Reddit reviews Wusthof 4183 Wusthof Classic Hollow Edge Santoku Knife 7, 7", Black

If you want to enjoy using any knives you buy, you should be ready to spend a decent amount of money. Spend good money on them, and learn to take care of them (don't put them in the dishwasher, don't leave them dirty, don't toss them in the sink, learn to sharpen them and do it regularly). If you do this, a good set of knives will last indefinitely.

That said, it might be best to start asking for knives for gifts if your birthday is coming up, or maybe just buy 1 or 2 knives to get started. I love my Wustof Classic 7" Santoku, and can use it for a huge variety of things. A small pairing knife or a bread knife would be a good second knife.

For the japanese knives with the indentations she could mean two things.

It's most likely she is referring to what is commonly known as a Santoku. Here is a pic. They are more or less just a style of a general purpose chefs knife. A really solid brand for not a lot of cash would be Victorinox. If you wanted something fancier you could go with a Wusthof.

However, she could also be referring to a knife made with damascus steel. These knives are incredibly high quality and very very sharp. Shun is the company that is most known for them. They are quite pricey but I've not heard a single complaint. They have several lines.

There is one incredibly famous knife maker named Bob Kramer who does that style. He partnered up with Shun to release a series with them. You can even order a Bob Kramer, Damascus steel Santoku as seen here. But they are pricey.

You could also go with their normal line if you wanted just a Shun Classic, for cheaper (but still expensive) as seen here.

If she does want the damascus steel but not a santoku knife then Shun offers a big line of normal chefs knives (as well as any other kind you could want).

Not all santoku knives have the indentations on the side, but I think most do.

Nope, handle is polypropylene

As far as the handle goes, i'm guessing there are kits? I can drill out the rivets no problem, but I don't have a rivet gun (although I still have my bucking bars from way back when)

This one:
http://www.amazon.com/Wusthof-4183-7-Classic-7-Inch-Santoku/dp/B00005MEGX

Its pretty great, had it years and only hone it, never had to sharpen.

I really want to grab the Victorinox Santoku and compare. The Victorinox is like 40 bucks compared to this.

If you're talking about the wavy lines, that's where the pattern-welded layers have been exposed through stock removal.

If you're talking about the pebbly/dappled look towards the spine, that was done intentionally (probably with something akin to a ball peen hammer), both for aesthetic reasons and so that food doesn't stick as much. The scallops cut into many santoku knives serve the same purpose.

THIS GUY! Though I got it off Amazon through KORIN (I SWEAR it was sold out through Chef's Knives to Go when I made the decision to buy it last week, otherwise I would've bought it there -- I love those horrible, horrible enablers), and I'm not sure what I ordered comes with the adorable plum flower design. They didn't specify!

I have this guy and this guy.

The nine incher is a little bit excessive for tiny little me to use for certain projects, so I wanted an eight inch knife, and I also wanted to transition into carbon steel. They're easier to sharpen, hold their edge better, and the extra maintenance needed is moot because I already clean my knife blade between veg. Usually. I'll have to upgrade that to "always," but it won't be much of a change. I almost never use my santoku anymore.

Also, silly me, I forgot to grab a ceramic honer. Gr.

I absolutely love my Wusthof 7" Santoku that I got a couple years ago. It does almost everything I need, aside from filleting Salmon, cutting bread, and paring things. I expect this knife to last forever with proper care, including regular sharpening, honing, and hand-washing.

Wusthof santoku

I have the Culinar version.

I bought this Wusthof 7" Santoku blade about a year ago and it is bad ass. It is a bit pricey, but you won't have to buy another knife for 10+ years (could be life, if you take care of it) so the cost is spread over a long time. It comes with a pretty good warranty and I have heard of them replacing old knives that people send in beat up.

It slices through anything you throw at it. I never knew how cutting a tomato was supposed to be like. This is the only knife I use other than butter and steak knives, and I cook multiple times a day. I use a steel on it multiple times a week to keep that edge nice and straight. The shape of the santoku is great, it allows for chopping and slicing and is weighted beautifully.

I personally love my wustof Santoku chefs knife. Such a pleasure to use.
https://www.amazon.com/Wusthof-4183-7-Classic-7-Inch-Santoku/dp/B00005MEGX