This was one of Stefan's go to knives. I know this because he always told me that his favorite knife to use for general purposes was a 270mm Watanabe gyuto. He loved the profile and size of this knife.
Speaking of the size - this is a BIG BOY knife! Not only is a Watanabe 270mm a very large and heavy knife but the handle he mounted to this knife is sized XL as well. I would shy away from this knife if you don't like them big.
Stefan handled most of his personal knives in handles he would term as "2nds", handles that he didn't want to sell but were not throw away level either but this isn't one of them, this handle was built for this particular knife - installed by yours truly.
The handle has developed some issues over time though. On the left side it has some fissures showing that run along the grain lines. These fissures can be felt with your hand. Is this something that comes and goes with the seasons, like opens and closes back up? I couldn't say. I would venture to guess that they could be closed up with some CA glue and then a re-sand of the handle would be required which shouldn't be that bad of a DIY job to tackle since the handle has a nice rounded smooth shape with no corners or sections that require advanced skills to keep sharp.
Just this morning this knife was covered in rust. I decided that I'd clean it a little and put an edge on it. The current blade finish is right around gray Scothbrite (LOL), it could be made to be even better but Dave doesn't do hand sanding. There's some pitting seen on the blade in spots but it's all pretty light.
I think this knife was likely made mid-2000's.
Stats:
Model - Watanabe Wa
Size - 270mm
Steel - ?
Weight - 12oz (340g)
Handle - Custom Stefan Keller, Spalted Maple Burl with Honey Buffalo Horn ferrule - Size XL
Condition - The blade has some light pit marks (aka - spider webs) left over from rust. The blade is sharp! The handle has some fissures on the left side that can be seen and felt. See pictures below for details.
Packaging - None
Shipping Costs/Etc. - Included in the price for USA buyers only. International buyers will pay an additional $45 fee. *Note - Custom declaration forms will have the actual price paid listed on the forms for insurance purposes.
Price - $575
Payment Types - Paypal & Venmo
PM for payment details.
Speaking of the size - this is a BIG BOY knife! Not only is a Watanabe 270mm a very large and heavy knife but the handle he mounted to this knife is sized XL as well. I would shy away from this knife if you don't like them big.
Stefan handled most of his personal knives in handles he would term as "2nds", handles that he didn't want to sell but were not throw away level either but this isn't one of them, this handle was built for this particular knife - installed by yours truly.
The handle has developed some issues over time though. On the left side it has some fissures showing that run along the grain lines. These fissures can be felt with your hand. Is this something that comes and goes with the seasons, like opens and closes back up? I couldn't say. I would venture to guess that they could be closed up with some CA glue and then a re-sand of the handle would be required which shouldn't be that bad of a DIY job to tackle since the handle has a nice rounded smooth shape with no corners or sections that require advanced skills to keep sharp.
Just this morning this knife was covered in rust. I decided that I'd clean it a little and put an edge on it. The current blade finish is right around gray Scothbrite (LOL), it could be made to be even better but Dave doesn't do hand sanding.
There's some pitting seen on the blade in spots but it's all pretty light.I think this knife was likely made mid-2000's.
Stats:
Model - Watanabe Wa
Size - 270mm
Steel - ?
Weight - 12oz (340g)
Handle - Custom Stefan Keller, Spalted Maple Burl with Honey Buffalo Horn ferrule - Size XL
Condition - The blade has some light pit marks (aka - spider webs) left over from rust. The blade is sharp! The handle has some fissures on the left side that can be seen and felt. See pictures below for details.
Packaging - None
Shipping Costs/Etc. - Included in the price for USA buyers only. International buyers will pay an additional $45 fee. *Note - Custom declaration forms will have the actual price paid listed on the forms for insurance purposes.
Price - $575
Payment Types - Paypal & Venmo
PM for payment details.
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