A while back, I had the opportunity to try out a 240 Gengetsu in white #2. That knife was pretty close to the perfect knife, IMO. The tip wasn't quite where I like it and white #2 is nice but the edge retention is just good. I just received the semistainless version and the tip is a touch better positioned and lo and behold, the cutting performance was very similar. So I'm writing an initial review.
The standard specs are:
Mass: 189 g
Edge: 246 mm
Heel: 4.16 mm
Mid: 2.24 mm
tip-1": 1.32 mm
...and my calipers just died. Well, it's thin behind the edge but it isn't the thinnest I've ever seen. It's a substantial knife and balances nearly 2" in front of the heel. It cuts everything but large, hard squash, etc. with ease and precision, not to mention excellent food release. It's a pretty stiff knife. The closest knife I've seen that gets pub around here is a Miz which runs a little longer. This one is stainless clad and the semi stainless is pretty unreactive. I had to "baste" it for a couple hours with fruit salad juices after making a 5 gal bucket of fruit salad in order to get some nice contrast going. :viking: Anyway, the OOTB edge was decent and really came alive with a couple of passes on my strop (leather 1 mcn diamond). I've cut quite a bit of material in the last couple of days and it is still shaving nicely. I'm impressed, at this point.
The bevels were a little uneven (at the heel, the left bevel is 1mm right bevel is a hair's width, for example). The spine and choil aren't really rounded-looking but they do not feel sharp. The finish on the knife has some very minor scratching that was not removed. I can't wait to sharpen it but I'm waiting to see how long the OOTB edge lasts with some light maintenance. The handle is comfortable and rustic and very light. I think I will rehandle it but I'll use it a bit more before I make that call.
I love this knife. I don't know if it is going to be my fave and I don't think it replaces what a "laser" can do well but it is an excellent, excellent knife as far as I can tell. Here are some pics after basting.
and some OOTB shots...
Oh, and the saya fits nicely. I think I will actually use this one.
The standard specs are:
Mass: 189 g
Edge: 246 mm
Heel: 4.16 mm
Mid: 2.24 mm
tip-1": 1.32 mm
...and my calipers just died. Well, it's thin behind the edge but it isn't the thinnest I've ever seen. It's a substantial knife and balances nearly 2" in front of the heel. It cuts everything but large, hard squash, etc. with ease and precision, not to mention excellent food release. It's a pretty stiff knife. The closest knife I've seen that gets pub around here is a Miz which runs a little longer. This one is stainless clad and the semi stainless is pretty unreactive. I had to "baste" it for a couple hours with fruit salad juices after making a 5 gal bucket of fruit salad in order to get some nice contrast going. :viking: Anyway, the OOTB edge was decent and really came alive with a couple of passes on my strop (leather 1 mcn diamond). I've cut quite a bit of material in the last couple of days and it is still shaving nicely. I'm impressed, at this point.
The bevels were a little uneven (at the heel, the left bevel is 1mm right bevel is a hair's width, for example). The spine and choil aren't really rounded-looking but they do not feel sharp. The finish on the knife has some very minor scratching that was not removed. I can't wait to sharpen it but I'm waiting to see how long the OOTB edge lasts with some light maintenance. The handle is comfortable and rustic and very light. I think I will rehandle it but I'll use it a bit more before I make that call.
I love this knife. I don't know if it is going to be my fave and I don't think it replaces what a "laser" can do well but it is an excellent, excellent knife as far as I can tell. Here are some pics after basting.
and some OOTB shots...
Oh, and the saya fits nicely. I think I will actually use this one.