DP Gyutou - 9.4" (24cm)

Victorinox Fibrox Chef's knife Wüsthof Classic Chef's knife Tojiro DP Gyuto These are perfect for culinary school and you can always get a more expensive knife after culinary school. In case you need to purchase more knives (like a small office knife or a bread knife), I would stick to the Victorino

Skip the set — it is the most common mistake home cooks make and I will explain why. Most knife sets include 6-8 knives where you realistically use 2. You end up with a block full of average knives instead of one or two genuinely good ones. The money is better spent on fewer, better blades. What a h

Just bought a used Tojiro DP 240mm on eBay for my wife for $90. Just needed sharpening. I presume I’m not special and there are deals to be had like this. I think it is an amazing value after getting it razor sharp.

Get a tojiro dp gyuto. As a main knife/chef knife you will want something good and easy to sharpen (and gyuto are way easier than western knives with a bolster). Tojiro DP is just insane in quality/price. You can get a beater (victorinox/sanelli/whatever) to do heavy duty stuff.

Great budget for a first Japanese Gyuto — right in the sweet spot where performance and aesthetics both start getting genuinely impressive. At £100-160 in the UK you have three solid options depending on what matters most: If performance is the priority — MAC Professional Gyuto 210mm (~£110-130) Pro

For solid and affordable knives, look at Tojiro, Takayuki, and MAC. All you need initially is a Gyuto (210mm or 240mm), and you can survive with a cheap paring knife/petty for awhile - victorinox paring knives are super affordable. This in 210mm or 240mm might be ideal: https://japaneseknifecompany.