What do you like/dislike about Takedas

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Marcelo Amaral

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I know there's been a lot of threads about Takeda's gyutos recently. For those that are sick of it, my apologies. However, i feel there still is some people who would like to further discuss about them. So, feel free to comment.

@1000cuts:
i wouldn't consider Takeda's gyutos to be lasers. Sure they feel lighter than many gyutos with the same length, but there is some meat there. In my way to see it, the right (not the thick-behind-the-edge ones) Takeda can be an amazing all-around knife. When dicing onions, for instance, the pieces tend not to stick on it, which is something difficult to get on lasers.
 
My likes: hollow ground, superior food release over anything else, excellent blade height, light weight yet it cuts with power.
Dislikes:wimpy handles and too curvy of profile often(although there's terrific variance).
 
I have 5 Takedas, so i may be a bit biased:

pros:
-gets super sharp quite easy
-keeps sharpness for a long time
-sort of a heavy-duty-laser
-not reaktiv (for carbon)
-blade height

cons:
-price
-quality seems to have quite some variance


My 210 oldschool bunka is my go-to-knife.
 
Pros:
Height
AS steel
Release
Feel
Look Badass

Cons:
Ridiculously inconsistent grinds
Tiny handle with glue blob.

In the end, still not for me but I understand why people love them.
 
Takeda is like a fine old wine, depends on the vintage, where its from, and blind luck that its not corked.
 
The lucky ones with good geometry are awesome ( Zetium has one i tried and it was amazing) I have a super small bunka wich is nice.. but the finish of the handles and that super uncomfortable tang is really crap..
I got mine second hand of course!!
 
So they are a real case of "buy in a store if you can"?

How do they behave with tunnel-gripped ingredients (some pressure against the cut), food release wise? (yeah... I know... damn curry lovers and their need for boatloads of fine diced stuff :) )
 
LifeByA1000Cuts said:
So they are a real case of "buy in a store if you can"?

How do they behave with tunnel-gripped ingredients (some pressure against the cut), food release wise? (yeah... I know... damn curry lovers and their need for boatloads of fine diced stuff :) )
Click to expand...

You could start a BST thread like I did and just sort through what's out there :)

I think fine dicing sometimes has more to do w your personal technique as opposed to the knife you're using. It really helps to speed things along w takeda because your product isn't sticking to the blade. That being said wakui is prob my fave brunoise machine.
 
Probably both :) But yeah, stiction is exactly the problem that sometimes forces using a tunnel grip (anything small enough - garlic clove, asian shallot, ginger knob - to be easily lifted off board if it sticks), and sometimes makes transferring ingredients take more time than cutting them.
 
A proper Takeda is def a brunoise machine. It should be medium spine with a large secondary bevel and the concave forge needs to be there in middle of blade section.

The steel is super tough and resilient yet easy to sharpen. It seems to prefer a higher polish than white steel.
 
+ PRO: uniqueness, blade height, rustic look, good steel, cutting performance (ymmv), …

- CON: variability*, steel could possibly be taken to higher HRC, new grind/bevel (can be fixed), small handle, epoxy (doesn't bother me until it starts to peel off), ridiculously small tang and emoto (larger rehandle can kinda pinch between ferrule and choil).

* My 270 NAS gyuto (circa 2014) is about 2.5-2.6 on the spine above the heel,I've seen newer 210 gyutos that are almost 5mm
 
panda said:
T-jangles, I would not want AS steel any higher hardness, it would be pain in da arse to sharpen and chippy. What's great about Takeda steel is that it handles abuse.
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that should've been on my lists of pros...I said steel but these knives truly do take abuse very well...
 
takedas should never be misused. Most folks dont understand how takedas are sharpened and to be maintained. Hard to grasp zero grind, wide bevel, double bevel knives. takes more time to sharpen these and polish it to a certain level. But members here aren't 'most folks'.

so many Takeda knives are sharpened only at the micro bevel for a long time, resulting in cleaver like edge geometry. This makes people exert immense pressure when cutting. Takeda's blue super heat treatment is superb so it can take it without too much chipping, unless something strange gets done to it. But the problem is that the whole blade can bend and when it does it tends to stay that way. The AS line's cladding is extremely soft and susceptible to bending, especially takeda yanagibas, sasanohas and gyutos are very vulnerable to warping under misuse because the core steel is so thin. The NAS is less punishing.

Honestly, Takedas are not for general public - it requires users to have good technique, and good understanding of sharpening. Unless you live in Nimi and can ask Shosui san to fix your takeda knives.

But, if you do understand the grind well and have good stones, oh so addictive to sharpen these. Fun to polish too
 
BLee said:
takedas should never be misused. Most folks dont understand how takedas are sharpened and to be maintained. Hard to grasp zero grind, wide bevel, double bevel knives. takes more time to sharpen these and polish it to a certain level. But members here aren't 'most folks'.

so many Takeda knives are sharpened only at the micro bevel for a long time, resulting in cleaver like edge geometry. This makes people exert immense pressure when cutting. Takeda's blue super heat treatment is superb so it can take it without too much chipping, unless something strange gets done to it. But the problem is that the whole blade can bend and when it does it tends to stay that way. The AS line's cladding is extremely soft and susceptible to bending, especially takeda yanagibas, sasanohas and gyutos are very vulnerable to warping under misuse because the core steel is so thin. The NAS is less punishing.

Honestly, Takedas are not for general public - it requires users to have good technique, and good understanding of sharpening. Unless you live in Nimi and can ask Shosui san to fix your takeda knives.

But, if you do understand the grind well and have good stones, oh so addictive to sharpen these. Fun to polish too
Click to expand...

I understand the grind...mine sucked...had nothing to do with abuse...maybe he has assistants or just makes some knives on the weekend:laugh:

Again, not knocking the steel but some of his examples either lack the arrowhead or are too thick there...ideal to me is the 'small arrowhead grind' too bad you can't order it like that and get it.
 
Steel is fine, profiles have some character and all, but knives that cost that much should not require work by the user when purchased to make it work well.
 
panda said:
China, I sent mine out to labor for a test drive, I think you should try it as well.
Click to expand...

Oh hell no...I'll wind up liking it...damn list is already too long.

But thanks:)
 
shut up, just give him your details and he will eventually send it over. unless he tries to keep it :D

by the way, i'm looking forward to your reaction to the munetoshi, i am soooo loving mine. you should know by now the only list you need is what ever knives i like ;)
 
panda said:
shut up, just give him your details and he will eventually send it over. unless he tries to keep it :D

by the way, i'm looking forward to your reaction to the munetoshi, i am soooo loving mine. you should know by now the only list you need is what ever knives i like ;)
Click to expand...

I will say that usually works well for me...I'm stoked for the Mune.
 
Not having any flat spot, mine it s curve.
I had a sasanoha version and that had a much better flat spot.

The steel it s amazing and it get super sharp,a bit to brittle for my taste but with a micro bevel on the problem dissappear.

Handle it s way to small. I put on my a beautiful handle from Robin dalman, and now look amazing.
 
Posting some pictures of my takeda.
After many hours spent in thinning the **** out of it now it s thin with a nice s grind. Cutting perfect potatoes, onion, root celery, sweet potatoes and carrots.
Want to show how the mezza luna profile it s still pronounced, it will take me more then 3 sharpening session before to have a decent flat spot.

1481992692192.jpg


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A buddy of mine got a new one recently, the french style gyuto or whatever. its so thin at the spine its a joke, the shinogi area is thicker than the spine.
 
@cheflivengood isn't that the very point of a rhombic grind? And gyutos are based on a french design, non?
 
LifeByA1000Cuts said:
@cheflivengood isn't that the very point of a rhombic grind? And gyutos are based on a french design, non?
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The Takedas that are not as tall is what I mean, sasanoha or something. the grinds are usually less noticeable than this one.
 
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