Watanabe - experience?

I only just now found out that Watanabe sells directly ... and at quite good prices. (yeah, you can laugh ... I am a rookie).

I emailed him and he replied promptly. Any experience you have in general with him, service, shipping and knives itself? How long did it take to get knives (in stock ones, not custom) including getting through customs? Did you have to pay any tariffs for importing these? I think anything less than $2500 is free to import, right?

Thanks for the help!

In short: Excellent communication, immediate shipping and a fantastic cutter.
Only minor comment on my 18cm pro nakiri is that choil and spine were sharp.

Excellent service, quick shipping. Can't comment on the knife as it is at Dave's getting a handle put on. With the dollar as strong as it is his knives are a good deal.

Shinichi is cool and quick. His knives rock!

thanks guys, will pull the trigger today I guess ... he has a unique special out there that I am curious about... and I love that he replied within an hour! Cool ... and I guess a Watanabe should be part of any serious collection, right?

I treated myself last December to a 270mm Watanabe Pro Series gyuto and I love it!

Pete ... I treat myself way too much these days. I am catching myself hiding knives from my wife ... I feel like I am cheating on her, LOL ... almost makes me feel better when she buys another pair of shoes

Stay away from the cheap knives he sells. Go Pro or stay home.

alterwisser said:

I think anything less than $2500 is free to import, right?

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Geez, that's generous. Which country are you in?

(Sorry, kidding, as it must be the US. But lots of us aren't.)

I like Watanabe a lot based on impressions. He's unlike other makers in Japan, perhaps with the excepton of Takeda who I haven't dealt with, or maybe Heiji. Generally, makers are really down-to-earth and focused on their work and the people they know - my impression. There's not a whole lot of business or internet or foreign language/culture savvy. For better or worse they're not too worldly, and so that's where the various vendors/sellers step in and bridge things if they can and carve out their niche. In comparison, Watanabe is more adept where others aren't and so is very accessible for those of us who contact on the internet and who aren't Japanese.

alterwisser said:

I think anything less than $2500 is free to import, right?

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Lol, what? more like $25 here in the EU :laugh:

What, you guys are still in the EU, Tim????

alterwisser said:

I only just now found out that Watanabe sells directly ... and at quite good prices. (yeah, you can laugh ... I am a rookie).

I emailed him and he replied promptly. Any experience you have in general with him, service, shipping and knives itself? How long did it take to get knives (in stock ones, not custom) including getting through customs? Did you have to pay any tariffs for importing these? I think anything less than $2500 is free to import, right?

Thanks for the help!

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Are you in Canada? $2500 is the limit for the CLVS self clearing with the CBSA.

I ordered a custom 270mm Kiritsuke-Gyuto and a (lefty) 330mm Kensaki Yanagi from Shinichi about 6 weeks ago. He estimated that they'll be ready right about now, so I might ask him for an update since I was going to email him for a quote for my next purchase anyways.

Can't really add anything to what's already been said. Shinichi was great to deal with, he estimated a delivery time for me and it ended up being early. No extra costs on top of what he initially charged me to get the knife to Australia. Best of all, the knife that I grabbed is great (180 Nakiri). It was my first Watanabe and it definitely won't be my last.

Everyone should have a Pro 180mm nakiri from Watanabe.

alterwisser said:

What, you guys are still in the EU, Tim????

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We get 6 weeks vacation and 1 year payed maternity leave, so some of us hesitate

But yes, we get to import 26€ VAT free ... including shipping :-/

riba said:

In short: Excellent communication, immediate shipping and a fantastic cutter.
Only minor comment on my 18cm pro nakiri is that choil and spine were sharp.

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I have exactly the same comment for my 240 Pro Gyuto. The choil and spine were easily rounded by some sand paper so no issue...

I just contacted Watanabe yesterday for the first time and had a quick response back from Shinichi with answers to my questions. I will be ordering a Pro 180 Nakiri which appears to be a popular knife based on all the positive input here. I chose the Watanabe Pro over the TF Maboroshi that I was initially interested in. I prefer the larger blade size of Pro 180. The Nakiri is in stock and he mentioned I should receive it in about 6 days. Great service! BB

I already ordered... not the pro Watanabe, but I think that will be in my future. He had a special, unique shape that I am a big fan off as I had a couple of similar shaped German knives in the past, the Herder Hechtsaebel. He was great to deal with, absolutely ... I also found a colleague now in Japan who comes over to the US quite often and is excited by my love (or addiction?) of Japanese knives and is eager to support it ... long story short: There will be knives in his suitcase in May LOL

I've always wanted a Honyaki blade and so I just ordered my first Mizu-Honyaki from him. With the yen so weak, it was a relative bargain. I am so looking forward to getting i!

Matus said:

We get 6 weeks vacation and 1 year payed maternity leave

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Sorry for the digression: Matus, in Germany - and, man, this makes me think my wife has the wrong nationality, me too - don't you receive €1000/mo for your child until the age of 18!

What country do you get 1000 bucks a month in Europe for your child? I'll move there right away, we still have 16 years to go LOL ... it's true that you get some kind of child support in Germany, but it's actually 184 a month for the first and second child, little bit higher for the next ones ... if you're shooting for a football team or something

Does anyone have an opinion/ experience on his Kintarou ame steel for his pro line? I think it'd make a good addition to my (soon to be) Honyakis from his pro line.

I bought the 180 Pro nakiri and asked for a buffalo horn ferule instead of the plastic one. No problem. It was an additional 7000 yen. Paypal transaction was seamless (ask him to send an you an invoice, much easier). It arrived in less than a week and I couldn't be happier.

I have a gyuto 270 mm kintaro-ame from him and I find it fantastic. It looks wonderful, the finish is top and even if it seEms to be massive at the first use it became quick my everyday workhorse in a Michelin star-restaurant.
The blade and handle aren't 100% straight, what makes the cutting effortless.
His friction sayas are simple but pretty much perfect, like they it were designed to last very long.

It's all personal but I like it even more than my Kato damascus wich is a wonderful cutter and a high regarded knife on fora.

And his engraving are not that pricy. For exemple the phoenix with the Gold eye on thé 12 th picture of the left column coasts about 40000 JPY.
Next time I ll take one!

What are the weights of his 210 and 240 gyutos? (might vary by handle material, but I've been wondering). I think his knives are on the heavy side--comparable to Kato workhorses?

toddnmd said:

What are the weights of his 210 and 240 gyutos? (might vary by handle material, but I've been wondering). I think his knives are on the heavy side--comparable to Kato workhorses?

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My 240 was twenty grams heavier oob than my most recent Kato workhorse. 268 vs 246 if my memory is correct, but I've since sold the Kato and rehandled the Watanabe.

nutmeg said:

I have a gyuto 270 mm kintaro-ame from him and I find it fantastic....
The blade and handle aren't 100% straight, what makes the cutting effortless.

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Is it more to do with the handle install, or is the blade actually curved? I was reading a post where the OP had a yanagi with a curve in it, but I kind of had the impression it wasn't one if the custom/pro ones. The handle wouldn't be too big a concern as it could be replaced/upgraded

My Gyuto 240mm with Keyaki octagon is 245g

The handle isn't straight with the blade. It makes the cutting easyier. Sinichi says it is a mechanical rule (Kinetik).