I know my reply comes 3 years later, yet I will do it for future reads.
The ryusen has nothing to do with the rest tsuchime damascus knives that everybody here says that it is the same knife rebranded.
I own both Ryusen and Gekko, I love them both, but different class.
Ryusen is the absolut VG-10! Very different than other brands, much better.
The fit and finish out of this world, mirror polished, more than perfect in general and high aesthetics plus rounded spine.
So sharp out of the box, it slips through everything with its weight and then cuts the pretty hard plastic cutting board and it jams-sticks there, you pull it out.
23,5 cm not 24. 2,4mm thickness at spine in the base and gradually thinning. Feels right for pro workhorse, for home as well.
Fantastc very beautiful knife, highly recommended!
[video=youtube;75IxgdTsNDw]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=75IxgdTsNDw[/video]
I dont know what the man says, but watch at 00:30 of the video, to understand what I talk about
The Gekko (most likely Kikuichi, Togiharu, etc,) is also very beautiful!
Rustique, aggressive, it has (as somedy wrote once) a little of everything:mirror polish, damascus, hammer finished, patina, shine, kanji by hammer and chisel, and I say the most beautiful gradient at the tip from all knives I have seen.
Very nice profile. Thin spine, most of the way 2mm, but feels for workhorse as well. The most square spine I have seen, but easy to fix with the stones.
24,5cm not 24cm
My Gekko is certified 61Hardness.
Good the VG-10 core, Ryusen is much better, ideal for first japanese knife, good workhorse, beautiful!
