia-Sharp-Continuous-Diamond/dp/B0001WP1L0/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1496436524&sr=8-2&keywords=flattening+plate

So would something like that be ideal?

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

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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

​

This one? Shibazi's still a good value at <$30.

Shun and Wusthof are basically the popular overpriced brands of the kitchen knife world. For the same price as a Shun you can get a quality handmade artisan Japanese knife. There are also lesser priced, but equal quality German knives compared to Wusthof, like this Mercer: https://www.amazon.ca/gp/aw/d/B002R1CGV6/ref=mp_s_a_1_24?ie=UTF8&qid=1480891569&sr=8-24&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_QL65&keywords=mercer%2Bculinary&dpPl=1&dpID=31FJWLfEU2L&ref=plSrch&th=1&psc=1

well i cant help w a serrated recommendation, cause im not really a fan, unless for bread, and i just dont see any advantage and i dont think you will find anything of any quality in that price range. i would advise finding a 5-6" thin as a whisper petty/utility for the job and learn to keep it sharp enough you wont miss serrations. tojiro has a few in that price range https://www.amazon.com/Tojiro-DP-Petty-Utility-Knife/dp/B000UANWH8, http://www.chefknivestogo.com/topr15pe.htmlhttp://www.chefknivestogo.com/topr15pe.html

also you can keep a look out places like ebay or thrift stores for something that might suit.

Sounds like a vnox fibrox is for you. You could get both the 8" and 10" and knife cases around your budget. That leaves you room to get a whetstone if you don't already have it.

case:
https://www.amazon.com/Victorinox-Forschner-BladeSafe-8-Inch-10-InchKnife/dp/B000MF47B6

well there you go, it even is on discount at the moment:

8 inch


https://www.amazon.co.uk/Wüsthof-CLASSIC-IKON-Cook´s-knife/dp/B000XKFNGI/ref=sr_1_10?s=kitchen&ie=UTF8&qid=1542396213&sr=1-10&keywords=wusthof


6 inch

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Wusthof-Classic-6-Inch-Cooks-Knife/dp/B000YMURS4/ref=pd_sim_201_9?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B000YMURS4&pd_rd_r=8dd03b35-e9d5-11e8-aa16-0d2dfbd068a8&pd_rd_w=eKKHZ&pd_rd_wg=6oFV5&pf_rd_i=desktop-dp-sims&pf_rd_m=A3P5ROKL5A1OLE&pf_rd_p=1e3b4162-429b-4ea8-80b8-75d978d3d89e&pf_rd_r=6B36NTK0YD1C1531DCJE&pf_rd_s=desktop-dp-sims&pf_rd_t=40701&psc=1&refRID=6B36NTK0YD1C1531DCJE


Get a decent honing steel, use it properly and you won't have to whip out your whetstone for at least a year

I'm a fan of this guy - https://www.amazon.com/DMT-D8F-Dia-Sharp-Continuous-Diamond/dp/B0001WP1L0

That one you linked is smaller than the normal stone shape which is bad for flattening. That said, I have the fine version of that and use it for touching up smaller knives and really like it.

That is indeed a rather coarse stone. Grit rating is probably pretty close to the standard most people refer to.

Using lubricant and extremely light pressure will get you a really sharp knife off that stone. If the finish from factory is rough, go out with a bottle of water and flatten the stone against a tile or brick or something.

You can just get yourself a ceramic stick and use it after your current stone if you plan to do more push cutting/ wet shaving. Use water with the ceramic as lube and use ultra light force when apexing the edge.

https://www.amazon.com/Lansky-8-Ceramic-Sharp-Stick/dp/B000B8FW0O/ref=sr_1_3?s=amazon-devices&ie=UTF8&qid=1504583376&sr=8-3&keywords=lansky+ceramic

https://youtu.be/OPGGo3W15HQ

Mercer

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

No, $50 just for the knife alone. What's the difference between this kind of stick that someone else recommended and the whetstone?