These are the two wide bevel knives I've been looking at getting. The Syousin being one I seem to be leaning towards, have a Ginsan gyuto from the same maker love it. I like something with some heft to it and want to get a wide bevel gyuto in some form of Carbon steel, blue or Swedish. I currently have a 270 Kagekiyo in ginsan that I bought off of BST that will be going back up when post count allows. Still unused, while an exquisite knife it just doesn't feel right for me. Handle is a bit small, laquer a little slick, tiny bit front heavy and a little thinner at the spine than I had anticipated for a wide bevel knife. All personal preference stuff. If I'm going to pay this much for a knife I want it to feel like it belongs in my hand before I use it, if that makes any sense. What do yall think would be a better fit. What I'm asking is if the more informed could steer me in a certain direction between the knives or put up a suggestion you feel would be more suitable? Thank you for the help.
Wide Bevel Gyuto 240mm : Sakai Takayuki Syousin Sakura or Gesshin Heiji or open to recommendations
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Sakura would be along the line of Kagekiyo in terms of design, blade shape, bevel shape, etc. James' handle should be a fair bit more substantial.
Heiji is different, bevel wouldn't be as tall, and at the shoulder, it is also thicker crossection-wise. So the angle change at the shoulder would be larger, more distinct. Overall, Heiji would be a bigger knife, it should run true to 240mm, and have a bit more heft to the blade.
I used to have Heji carbon 240, and have used James' Sakura during his prototyping period. Both are good knives, it will come down to the design you would like to try, taller bevel and falling through food more easily of Sakura, or slightly heftier knife with sharp shoulder line of Heji.
Heiji is different, bevel wouldn't be as tall, and at the shoulder, it is also thicker crossection-wise. So the angle change at the shoulder would be larger, more distinct. Overall, Heiji would be a bigger knife, it should run true to 240mm, and have a bit more heft to the blade.
I used to have Heji carbon 240, and have used James' Sakura during his prototyping period. Both are good knives, it will come down to the design you would like to try, taller bevel and falling through food more easily of Sakura, or slightly heftier knife with sharp shoulder line of Heji.
user 16756
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My Heiji 240 is semi-stainless, so maybe not exactly comparable, but it runs 255mm and is the blade-heaviest knife I own.
The Heiji is also very rustic, something that is the opposite end of the spectrum of the Sakura (which Ive never owned, personally, but I mean you can look at the pictures and tell). I am so far not totally convinced, and may or may not keep it. But if you want a real wide bevel knife with hard shoulders that splits root vegetables, I think that's the one you go for. It does ok to fine on soft veg and I like it a lot for proteins.
The Heiji is also very rustic, something that is the opposite end of the spectrum of the Sakura (which Ive never owned, personally, but I mean you can look at the pictures and tell). I am so far not totally convinced, and may or may not keep it. But if you want a real wide bevel knife with hard shoulders that splits root vegetables, I think that's the one you go for. It does ok to fine on soft veg and I like it a lot for proteins.
Mangelwurzel
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"splits root vegetables" = wedgie monster
Dardeau
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I use a Heiji for most things and don't experience a lot of wedging. It doesn't fall through horse carrots that are taller than it is, but should you expect it to? There seems to be two camps of users, those who fear the "wedgie monster" and those who hate wiping their neat slices off of a blade face.
The style of knife is not for everyone, especially if you value the ease of it going through one piece of food over efficiently cutting lots of food. The biggest benefit to the wide bevel knife is that I can maintain geometry and have a good looking knife and rarely have to refinish with sandpaper.
The style of knife is not for everyone, especially if you value the ease of it going through one piece of food over efficiently cutting lots of food. The biggest benefit to the wide bevel knife is that I can maintain geometry and have a good looking knife and rarely have to refinish with sandpaper.
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The Sakai Takayuki is thinner behind the edge than Heiji. The handle is bigger than the Kagekiyo but not monstrously so. It has more meat at the spine than Kagekiyo. I would say it has more in common with Konosuke Fujiyama than either of the other two but the handle is still a bit more substantial. The balance point of the Takayuki is just a hair in front of the choil. Here is a quick choil shot of the Sakai Takayuki.
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Sakai Syousin Sakura sounds right for you. If Kochi was in stock I would recommend that also. Mizuno has a big bevel knife available at JCK...but it certainly wont be crazy thin behind the edge the way Kagekiyo and Sakai Syousin Sakura are.
