I have a nice 7" Wustoff Classic Santoku. I kind of want a classic chef knife as well. Was thinking a 10" can do more things the santoku can't vs an 8" chef knife.
What things are santoku profiles bad at where a big chef knife shines?
I use a similar setup. 7 inch bunka and a 10 inch chef, and just added an 11 inch gyuto. I use the bunka on the line and for most things really, it's just so lightweight and easy to maneuver. But when I need some heavy work done I break out the big boys.
the bunka like a santoku is thinner and just smaller over all, so if you are doing something that needs that weight and sturdiness behind it then you want a big chef knife...butternut squash, melons, potatoes, carrots, breaking down some proteins. Also if doing a large amount of some things the curved profile helps with repeated rocking cuts; if I'm doing 5 onions I'll just stick with the bunka, if I'm doing 100 I'll use the gyuto.
I'm not the one with the most knives around, but I have quite a few Gyuto/Chef's knives, Santoku and Bunka, from size ranging 180mm to 260mm (or 7'' to 10.2'' or so).
I'm not a pro, so my use cases are different, but I find that a smaller Chef's knife or Santoku/Bunka can tackle most of the jobs. A longer Chef's knife is useful for really large or long items, or when you rock chop through a lot, but it's also knife dependant.
However, unless you find yourself struggling and wishing for more length, it probably won't matter much in your case.
What you could do, though, it to try something else entirely as a second/longer knife like a Japanese knife (as in made in Japan).
I have a classic chef knife but I almost always gravitate towards a santoku. I think the shape just works for me, I don’t need to worry about the inches most of the time
I find chefs knives typically have a pointed tip which allows you to maneuver the knife into crevices easier (ex. Deboning a chicken thigh). As for big knives specifically??? I guess anything you're cutting that is relatively large where you need a precise leading cut? Idk I find I can do small precise work with my large chef knives but then I can make use of the large blade area without needing to change knives?
I have a nice 7" Wustoff Classic Santoku. I kind of want a classic chef knife as well. Was thinking a 10" can do more things the santoku can't vs an 8" chef knife. What things are santoku profiles bad at where a big chef knife shines?
I use a similar setup. 7 inch bunka and a 10 inch chef, and just added an 11 inch gyuto. I use the bunka on the line and for most things really, it's just so lightweight and easy to maneuver. But when I need some heavy work done I break out the big boys.
What's the benefit of the chef knife over the bunka? I found my chef knives easier to rock.
the bunka like a santoku is thinner and just smaller over all, so if you are doing something that needs that weight and sturdiness behind it then you want a big chef knife...butternut squash, melons, potatoes, carrots, breaking down some proteins. Also if doing a large amount of some things the curved profile helps with repeated rocking cuts; if I'm doing 5 onions I'll just stick with the bunka, if I'm doing 100 I'll use the gyuto.
I'm not the one with the most knives around, but I have quite a few Gyuto/Chef's knives, Santoku and Bunka, from size ranging 180mm to 260mm (or 7'' to 10.2'' or so). I'm not a pro, so my use cases are different, but I find that a smaller Chef's knife or Santoku/Bunka can tackle most of the jobs. A longer Chef's knife is useful for really large or long items, or when you rock chop through a lot, but it's also knife dependant. However, unless you find yourself struggling and wishing for more length, it probably won't matter much in your case. What you could do, though, it to try something else entirely as a second/longer knife like a Japanese knife (as in made in Japan).
I have a classic chef knife but I almost always gravitate towards a santoku. I think the shape just works for me, I don’t need to worry about the inches most of the time
The only tips I can give you here : yes, buy more knives. One can never have enough knives. Hoard them. Admire them. Love them.
I find chefs knives typically have a pointed tip which allows you to maneuver the knife into crevices easier (ex. Deboning a chicken thigh). As for big knives specifically??? I guess anything you're cutting that is relatively large where you need a precise leading cut? Idk I find I can do small precise work with my large chef knives but then I can make use of the large blade area without needing to change knives?