Knife Japan: What's notable, worth buying, etc.?

[Yoshi]

I've read/heard more or less that same thing from different sources. Now is the time to get the ones ya want.

Or learn Japanese and fly to Japan and apprentice under your favorite smith?

 

[Kingyingming]

This is my daily knife that Ide-san gave me a few years ago, it sharpens like a dream.
I can generally get has knives down to 30 BESS, with a micro bevel. He has said to me he just wants to make sharp knives for everyone, and he does this very well!
View attachment 310126View attachment 310127

How do you feel about his “tall Nakiri”. I assume its iron clad… I have a yoshimi kato stainless clad blue #2 that is 180mm and on the light side and have been wanting some more “rustic”. Does it feel effortless to cut through scallions and ginger? How does it do with root vegetables like sweet potatoes and butternut squash?

 

[bsfsu]

How do you feel about his “tall Nakiri”. I assume its iron clad… I have a yoshimi kato stainless clad blue #2 that is 180mm and on the light side and have been wanting some more “rustic”. Does it feel effortless to cut through scallions and ginger? How does it do with root vegetables like sweet potatoes and butternut squash?

The tall nakiri that I have seen from Yosimitu Kajiya were all a bit thick behind the edge for my liking, quite a convex edge.
I prefer Ide-san's normal nakiri (165,180mm), they are super thin and light.

 

[refcast]

I still think more people need to try Yosimitu Kajiya, (Junichi Ide). Rustic finish and each knife is different due to free forging, but I like his aesthetics.

A few of the shapes that Ide-san makes, deba(ryoba), nakiri(large, from the carrot harvest), Petty's, Bunka, Gyuto's, Sujihiki, camping knives with integral handles.View attachment 319029

I got to try a white 2 double bevel from Yosimitu kajiya and the steel is the most buttery and pleasant if anything I've ever sharpened (kanna, razor, etc). Not the absolute most hard or hair popping but my favorite to sharpen, and strops well, and is pretty sticky of an edge. Grind and forging is consistent and even. Highest recommendation from me.

If you find Sakai white 2 being a little too soft and squishy almost, then this is a little harder and glassier yet crisp. I'm not too sure how to describe it.. . .not glassy like teruyasu fujiwara. Distinctly hard but not super duper hard matrix that would make it glassy. So a harder matrix than Sakai white 2, but also as if it has more distinct and hard teeth? Idk. Very great bitey edge without feeling like it'll roll or bend. Or, compared to the hatsukokoro blue steel thick gyutos -- a little harder feeling actually.

 

[Beerzebub]

I still think more people need to try Yosimitu Kajiya, (Junichi Ide). Rustic finish and each knife is different due to free forging, but I like his aesthetics.

A few of the shapes that Ide-san makes, deba(ryoba), nakiri(large, from the carrot harvest), Petty's, Bunka, Gyuto's, Sujihiki, camping knives with integral handles.View attachment 319029

How do his blue 2 and white 2 steels compare?

 

[bsfsu]

How do his blue 2 and white 2 steels compare?

I still need to grab a blue 2 off the shelf and take it home to use (I might do that now)so i can't comment on how they compare. I've only Honbadzuke'd a couple of his blue 2 Gyuto, not super hard like a TF but they seemed to feel nice on the stones.

I think his aogami knives are a bit lighter and thinner than his Shirogami.

edit; pic attached

Left are Aogami (180ish 210ish)
Right are Shirogami (210ish)

 

[bsfsu]

I still need to grab a blue 2 off the shelf and take it home to use (I might do that now)so i can't comment on how they compare. I've only Honbadzuke'd a couple of his blue 2 Gyuto, not super hard like a TF but they seemed to feel nice on the stones.

I think his aogami knives are a bit lighter and thinner than his Shirogami.

edit; pic attached

Left are Aogami (180ish 210ish)
Right are Shirogami (210ish)
View attachment 321773

 

[bsfsu]

View attachment 321894

Some bad vids of the Yosimitu Kajiya, 180mmish aogami 2 Gyuto.

 

[mengwong]

Oh I like that Unshu.

I have this one in my Wish List:
https://knifejapan.com/unshu-chuzen-hamono-haisu-nakiri-165mm/

So I have this family friend who has been complaining about the dull knives rattling around her drawer. Every time I visit, I sharpen her Tsubazo and Henckels. The next time I visit, they’re dull again.

Yesterday she asked for recs.

Stainless is a must, and edge retention a key requirement. So I said HAP40:

• https://knifejapan.com/unshu-chuzen-hamono-haisu-nakiri-165mm/
• https://knifejapan.com/unshu-chuzen-hamono-haisu-santoku-165mm/

Board:

• https://amzn.asia/d/7bW5fm4

She wanted a petty too. I said to choose anything from this page

• https://www.semiblack.sg/collections/petty

To maintain the knives I suggested a sharpmaker.

Probably the thing that will make the most difference though will be the cardboard sayas I make up for her.

 

[SwampDonkey]

Very curious about that HAP40

 

[Noodle Soup]

They never understand it isn't a matter of spending more money. There isn't a knife that will hold its edge for ever. If they aren't going to sharpen their knives they might as well buy cheap blades and throw them away when they get dull.

 

[mengwong]

I’m curious about the HAP40 too. I’m hoping that in between my visits, they can manage a few strokes with a ceramic rod, or on a Sharpmaker at 30°. If the steel cooperates, of course.

Angle control of the rod is going to be a challenge. Does anyone make a mounting bracket jig angle crock clamp device that you can slot a rod or a stone into at 15° from vertical? Sort of a poor man’s fixed system. Sized for SG, bet there’s a market.

 

[Justinv]

I love hap40. The nakiri has enough height to make it intriguing.

 

[aporigine]

Very curious about that HAP40

I have one (1) knife in Hap40. It was a purchase near the start point of my journey into Japanese culinary uh-huh.

It’s a Kohetsu 210 gyuto. Total featherweight. The downside is I got one of the early mega asymmetric 90/10 models. I’m told they’ve moved more to the middle in meantime.

Nice steel. Slowly yields to good waterstones. No coarseness detected chez apo. Gotta really work to make it stain. Holds an edge much longer than white or blue.

I never committed to symmetrizing the edge, since the whole knife seems built around that near-chisel geometry down by where the cutting happens.

So this is a steel report, refracted through the lens of a knife report.

 

[refcast]

That particular hap40 from knife Japan I've tried. It's probably not made by that blacksmith, just a (mostly) stainless alternative. Anyhow, I bought a second with scuffing to try, and the steel is wear resistant, so that's good if what you wanted to know. Compared to gihei forged hap40 it's slightly coarser feeling but a good steel for what it tries to do (edge life)

 

[Qapla']

Devil's advocate: Why not instead one in a less "extreme" stainless steel (e.g. VG-10, R2/SG2, or perhaps an "oddball" choice like VG-7), a cheap blade cover, and a splash-and-go stone?

 

[Redwax]

Stainless is a must, and edge retention a key requirement. So I said HAP40....

I don't know if HAP40 is a great choice for stainless. If it's semi-well looked after it will be fine, but if it's neglected or put in a dishwasher it won't hold up very well. I guess it depends on how confident you are about the people who will be using the knife being a bit conscientious about basic knife care.