problem with saya heiji

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M

menno

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today I received my heiji gyuto. I am pretty happy but I can not get the saya of the knife. this is the first time I have a saya. I feel it' s stuck. i am afraid If I put too much pressure I will damage the knife. Is this normal and how can I take the saya off to see my knife for the first time?
 
Have you removed the saya pin? (if there is one)

Can't say I've ever heard of a jammed saya, even if it's friction fit. Don't be afraid to give it a sharp tug.
 
I have already fixed it. I gave it a hit with the back of a knife. the saya has no pin and it fits really well. the knife looks flawless. it doesn' t look too thick either. the knife also have wonderful wide bevels.
I will post a review when the knife has got a real workout.
 
you may want to "loosen the saya" if needed for future use by sanding it down a bit... ruler wrapped with sand paper or use a saw without handles ti remove the objectionable part..

rgds
d
 
I suggest that you just let it be, and not sand it at all. It is a friction fit saya, and will loosen up in time. Removing material when it is new will result in a sloppy fit down the line.
 
I also just received a petty with saya by Heiji and have a similar problem. The saya fit perfectly only if you slide in the knife in a certain way. I will post some picture to compare it with other saya.
 
Micioarch said:
I also just received a petty with saya by Heiji and have a similar problem. The saya fit perfectly only if you slide in the knife in a certain way. I will post some picture to compare it with other saya.
Click to expand...

That's really common, and could be a result of the huge amount of humidity in Japan, compared to where it ends up in the world, or it could be from squeeze out at the glue joint. It's something that we all battle, truth be told. Well, maybe not Marko. :)
 
Friction fit saya Japanese Knives.

As far as I know, unless it is a very special knife, the sayas are contracted out in bulk adn thus not custom made for that very knife. Being handmade knives they vary just a little bit and it becomes friction fit by chance how much and dont know where the friction action is? and it is left to chance adn if it is too much.. it will cause deep scratches and not too good for pretty knives.

when you have to exert force to pull out a knife from a saya.. can be a dangerous.

I wld round off the spine and choil and spine first before I do anything to the inside of the saya unless there is no such intentions at a later date.

Just my thoughts.

rgds d
 
zitangy said:
Friction fit saya Japanese Knives.

As far as I know, unless it is a very special knife, the sayas are contracted out in bulk adn thus not custom made for that very knife. Being handmade knives they vary just a little bit and it becomes friction fit by chance how much and dont know where the friction action is? and it is left to chance adn if it is too much.. it will cause deep scratches and not too good for pretty knives.

when you have to exert force to pull out a knife from a saya.. can be a dangerous.

I wld round off the spine and choil and spine first before I do anything to the inside of the saya unless there is no such intentions at a later date.

Just my thoughts.

rgds d
Click to expand...

nope... not always the case. Often, sayas like that are made specifically for each knife.
 
zitangy said:
Friction fit saya Japanese Knives.

As far as I know, unless it is a very special knife, the sayas are contracted out in bulk adn thus not custom made for that very knife. Being handmade knives they vary just a little bit and it becomes friction fit by chance how much and dont know where the friction action is? and it is left to chance adn if it is too much.. it will cause deep scratches and not too good for pretty knives.

when you have to exert force to pull out a knife from a saya.. can be a dangerous.

I wld round off the spine and choil and spine first before I do anything to the inside of the saya unless there is no such intentions at a later date.

Just my thoughts.

rgds d
Click to expand...

Sayas for knives like Heiji and Shigefusa are tight in one spot - the emoto (neck) right before the ferrule. There is little contact of the blade inside the cavity, therefore no scratching. Heiji's knives already have a smooth and rounded spine and choil, just like Shigefusa.

For the OP - Insert the blade into the saya so that it has about a half inch to go and try to move it from side to side. I expect that you will be able to detect a small movement showing that the cavity is properly sized. Again, I will caution you not to attempt to "adjust" either the saya or the blade until some time has passed.
 
This evening I used the knife for cooking and i don't have any problems with the saya. I think it's a problems only
the first couple of times or so.
 
I don't gave it a real workout but my first impression are pretty good. I have to get used to the length because this is my first 240 mm. I like the tip really much and it's nice and thin. My next purchase will be a king 800 for noce contrast between the bevels. I will post a complete review when I gave it a real workout.
 
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