Hide & seek

I would like to know as much as possible about this maker... if you would be so kind. If you guys have ever had one give us some reviews... maybe another one for the new year thanks.
As in..... Hideaki Yamamoto.

There's a writeup on JKI: http://www.japaneseknifeimports.com/info/gesshin-hide

Search the forum for Gesshin Hide - IIRC there are a couple of reviews.

slash said:

I would like to know as much as possible about this maker... if you would be so kind. If you guys have ever had one give us some reviews... maybe another one for the new year thanks.
As in..... Hideaki Yamamoto.

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this is one of the craftsmen i train with in Japan... what are you curious to know?

Which is his favorite steel to work with, the one he has truly mastered... that when you hold it it truly becomes a part of you for real.... and not just holding a knife which feels dead.
All the masters keep mentioning that you can feel its soul,do you find this to be true... are you one with your steel whilst cutting.
To be honest i have not had one yet, the knives i have are dead knives. Yea they cut but thats about it, i am not a chef so i do not need to cut for hours on end,but when i am ready to cut i need to feel a connection thats why i have gone nuts in trying to find the best steels.
So yea whats his best steel?

Blue #1 for sure

O.k Blue #1.....how about the kasumi vs honyaki?

More than anything, they are known for their blue #1 kasumi, but their white #2 honyaki is great too. It really depends on what you are looking for.

I get where you are coming from.I recently aquired a 180mm Shig kitaeji gyuto and there is something about it that puts it out of the ordinary.I honestly cant explain it,it gets sharp,cuts well enough and edge retention is ok but my Marko pi##sses all over it on that respect BUT it has an indefineable quality to it that i cant describe.Salty describes his Watanabe damascus sujihiki as being "unwordly" - i know what he means now.

scotchef38 said:

I get where you are coming from.I recently aquired a 180mm Shig kitaeji gyuto and there is something about it that puts it out of the ordinary.I honestly cant explain it,it gets sharp,cuts well enough and edge retention is ok but my Marko pi##sses all over it on that respect BUT it has an indefineable quality to it that i cant describe.Salty describes his Watanabe damascus sujihiki as being "unwordly" - i know what he means now.

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An aussi and their shig

Im yet to feel that myself, but i will soon let you know.... mizuno you now the score with this maker,konosuke a damn good looking knife ,haburn knives are little beuties ,all on there way to me but this particular master gives me goose bumps even when i see pics of him holding his knives in one pic he was smoking a cigarette just seeing him there just tells me he is the real deal.

As someone who has never felt anything numinous in handling high-end blades (though not really kitchen knives), I find the romanticism baffling. Good luck to you.

XooMG said:

As someone who has never felt anything numinous in handling high-end blades (though not really kitchen knives), I find the romanticism baffling. Good luck to you.

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Obviously, you need a Hide knife. All your other knives doesn't count

XooMG said:

As someone who has never felt anything numinous in handling high-end blades (though not really kitchen knives), I find the romanticism baffling. Good luck to you.

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When i was 10 in my jui-jitsu class a master samurai came over from japan by the name of Yamanaka. He chose me for a demontration.... he had me kneel down and told me not to move... it felt like slow motion as he drew his sword and swung in a downward motion stopping an inch from my head in that moment i felt this energy go right threw my body.. so call it what you want i know for a fact there is an energy there but you probably would not understand this hence your comment.

...swung in a downward motion stopping an inch from my head in that moment i felt this energy go right threw my body..

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Make sense. Energy Transfer + possible shock in effect.

I have Hide in white #1. Very reasonably priced and performs well.

slash said:

When i was 10 in my jui-jitsu class a master samurai came over from japan by the name of Yamanaka. He chose me for a demontration.... he had me kneel down and told me not to move... it felt like slow motion as he drew his sword and swung in a downward motion stopping an inch from my head in that moment i felt this energy go right threw my body.. so call it what you want i know for a fact there is an energy there but you probably would not understand this hence your comment.

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No, my comment was not about your mysticism with a post-Haitorei "samurai". I understand such things pretty well. I even understand quite a bit about the feelings and delusions that generate the romance with knives. I used the word "baffling" to be polite.

icanhaschzbrgr said:

Obviously, you need a Hide knife. All your other knives doesn't count

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Clearly, but I was talking about some historically and artistically valuable swords mostly. Still, I will have to try some of the magic knives before I can graduate from inexperienced to closed-minded.

Ruso said:

Make sense. Energy Transfer + possible shock in effect.

I have Hide in white #1. Very reasonably priced and performs well.

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MY eyes were shut facing downwards i did not even no it was coming... i was not shocked at all. And thanks for your positive comment on the knife.

slash said:

MY eyes were shut facing downwards i did not even no it was coming... i was not shocked at all. And thanks for your positive comment on the knife.

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I believe that is the mystical force known as a pressure wave.

slash said:

Which is his favorite steel to work with, the one he has truly mastered... that when you hold it it truly becomes a part of you for real.... and not just holding a knife which feels dead.
All the masters keep mentioning that you can feel its soul,do you find this to be true... are you one with your steel whilst cutting.
To be honest i have not had one yet, the knives i have are dead knives. Yea they cut but thats about it, i am not a chef so i do not need to cut for hours on end,but when i am ready to cut i need to feel a connection thats why i have gone nuts in trying to find the best steels.
So yea whats his best steel?

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So, you are hoping to find a knife that you feel a connection just by holding it? Without cutting anything?

Lets keep this somewhat civil. No "boys" here.

I'm sure we are all able to voice our opinions in a non insulting way. Nothing wrong with disagreeing on something.

Personally I think there is a lot of marketing hype with Japanese knives. Particularly with mystical samurai related claims. I'm no scientist or expert in the matter so I can't rule out knives and swords having mystical properties, however any logical thinking person should be able to concede that it's not probable.

Scientists have been searching for the "soul" for quite sometime and have found nothing to suggest it exists. The Human brain however is a fascinating thing capable of many delusions.

That's my 2 cents.

Geo87 said:

I'm sure we are all able to voice our opinions in a non insulting way. Nothing wrong with disagreeing on something.

Personally I think there is a lot of marketing hype with Japanese knives. Particularly with mystical samurai related claims. I'm no scientist or expert in the matter so I can't rule out knives and swords having mystical properties, however any logical thinking person should be able to concede that it's not probable.

Scientists have been searching for the "soul" for quite sometime and have found nothing to suggest it exists. The Human brain however is a fascinating thing capable of many delusions.

That's my 2 cents.

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Ha, classic I agree totally, I wish I could feel some soul in my Japanese knives whilst in use, I feel soul when I cut myself and I mutter assoul, what was I thinking and I should have known better!!!

Geo87 said:

I'm sure we are all able to voice our opinions in a non insulting way. Nothing wrong with disagreeing on something.

Personally I think there is a lot of marketing hype with Japanese knives. Particularly with mystical samurai related claims. I'm no scientist or expert in the matter so I can't rule out knives and swords having mystical properties, however any logical thinking person should be able to concede that it's not probable.

Scientists have been searching for the "soul" for quite sometime and have found nothing to suggest it exists. The Human brain however is a fascinating thing capable of many delusions.

That's my 2 cents.

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i like to think of it as less of soul and more akin to the difference between driving a civic and a lexus or lotus

CB1968 said:

Ha, classic I agree totally, I wish I could feel some soul in my Japanese knives whilst in use, I feel soul when I cut myself and I mutter assoul, what was I thinking and I should have known better!!!

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Perhaps thats the soul in your knife prompting you to notice its soul😜

JBroida said:

i like to think of it as less of soul and more akin to the difference between driving a civic and a lexus or lotus

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Nuance is interesting and little things can matter and biases can be influenced immensely by seemingly unimportant things (incidentally I think everyone should take a class on cognitive biases)...but crediting juju as the source of preference really cheapens and undermines the whole endeavor of appreciating craftsmanship.

Still, I'm not going to try to stop people from buying stuff...it's their money...but I do hope they are not disappointed in another "dead" knife.

I would certainly say it's entirely possible that a person's energy, emotion, or love can be transferred into the material of something they are making, such as food or a knife.
It's also entirely possible to fall in love with something, or the idea of it yourself and project these feelings into the experience of using, eating etc.
And it's unquestionable that good physics are good physics when it comes to a well crafted knife, specifically in regards to it's 'geometry'.
In any event it's really cool we're all so passionate and that's what makes this a fun place to hang.

I think the difference is more like driving a 1962 Chevy Nova II compared to a 1988 Mercedes (since that was the last one I have with no digital electronics) -- the Chevy will get you there, but it's noisy, drives poorly, requires endless repairs, and is basically shoddy and has a very limited life. The Benz is, on the other hand, sturdy as all get out, requires more esoteric maintenance, but will last for a million miles if you keep it in good shape. Plus it's a real pleasure to drive.

I see soft stainless and Japanese steel in those terms. I've also been driving a Benz for almost 20 years, and have a bit over 400,000 miles on my diesel.

No soul, but it's a much better tool for the job. I decided the other year I'm pretty much finished with fighting poor tools -- if I'm gonna cook, I want good cookware and knives that go where I want them to and stay sharp more than a couple potatoes. Therefore, I'm slowly buying copper pots and pans, and acquiring Japanese knives (and making a few, too).

Peter

XooMG said:

Nuance is interesting and little things can matter and biases can be influenced immensely by seemingly unimportant things (incidentally I think everyone should take a class on cognitive biases)...but crediting juju as the source of preference really cheapens and undermines the whole endeavor of appreciating craftsmanship.

Still, I'm not going to try to stop people from buying stuff...it's their money...but I do hope they are not disappointed in another "dead" knife.

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Pls stop posting unless you have something positive to say about hide knives, you have had your laugh and you have taken it to far with the juju thing.
With regards to the soul thing i was asking if anyone had felt that in their experience...like the makers speak about their knives .Dead knives where factory made and not handmade that's what i was reffering to.
Come on you must of had a knife that you did not connect with and ended up selling it why to heavy, geometry,profile was not right,your knife is what you put in to it a connection between you and the maker simple... so stop freaking out and give us some positive feedback.

you have something positive to say about hide knives

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So, no negative opinions are accepted?

A hide usuba is my next knife from Jon, so I will have to let you know. I can say without a doubt my favorite knives are his kagekiyo. It's not the handle, it's simply seeing and understanding what skill went into its manufacture. Iys easy for me to appreciate true craftsmanship. Sadly, something that seems lost on most people these days.