[rif]

I'm looking for a present for my wife, Japanese knives, preferably a small set of starter ones, price around $350.

I read up on a few threads here, but I'm in over my head. I thought I found something in a Shun 3-piece Classic set for around $300.  But then I found out you can buy them at bed, bath, and beyond.  That just sucks out the exotic factor.  Yes, I do count "exotic-ness" into it, please don't think less of me.

The other problem I have is that a single brand has several different lines  - so if someone says they like their Shun knives, do they mean Sora, Classic, Premiere?  Is it better to go with the low end of a high end manufacturer or the high end of a lower end brand (same as in audio huh)?

-david

[S Clark]

What type of knives does she use?  How do you plan on sharpening?  Stainless, carbon, or in between? Western handle or Japanese?

[rif]

We have a henckels set now.  She mainly cooks chicken and pork, occasionally fish. No bones.  Sharpening will be at home (is that what you meant?) Leaning towards stainless for the lower maintenance.   Japanese handle, but by no means a deal breaker.

[S Clark]

I'd look at AEB-L steel.   You could pick out a set from these for around $300 that would be lifetime quality knives. And they are reasonably easy to sharpen.
http://www.chefknivestogo.com/riarae.html
Add a boning knife and a nakiri and you've got a nice set of knives that meets your price and surpasses the Wusthof/Henckel stuff.  Only drawback is the western handle.
I have an AEB-L chef's knife that gets a fair amount of use-good knife.  Personally, I like my Aogami Blue steel knives better, but you clean and dry as you use them- high maintenance.

Are you sharpening free hand with stones, with ceramic sticks, with a sharpening system, etc.? For example, I really like the HAP-40 steel but it's so hard it's hard to sharpen.  I'm a decent freehand sharpener, but I use an Edge Pro machine to sharpen that steel. 

[Rob Babcock]

When it comes to kitchen knives I'm all Japanese, all the time.   Yeah, Shun is 'Japanese' with a little 'j'.   They're made in Japan but they're kind of Wal-Mart Japanese.  Okay but entry level.  AEB-L is great; fully stainless but fine grained, offering a good combination of edge retention and maximum sharpness.  Good kiranega.  There are lots of great Japanese knives, and they do have some cache in that you can't just pick them up at BB&B.

You do want to stick with double bevel, though. Avoid traditional single bevel/chisel grind knives like the Yanagiba.  Those are sushimi knives, not idea for western cooking.  The two primary families of Japanese knives you'll see are Yo and Wa.  Yo means it has the traditional riveted scales like a Western knife.  Wa is a wooden handle driven onto a stick tang.  The former is a bit more familiar to American cooks but the latter is much lighter.

Take a look at ChefKnivesToGo. They have a great selection and great service.

[monsterbill]

So, I have a number of nice Japanese knives in a variety of styles and steels, and, like most knife-nerds I don't like Shun. Sort of the Bose of the knife world.  For similar money you can get a knife with thinner geometry or steel that can take a better edge. Shuns usually have a German,  rather than French, profile, meaning the blade has a belly more suitable to rocking on a board than using a push cut method that pros use. Also, other Japanese knives will be lighter, which is preferred by pros as it is less fatiguing to use. I have a shun, and I didn't think it took to thinning the edge as well as other knives with the same core (VG-10).

But, for your wife, maybe none of this matters. Maybe she likes rocker cutting. Shuns have great fit & finish, unlike many Japanese knives which are surprisingly shoddy looking considering the price. (This is particularly true of those with traditional handles.)  Lightness and edge retention, which may be super important to a line cook, may be entirely irrelevant to a non-neurotic home chef who only cooks for a family a few times a week. Also, the harder the steel,  the more prone to chipping, which leads to rules and care that might not be cool in a gift-giving situation.

So, without making a specific knife recommendation that I would like, I'll suggest an easy, hard, and middle route:  1) get the shun and be happy, 2) go down the rabbit hole at knifeforums.com, 3) call up Dan at epicurean edge (www.epicedge.com) and ask for a recommendation.

But, if I had to had to make a recommendation of a beginner knife I love, Yoshikane makes a very nice introduction to a traditional Japanese gyuto.

Good luck!

[bladesmith]

I would recommend going with a smaller Santoku and a good quality steel to sharpen it with.

If you start there, you can learn to use the most common/versatile Japanese Santoku and learn to sharpen a knife at the same time.

Many people go thru many different kinds of knives, not being happy/satisfied, simply because they don't understand how to keep the edge.

good luck.
V...

[Bob in St. Louis]

If you want something you can't buy at Bed, Bath and Beyond, you should buy a handmade, one of a kind knife from the guy who posted above me.
His moniker tells it all. 

Bob

[sfox7076]

I agree with buying from Bladesmith.  The quality is great.  That said, I wouldn't call them beginner knives.  They are tool steel, so they keep an amazing edge, but if you do not care for them correctly, they will rust.  I would buy a Richmond series knife from Chefsknivestogo to start.  That way you can learn whether you even like Japanese knives.

[RPM123]

Try contacting this company...I bought a couple of knives from them and I am very happy. Consider an 8 1/4" blade or larger and a 5" blade set to start, either gyuto or santoku style. You can get western style or Japanese style handles as well. Also, if your wife is not into maintenance, stick with stainless clad knives to keep the blades from oxidizing. The type of steel and hardness factor will also determine how the edges hold up and often they need sharpening. Happy shopping!

http://epicedge.com/shopdisplaycategories.asp?id=99&cat=Double+Bevel

[monsterbill]

Two more thoughts. When the question about Shun alternatives comes up, the folks at knife forums often recommend Ryusen or Hattori HD. The reason for this is that they are much better versions of what Shun is doing: stainless damascus clad over a VG-10 core.

You're getting a lot of recommendations for what are referred to as "laser" knives. Very thin, very light, single metal knives.  This isnt surprising as they are the trendy item right now (before that, it was the powdered steel knives).  I like them, but can feel a bit too precise and a bit fragile at times, and for a gift I'd prefer a more typical  hand forged san mai for the added character. That said, you can slice crazy thin with the lasers. The Richmond and other AEB L knives fall in this category.

[S Clark]

Two more thoughts. When the question about Shun alternatives comes up, the folks at knife forums often recommend Ryusen or Hattori HD. The reason for this is that they are much better versions of what Shun is doing: stainless damascus clad over a VG-10 core.

You're getting a lot of recommendations for what are referred to as "laser" knives. Very thin, very light, single metal knives.  This isnt surprising as they are the trendy item right now (before that, it was the powdered steel knives).  I like them, but can feel a bit too precise and a bit fragile at times, and for a gift I'd prefer a more typical  hand forged san mai for the added character. That said, you can slice crazy thin with the lasers. The Richmond and other AEB L knives fall in this category.

I was the one that recommended the Richmond AEB-L, but the Monster man makes very good points.  These are very high quality, lightweight knives, but if heft is thought to be equal to quality they will not impress as a gift.  Tojiro makes a good quality, hefty, set of VG-10 knives.  Three knife sets are $150 under your budget, so add a nice nakiri if you do vegetables much. 

[rif]

Hi all, just checking in to let you know that I am reading your comments and researching.  I really appreciate the guidance.

Some have asked about a timeframe - these will be Christmas presents so I have some time (54 days according to Google! )

[Rob Babcock]

If you want something you can't buy at Bed, Bath and Beyond, you should buy a handmade, one of a kind knife from the guy who posted above me.
His moniker tells it all. 

Bob

Indeed!  I know Bladesmith does some amazing work.  But I don't know for sure what price range his stuff falls in...probably a bit above the OP's stated range.  Great stuff though!

[Ericus Rex]

Not sure if anything there would fall into your budget but take a look anyway at japanwoodworker.com.  Though the title suggests planes and chisels they do have a kitchen section as well as a gardening section.

[rif]

UPDATE:

bladesmith was kind enough to slot me into his busy schedule.  He's making a nakiri and a santoku for me.  I can't express how excited I am about this.  Hopefully my wife will feel the same.

bladesmith is a great guy to work with - fantastic communication, top notch handmade custom knives at very reasonable prices.  How cool is that - a unique knife made just for me - no other in the world is the same.

Thank you all for your help!  I've come a long way in a short time.

-david

[Bob in St. Louis]

AWESOME!
Super glad you talked to Virgil.   

Can we have picks on the final product?

Bob

[S Clark]

Excellent choices.  Your wife is going to love using a pinch grip with a good nakiri knife.    
I'm with Bob... pics are mandatory when you get delivery!

[rif]

Of course pix will follow.

One thing I've almost forgotten - sharpening tool.  Now I don't want to go crazy here at all (I've seen some 'systems' that go for hundreds )

I have a double sided dmt 'stone', 2 norton stones that were my great grandfather's,  and a steel from my henckels set.  Any of them useful?  The dmt (water) and norton (oil) stones were for woodworking originally.

[S Clark]

  Now I don't want to go crazy here at all (I've seen some 'systems' that go for hundreds )

Hey! Some us resemble that remark!   
Seriously, you have bought good knives, so don't skimp too much on sharpening.  Rob will probably chime in here with definitive advice, but I'd say you want something that will at least sharpen to 4000 grit.  I don't think that the double sided DMT nor your grand dad's Nortons are that fine.  I still use my grand dad's razor stones at about 6000 grit when in a hurry, but it doesn't match what I can do with an Edgepro machine. 
Lots of old stones on ebay for under $20.  Mine is a Franz Swaty, a common Austrian brand.  I've also got a 6000grit Japanese water stone (nearly new) that I just can't use as well as the old razor stone.