I’ve always wanted a hammer forged Japanese Chef’s knife. Finally got one. 210mm Gyuto, hand made in Echizen Japan. 3 layers of steel. Hair splitting razor sharp.
They have a good waiting list system if you see something you like thats sold out, which many are. CKTG also has a sharpening service. All of these knives come sharp, but if you want it perfect, you can add the sharpening service to your cart. The Japanese artisans figure if you are purchasing one of these, you already know how to sharpen it. All I had to do was spend 10 minutes on a leather strop with fine compound to get it razor sharp.
No they’re not cheap. I have a big heavy Henckel chef’s knife. (which wasn’t cheap either) This has much better balance and almost feels like an extension of your arm.
They are made one by one, and you can see the heart and sole that goes into making it. Wrapped in their local newspaper, almost makes you feel like you’re part of the family once you own one.
Got a blue Victorinox Farmer today, bought on Ebay. I only once had a SAK with saw and I lost it many years ago. Many knives later I now wanted back the saw because I miss it regularly. The Farmer has what I need and has the saw. I found a nice blue one, probably old stock but brand new, it has some flower logo on the blade but that is ok with me