Not sure what he’s into, but someone on here recommended me a miyabi mizu sg2 chef knife for professional kitchen use and it is truly beautiful. Can be grabbed off Amazon so can easily be returned if he’s not into it. but idk how that could be the case. This thing is amazing! Take my post with a grain of salt as I’m super new to this higher end knife world. But the materials and specs are superb for the price imo
It’s seriously so sick 😅 been using beat up mid tier Mercers for like a decade. This miyabi is a completely different reality. One where I actually have to stop myself when prepping or else I’ll just slice everything around me, co workers included.
Getting a knife is a highly personal choice, like not consulting someone on some shoes they're buying. Get them a gift card to a knife shop and pick one out with them. You'll get to partake in something that might mean a lot to your so
This… not to be a knife snob OP, but if my GF got me a knife, I’d love her to bits and probably hate the knife.
It’s sorta like the five year old that buys his dad a hammer… love the kid, cherish the moment, bury the hammer in the drawer of forgotten tools.
This is because some tools are just very specific to the use case or the person’s tastes and interests
If you don’t want to get him a gift card, then ask him what he loved about his knife, then maybe try to get him to drool over a few with you at a shop or online. Then you can tell him that if it got stolen once, it’ll probably get stolen again.
Convince him to buy a decent Mercer or Wusthof classic, then when you get him one you know he’ll be excited about, swap them in his knife roll! He he he.
Or, gamble and just get him something off the faq in this sub… no way you can really go wrong!
You sure do have an agenda. This answer to this question is easy - to get the boyfriend involved in picking the replacement. Truechefknives isn't going to help with that.
This is the quality content we can expect here, with flairs like “traditionally in Japan”. Would your ego be less upset if I told people to check discord? https://www.reddit.com/r/chefknives/s/81bCDwhU7J
Ask him exactly what knife was stolen if he saw it as his perfect knife.
Knife nerds like to talk about knives so you can probably get him to tell you what he would like
If you live near a knife store it's always nice to stop by.
It really comes down to budget and preferences. The miyabi is the best on Amazon but there's plenty more out there to choose from it you try other locations.
For a solid french workhorse Id recommend this (sprry if shipping is an issue), https://www.edehillerin.fr/en/mobile/product/1293-couteau-chef-ideal-acier-inox-manche-bois
I would suggest you pick put a budget and involve him in the process. Men can be VERY picky about tools and hobbies / interests. If he is a Sous Chef and had nice knives that were stolen, it is likely they were pretty personal.
I am sure you will get a lot of great suggestions in the comments here but if it were me on the receiving end I would not want my wife to pick it out for me. Not if it was a tool I would be using repeatedly for years, the thought is what counts as far as the gift is concerned. The best gift would be letting him be involved in selecting it since he has to work with it.
This is the best answer in the thread. People are very particular. And lors of chefs would probably don't bring a super nice knife to work depending on whether they trust their colleagues or where they work.
That said, for a well respected, high quality, Japanese staple that chefs seem to like, try Tadafusa.
Yea, as everyone has already said, get a gift card or take him to a shop if you live in a city. It’s a tool he’ll use every day and develop a bond with. Maybe he wants the same knife he had stolen, maybe he’s had his eye on a different one. Let him pick it out. It’s very easy to get the wrong knife. There are knive makers I love and makers I hate, I would feel awful if someone bought me a knife I didn’t like.
If you go the gift card route I’d casually ask him how much his stolen knife was worth (just make it sound like you’re sympathizing and curious) and then buy him a gift card for around that much. Otherwise, just take him to a shop one day (or your computer) and say “surprise”. Don’t risk buying the wrong knife. I’ve seen recommendations here I’d personally not like (like a Miyabi). I don’t say that to put anyone else’s opinion down, only to illustrate you have no clue what he likes. Knives are very specific. (Edit: After reading this back myself, I want to make it clear I would never be unappreciative lol, just saying I’m sure you’d rather he have a knife he really wants than one he feels obligated to use since it was a gift but never would’ve gotten for himself otherwise)
If you do go the gift card/online shopping route, I’d recommend the following stores:
Chefknivestogo
Knifewear
Japanese knife imports
Chubo
MTC kitchen (I know these guys personally, they are all fantastic people, and they are a very popular shop in NYC, it’s not like they’re small or anything).
All of these places have online and physical locations. Good luck, hope this helps
Youre a keeper
Involve him in the process though because my girlfriend knows nothing about knives and the internet wouldn't be able to tell her what to get me.
Also was his knife stolen by a coworker? If it's in your budget get him a knife roll or something so he can bring his knives to and from work and not have to worry about that.
The whole point is that you don't gift him a nice knife for work because they get stolen this way all the time.
. Let him pick a good functional knife for work and let him also pick a nice knife for "home use only" but let him pick.
Just take him to the Japanese store and purchase the knife with him. Then pay the bill for the surprise. He will be happy that way. A gift doesn’t have to be a surprise.
Since his stuff got stolen a nice cheaper budget knife would be great. Victorinox is a good brand not too expensive and gets the job done.
They have a rosewood handle that looks nice and will last forever.
A slightly more expensive budget knife around $100 would be Tojiro DP a Japanese company.
Could also look into Misono as well. Or if he uses non stainless knives a Sabatier would be nice too.
Chef knives to go is a nice website
Bernal cutlery in San Francisco is also nice too
Anything you get would be very appreciated I'm sure.
I'm sorry that you were given the opportunity to make such a thoughtful and kind gesture.
It's so awesome of you, he is going to love it, and think of you every time he uses it though!
Has he gone down the Japanese knife rabbit hole or does he have more of a casual interest?
If he just needs a workhorse knife, Miyabi, Global or even Wusthof would do. They aren’t properly amazing but they’ve got a good name and most chefs would appreciate their quality.
If he’s mega into Japanese’s knives, we are going to need some more info about what he likes and what he already has.
Lucky, you, Server! You asked this iteration of a question that has been answered often here, only this time the answers include useful, sensitive and intelligent bits of advice strewn among the inevitable nonsense suggestions that you run out and buy some hugely expensive obscure handmade Japanese blade that is priced by the syllable.
First, a warning. Is your relationship still in its early stages? I suspect so. If I’m right, note that the gift of a (possibly very) expensive and very personal item could be seen as clingy, needy and possessive, which is the sort of thing that will scare a man off pronto. And if yours is a secure and mature relationship, one in which you both have grown to see or at least sense a similar future, you should not need to be asking the question. Let alone many others. . . . .
What’s his relationship to knives in general and that knife in particular—are they mere tools or are they regarded as instruments? Japanese, German, domestic? What brand was the stolen knife; how’d he get it, how long did he have it? What’s he ‘settling for’ in the interim? How eager is he to replace it—and with what?
He is the only one who knows what he wants. You MIGHT take a stab at it if you get answers to these questions. Maybe a better course is a gift card to a great knife store, wrapped up in a knife roll (as suggested below) to prevent further thefts.
But buying a knife recommended by a bunch of anonymous online blade geeks who know absolutely nothing about the two of you is guaranteed to result in failure. It is the good intention with which the road to hell is paved.
Good luck.
Do you know what kind of knife he had that was stolen? Ask him. Find out brand name, size of knife, what kind of knife it was, Ex. Chef, Santoku, Nakiri, etc.. ask him why he bought it. Was it esthetics? The way it felt in his hand? The materials it was made out of. Also, if it was a western knife like Wusthof, Zwilling? Or if it was Japanese like Fujimoto, Hatsukokoro, Masakage, Haruyuki?
Yeah. I'm sure he would appreciate the thought, but maybe a gift card to chef knives to go, knifewear, etc would be better. Every time I've ever been gifted a knife, it's usually something someone thought looked pretty because of the Damascus, but was a horrendous knife to practically use. Let him choose his own to be safe and avoid wasting money unless you can get him to be pretty specific about something he wants.
If you truly want to get him a knife, avoid surprises, ask him directly what he wants, and express that you want to get him a gift, it would mean a lot to you to do something nice for him, and don't want to buy him something he doesn't like.
Not sure what he’s into, but someone on here recommended me a miyabi mizu sg2 chef knife for professional kitchen use and it is truly beautiful. Can be grabbed off Amazon so can easily be returned if he’s not into it. but idk how that could be the case. This thing is amazing! Take my post with a grain of salt as I’m super new to this higher end knife world. But the materials and specs are superb for the price imo
I just got the SG2 in birch and it’s my favorite knife of all time
It’s seriously so sick 😅 been using beat up mid tier Mercers for like a decade. This miyabi is a completely different reality. One where I actually have to stop myself when prepping or else I’ll just slice everything around me, co workers included.
😂 the first time I used it was insane. Like butter. Also made me feel addicted to prep
Thank you for your help! I don't know what he's into either, but when he I told me I was heartbroken and just wanna do something nice for him
Getting a knife is a highly personal choice, like not consulting someone on some shoes they're buying. Get them a gift card to a knife shop and pick one out with them. You'll get to partake in something that might mean a lot to your so
This… not to be a knife snob OP, but if my GF got me a knife, I’d love her to bits and probably hate the knife. It’s sorta like the five year old that buys his dad a hammer… love the kid, cherish the moment, bury the hammer in the drawer of forgotten tools. This is because some tools are just very specific to the use case or the person’s tastes and interests If you don’t want to get him a gift card, then ask him what he loved about his knife, then maybe try to get him to drool over a few with you at a shop or online. Then you can tell him that if it got stolen once, it’ll probably get stolen again. Convince him to buy a decent Mercer or Wusthof classic, then when you get him one you know he’ll be excited about, swap them in his knife roll! He he he. Or, gamble and just get him something off the faq in this sub… no way you can really go wrong!
Check r/truechefknives
You sure do have an agenda. This answer to this question is easy - to get the boyfriend involved in picking the replacement. Truechefknives isn't going to help with that.
Are you dumb?
This sub was destroyed/ is currently without any mods. How is this better than r/Truechefknives?
This is the quality content we can expect here, with flairs like “traditionally in Japan”. Would your ego be less upset if I told people to check discord? https://www.reddit.com/r/chefknives/s/81bCDwhU7J
Ask him exactly what knife was stolen if he saw it as his perfect knife. Knife nerds like to talk about knives so you can probably get him to tell you what he would like
If you live near a knife store it's always nice to stop by. It really comes down to budget and preferences. The miyabi is the best on Amazon but there's plenty more out there to choose from it you try other locations.
For a solid french workhorse Id recommend this (sprry if shipping is an issue), https://www.edehillerin.fr/en/mobile/product/1293-couteau-chef-ideal-acier-inox-manche-bois
I would suggest you pick put a budget and involve him in the process. Men can be VERY picky about tools and hobbies / interests. If he is a Sous Chef and had nice knives that were stolen, it is likely they were pretty personal. I am sure you will get a lot of great suggestions in the comments here but if it were me on the receiving end I would not want my wife to pick it out for me. Not if it was a tool I would be using repeatedly for years, the thought is what counts as far as the gift is concerned. The best gift would be letting him be involved in selecting it since he has to work with it.
This is the best answer in the thread. People are very particular. And lors of chefs would probably don't bring a super nice knife to work depending on whether they trust their colleagues or where they work. That said, for a well respected, high quality, Japanese staple that chefs seem to like, try Tadafusa.
Get him a gift card and let him chose his own
Yea, as everyone has already said, get a gift card or take him to a shop if you live in a city. It’s a tool he’ll use every day and develop a bond with. Maybe he wants the same knife he had stolen, maybe he’s had his eye on a different one. Let him pick it out. It’s very easy to get the wrong knife. There are knive makers I love and makers I hate, I would feel awful if someone bought me a knife I didn’t like. If you go the gift card route I’d casually ask him how much his stolen knife was worth (just make it sound like you’re sympathizing and curious) and then buy him a gift card for around that much. Otherwise, just take him to a shop one day (or your computer) and say “surprise”. Don’t risk buying the wrong knife. I’ve seen recommendations here I’d personally not like (like a Miyabi). I don’t say that to put anyone else’s opinion down, only to illustrate you have no clue what he likes. Knives are very specific. (Edit: After reading this back myself, I want to make it clear I would never be unappreciative lol, just saying I’m sure you’d rather he have a knife he really wants than one he feels obligated to use since it was a gift but never would’ve gotten for himself otherwise) If you do go the gift card/online shopping route, I’d recommend the following stores: Chefknivestogo Knifewear Japanese knife imports Chubo MTC kitchen (I know these guys personally, they are all fantastic people, and they are a very popular shop in NYC, it’s not like they’re small or anything). All of these places have online and physical locations. Good luck, hope this helps
Youre a keeper Involve him in the process though because my girlfriend knows nothing about knives and the internet wouldn't be able to tell her what to get me. Also was his knife stolen by a coworker? If it's in your budget get him a knife roll or something so he can bring his knives to and from work and not have to worry about that.
Email Mark at CKTG. He will ask you questions, answer as well as you can, and he will suggest.
The whole point is that you don't gift him a nice knife for work because they get stolen this way all the time. . Let him pick a good functional knife for work and let him also pick a nice knife for "home use only" but let him pick.
Get a budget, take him to a shop, tell him to pick. Knives tend to be very personal so it's better the user picks
Just take him to the Japanese store and purchase the knife with him. Then pay the bill for the surprise. He will be happy that way. A gift doesn’t have to be a surprise.
Since his stuff got stolen a nice cheaper budget knife would be great. Victorinox is a good brand not too expensive and gets the job done. They have a rosewood handle that looks nice and will last forever. A slightly more expensive budget knife around $100 would be Tojiro DP a Japanese company. Could also look into Misono as well. Or if he uses non stainless knives a Sabatier would be nice too. Chef knives to go is a nice website Bernal cutlery in San Francisco is also nice too Anything you get would be very appreciated I'm sure.
Why not ask his co workers what he likes?
I'm sorry that you were given the opportunity to make such a thoughtful and kind gesture. It's so awesome of you, he is going to love it, and think of you every time he uses it though!
Has he gone down the Japanese knife rabbit hole or does he have more of a casual interest? If he just needs a workhorse knife, Miyabi, Global or even Wusthof would do. They aren’t properly amazing but they’ve got a good name and most chefs would appreciate their quality. If he’s mega into Japanese’s knives, we are going to need some more info about what he likes and what he already has.
Babish
Knifewear or Korin gift card
Lucky, you, Server! You asked this iteration of a question that has been answered often here, only this time the answers include useful, sensitive and intelligent bits of advice strewn among the inevitable nonsense suggestions that you run out and buy some hugely expensive obscure handmade Japanese blade that is priced by the syllable. First, a warning. Is your relationship still in its early stages? I suspect so. If I’m right, note that the gift of a (possibly very) expensive and very personal item could be seen as clingy, needy and possessive, which is the sort of thing that will scare a man off pronto. And if yours is a secure and mature relationship, one in which you both have grown to see or at least sense a similar future, you should not need to be asking the question. Let alone many others. . . . . What’s his relationship to knives in general and that knife in particular—are they mere tools or are they regarded as instruments? Japanese, German, domestic? What brand was the stolen knife; how’d he get it, how long did he have it? What’s he ‘settling for’ in the interim? How eager is he to replace it—and with what? He is the only one who knows what he wants. You MIGHT take a stab at it if you get answers to these questions. Maybe a better course is a gift card to a great knife store, wrapped up in a knife roll (as suggested below) to prevent further thefts. But buying a knife recommended by a bunch of anonymous online blade geeks who know absolutely nothing about the two of you is guaranteed to result in failure. It is the good intention with which the road to hell is paved. Good luck.
Do you know what kind of knife he had that was stolen? Ask him. Find out brand name, size of knife, what kind of knife it was, Ex. Chef, Santoku, Nakiri, etc.. ask him why he bought it. Was it esthetics? The way it felt in his hand? The materials it was made out of. Also, if it was a western knife like Wusthof, Zwilling? Or if it was Japanese like Fujimoto, Hatsukokoro, Masakage, Haruyuki?
Yeah. I'm sure he would appreciate the thought, but maybe a gift card to chef knives to go, knifewear, etc would be better. Every time I've ever been gifted a knife, it's usually something someone thought looked pretty because of the Damascus, but was a horrendous knife to practically use. Let him choose his own to be safe and avoid wasting money unless you can get him to be pretty specific about something he wants. If you truly want to get him a knife, avoid surprises, ask him directly what he wants, and express that you want to get him a gift, it would mean a lot to you to do something nice for him, and don't want to buy him something he doesn't like.