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Sparklepony

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Hello again gents,

Need some advice on a Honyaki knife. I would want a Gyoto 240mm or so. New to Honyaki so I don't know much about the people making them. What are some of the best bets. For fun, let's assume that money isn't an option. What's your favorite/dream Honyaki knife?

Cheers!

Jon
 
I'd choose a Mizuno or Watanabe...why do you think you'd like a honyaki? Do you currently sharpen your own knives; with what gear?

Cheers
 
I have owned Honyaki gyutos from Mizuno, Watanabe, Konosuke & Sakai Ichimonji, I also used the Sakai Takayuki that James from Knives and Stones passed around.

Of those the Mizuno was my personal favourite, but all were quite different. What other Gyutos have you tried/ do you prefer.
 
I have a few shuns (boring I know, the elite is best). Have a Takeda 270 which is awesome and a masakage. I think I may like the Takeda best. Is Honyaki worth the extra cash?
 
I am generally not one to recommend knives here, the knowledge available far surpasses my own. However I recently bought a Hiromoto Honyaki off a member through the B/S/T sub forum. My first and only honyaki. I haven't used it much (a few times at home dicing potatoes, slicing roasted meats, chopping garlic) but i do enjoy it. I have not sharpened it yet so I can not speak for its feel on stones or edge retention (pretty sure the edge on the knife when i received it was not sharpened by the previous owner either). I also consider it fairly inexpensive for a honyaki. I basically bought it out of curiosity and to use for a refurb project, I am not sure of your reason for wanting a honyaki but it may be worth a look

link to knife on JCK http://japanesechefsknife.com/SPECIALS.html#NagaoHonyaki
link in B/S/T http://www.kitchenknifeforums.com/s...-honyaki-w-2-gyuto?highlight=hiromoto+honyaki
 
Nice score on that Hiromoto that is a good price. I have had a couple Honyaki knives. To me they are not hard to sharpen at all & have good edge retention. These less expensive Honyaki's work well in production kitchens.
 
Once a Japanese knife, always a Japanese knife
Once a Carbon, Always a Carbon
Once a Honyaki, always a Honyaki

I got the Hiromoto Honyakis, with metal bolster, and the santoku, they are so fine, I got two sets, since I live between two countries, to have a set in each contry(the sukihiki just one time. Gyuto and santoku twice)
The knives seem like a clone, Honyakis seem like original existence, like intellectual models!
Hiromoto is at very good price, kikuichimonji as well.
Have no doubts, just buy one
 
Well, if money doesn't matter, then take a look a what Cris Anderson is doing. His mizu-honyaki gyutos are pretty cool and very different from any Japanese knives that I've seen. But if you can live with a modern reimagined honyaki idea, then his knives definitely worths a look.
 
And what is the most interesting about the Hiromoto Honyaki, is the Hamon: it is so sort, only close to the handle to absorb the vibrations. So that means that Master Nagao, did the more difficult task, to flatten a harder knife throughout all its surface , compared to the other Honyakis, with the beautiful, but much wider hamon.
 
supersayan3 said:
There I meant, that non-honyaki knives seem like knive clones, of the original knife, which is the Honyaki (the Gods of knives :) ) .
My Hiromoto Honyaki (s) are so beautiful (even without mirror polish), that if they were a woman, they would have been top models, and educated, intellectual as well, appart from their beauty and style. They radiate power and grace. Their 3D blueprint is perfect!
Spinal tampering, width, thiness of spine, extremely thin 1cm before tip and over the edge, thiness over the edge, flat left side... they put many more expensive ones to shame (if such a thing can be said, with all respect :) I am sure that all honyakis have soul :) ).
Anyway Master Nagao's philosophy, is to be functional and the blade. But, they have the looks anyway.

Now, how sharp it is, as sharp as your skills and your set.

Almost all knives with good steel can become scary sharp. People are talking how good knives are Masamoto SK-3 or SK-4(?), which are made in a factory, by uknown workers.

Hiromoto Honyakis are made by Master Nagao himself!!! They are his last batch, and as usual, the last song you sing is your best!

They have superior quality substance
Click to expand...
 
tumblr_inline_myycka6kC81qb7qbj.jpg
 
Haha, funny picture!

I appreciate the joke, I am serious enough to let me do self sarcasm many times. I consider it a virtue.

But I tell you one thing: Buy this knife, and upon holding it in your hands, you will feel drunk with joy :)
 
supersayan3 said:
Haha, funny picture!

I appreciate the joke, I am serious enough to let me do self sarcasm many times. I consider it a virtue.

But I tell you one thing: Buy this knife, and upon holding it in your hands, you will feel drunk with joy :)
Click to expand...

I bought one and returned it...
 
That's what the forum is all about, exchange of opinions.

I bought one, then two more, then two more.

I feel so enthusiastic about them, since this spring I fell in love with them and my girlfriend ;-)
 
When I bought my first Honyaki, I thought it would be the biggest game changer ever. I won't go so far to say that I was underwhelmed, but after hearing so much about "Honyaki" I guess I had put it up on a pedestal. I will still get more I'm sure.

Salty did a video of a Masamoto KS vs HS gyuto which would probably be one of the best side-by-side comparisons. In summary, I recall that yes you do get some more bang but for a lot more buck.

Honyaki may not be the best option for a person depending on their situation. They can (apparently) be more fragile than clad or monosteel, it's also stiffer which is better for thinner knives. I had an email from Shinichi about this awhile ago; I'll try and dig it up at some point.
 
I've always said the virtue of a honyaki knife is that it should be the best example of the knife makers work.
Few questions:
Who is the actual knife maker?
Is he capable?
Does the style of the maker fit with what you re looking for?
Communication. Best to have one made to order. (Not mandatory)
Status
Reputation
etc.
 
I thank all the members of the forum for their fragments of wisdom, gained by experience, or for their questions , that activate my thought.

I like the exchange and flow of ideas.

I think all good knives can cut well and deliver, if sharpened well and if your hand knows where to guide them.

Yet what really impressed me about honyakis, is their substance.
 
riba said:
I'd be interested to learn the reason why you returned the knife (as you initially thought it as a steal).

(Just curious ;) )
Click to expand...

I thought it a steal until I received it. I felt it was very poorly finished and much more fragile than other honyaki knives I've used/owned. It was just what I paid for--a cheap knife:( The grind didn't look very well done either (inconsistent)...perhaps I just received a dud, but I wasn't willing to exchange it for another because I wasn't convinced it would be any better.

This was my first Hiromoto and my expectations (from reading about his other knives) were simply not met. It needed a spa treatment oob.
 
chinacats said:
I thought it a steal until I received it. I felt it was very poorly finished and much more fragile than other honyaki knives I've used/owned. It was just what I paid for--a cheap knife:( The grind didn't look very well done either (inconsistent)...perhaps I just received a dud, but I wasn't willing to exchange it for another because I wasn't convinced it would be any better.

This was my first Hiromoto and my expectations (from reading about his other knives) were simply not met. It needed a spa treatment oob.
Click to expand...

I was tempted to pull the trigger on it but the yo handle and F&F issues reported were holding me back.
 
I have already written too much, but my metal bolster version, is nothing close to a cheap knife. You see it side by side with Hiromoto AS, and Ryusen Blazen ( the exact same knife with Takura PRO, but Blazen has magnetic says, Takamura doesn't) and you understand which are the cheap and which one is the expensive. I repeat as well that is the only honyaki with so small Hamon, and whatever that means....Same thing about the sukihiki. As for the santoku is a mind blowing hybrid. The geometry of my gyutos, unique
 
Bought a Singatirin 270mm Wa handle gyuto off BST quite a while back. It was like new, never been sharpened or used. Got it at a good price. Marko was selling these blades, don't see them on his site anymore.

Really like the Chestnut handle on this large blade, the black horn was polished edges softened. I used it a while after putting a sharp edge on it. Ended up selling it to a banquet cook that I had taught freehand.

As suspected turned out to be a great production blade. He uses it more than any other knife in his kit. The handle not only looks good it is functional too. Felt good to pass that blade on to someone who is using hours a day.
 
keithsaltydog said:
Bought a Singatirin 270mm Wa handle gyuto off BST quite a while back. It was like new, never been sharpened or used. Got it at a good price. Marko was selling these blades, don't see them on his site anymore.
Click to expand...

LOL, give Maximo some credit for selling some quality blades.
 
keithsaltydog said:
As suspected turned out to be a great production blade. He uses it more than any other knife in his kit. The handle not only looks good it is functional too. Felt good to pass that blade on to someone who is using hours a day.
Click to expand...

I miss my Singatirin...honyaki is meant for someone who as Keith says, uses it hours a day. Unfortunately/fortunately this is not me. :)

Cheers
 
Not sure who I sold the Masamoto suji to but that may have been the baddest knife I've ever owned.
 
chinacats said:
I thought it a steal until I received it. I felt it was very poorly finished and much more fragile than other honyaki knives I've used/owned. It was just what I paid for--a cheap knife:( The grind didn't look very well done either (inconsistent)...perhaps I just received a dud, but I wasn't willing to exchange it for another because I wasn't convinced it would be any better.

This was my first Hiromoto and my expectations (from reading about his other knives) were simply not met. It needed a spa treatment oob.
Click to expand...

Yeah, I have one too (the "cheap" special edition). But as it is only my 3d gyuto (yusuke SS, heiji SemiS), I don't really have sufficient basis to compare (that's why I was curious about your experience & expectations).
The grind on mine is indeed inconsistent (either that or my sharpening sucked more than usual - the width of the resulting bevel varried quite a bit). I didn't perceive the knife as fragile though. Fit of the handle isn't perfect either but it feels good and I like the looks. Ofc, the blade itself wasn't polished (but that was not to be expected given the price), I am considering polishing and perhaps etching it once myself. But all things aside, I rather enjoy using it. Guess that's what matters after all. (I definately don't "need" a honyaki gyuto, rather overkill for a home-cook-in-training)
 
chinacats said:
I thought it a steal until I received it. I felt it was very poorly finished and much more fragile than other honyaki knives I've used/owned. It was just what I paid for--a cheap knife:( The grind didn't look very well done either (inconsistent)...perhaps I just received a dud, but I wasn't willing to exchange it for another because I wasn't convinced it would be any better.

This was my first Hiromoto and my expectations (from reading about his other knives) were simply not met. It needed a spa treatment oob.
Click to expand...

HOWEVER.
I see the one you bought, and it was the one that is $310 retail on JCK.
Right above that one is something described almost the same: Nagao White Steel #2 Honyaki 240 Gyuto. It came out 4 months after the original "honyaki" set. Except this one has a black handle and costs $500. Also there is no Santoku in this set, but there is still a Sujihiki.

They don't seem to have separate series names. They use the same steel. So this seems like it would make it very hard to do research on them.
Does anyone know anything about this second Hiromoto honyaki set?
 
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