Japanese Knives Jin Knives

I'm not sure if i posted on here about this or not... late last year the maker of Jin knives passed away. We've been posting old pictures of him all over instagram and facebook, along with pictures of Jin knives we've sold over the years. I took a great photo of one today and thought i would get it stated here:



and a couple different Jin knives for good measure:

















And one of the man himself too:

These are some of the most elegant and unique Japanese knives I have seen and very different to today's knives. I bought one of those 'mini yanagiba' (kogatana, actually) ones (that is not a proper name, but describes the look of the knife best,), just to have one. If I were cooking fish more often I would have probably bought a full size yanagiba or deba.

So, if I may, here is my 115 mm Jin kogatana, a tribute to Yamaguchi-San:







EDIT: If anyone wants to find out more about these knives and their maker, it really is worth to simply search Jon's FB for 'Jin'

Beautiful knives Jon - are they laminated, or is the bevel just more highly polished?

laminated... high speed carbon tool steel with soft carbon cladding (and copper in between)

Here is a YouTube by Jon: [video=youtube;Cog2-CAPIoE]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cog2-CAPIoE[/video]

High Art

Ever when I watch that Jon's youtube video about Jin knives, I get a very intensive feeling that I must have one...they are definitely indeed something special...I don't, similarly to Matus, often work with fish and basically buy things to be used frequently, but should I make an exception from this rule one day, than it would be a Jin knife...All the more that I also like the look of them very much...

Functional art. Pure and simple. I love the understated yet elegant work of the maker. His history is also very compelling ; at least the little I have read/heard from you Jon.

Thank you for sharing.

a few more here:





[video]https://www.facebook.com/JapaneseKnifeImports/videos/10153934283958860/[/video]

Jon, I'm sure you've discussed this somewheres, but what's the purpose of the copper lamination? Purely aesthetic or...?

it was how they clad the two steels together. It was more common back in the day, but is not common at all anymore. It also happens to look cool.

[video]https://www.facebook.com/JapaneseKnifeImports/videos/10154101635303860/[/video]

some better pics of the jin from yesterday... i dont know if you guys can see it, but this was HUGE. It was a 320mm Mioroshi Deba.

Cool, you should have placed a 210 mioroshi next to it for a comparison

It would have looked like this

Yeah, that is 'big enough'

That big Deba is a very cool blade.

a couple more went out today:

Awesome knives, photos don't do them justice!!

I have no need for one of these but a great desire to own one

malexthekid said:

I have no need for one of these but a great desire to own one

Click to expand...

I had no need either, but desire got the better of me, i can also say that Jin knives hold their edge for an eternity.

I'm just glad there are no gyutos so Jon didn't literally rob me at knifepoint and force me to buy one.

That copper line is just beautiful, but I don't need a $1000 knife right now.

DanHumphrey said:

I'm just glad there are no gyutos so Jon didn't literally rob me at knifepoint and force me to buy one.

That copper line is just beautiful, but I don't need a $1000 knife right now.

Click to expand...

I can't remember the last knife I bought based on need. Want on the other hand is an entirely different story.

Yeah, need is a strong word. Still, I would love to see one in person. Somehow need to figure out a trip to LA to stop in on Jon one of these years...