My abused garden knife gave birth

Well, I can't hold out any longer. I feel compelled to share this experience. A passionate collector of his grandfather's military knives found
me through a post I had made month's ago. Not only did he offer me a fair market price he also
paid someone a rather handsome finder's fee. I suppose it's a good thing that I never got around
to re-profiling the knife, as I had just been loaned a bench grinder and had a few successful experiences
with doing this freehand on stones.

From this one knife...and who knows you might have one too....I was able to purchase
Masagake gyuto 180 kioshi
Masagake gyuto 210 shimo
Yusuke Sakai white-2 gyuto 240
Yusuke Sakai single bevel for boning
K. Shibata bunka 170

Well, I might have gone over budget, but not by much.
And, to think a week ago my thought was that I only needed
one or two more knives at the very most. I'm not a horsetrader
type. What I buy, I keep and try to improve. And, whenever
an acquisition comes from too far away I accept that improvement
is a given...possibly a big given. Two of the knives come from young
smiths. I'm too new of an enthusiast to grasp the history of j.knives
but my impression is that they are good for its future.

I like supporting domestic vendors, and one in particular has treated me well,
but some opportunities were too good to pass up. The sad part is that I really
do think that I'm done with the hunt, though my wife is chuckling and rolling
her eyes at the very mention. Meanwhile the challenge of freehand sharpening
will keep me tuned into the various forums for all the insights that I can gather, read, re-read
and try to recall for application. More stones and accessories to add, as well.

This is close to winning a lottery, albeit on the small side. We are faced with having to get
a new furnace; I'm pleased that my wife green lighted the windfall to stay in the paypal
slush fun(d). As a wax on, it sure is nice to have an hobby that incorporates daily use. In
contrast, I have more funds allocated to purchases of vintage target guns but I don't get
to fondle them nearly as much...it's not even close. Meanwhile, my dad's military knife
that he carried with him for three years in the pacific and I used for the next 50 years to break up
soil has returned to its birth place.

Congratulations. Fascinating tale.

Can you enlighten us a little more on the history of the knife, or point me in the direction of the post where the buyer found it? I'm curious now.

jphy...sure

http://www.yostaction.com/vanadestine.html

Awesome story! Thanks for sharing and have fun with your new kitchen knife hobby.

I'm curious about the Yusuke boning knife - did you get a hankotsu or honesuki? Good choice with the 240 as well. :doublethumbsup:

Hankotsu...my thought is that it's less fragile and I like the profile. I have enough pointed objects. And, I like the rep of the maker attached to it.
Re the 240...I have lost patience with waiting for the "super thin special" model and the one ordered seems close enough to a laser.
The 180 is proxy for a tall petty that my wife has been asking for.
As an aside about the kitchen knife hobby, it has been a blast to see my wife get hooked. My experience is that men have hobbies and may try as
hard as they can to include their wives, but the passion rarely arises to what the man hopes to find. In this case, it works. So, I am over the top
to suddenly have five (interesting to me) knives come ashore.
I do appreciate the responses to this tale.