# Trending Larger or Smaller?



## Seth (Jul 4, 2014)

As I get older I find I am trending toward smaller knives. I have bunches of 270s; kiri, gyuto, yanagiba, but I am really enjoying some 180s these days. Are you finding your preferences changing over time? A 270 feels like a monster to me now plus I am in a home cooking environment.


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## erikz (Jul 4, 2014)

I prefer 210mm gyutos. I live in a small apartment with a small counter top. It doesnt fit big boards or blades.


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## DDPslice (Jul 4, 2014)

I have plenty of space but I do like smaller knives atm, home cook/house chef for hire


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## mano (Jul 4, 2014)

I'm forcing myself to exclusively my recently acquired 225 Marko, putting the 250 Marko aside. Really liking the shorter blade!


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## Chifunda (Jul 4, 2014)

In the hypothetical "if the house was on fire and you could grab only one knife on your way out the door" scenario, my 240 Devin ITK, no contest. But more and more, for smaller tasks, I find myself using the Gesshin Hide 210 gyuto from Jon. Fantastic cutter. :thumbsup:


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## larrybard (Jul 4, 2014)

Funny, I was thinking exactly the same thing about an hour today while cutting some mushrooms. As a home cook, simply more comfortable using a relatively smaller knife for most tasks.


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## brianh (Jul 4, 2014)

Another home cook who has to admit 210 is really perfect. I grab my 210 Ginga and 180 watanabe nakiri the most.


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## labor of love (Jul 4, 2014)

I much prefer 240 mm gyutos lately after using 270 mm gyutos for a couple of years. I use to be very OCD about the actual cutting length and blade height, of my knives, but now I dont really care about that so much as long as grind and profile is how I like it to be.


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## Jaspernowhere (Jul 4, 2014)

I cook in a professional setting and I use a 240 gyuto and a 220 chukabocho almost exclusively, I had a 210 wa-gyuto but it felt like a toy and couldn't handle a large prep load as well.


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## CoqaVin (Jul 4, 2014)

I am a pro, I use a 240 and everyone says "THAT IS HUGE" they like their 8" Shuns


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## WildBoar (Jul 4, 2014)

Love my 240 DT ITK gyuto. The 210 hiromoto feels like using a petty. I do use a couple 150-180 pettys, but we have to cut enough onions, carrots, peppers,etc. that a 240 is my main knife. (home cook)


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## JDA_NC (Jul 4, 2014)

At home I don't use anything larger than 240mm. I just don't have the space.

That said, at work, I definitely have been leaning towards larger knives. Using a nice 270mm gyuto is a revelation. My Ginga is a destroyer of all things veg and I love having the extra height & length. I just feel faster and more precise. When space is limited and I don't have the room to spread out (so to speak), I like having a sturdier 240mm and I actually usually end up using a 210mm petty for most of my prep. Especially if I am doing prep on the line.


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## XooMG (Jul 4, 2014)

Smaller knives just suit the way I do most of my cutting.

In the not so distant future I'll probably do a kind of review/comparison of various smaller all-purpose knives, since they don't really get as much attention. Perhaps a little teaser?


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## CoqaVin (Jul 4, 2014)

that Takamura from those specs looks really thin


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## XooMG (Jul 4, 2014)

CoqaVin said:


> that Takamura from those specs looks really thin


Yeah, I dont want to use all my potential future review pics here, but here it is over the Carter:


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## Seth (Jul 4, 2014)

I was thinking about Pepin who seems to use a petty for just about anything and then there is that guy HIRO TERADA Basic cutting skills (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2YKRnv0aq-8) who always uses a small slicer. (I think we figured out what it was at one point.) But for me there is a definite trend. Even a 240 looks bigger than it use to.


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## CoqaVin (Jul 4, 2014)

XooMG would you consider the Takamura a laser?


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## JDA_NC (Jul 4, 2014)

Seth said:


> I was thinking about Pepin who seems to use a petty for just about anything and then there is that guy HIRO TERADA Basic cutting skills (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2YKRnv0aq-8) who always uses a small slicer. (I think we figured out what it was at one point.) But for me there is a definite trend. Even a 240 looks bigger than it use to.



He uses a Kikuichi 210mm petty.

You can do all that with pretty much any knife but a longer petty is just plain fun because they're so light, thin & nimble.

He was showing off for the camera and so his precision wasn't there 100% but the way he diced the potatoes was gangster.

I know another poster here who was working at a kaiseki place in NYC said one of the Japanese line cooks only used a Suisin IH 180mm petty & was incredible with his knife skills. I would have liked to have seen that!


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## brainsausage (Jul 5, 2014)

I prefer knives that have a bit of character. The length doesn't mean terribly much. I can proficiently wield any length of knife all day and use it for a variety of tasks. But the general feel and 'voice' means a lot more to me. There's so many knives that do the general task of cutting very well, but very few that speak to you whilst doing so. That's a purely subjective aspect, yet much more compelling IMO. All that being said- if I was trapped in some nonstop version of prep hell, I'd probably feel best with a 53mm tall, 245mm long gyuto :whistling:


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## rick alen (Jul 5, 2014)

I have always preferred an 8or9" slicer for most things, just so light and nimble.


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## icanhaschzbrgr (Jul 5, 2014)

I bought 240 as my first gyuto. Then added 210 gyuto. Later came two 180 different gyutos. Seems like 165-180 is just the perfect length for me. Almost never I feel the urge to reach for anything longer. 

Just a home cook.


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## jaybett (Jul 5, 2014)

I've gone up to a 300mm gyuto and back down to a 180mm santoku. It's been fun trying different types of knifes and sizes, seeing which one works best for a specific task. 

Jay


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## XooMG (Jul 5, 2014)

CoqaVin said:


> XooMG would you consider the Takamura a laser?


If we're going to use terms like that, then yes. The only other knife I have that really plays the same game is my Sakai Yusuke extra-thin, and that (the Yusuke) might be a tiny bit thinner by the tip, a bit more whippy/flexible, and worse with regard to sticking. The Carter isn't too far off, but is a bit thicker than expected since his site reported 1.2mm around the stamp.

Here's the Yusuke extra-thin and Takamura:


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## cheflarge (Jul 5, 2014)

"Old School"..... 270mm Singatirin, Honyaki gyuto. I must say that I own way more 210mm's than any other knife. Still like the longer blade though, must be just because I'm OLD & DUMB!


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## easy13 (Jul 5, 2014)

240s for heavy prep and on certain blades where the size shines - Kato, Kono Fujiyama, etc... 210s on the line, finer work, home use. Like to have a couple of 180s around for off site work, travel & line sometimes.


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## jai (Jul 5, 2014)

I love 240s but if I was a home cook I seriously wouldent mind something light and delicate. Pro kitchen completely different though large knifes are a must for me my days are long enough and large knives make me quicker and more efficient which in turn makes my day easier and less monotonous. Love my 240s and 270s. Long and flat is how I like them think masamoto ks, mario etc.


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## mark76 (Jul 5, 2014)

For the guys using a 180: do you use a gyuto or a petty? I ask since 180 gyuto's are not that widespread.


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## icanhaschzbrgr (Jul 5, 2014)

mark76 said:


> For the guys using a 180: do you use a gyuto or a petty? I ask since 180 gyuto's are not that widespread.


Guytos for me. I believe 180mm Santoku would work just as well


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## SpiceOfLife (Jul 5, 2014)

Lately my 185 Shig seems to be the go-to even though I have a large cutting board and a decent size kitchen. I have larger knives that I use for fun when I feel like it, up to 250, but as a home cook if I'm only cooking for 2 then there's not a big need for me to use the larger knives I find. For larger dinners I do tend to go for the larger knives. Some day I'll try a 270 just to get a feel for it though!



mark76 said:


> For the guys using a 180: do you use a gyuto or a petty? I ask since 180 gyuto's are not that widespread.



Gyuto for me too. Well, 185 for me. 

-Steve


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## Chifunda (Jul 5, 2014)

When I use a 180, it's a wa-petty. Gengetsu stainless clad white #2.


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## kiefer (Jul 5, 2014)

Home cook here. I'm definitely trending towards smaller knives.

My 240 knives tend to stay in the rack. My most used knife is a 180 Watanabe gyuto. Really great knife.


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## rick alen (Jul 5, 2014)

XooMG said:


> Smaller knives just suit the way I do most of my cutting.
> 
> In the not so distant future I'll probably do a kind of review/comparison of various smaller all-purpose knives, since they don't really get as much attention. Perhaps a little teaser?




OT but how do you rate the edge properties of the Takamura to the Carter?


Rick


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## Mingooch (Jul 5, 2014)

Home cook here, but will take a 270 any day of the week. Rarely reach for anything else


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## easy13 (Jul 5, 2014)

180 - Yoshikane SKD Hammered Gyuto


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## panda (Jul 6, 2014)

don't like dinky knives, but at home use a little one cause it doesnt take up much space.


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## XooMG (Jul 6, 2014)

rick alen said:


> OT but how do you rate the edge properties of the Takamura to the Carter?


This is something I'm going to describe in more detail when I do my reviews, but I think there are few surprises, unless one is suckered by hyperbole. Powdered stainless requires a little more work to get a great edge on, but holds a good edge for a fairly long time.

Admittedly I don't really notice night-day differences in my knives' edge longevity or in maximum attainable sharpness, and therefore don't give them so much emphasis.


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## Richard78 (Jul 6, 2014)

I am a home cook and I always use a 240, even though my kitchen isn't that big.


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## TurdMuffin (Jul 6, 2014)

I vastly prefer 240 over 210 for most stuff, but I like having my 210 be more of a tougher/workhorse knife. I wouldn't want to go any smaller unless I was really pressed for space


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## Jordanp (Jul 6, 2014)

Personally I prefer using my 210 gyuto or 180 santoku at work for most tasks espically when on the line, unless I need to prep tons of stuff then its time for the 240's.


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## Keith Sinclair (Jul 7, 2014)

panda said:


> don't like dinky knives, but at home use a little one cause it doesnt take up much space.



Even at work would see some guys using small knives, 240mm my favorite, however also kept a 270 in my kit for some jobs. Have a large endgrain at home mostly still use the 240mm


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## matt79 (Jul 7, 2014)

Back in the day I had 210mm as my main prep knife ,when I switched to 240s it was areal eureka moment have never looked back.But I have recently switched from 300mm yanagi to a 240 during service and that really works for me.At home I have tons of space,so I dont have to limit myself there.


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## mhpr262 (Jul 7, 2014)

I have two 210mm gyutos and they are nice to work with for some stuff (well, one at least, the other is kept in pristine unused condition) but in general I do find them a bit too dainty (6'3'' guy here). They would be great for most women though.

I mostly favour the 240-260mm blades, large enough for most anything and you don't need to pump much when rock-chopping (I mostly use German steel)


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## Pig-pen (Jul 7, 2014)

I work in a detail-oriented tasting menu place, and I use a 210mm "laser" gyuto every day. I never need more length, and the low height and close tip allow for very fine work. I've tried longer and thicker knives, but it feels like using a hunting knife when you need a scalpel.


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## Matus (Jul 8, 2014)

I am a home cook and while I did replace 210 gyuto with 240 because I found the 210 a bit too short for slicing, my most used knife is Carter Funayuki 167 mm (which I love dearly). Had it been 180 it would be optimal, but 167 works perfectly well. I only reach for different/smaller knife for specific tasks.


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## Keith Sinclair (Jul 11, 2014)

In my older age deff. trended to lighter motorcycles.


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## menzaremba (Jul 14, 2014)

Started off with 210mm and moved to 240mm. I have some lovely 270mm knives, buy I'm too short to use them effectively.


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## XooMG (Jul 15, 2014)

Just received two of my small knives back from rehandling.

135mm Zakuri funayuki:




This knife is just wicked awesome. Light and well balanced to feel like a kitchen scalpel, it is the kind of knife that makes you look for stuff to cut. With the bevels tweaked a bit, it's one of my best (and I think I have some good stuff). 135mm of course is on the shorter end, but it's such a brilliant little knife, I choose it over larger knives even for tasks out of its normal domain.

Carter 150ish funayuki:




I don't have a huge amount of experience with this knife, but look at how sleek that handle is...it's practically a tang condom. The knife balances very nicely and feels alive in the hand. The size is excellent for the majority of kitchen tasks, and I think the profile is pretty good for general use. As a home user, these knives sit easily on my cramped kitchen counter or around the board without me worrying about bumping it or smacking the ege into something.

I actually think my ideal "all-purpose" range is 170-180mm, but smaller knives like these are awesome for some tasks, and sometimes stretching a bit longer is a good idea.


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## 29palms (Jul 15, 2014)

Mostly 225 - 240 or 10" carbon as I have the board space. I used to use 270's, but they really are big. I have a 165mm Carter Funayuki that I use the most it's the perfect small knife. Next busiest knife is my Del paring knife I love that thing.


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## Benuser (Jul 15, 2014)

If space is limited I prefer a 190mm santoku over a 210mm gyuto, but otherwise I like a somewhat blade-heavy 270mm gyuto on a low working table. My grip has moved a bit forward. No chopping, no walking please.


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## slowtyper (Jul 15, 2014)

In my experience, in professional environments I've been in, 270 is considered huge.


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## Chevalivier (Jul 15, 2014)

My oldest knife back from my catering days was a 10in Victorinox chef knife. Since I've learned to sharpen I re-discovered it and still is the first one i'm carrying around without fear of it being damaged. I find 250 is the optimal lenght for a chef knife, large enough for practically any task and still quite nimble.

First Japanese blade was a 200 gyuto and since than i'm trending more to the bigger ones. Gyutos/chef knives wise I now have my 200, a 240, a 247 and two 250. I often cook for a lot of people and I find a 270 would be just perfect for let's stay shredding a whole cabbage. i do have a decent size end grain board, but my next purchase will probably be a even larger one (again shredding that cabbage demands space). 

Because I feel I would use it a lot (my sujis see a lot of action), I will be looking for a nice 270 gyuto next. And to complete the circle and for smaller jobs, maybe the 180 takamura R2 discussed here as it looks like a hell of a small laser.


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## aaamax (Jul 16, 2014)

270 Watanabe Gyuto when there is room. An old CCk 1102 when it's tight. 
Doing a crate of onions with anything smaller or lighter is just too much bloody work!


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## Benuser (Jul 16, 2014)

Holding a heavy 270mm.


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## jai (Jul 26, 2014)

Geeze thats a long pinch grip. Or a big hand maybe its just the camera angle


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## Benuser (Jul 26, 2014)

Hardly a big hand with a span of 8 5/8"...


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## XooMG (Jul 26, 2014)

holding a light 135:





OK I don't really hold it like that.


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## pullox (Jul 27, 2014)

For prep, at least 10" blade, makes the work a lot faster. For service, 6" slicing victorinox and the same 10" tramontina if any salicing needed. And I would really love to have an 270mm blade, I would use it for everything.

JJ


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