Kikuichi Performance TKC

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HomeCook

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I've been waiting forever for the 240mm availibility at thewebsitewhichshallnotbenamed.com and have run out of patience.
Is there anywhere else that sells the Kikuichi Performance line (overseas Japan for ex.?) A websearch turned up nil.
Thanks in advance.
 
Can't help with Kikuichi TKC, but heard several times that CarboNext are basically the same knives (or very close clones), and they are available from JCK.
 
It used to be that you had to order them from Japan. This is the main shopping site. Here is the gyuto.
 
Can't help with Kikuichi TKC, but heard several times that CarboNext are basically the same knives (or very close clones), and they are available from JCK.

Can anyone else back this up?

I'm in the market for a workhorse, inexpensive 210-240mm gyuto. I've been wanting to try a Kikuicihi TKC & a CarboNext for awhile now.
 
Can anyone else back this up?

I'm in the market for a workhorse, inexpensive 210-240mm gyuto. I've been wanting to try a Kikuicihi TKC & a CarboNext for awhile now.

I've owned and used both. The CarboNEXT lacks the refinement in fit and finish that the Kikuichi TKC does, in that the spine and choil areas are sharp edged, but a bit of work will take care of that. In use, they are virtually identical. Koki (of JCK) has stated that the steel is the same, and I have no reason not to believe him. Of course, you don't get that neat chrysanthemum engraved on the blade, but I doubt that's worth the difference in price.
 
I have found my carbonext sujihiki to be quite a bit more reactive than my TKC gyuto. It also was not ground as thin behind the edge, though I suppose it could just be the difference between suji geometry and gyuto geometry. Edge was not sharpened as well either, but I really don't care about out of the box edges.

Either way, sweet knives. Wish you well in finding what you want.
 
I've owned and used both. The CarboNEXT lacks the refinement in fit and finish that the Kikuichi TKC does, in that the spine and choil areas are sharp edged, but a bit of work will take care of that. In use, they are virtually identical. Koki (of JCK) has stated that the steel is the same, and I have no reason not to believe him. Of course, you don't get that neat chrysanthemum engraved on the blade, but I doubt that's worth the difference in price.

Awesome. Thanks!
 
i havent tried tkc, but i have a carbonext and it's not very good. for a cheapo you're better off spending even less and get a tojiro dp, it's quite the bang/buck. or if you dont mind doing some thinning, hiromoto g3 is likely good, i have the AS and it's decent.
 
Never touched a Carbonext but I have an oldish 240 TKC and its a very solid knife that I really enjoy using. Borderline laser that is a workhorse for a thin blade that you don't have to baby much or wipe dry constantly. Not at the top of my rotation but it always amazes how well it performs when I pull it out, great for a long day of prep. Reactivity is almost non issue, F&F is B+. I have no idea how much they go for now but I got it when it was around $160, not sure if I would be jumping to get one for 200+.
 
I've owned and used both. The CarboNEXT lacks the refinement in fit and finish that the Kikuichi TKC does, in that the spine and choil areas are sharp edged, but a bit of work will take care of that. In use, they are virtually identical. Koki (of JCK) has stated that the steel is the same, and I have no reason not to believe him. Of course, you don't get that neat chrysanthemum engraved on the blade, but I doubt that's worth the difference in price.

+1

I've owned a CarboNext and own an OG Ichimonji TKC. I agree with all of Rick's observations.

My TKC is slightly thinner behind the edge and at the spine, but only by a little. I believe it was .2 mm or so thinner at the spine when I measured it with calipers.
 
i havent tried tkc, but i have a carbonext and it's not very good. for a cheapo you're better off spending even less and get a tojiro dp, it's quite the bang/buck. or if you dont mind doing some thinning, hiromoto g3 is likely good, i have the AS and it's decent.

You may be the only person I've ever seen post that they'd choose the DP over the CarboNext.

No one that I've spoken to or know would choose the DP over the CarboNext.
 
I've used both and as others have said, it's basically the same. Basically.
 
Can anyone else back this up?

I'm in the market for a workhorse, inexpensive 210-240mm gyuto. I've been wanting to try a Kikuicihi TKC & a CarboNext for awhile now.

I have done a few direct purchases from Japan, and it worked fine. It took me a little while to figure out how to pay, etc. But i used the google translate within Chrome the last time and it was easier. If you are going to place an order direct, i would also recommend one of the santoku and a petty. You might also think about getting a few extra's for friends and family. I think that knife beat the heck out of what most people have in the kitchen!
 
I'm also a big fan of the Ichimonji TKC's. I've had a 210 gyuto for several years, and it is a great overall knife, and especially good for tomatoes, onion, etc. My son has spent a couple of years in Japan so I've taken the opportunity to purchase a slicer and a Honesuki while visiting Osaka. They are an easy company to deal with and some english is spoken in the store.
 
I may have an explanation as to why panda doesn't like his Carbonext. I own one and I didn't really like it either. The scales are not stable and became swollen then shrank after I sanded it. Not too comfortable to hold until I sanded the spine, choil and bolster. The main thing however, is the edge was absolute crap until I had seriously thinned it down and sharpened it 4 or 5 times to remove the weak steel. I don't know if its the heat treat or it got overheated during grinding but until that 4th or 5th sharpening I thought a Tojiro DP was a much better buy. Now it cuts decently and it seems have much better edge stability. I still think a nice carbon steel knife would outperform a Carbonext in terms of sharpness. The Carbonext also feels a bit soft. My Warther 440C has a better heat treat on it I think.
 
i used my santoku last night for dinner preparation (onions, lemons, beans, garlic....) this is really a stunning knife for the money. The edge on it can simply be fantastic. I used to carry this and hattori HF 210 in my luggage on long trips, and find somewhere that would let me in the kitchen a couple evenings a week.
 
Agree that the edge is bad and it comes surprisingly fat. Took quite the effort to get the 300 mm suji into good cutting form. Disagree with bad heat treatment though. Maybe yours was, and if so that is unfortunate. Mine sharpens great, love it's feel on the stones, and holds the edge reasonably well.

I do feel that it may be a touch softer than my tkc, but still not poorly heat treated. I know that it seems that it's an accepted fact that carbonext and tkc are the same blade , but it certainly hasn't seemed like it in my experience. Feels slightly softer on the stones, seems significantly more reactive, and was ground far thicker (again: suji vs. gyuto).

It may well be the same alloy, but to me just about every aspect of the tkc has performed superior.

(Could all be in my head, as more experienced members hear don't seem to agree)
 
My carbonext came with the thinnest grind I've ever received in a knife. I love mine. Edge retention on mine is honestly pretty good. Easy to thin and sharpen. I love mine to death. I'm sure though that with a knife at this price point I could by another and be less than pleased. After buying lots of different j knives over the years I could easily say that every time I buy one I feel like its a gamble.
 
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