# Who makes the best WH knives



## enrico l (Oct 24, 2022)

Looking at western makers mostly. Who’s at the top? I’m talking thicc WH.


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## captaincaed (Oct 24, 2022)

Rob Trimarchi and Dan Bidinger are my favorites.


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## esoo (Oct 24, 2022)

You may want to define what your personal definition of workhorse is.

Based on the knives I've handled and my preferences, I would probably go for a ShiHan is if wanted a workhorse knife.


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## enrico l (Oct 24, 2022)

esoo said:


> You may want to define what your personal definition of workhorse is.
> 
> Based on the knives I've handled and my preferences, I would probably go for a ShiHan is if wanted a workhorse knife.


Thicc, like Rob’s grinds. JNS WH grind, Markos WH


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## Bico Doce (Oct 24, 2022)

In addition to the great makers already listed

The usual suspects - Halcyon Forge, Xerxes

Under the radar workhorses - Milan (you dont see many from him but they are fantastic), Bazes


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## Choppin (Oct 24, 2022)

Haven't tried them all but I've tried a few of Tsourkan's WH and they impressed me every time...


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## labor of love (Oct 24, 2022)

Kato


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## gentiscid (Oct 24, 2022)

Different rabbit hole… Bazes, Halcyon, Lundberg, Isasmedjan… and 99 other good ones lol


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## blokey (Oct 24, 2022)

Shi.Han, cuts as smooth as a laser, tough as a hammer, bonus if you got the wrought iron or telegraph wire cladding.


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## M1k3 (Oct 24, 2022)

Custom @Kippington


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## Troopah_Knives (Oct 24, 2022)

I'd second Halcyon and Bazes. I'm sure the others mentioned here are good as well. Those are just the ones I've had a chance to handle. It's not a WH but I've got a Suji from @Vasco Veríssimo which is one of the best I've had the chance to handle I bet he can do a mean WH.


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## timebard (Oct 24, 2022)

Of what I've tried, Prendergast integral and HVB are pretty optimized for thicc and cutting well. Gotta second @M1k3 on a @Kippington WH though, can't imagine you could go wrong there.


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## daveb (Oct 24, 2022)

Marko.

Next question?

(I've actually not tried a Shihan and would like to. Not thot of them as workhorse)


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## Mlan (Oct 24, 2022)

The nine, Goldeband, HF, Bazes. Yanick, Milan all make amazing WH’s that perform top of the line


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## IsoJ (Oct 24, 2022)

Kippington WH


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## Benuser (Oct 24, 2022)

If you're looking for a strong distal taper — think Sab — AND a reasonably forward balance with a great food release: Prendergast.


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## blokey (Oct 24, 2022)

M1k3 said:


> Custom @Kippington


Can someone ship him a container full of ApexUltra?


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## M1k3 (Oct 24, 2022)

blokey said:


> Can someone ship him a container full of ApexUltra?


Slip in a bar of 15V for 270mm Gyuto and I'm in!


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## enrico l (Oct 25, 2022)

I need Kippington to make a lefty


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## Naftoor (Oct 25, 2022)

Depends, what are your thoughts on distal taper? I personally have to have it on work horses, but I know it isn’t necessarily a classic feature (see old school Ku watanabes for example. Not much distal taper there) 

I’ve got catcheside, markin, prendergast, karys, and shihan in my collection as far as westerns workhorses go. 

Catcheside: The version I have falls into the ku watanabe realm. Heavy, some but no extreme distal taper. Performs well regardless, and if you go the custom route he can absolutely squeeze every drop out of distal taper that you want (check out his pettys if you want proof of that) 

Markin: The heaviest knife in my collection per mm, and also the best performing. It is an otherworldly blade and grind, and I were to go for another workhorse at this point it’ll be one of his. His bang for the buck is also phenomenal, and probably the best in the west, similar to spare a few years back but obviously with very different grinds. Absurd amounts of distal taper squeezed out of this thing, and yet every part cuts phenomenally

Prendergast: I’d heard on Reddit from folks not being datisified with his new knives, I can’t speak to them. I can speak to one of his older, larger pieces I have. It is an absolutely phenomenal cutter, great distal taper. Wonderful knife with one my favorite methods of finishing wood I’ve run into that makes it so comfy to hold. Also the filthy wrought he uses has huge amounts of character 

Karys: Most visually striking of any maker in my collection. I have what he called his first workhorse. It performs quite well, there are a few areas that could be improved that I provided feedback to him on for future workhorses, but it falls between the non-distal taper WH and the extreme distal taper WH categories. Tip does quite well for small to medium onions. Definitely the showiest piece of them all if you’re into that. His designs are unmistakeable and the fit and finish is impeccable. 

Shihan: I haven’t tested getting a custom from markin yet, but shihan was significantly easier than the other 3 on the list. A couple quick emails, a few months waiting. Like with many makers schedules slipped and I was waiting a few extra months, I had kinda given up on the knife (although he doesn’t take a deposit) when he emailed me asking about handle preferences and a few days later it was done. I picked it up to have one full stainless piece in my collection, it seems to do well in my testing. It follows the line of my giant catcheside in that the distal taper isn’t anything extreme (I actually asked for extra since I’ve read many folks on here who did heavy thinning sessions in the tip section). Frankly if I were working in a professional setting, it’s probably what I would go with purely because it’s fully stainless. 

So that’s my two cents. I’d still be chasing a prendergast for the character of the knife if I hadn’t snagged this one. My collection has a soft spot for catchesides for reasons I don’t fully understand so I’ll never stop chasing them. If I were in an industrial setting where I’m processing tons of whatever on a given day, I’d go with shihan. Primarily due to the lack of reactivity since I imagine hours of cutting anything acidic like tomato’s would do hell on a carbon. If I was a home cook looking for the best performing knife grind, I would go markin, who in my opinion does a better Sanjo grind than the actual sanjo smiths.


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## daniel_il (Oct 25, 2022)

kipp, marko, shihan all are great depends on your profile or height preference. iv'e seen yanick mentioned but its way thinner usually


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## enrico l (Oct 26, 2022)

Really interested in the Markin WH now. Such a beefcake


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## SirCutAlot (Oct 26, 2022)

The best workhorse ? My old Dick for sure  

SirCutALot


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## blokey (Oct 27, 2022)

The Markin Russian chef is super tempting, 1cm at the start of the spine yet cutting potato sliently, really want to try one.


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## Keith Sinclair (Oct 27, 2022)

It would not pass KKF standards but I love it for work horse duties. Mono Carbon K- Sabatier 10". Soft carbon 56hrt. Use it most mornings to cut up frozen fruit for smoothie. Add vanilla base vegetable protein.Other super foods, flax meal, chia seeds, hemp hearts, Hawaiian spirulina. Almond milk cold water.


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