D. Martell 250mm Wa Gyuto For Sale!

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Dave Martell

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250mm Wa Gyuto - "Copper" Poly Acrylic - CPM154


Price - $495



  • Model - Gyuto
  • Blade Length - 250mm
  • Steel - CPM154 (powdered stainless)
  • Hardness - Rc 61-62 (with cryo)
  • Height (at heel) - 58mm
  • Weight - 8.3oz (235g)
  • Handle Style - Wa (octagonal)
  • Handle Materials - Poly Acrylic; copper swirl pattern with black pearl ferrule & end cap
  • Collection - Standard
  • FREE Lifetime Sharpening included!

Made from CPM154 powdered stainless steel to have great edge retention, and ease of sharpening.

Food separation will be good, primarily as a result of the convex grind, and also assisted by a forward balance where weight is retained in the upper section of the blade as much as possible.

The spine, although nicely tapered, retains strength and resists flex yet the tip is thinly ground for making proper cuts as required.

The wa style handle is made from a poly acrylic material. I don't like working with this material much, as it's messy, yet I LOVE the results! This handle is described as having a copper swirl pattern for the main section along with a black pearl ferrule & end cap.

The pairing of a stainless steel blade with a poly acrylic handle makes for a low maintenance worry free package.


*Please see close up pictures for details.


Note - this knife is ground very nicely, maybe the nicest I've done that is closest to my vision of what I want to provide. I'm certain that someone is going to put a smile on their face when they use this knife for the first time. :wink:

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I like the idea of doing a ~10" knife...I've cone to the conclusion that is pretty much what I like (250-260). What's the heel height?

Nice looking knife btw, especially good deal too!
 
I like the idea of doing a ~10" knife...I've cone to the conclusion that is pretty much what I like (250-260). What's the heel height?

Nice looking knife btw, especially good deal too!


This one is sorta tall Jim, it's 58mm
 
This one is sorta tall Jim, it's 58mm

It's nice to see more and more taller blades. Its very hard to find a quality tall gyuto commercially, often going custom is the only option.

Edit: of course they could buy a Tekeda and have you fix it :wink:
 
Also missed that one! Well I will check your subforum regularly
 
Remember the first time you used a Japanese knife? For me it was a Shun Santoku. It was light, nimble, and oh so sharp. A game changer. Stumbling across the forums and finding there was much more to knifes then Global and Shun was another game changer.

Over the years I've purchased knifes from a variety of makers, Sugimoto, Mizuno, Tadatsuna, Masamoto, Carter, Konosuke, Hattori, Suisin, Takeda. I've appreciated all of the knifes, but none of them gave me the experience of the Shun.

There comes a point, when you realize that new knifes don't add much to the collection. The current knifes are just as capable as the new knife. Exploring different types of knifes such as honsuke, garasuki, and hankotsu is fun, but they are specialty knifes, not an every day chef knife.

Seeing a picture of a nice knife always gets my attention. I wonder how would it cut? Probably not better then anything that I already have. Plus gyutos are not my preferred knife. I'm a cleaver guy. Gyutos all have that sleek and sharp look. Cleavers have all the appeal of a stick with a license plate attached to it, but they work for me.

I have appreciated the pictures of Dave's gyutos for awhile now. Sometimes western makers interpretation of the gyuto can be odd. Dave's looks right to me.

I don't know how many times I've been impressed by the picture of one of his knifes. I feel the itch to purchase, then think will it add anything to my collection? Gyutos are not my preferred knife, and then look at the price. They are normally well outside my price range.

We all have different reasons for collecting. At the end of the day, my knifes are tools. My price range is set by my tolerance for loss. It is much easier to live with screwing up a $200 - $300 knife then a $1200 knife.

Dave put up for sale the 250mm gyuto. Who doesn't like a knife with a red swirly handle? The price was a bit outside my price range. What got my attention besides the handle was the comment about this knife being close to Dave's ideal grind. I could only imagine the number of knifes that have come through Dave's shop to be sharpened.

The price dropped on the knife and then again. It was in my price range. I was intrigued by the ideal grind comment, so I pulled the trigger.

I had mixed emotions about the purchase. I was a bit surprised and concerned about the lack of enthusiasm for a Dave knife especially at this price.

To put the knife through its paces I picked up some tomatoes, onions, potatoes and carrots. Tomatoes especially softer ones are a good challenge. I placed the front of the knife on the tomato and it sank in with no pressure. I've never had that happen. I left the sides of the tomato on the thick side. Very little to no resistance as the knife went through the skin. I've never had a knife as sharp as this one.

I cut up an onion next and was amazed how thin I was able to get the slices. A cleaver with its size and weight is very good at slicing onions, better then any of the gyutos I've used until this one. I've been able to do a very fine dice with this knife much easier then any of my cleavers.

I'm excited about the performance but what about the dreaded stiction or food sticking to the sides of the knife? I diced up some large russet potatoes. The knife went through most of the potatoes with hardly any sticking. The few potatoes that stuck fell right off with a light touch. Stiction not an issue.

What seemed to deter some people from the knife was the poly handle. What would it be like wet? I rinsed the knife and handle. What little water stayed on the handle did not make it slick or cause it to slip. The knife stayed firmly in hand while I diced up an onion.

The Martell knife has been the closest thing to what I experienced when I picked up a Shun knife all those years ago. A game changer. It redefines what a high performance knife should be.

How many threads over the years have been about, "If you can only have one knife?". I know I'm still in the honeymoon phase with the Martell knife, but it clearly out performs every other knife in my collection, including my cleavers. I never thought I'd see the day when a gyuto beat out my cleavers. In general I don't think gyutos are better knifes then cleavers, but this Martell kicks ass!

Jay
 
Dave, Jay just compared your knife to a Shun ... :scratchhead: ... :lol2:

Jay, just kidding, I am glad to hear you like the knife, thanks for the report :)
 
Jay,
I’m glad you like the knife. What I think with regards to the sales and price drops on ready made Martells is that it is kinda hard to make customized handle+steel choices without an actual customer waiting in the wings. Every time I see these price drops all I can think is that someone out there is getting a crazy good deal, if the particular handle materials and steel choice speaks to them. I’m glad you found a combo you liked. I’ll keep lurking until the right knife pops up(actually I missed out on some that I would’ve enjoyed).
Oh, also I think carbon snobs like myself are starting to dominate the forum so maybe the stainless stuff moves slower 😀.
 
Martell knifes fit my preference for gyutos with a high heel, and the edge angles up to the tip of the knife. Tadatsuna and Gesshin Ginga are good examples of this style. The grind and tip of the Martell knife has been a surprise.

A number of people have posted in reviews about the tip of the knife was a strength. Some have even ascribed tips as having magical properties. Being a cleaver guy, I thought the whole point was overstated. (Pun somewhat intended.) The front third of the Martell knife has been an absolute joy in cutting up garlic and onions.

The grind behind the edge is thin and then it convexes out to the spine of the knife. The Martell cuts like a laser but has the heft of a work horse. The convex sides of the knife minimize food sticking to it. There is a bit of distal taper. It can be felt when slicing larger veggies. The further the knife is put through veggies, the more pronounced the convexion becomes, pushing the veggies further apart.

I'm surprised that a knife that performs this well doesn't have a more enthusiastic following. Maybe the hype train has already come on gone on this one and I missed it. I've got a Konosuke HD from JKI, a Tadatsuna, and a Hattori FH Gyuto. Along with a Suisin Inox Honyaki and Zwilling Kramer Meji Santoku. The Martell out performs every one of them, including my cleavers. I didn't think I'd ever see the day when a gyuto out performs a cleaver especially when it comes to chopping.

I haven't used a Shig, Kato or other current top tier knifes, but I think that the Martell would compare well against them.

Jay
 
Wow Jay, I don't know what to say besides thanks! That's a thanks for taking the time to write such a nice review and a thanks for your support in purchasing this knife. I'm super happy, and a bit proud as well, to know that you like the knife this much. :happymug:

I have to admit to also being happy to hear about the performance. I've been making big strides with the grind in the last few months, seems like each knife I do is better than the last, more than normally that is. I feel like I'm finally finding my groove and to hear your thoughts helps me immensely in staying on track with my ideas.

I'm also relieved to hear that the handle isn't slippery when wet. :D

Thanks again!
Dave
 
I'm surprised that a knife that performs this well doesn't have a more enthusiastic following. Maybe the hype train has already come on gone on this one and I missed it.


I've never got a lot of online talk, reviews, or "press" about my knives and I'm not one to boast (well not much anyway) so little is known about them. You didn't miss what isn't there, LOL
 
What I think with regards to the sales and price drops on ready made Martells is that it is kinda hard to make customized handle+steel choices without an actual customer waiting in the wings. Every time I see these price drops all I can think is that someone out there is getting a crazy good deal, if the particular handle materials and steel choice speaks to them.

Yup you've got it correct. Me making a knife to sell is a guess on what will sell. So if it doesn't suit anyone's tastes, and bank account, then it sits. Plus add in the fact that I'm (often) in a situation where I have to sell them fast so the price drops and drops until they're gone. It makes for a good deal for the buyer but a bad position for myself. This will change eventually....hopefully sooner than later. :)




Oh, also I think carbon snobs like myself are starting to dominate the forum so maybe the stainless stuff moves slower .

52100 is coming! :D
 
Any thoughts on how it compares to your O1?


I only have thoughts on this because I haven't tested it yet. I'm expecting to see a possible very slight increase in edge holding, with (I hope) as good of a time in sharpening/deburring, with maybe a slight increase in reactivity.
 
I’m over the discontinued 0-1 gyutos. Initially I was bummed as I really liked the O-1 gyuto of yours that I used to have. But the more I use 52100 the more I like it.
 
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