Japanese Knives Some custom zakuri knives for a customer

Thought you guys might like to see these...

Another lefty, eh?

nah... they are double bevel

Is it my imagination or is the handle on the bottom one a little crooked?

What are the top two? the 2nd from the top looks like a tiny Deba? is the top one a variation on a (tiny) nakiri?

Sorry to stray away from the topic (those knives are beautiful btw) but how would you compare Zakuri knives to say Takeda's or Kanehiro's. I've wanted one since I watched your youtube video but it seems like they go pretty quick!!

installing handles can be tricky as there is a lot of personal preference involved. Some people like them more angled up, others angled down, and some totally even in the middle. While my preference is slightly up, not everyone agrees. Thats why i usually ask the customer first.

the top one is for unagi, the one under it is a small funayuki, the third one is a small yanagiba/sujihiki, and the last one is a katsuo bocho.

it would be a lot easier to explain over the phone if you're up for it... the answer is not so simple or straightforward.

Thanks Jon! I didn't know that handle angle was something that varied...

yeah... i learned about handle installation from about 5-6 different people and they all had different preferences.

slightly up is my preference as well, if a preference is something i'm able to give. makes for a little more knuckle clearance. good looking knives!

Top one looks like a kurimuki?
How long are these?
I sure like the lines on that Suji!

That funayuki looks awesome!

wenus2 said:

Top one looks like a kurimuki?
How long are these?
I sure like the lines on that Suji!

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the top one is unagisaki (eel knife)... the suji is 210mm and the katsuobocho is 270mm to give some perspective.

those knives looked really great... i had an honor of wrapping and shipping them out <3

Sara@JKI said:

...i had an honor of wrapping and shipping them out <3

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How long does it take you to wrap a knife box like you do Sara?

I gave a knife from JKI to my mother and she was in awe of the wrapping job (took it apart very slowly and carefully trying to figure out how you do it!).

Johnny.B.Good said:

How long does it take you to wrap a knife box like you do Sara?

I gave a knife from JKI to my mother and she was in awe of the wrapping job (took it apart very slowly and carefully trying to figure out how you do it!).

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hmmmm I think it's under a minute? I count one day just to see.... As long as it's square and straightforward shape, it's fairly simple thing to do... It's my zen time just like sharpening for Jon.

Those are neat looking. The bottom one looks like fuuuuuuuun to maintain.

its really not bad at all

I hate tanto-tipped things.

The the blade road on that thing is uniform and requires no angle adjustment all the way down, I'll give a :hatsoff: to the maker.