James
Senior Member
I purchased a Gengetsu 240 mm semistainless gyuto after reading a couple of reviews praising its performance and I wasn't disappointed. Shipping was fast and Jon emailed me to let me know the knife shipped and I would receive it before I moved apartments. Knife came very well packed - the box was wrapped in tissue paper and surrounded with bubble wrap along with a personal note from Sara and the knife was placed in its saya (included in the price of the knife).
The knife weighs in at 183 g, is ~ 51 mm tall at the heel and the spine is about 4.5 mm wide at the handle.
OTB edge was sharp, but too polished for my tastes. It shaved hair very cleanly, but lacked the bite for dealing with tomatoes. A few strokes on a 6k stone fixed that.
The handle is burnt chestnut with a buffalo horn ferrule. I wasn't expecting to like the handle as much as I do. The texture helps with grip, ferrule and wood are flush and it's pretty damn attractive IMHO.
The steel is some awesome stuff. It feels like carbon on the stones and holds a "fresh off the stone" edge longer than any other knife I've used. At a month of everyday home use and the knife still shaves arm hair. After a few cutting sessions, the knife developed a blue-grey patina.
On to the grind. This is where the gengetsu shines. The grind facilitates very decent food release; no sticking problems with potatoes, but some minor ones with celeriac. Behind the edge, it's extremely thin and cuts like a champ. It runs through veggie prep (especially onions and shallots) with ease. One thing I would change, however, is the tip. It's a bit too whippy and flexible towards the tip and it might benefit from a little extra meat. The picture 2nd picture below this section shows the tip and 2-3" behind it.
So overall, I'm very happy with this knife. I'm glad I was able to grab one of the last ones and lastly (forgive me, Jon), I etched the knife for some insurance against corrosion (I have new roommates and I thought it'd be a good idea)
The knife weighs in at 183 g, is ~ 51 mm tall at the heel and the spine is about 4.5 mm wide at the handle.
OTB edge was sharp, but too polished for my tastes. It shaved hair very cleanly, but lacked the bite for dealing with tomatoes. A few strokes on a 6k stone fixed that.
The handle is burnt chestnut with a buffalo horn ferrule. I wasn't expecting to like the handle as much as I do. The texture helps with grip, ferrule and wood are flush and it's pretty damn attractive IMHO.
The steel is some awesome stuff. It feels like carbon on the stones and holds a "fresh off the stone" edge longer than any other knife I've used. At a month of everyday home use and the knife still shaves arm hair. After a few cutting sessions, the knife developed a blue-grey patina.
On to the grind. This is where the gengetsu shines. The grind facilitates very decent food release; no sticking problems with potatoes, but some minor ones with celeriac. Behind the edge, it's extremely thin and cuts like a champ. It runs through veggie prep (especially onions and shallots) with ease. One thing I would change, however, is the tip. It's a bit too whippy and flexible towards the tip and it might benefit from a little extra meat. The picture 2nd picture below this section shows the tip and 2-3" behind it.
So overall, I'm very happy with this knife. I'm glad I was able to grab one of the last ones and lastly (forgive me, Jon), I etched the knife for some insurance against corrosion (I have new roommates and I thought it'd be a good idea)