To my surprise I use a santoku a lot these days. For most things it’s just as functional but it’s more convenient when prepping in a small space.

My debatably “best” knife is a Shigefusa santoku, I think it’s 170mm or so. I have a Wakui 180mm gyuto I really like, too. I only have one or two 8”ish knives, I like to either have a big knife or a small knife.

If I need to break down a lot of something I do of course reach for a a bigger knife. The gyuto here is a Shibata take on the Masamoto KS, which itself related to the old Sabatiers. The Shibata is 255mm on the edge if I recall correctly, so just at 10”. I think newer versions of the knife are a bit shorter?

The slicer is 270mm, mostly for roasts and fish breakdown. Has to be at least that long. My best slicer is 300mm, but it’s a little expensive to just have floating around.