# if you had $1500...



## jai (Apr 19, 2013)

if you had $1500 that you could only spend on a knife what would you buy and why would you buy it? very interested to hear the responses from you guys thanks!


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## Mingooch (Apr 19, 2013)

to get the ones I really want, sadly I would need to keep saving. A rader, a DT.


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## ajhuff (Apr 19, 2013)

Rader.

-AJ


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## Jmadams13 (Apr 19, 2013)

Harner, extra tall, 270mm, preferable clipped tip. Not sure if the 1500 would cover it though. Or talk him into doing me a cleaver. Hmm... Now you got me thinking. Next time I see him I might have to talk to him, and bribe him with some f my beer.


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## Pensacola Tiger (Apr 19, 2013)

Jmadams13 said:


> Harner, extra tall, 270mm, preferable clipped tip. Not sure if the 1500 would cover it though. Or talk him into doing me a cleaver. Hmm... Now you got me thinking. Next time I see him I might have to talk to him, and bribe him with some f my beer.



You mean like this?


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## G-rat (Apr 19, 2013)

I could be wrong on the numbers but as far as I know $1500 would maybe cover 3 from Devin. 270 gyuto, 210 petty, 85mm paring all in monosteel. Mystery carbon on the gyuto and on the suji/petty and aeb-l on the paring knife.


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## Lefty (Apr 19, 2013)

You could get a couple Harners for that quid. 

Personally, I don't know what I'd do. 6 names come to mind, though.


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## apicius9 (Apr 19, 2013)

I am too cheap to spend that kind of cash on only one knife. And I probably wouldn't notice the difference between a $400 and a $1500 knife anyway. So, I'd get a decent 300mm yanagi, always liked the Watanabes but might let Jon talk me into alternatives. For the rest, i would hope to get 2 gyutos from some of the makers here on the forum, although I really would have problems to choose which makers I would give priority, they all look good in their own way. 

Stefan


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## echerub (Apr 19, 2013)

Hmm. Not much left that I want to get. Probably use that money to buy a few nice natural whetstones.


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## Jmadams13 (Apr 19, 2013)

Pensacola Tiger said:


> You mean like this?



Yup. But if he' be willing, maybe a tad taller.


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## TB_London (Apr 19, 2013)

Stainless damascus clad, high carbon core gyuto from Will


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## Lefty (Apr 19, 2013)

7 names


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## ejd53 (Apr 19, 2013)

Slowly working through the list :knife::bliss:


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## cclin (Apr 19, 2013)

Jmadams13 said:


> Harner, extra tall, 270mm, preferable clipped tip. Not sure if the 1500 would cover it though. Or talk him into doing me a cleaver. Hmm... Now you got me thinking. Next time I see him I might have to talk to him, and bribe him with some f my beer.


few months ago, Harner give me a quote for extra tall, thick spine (Nakiri-cleaver) with wa handle about $900~1000...
for me, I want "DT 52100 Damascus with Rader's forged-integral handle & Marko's saya" or "Bill Burke blade with Rader's handle & Marko's saya" or "Tsukasa Hinoura Damascus with traditional Japanese Urushi/Makie handle+saya"


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## SpikeC (Apr 19, 2013)

Burke, Devin, Micheal, something with a feather pattern, maybe?


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## Justin0505 (Apr 19, 2013)

I asked myself that question a few years ago and ended up with an amazing knife from Rader at a price and wait that is probably a thing of the past...

I've been on the Hoss's and Bill's WL's for going on 2 years now and I doubt $1500 will cover what I have in mind from either of them.

I know your initial question was for 1 knife, but I don't think that I could think of a better value than splitting between the money between the 3 M's of Martell, Marko, and Mario. You might even have enough leftover to buy some food to cut up.


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## Jmadams13 (Apr 19, 2013)

Thanks CClin. Might have to send an email tomorrow. His shop is less than 10 mins from me, so it would be convenient


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## RobinW (Apr 19, 2013)

cclin said:


> few months ago, Harner give me a quote for extra tall, thick spine (Nakiri-cleaver) with wa handle about $900~1000...



Glad i got in early...

http://i1118.photobucket.com/albums/k604/Rob98765/Collection/IMG_9302.jpg


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## WildBoar (Apr 19, 2013)

$1,500, and spend it all on one knife... Well, that is not enough for a DT or BB dammy knife, but should net you great gyuto or suji in monosteel or san mai. For something more artsy (Damascus + carving, etching, etc.), I'd go to Randy Haas, although I'm not sure if $1,500 gets you to a 240/ 270. As others have stated above, plenty of other great makers for far less then $1,500; frankly at that price point you are paying $750+ for bling. For me, I'd split the $1,500 between several of the custom makers and get a few non-dammy knives.


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## WiscoNole (Apr 19, 2013)

KS Honyaki 240 gyuto, for the perfect blade shape with added performance.


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## jai (Apr 19, 2013)

WiscoNole said:


> KS Honyaki 240 gyuto, for the perfect blade shape with added performance.



+1


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## GlassEye (Apr 19, 2013)

Jin


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## TamanegiKin (Apr 19, 2013)

Gesshin Ginga 240 western honyaki gyuto w/white mycarta handle or gesshin hide 270 honyaki wa gyuto.


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## NO ChoP! (Apr 19, 2013)

That black honyaki on the Nenohi home page looks pretty sweet!


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## orange (Apr 19, 2013)

nenohi honyaki yanagiba


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## Zwiefel (Apr 19, 2013)

I'd probably have a long discussion with a customer maker about current collection and preferences...then tell them to surprise me.

Probably DT given my recent experience there....and a peek at some of his work in person.


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## panda (Apr 20, 2013)

i'd try to do some kind of full custom. konosuke g3 steel with DT heat treat, masamoto do the grind/profile, dave martell do the wa handle (treated cherry wood, mahogany ferrule)
250mm from heel to tip


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## Mike9 (Apr 20, 2013)

So many custom makers here it would not be hard to do - well the choosing would be hard, but hey that's why they invented the quarter right? Heads 1 wins, tails 1 looses. Off the top of my head I can't see myself owning a $1500 knife although I own guitars and amps worth more than that. Hmmm . . . I'll have to rethink my priorities I guess - :lol2:


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## Lefty (Apr 20, 2013)

Jmadams13 said:


> Thanks CClin. Might have to send an email tomorrow. His shop is less than 10 mins from me, so it would be convenient



If I lived ten minutes from Butch, I'd be there every day, just like that annoying neighbor kid who decides to crawl under your car on the passenger side, when you're underneath it on the driver's side reattaching a mount, in turn scaring the total crap out of you, causing you to drop a damned torque wrench on your face!


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## chuck239 (Apr 20, 2013)

TamanegiKin said:


> Gesshin Ginga 240 western honyaki gyuto w/white mycarta handle or gesshin hide 270 honyaki wa gyuto.



Hey those are my knives! (Minus the micarta handle). But yes, those would be 2 of my top choices! And a Burke or rader as my American picks.


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## jigert (Apr 20, 2013)

RobinW said:


> Glad i got in early...
> 
> http://i1118.photobucket.com/albums/k604/Rob98765/Collection/IMG_9302.jpg


Vafalls, Robin! You have a Harner cleaver? That or the the gyuto-itsuke Rick has would be my way to go for sure, if I had that kind of money !


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## zitangy (Apr 20, 2013)

My choice wld be either

Top choice..

1. A William Catheside custom damascus chinese chef's knife to my specs. Damascus knife calls for extra work, knowledge and skill. I have no complaints whatsoever as to his workmanship save for the occassional "happy accident". I have collected his earlier pieces and also the recent ones and noted his development in knife making. Must say that he has a very steep learning curve and he experiments quite a fair bit. His cutting videos is also a reminder of his progress and determination. Come to think of it, which other knife maker makes their own cutting videos for the respective pieces? I must look up this point.

http://www.kitchenknifeforums.com/showthread.php/9336-Composite-damascus-cleaver-WIP

Since the mighty British Pound is high these these, it has to be clobbered in due due course to fit in the price range.

On my bucket list is to go and do the finial assembly and grinding of a knife. This wld be my choice

2, HHH. Million layer damascus. As it wld be a true conversational piece. Literally , you got to put alot of sweat into it. I still admire the 68,000 layer Catcheside Petty

http://www.kitchenknifeforums.com/showthread.php/4205-240mm-Damascus-Petty-available

Justin beat me to it for the feather version. Both of us are waiting for either one of us to sell to each other.

Have fun..

rgds
d


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## sharkbite111 (Apr 20, 2013)

$1500? 3 inches from Bob Kramer  Not sure he makes a paring knife...

Chris


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## mhlee (Apr 20, 2013)

chuck239 said:


> Hey those are my knives! (Minus the micarta handle). But yes, those would be 2 of my top choices! And a Burke or rader as my American picks.



Yeah, yeah, yeah. You're always ruining it for the rest of us, aren't you, Chuck? :razz:


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## wenus2 (Apr 20, 2013)

sharkbite111 said:


> $1500? 3 inches from Bob Kramer  Not sure he makes a paring knife...
> 
> Chris



Sounds like a disappointing date. :tease:


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## Dream Burls (Apr 20, 2013)

wenus2 said:


> Sounds like a disappointing date. :tease:


This might be the best reply on KKF I've ever seen. LMAO!


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## ajhuff (Apr 20, 2013)

ajhuff said:


> Rader.
> 
> -AJ



But truthfully, if I had $1500 I'd be happy with the knives I already own and I'd buy another motorcycle.

-AJ


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## Marko Tsourkan (Apr 20, 2013)

I would buy 75Lb of PM stainless steel. Should be good for about 70 knives. Good ones.

M


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## sharkbite111 (Apr 20, 2013)

wenus2 said:


> Sounds like a disappointing date. :tease:



LOL!! too funny

Chris


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## Von blewitt (Apr 21, 2013)

Heiji Maguro bocho


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## kinkoz (Apr 21, 2013)

I will buy round trip air tickets to Japan for $1200, and pick up a knife for $300, and come back home.... LOL :doublethumbsup:


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## stopbarking (Apr 21, 2013)

Catcheside San Mai 270 Gyuto with virtually no belly.
HHH Damascus (Haas Choice) 150 petty with a pretty tall heel almost like a honesuki. Double bevel.


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## JKerr (Apr 21, 2013)

Maybe a Jin deba from JKI, Shigefusa chuckabocho, Sugimoto SHM knives. Perhaps a mix of the green bone handled nenox knives; I've been lusting over those since I seen them, but there's no way I can justify the cost. I think I'd probably blow it on knives I've been curious about rather than the tried and tested.

Either that or a couple rhino chops, it's all good.

Cheers,
Josh


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## Amon-Rukh (Apr 22, 2013)

With the qualification of spending it all on a single knife, I'd probably give Mr. Rader a call.


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## Crothcipt (Apr 22, 2013)

JKerr said:


> Either that or a couple rhino chops, it's all good.
> 
> Cheers,
> Josh



:scared2::sofa:eepwall::yuck::spitcoffee:


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## eaglerock (Apr 22, 2013)

2 Shigefusa then rehandle them. stones with the change


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## pkjames (Apr 23, 2013)

taking the advantage of low japanese yen, i just made a purchase of 4 kasumi shigs, 300 yanagi, 240 gyuto, 210 usaba, 180 deba. added up to about $1600, $100 over budget


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## cclin (Apr 23, 2013)

kinkoz said:


> I will buy round trip air tickets to Japan for $1200, and pick up a knife for $300, and come back home.... LOL :doublethumbsup:





eaglerock said:


> 2 Shigefusa then rehandle them. stones with the change





pkjames said:


> taking the advantage of low japanese yen, i just made a purchase of 4 kasumi shigs, 300 yanagi, 240 gyuto, 210 usaba, 180 deba. added up to about $1600, $100 over budget



all you guys broken the rule! OP said "spend $1500 on one knife":groucho:


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## zitangy (Apr 23, 2013)

pkjames said:


> taking the advantage of low japanese yen, i just made a purchase of 4 kasumi shigs, 300 yanagi, 240 gyuto, 210 usaba, 180 deba. added up to about $1600, $100 over budget



thats very smart of you... the yen exchange rate has depreciated from USD1 =76 yen Sept 2012. Currently the rate is about USD1 =close to 99yen. When the market was booming.. the prices of steel has rocketed and so did the Knife makers in spite of their stronger Yen. In nspite of the drop in steel prices they didnt adjust their price downwards. Thus they need not adjust their prices with their weaker yen and still be profitable... for time being.

IN other words, suppliers buying *new stocks* wld get it cheaper or you buy directly in Japan you get the killer discount.. courtesy of the exchange rate; thanks to "Abenomics"

Come to think of it made in Japan Goods shld be cheaper and the Koreans are bitching abt the exchange rate.

Out of interest.. in late 1980s the exchange rate was USD1 =240Yen!! it has appreciated significantly.

rgds
d


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## pkjames (Apr 23, 2013)

cclin said:


> all you guys broken the rule! OP said "spend $1500 on one knife":groucho:



my bad.:bigeek::lol2:
i think Mr. Doi's honyaki yanagi would be high on my list


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## Seth (Apr 23, 2013)

I kind of like that giant shig usuba that Maxim has. BTW, this is a kind of wish thread and if you have something that someone here wants, you have to send to them!.... Now! Those are interweb rules.


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## marc4pt0 (Apr 23, 2013)

maybe a good starting point for trying to bribe a certain forum member out of his DT feather Damascus scimitar ....:sofa:


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## Jmadams13 (Apr 23, 2013)

RobinW said:


> Glad i got in early...
> 
> http://i1118.photobucket.com/albums/k604/Rob98765/Collection/IMG_9302.jpg



Passaround on that cleaver, lol. Might solidify where my tax return is going...


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## JPizzzle (Apr 24, 2013)

$1500 can barely buy 1" of a bob kramer custom. $15,000 is more realistic if you want a high quality kitchen knife. :happymug: :knife:


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## Marko Tsourkan (Apr 24, 2013)

JPizzzle said:


> $1500 can barely buy 1" of a bob kramer custom. $15,000 is more realistic if you want a high quality kitchen knife. :happymug: :knife:



Please define "high-quality". Is Kramer going to cut 30x better than a $500 high-quality knife? 

If going by pure performance, one is paying 14.5K for the name, labor and skill it takes produce the steel, and collector's value perhaps, and the rest for quality and performance. 

It is possible I don't understand what high-quality is, as I look at knives through the prism of performance rather than appearance.


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## Dream Burls (Apr 24, 2013)

Marko Tsourkan said:


> Please define "high-quality". Is Kramer going to cut 30x better than a $500 high-quality knife?
> 
> If going by pure performance, one is paying 14.5K for the name, labor and skill it takes produce the steel, and collector's value perhaps, and the rest for quality and performance.
> 
> It is possible I don't understand what high-quality is, as I look at knives through the prism of performance rather than appearance.


+1


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## Zwiefel (Apr 24, 2013)

Marko Tsourkan said:


> I look at knives through the prism of performance rather than appearance.



hmmmm....you seem to think that knives are tools that have a specific function in the scope of accomplishing a larger objective. :happymug:

Me too....but pretty is OK...and you do pretty quite well.


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## JPizzzle (Apr 24, 2013)

Marko Tsourkan said:


> Please define "high-quality". Is Kramer going to cut 30x better than a $500 high-quality knife?
> 
> If going by pure performance, one is paying 14.5K for the name, labor and skill it takes produce the steel, and collector's value perhaps, and the rest for quality and performance.
> 
> It is possible I don't understand what high-quality is, as I look at knives through the prism of performance rather than appearance.



Geez, guys I was :justkidding: lol


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## Crothcipt (Apr 24, 2013)

I have been pondering this for about a month now. I recently received a small sum of money, and have been wondering if I wanted to get something at about that range. But there is many bills yet to pay so I will be thinking for a while.


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## Marko Tsourkan (Apr 24, 2013)

I do think that knives are tools first and foremost, and each of the makers has our own idea of aesthetic appeal - some call it rustic and skip a few steps, and some go to a various length finishing a blade or doing intricate handles that are more for an appearance than for utility (for instance handles that look great but are uncomfortable or too small). 

I thought that qualities like steel, HT, profile, geometry, ergonomics of a handle, fit and finish etc. are given for a quality knife, but maybe not. It tools world, it's simple - the best performing tools get the best reputation.


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## WildBoar (Apr 24, 2013)

I think the issue is kitchen knives can be artwork in addition to being tools. In fact, some are mainly artwork, and have poor tool-related utility. I think you should only exceed $500-700 for a handmade monosteel gyuto because you have chosen to add artistic elements. Maybe you could argue san mai construction is a performance enhancement that is worth some extra $$$ beyond that, but Damascus, mokume, carvings, exotic handle materials, etc. are extra $$$ items on top of the base "tool price" that should only be added because the buyer wants those additions of handmade art. Is the value of these items worth the extra cost? Hard to say, as each potential future buyer in the used market will put their own value on things like that.


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## mpukas (Apr 25, 2013)

This


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