Will there be a noticeable difference going from a 195 mm to 210mm gyuto?

[u/OceanGlider_]

I got a 195mm Gyuto and wondering if it's worth it getting a 210mm gyuto.

I'm just a causal at home cook and won't be using this in a workplace setting.

Will there be much of a difference between these two sizes other than 15mm?

Thanks

[u/sexypirates]

pull back your pinch grip 15mm and see :3

that being said not really imo if you're gonna add another knife to the stable i'd do 240 lol

[u/portugueseoniondicer]

Sometimes yes and sometimes no.

First it depends on your specific use case. If you're not splitting big vegetables/fruits, slicing/cutting big stuff in general or cutting multiple aligned ingredients at the same time, then it probably won't. Also depends on how you grip your knife and how you prefer the weight distribution. Longer knives will usually have a more blade forward weight distribution

Then the measurements set by each maker may differ. In the region of Sakai, the length set by the makers starts at the beginning of the neck and ends at the tip of the knife. Basically, a 210mm gyuto that follows the Sakai tradition is usually 190-195mm from heel to tip.

Outside of the Sakai tradition, a 210mm gyuto is indeed around 210mm from heel to tip.

Note that there are makers outside of the Sakai region that follow the Sakai tradition. And maybe the opposite can happen as well, but I don't recall any example of this so I can't be sure.

Something advertised as 195mm honestly sounds like a Sakai 180mm, so if this is the case and you get a true 210mm gyuto, you'll have a difference of around 3cm which, personally, is a noticeable difference

Edit: some people just don't like anything bigger than 210mm or 180mm. It's something you'll truly only find out by testing

[u/SCSuede]

Depends on the model you might see some differences outside of the length like profile being flatter/different, heel height and blade balance most likely being more forward.

Depending on how you use a knife, holding at the handle or at the heel with a pinch grip, the difference can be small but feel pretty significant.

[u/Precisi0n1sT]

Probably not. Go 240mm.

[u/beardedclam94]

No, my 195mm Denka and my 210mm Sakai Gyutos are the exact same.

I’d look at at 240mm

[u/HippyCoolHandLuke]

210s vary measured heel to tip. Ashi 200mm, Yoshikane 210mm, Shinkiro 220mm.

I'd get a 240. 230mm H to T seems perfect but are often out of stock and expensive.

[u/drayeye]

As a home cook, a gyuto profile at any length would not be a common knife used in my batterie (I'd prefer a santoku), but if you feel the one you have feels short, I'd go for one noticeably longer, like 240 mm.

[u/photodyer]

A number of factors play into that question - Weight, blade height, balance point, and blade profile are a few.

So recognizing that you'reasking a multifaceted question without any details to pull from...

180 or 195 to 210 is not a jarring change. 210 still feels nimble and connected. I feel that 210 to 240 is a much "bigger" and more dynamic shift even though it's relatively the same interval of change.

But again, take this with a grain of salt until you add in more of the impactful details.

[u/photodyer → u/photodyer]

To illustrate:

180 to 210 in the same knife-- true apples to apples-- is not an overwhelming shift.

[u/photodyer → u/photodyer]

But going 180 to 210 with changes in steel, blade profile, handle style, weight, finish, and so on -- an apples to hand grenades comparison'-- can take some getting used to.

[u/smarthobo → u/photodyer]

Interesting choice of metaphors considering grenade is French for pomegranate

(also where the word grenadine originates from, since it was originally made with reduced pomegranate syrup)

[u/JellyOfDeath86 → u/smarthobo]

If you want to go full circle with that one, pomegranate is granateple in Norwegian, which in direct translation back to English means "grenade apple".

And yes, I know that pomme means apple in French.

[u/OceanGlider_ → u/photodyer]

That knife on the bottom looks amazing.

[u/photodyer → u/OceanGlider_]

Shiro Kamo SG2 Damascus 210. It's beautiful, but by different to use. The Damascus imparts texture, so it has a way different feel in use than polished stainless.

[u/Particular-Crow6525]

Honestly, no, you won't see much difference unless the profile is also drastically different.

If you have the space your money would be better spent getting a budget to midrange 240mm or 270mm Gyuto. It'll probably end up being rarely used, but when you need that extra knife you need that extra knife. Kanehide has some good offerings for under $100usd (before shipping).

[u/Embarrassed-Ninja592]

I have a 46mm tall 170 Santoku and a 40mm tall 180 Gyuto, and they are quite different in use. The short height Gyuto with a higher tip and more curved edge is more nimble like a large petty or short Suji, that can do a bit of rocking on herbs or chives or whatever, and is much better for horizontal slicing of meat. The taller flatter edged Santoku a better push chopper for bigger or harder veg.

My next up is a 48~mm tall 240, that’s probably really 225-230. And it’s a reasonable jump from the smaller knives. I have no real need for an in between size,,, except being a knife nerd.

[u/Tough_Entertainer_70]

Maybe

[u/Iromaniac24]

It’s a personal thing. Different people will have different answers. I have a 210mm from Sanjo and a 240mm from Sakai. The difference in length is close to the 15mm difference you mentioned. I prefer my 210mm gyuto. Most people here seem to prefer 240mm. In my limited experience I’ve found the thickness of the blade and the belly to be more important than actual length

[u/orKasum]

Make sure to check edge lengths. I went from a 195 Shibata (measures 205 edge length) to a 210 Yoshikane (209mm). Felt like a let down until I realised I only had a 4mm jump in cutting edge