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jimbob

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My glorious mother in law wants to buy me another knife for my 30th. She was going to get me the santuko hattori fh, but as i have three from that line already and no desire for a santuko i now have about 220 to spend on whatever. I dont really need a certain knife anymore (have parer, petty, gyuto, bread knife and cleaver), so might go the experimental route. Am looking at the moritaka 270 kiritsuke. A. I would like to try carbon B. would like to try 270 length C. Want to try wa handle. It looks cool too.... I cut harder veges such as pumpkin alot and liked the idea of this knife being cleavery at heel with a fine tip.
So has anyone used one of these and has opinions on its performance?
Am open to other knife options too..
One more thing, has anyone ordered from rakuten. At $90 cheaper than you know where was wondering if i was missing something.
 
aogami super can be taken to higher hardness than aogami #2, so that means keener edge and a longer lasting edge, which also makes it chippy if you're not careful. but if you sharpen to an angle that balances both keenness and edge retention would give you the best of both worlds.

that's all i know for the most part about it.
 
Rakuten is fine, though you might get some reply mails in Japanese that you can't read that will make you think there is a problem. It is worth the discount
 
oh and if you think you have enough, wait til you find more and more excuses to get more. =D
 
Beware the Moritaka hole!
Moritaka has a reputation for being a little lax in the quality control dept. Several members here (including myself) own knives with overgrinds. For your own peace of mind, make sure up front that they have a return policy that would cover any manufacturing defects.
 
i forgot that you can actually purchase directly from moritaka. just google moritaka hamono. might even be cheaper to get from them. you can even have it custom made to your specifications for a fee, of course.

=D
 
aogami super can be taken to higher hardness than aogami #2, so that means keener edge and a longer lasting edge, which also makes it chippy if you're not careful. but if you sharpen to an angle that balances both keenness and edge retention would give you the best of both worlds.

that's all i know for the most part about it.

I don't know about potential hardness, but it will form more hard carbides, giving it greater edge retention, against wear, but also less edge stability, which could encourage chipping. IMO it should hold an 80% edge for longer, but it may loose the 'right off the stone' edge faster than more simple steels like the aogami / shirogami.
 
I'd want to be buying direct to be honest, if theres issues, least that way you can go straight back to them.
 
If you're worried about QC issues wouldn't you actually be better buying from a secondary retailer who has a good return/check before shipping policy IE. Jon/Mark?

I'd rather let them fight it out with Moritaka directly than me.
 
The Moritaka knives I've seen and used impressed me. But yeah, that issue is there.
 
If you're worried about QC issues wouldn't you actually be better buying from a secondary retailer who has a good return/check before shipping policy IE. Jon/Mark?

Jon does not sell Moritaka. If you're looking for reasonably priced, carbon, kurouchi, wa-handled knives that Jon does sell, take a look at his Zakuri knives.
 
Jon does not sell Moritaka. If you're looking for reasonably priced, carbon, kurouchi, wa-handled knives that Jon does sell, take a look at his Zakuri knives.

with a lot better quality checking =D
 
If you're worried about QC issues wouldn't you actually be better buying from a secondary retailer who has a good return/check before shipping policy IE. Jon/Mark?

I'd rather let them fight it out with Moritaka directly than me.

+1. Moritaka's customer service/return policy is horrible. You can look at threads on the old board about it.
 
I have the Moritaka 270 kiri-gyuto. I never use it any longer. I don't think mine has an overgrind issue, but the edge is dead flat, and I get accordianing because there are two high spots which create a large area in between that doesn't contact the board. I've tried several times to correct it, but cant' seem to get it just right so it cuts well. This isn't necessarily a Moritaka problem, as any knife that is supposed to be dead flat that isn't is going to have the same issue. Besides that, a knife that is that dead flat for such a large area is difficult to use.

I have other issues with the knife as well - the cladding is terribly reactive and rusts very easily. The kuro-uchi finish is not very durable and wears off easily, exposing more of the reactive cladding. The cladding won't take a patina and it stinks when I cut onions, cabbage, etc. I've found other knives that perform much better than the kiri-gyuto. The steel is very good though.

I'm not saying don't get one, but be aware of the issues you may encounter. If you want to try a Moritaka with a flatter profile, maybe consider the KS clone. Mark is sold out of them ATM, but he usually has them in stock.
 
what about the stainless moritaka's? noticed those on ratuken?
 
I have the Moritaka 270 kiri-gyuto. I never use it any longer. I don't think mine has an overgrind issue, but the edge is dead flat, and I get accordianing because there are two high spots which create a large area in between that doesn't contact the board. I've tried several times to correct it, but cant' seem to get it just right so it cuts well. This isn't necessarily a Moritaka problem, as any knife that is supposed to be dead flat that isn't is going to have the same issue. Besides that, a knife that is that dead flat for such a large area is difficult to use.

I have other issues with the knife as well - the cladding is terribly reactive and rusts very easily. The kuro-uchi finish is not very durable and wears off easily, exposing more of the reactive cladding. The cladding won't take a patina and it stinks when I cut onions, cabbage, etc. I've found other knives that perform much better than the kiri-gyuto. The steel is very good though.

I'm not saying don't get one, but be aware of the issues you may encounter. If you want to try a Moritaka with a flatter profile, maybe consider the KS clone. Mark is sold out of them ATM, but he usually has them in stock.

the holes in the edge are likely caused by the overgrind issue.
 
Too many good knives out there to buy a Moritaka--from anyone...
 
Too many good knives out there to buy a Moritaka--from anyone...

i used to defend moritaka, but not anymore. especially now that their gyutos and kiritukes are well over $200. keep looking, you'll find something better for the same price. zakuri knives for instance, are alot nicer and basically the same steel options with much better kurouchi finish.
 
Thanks for everyones help! I might hold off a bit as i won a mac ultimate knife last night and am going to see if i want it, otherwise the budget is increased! Which means many more hours researching knives, damn.:wink:
 
Jon does not sell Moritaka. If you're looking for reasonably priced, carbon, kurouchi, wa-handled knives that Jon does sell, take a look at his Zakuri knives.

I know, I was just using him as an example of a good retailer with a good returns policy
 
Yep. Pretty big blade because of the taller profile height.
 
I havent ever heard a bad takeda review so am leaning that way. Have emailed direct to see prices and customisation level.(how much flat section, blade height)
 

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