sujihiki as all around knife

Im looking for a suji that could be used as an "all purpose" knife. I know its not an uncommon thing among many and Im not really sure which sujis lend themselves to different types of movements besides just slicing. I figure I should probably get a 270mm for now and maybe a taller than average suji. The only suji ive ever owned was a kono white 2 270 and i wasnt too into it. The kanehiro 270mm looks tall for a suji so im considering it. also sakai yusuke, ginga, maybe even a jck white steel suji. any suggestions or thoughts for a suji noob?

Have you considered a petite Gyuto with height and thickness under control? To me it sounds roughly like what you're looking for.
That would be a custom order though. I would go with Heiji-san while asking him to shape out the finger groove a bit more to Shigefusa style.
Heiji has always been very flexible in his designs, I'm having him make my mother that suffers to an advanced case of arthritis a 160mm petty and a petite Santoku and he's very willing to work with the special grip she has to use as she only has the three last fingers she can move without pain (bone against bone otherwise, ouch).

Not the cheapest alternative out there however or if you're looking for production blades to keep the price down but I figured I'll throw my experience with Heiji out for'ya.

Yeah. Well this is going to be my second ever suji purchase so i would rather keep it under $300. I do want a Heiji gyuto eventually in semi stainless though. Thanks for the suggestion but if I can't find a tallish suji in my price range I'll just get a suji with a normal profile. The ginga suji 270mm is listed as 37 1/2mm tall and that might work.

i would go for a Yoshikane SKD Suji, love mine 250mm and 270mm mine 250mm is a little taller than normal after i talked with the vendor, Heiji would be a good choice to, i know Jon at JKI have them

A Rodrigue sujihiki is next on my list.

This has the ability:

Lefty said:

This has the ability:

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Yes it does. Looks good.

Alright, seriously though, a suji has some upsweep to the tip to create more usable length. If done properly, this can also aid in gentle rocking, on board.
If the heel height is about 40-45mm, you're looking good for knuckle clearance. The higher you get, of course, the less "suji-like" it is.
In my mind, you can create knuckle clearance two ways. You can have a slightly longer "machi", or you can have a more dramatic taper from the butt of the handle to the ferrule. It's up to you, of course.
Length...well, that's up to you.

Just got word that the kanehiro heel to spine measurement is 39 1/2mm for the 270mm suji. That sounds pretty nice. I wish there was more feedback on these knives.Everyone that likes them seems to be connected to the vendor.

How about a 270 Gyuto with a shorter profile, like the Ichimonji or Kikuichi TKC? To me that is much more versatile because it has a gyuto's profile but can be used as a suji, rather than trying to use a flat suji for gyuto tasks.

do you know who carries ichimonji?

What is your price range. I often use one of my sujis as an all around knife.

-Chuck

i would like to keep it under 300...what sujis do you use as all purpose?

labor of love said:

Just got word that the kanehiro heel to spine measurement is 39 1/2mm for the 270mm suji. That sounds pretty nice. I wish there was more feedback on these knives.Everyone that likes them seems to be connected to the vendor.

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39ish mm seems about par for the course for suji height. 43-44 would be ideal for an all rounder, not sure i have ever seen one, short of a custom.

Ever thought about a less tall gyuto? My moritaka ks (250mm) is 46 mm tall, and is a great cuttter.

a 270mm moritaka ks would be nice....

I had a chance to play around with Kalaeb's Moritaka KS and I second the suggestion that it might be right up your alley. Most of my favorite knives walk the line between a gyuto and a suji, and that one is definitely a contender. Besides, speaking as a 270 guy, that knife is (if I recall correctly) a true 250 on the edge; many 270s come up a bit short anyways, so you're looking at a fairly negligible difference.

What about a Masamoto KS gyuto? I have one and it is my least used knife, one of the main reasons being that I don't like the lack of height on the blade

labor of love said:

what sujis do you use as all purpose?

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Pretty much any will work as long as you are comfortable with them.

I've used a 270 Fuji FKM to the super thin 300 Kono white and 270 Kono HD and like them all.

The Kanehiro could be nice if the geometry is right, so maybe you can ask for a pic of the cross-section.

Although it is out of your price range, Maxim's Yoshikane SLD is what I've been contemplating lately.

Do you definitely need wa handle?

t-dogg said:

Do you definitely need wa handle?

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I prefer wa handles but I wouldnt rule out a knife just because it has a western handle. Im starting to think I should just go with a normal sized suji and simply adapt to cutting differently with it. Or maybe pick up a beater like a fujiwara carbon just to get the feel a suji first so I can have experience first and then move forward from there.

I happen to have 2 and am using only my newer one for now. I'd be happy to let you use a western handle Kikuichi...it is 270mm, 180g, ~38mm at heel and made of fairly cheap steel. It is not a bad knife as the geometry is pretty good and at least you could figure out if this is really what you want before you have to buy one. Oh and it could use some good patina

I don't think I could ever use a suji as an allrounder. My gyutos become very suji-like after just one year; a suji would be trashed in just a couple months...

t-dogg said:

I happen to have 2 and am using only my newer one for now. I'd be happy to let you use a western handle Kikuichi...it is 270mm, 180g, ~38mm at heel and made of fairly cheap steel. It is not a bad knife as the geometry is pretty good and at least you could figure out if this is really what you want before you have to buy one. Oh and it could use some good patina

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thanks for the offer but im pretty sure im sold on a sakai yusuke 300mm suji white steel. If you check out the pics of the heel on ebay it practically looks like a gyuto.

I think I remember the 300mm Konosuke suji literally casting a shadow on the 270mm, which seemed more like an elongated petty...CaddyJ may be a good one to chime in on that. I Bet the Yuke follows suit, and the 300mm will be a great choice....

That Sakai looks like a monster!:doublethumbsup:

Pulled the trigger on the yusuke suji yesterday. Kind of a bummer it takes 2-5weeks to get here.