Looking for Western Maker Recommendations

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nhb22 said:
Thinking I probably need to start with knives that are easier to acquire. I definitely want to try Yanick, Milan and the.9ine. Also, I only want to try one knife about $1500 in my first 5. I have to be very selective. Evan and Kamon both seem pretty expensive…thoughts?
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Never tried a kamon but people rave about them Evan is top tier if you like honyaki+western workhorse. Fit and finish is top notch. Also his stuff new and used is usually priced lower than most on that list
 
Pricing for Western makers has quite a bit more variance. It can depend on when it was made and who is selling it. A custom piece or semi-custom sold first or secondhand will likely cost less than retail at ModernCooking, Eating Tools, etc. BST and patience are your best friends. Sign up for every newsletter you can. Follow them all on instagram. PM a few you are most interested in and see if they are accepting custom orders.

Knives I purchased for around 1k that I would absolutely purchase again are Dan Bidinger B-grind gyuto (Retail - Crocker Cutlery), Robert Trimarchi aka the.9 western gyuto in Aogami 2 (Newsletter ballot knife), Halcyon Forge wrought iron gyuto with 1.2519 core (BST), Mark Tsourkan gyuto in AEBL (BST). 1.5k should open the door to all but the most exclusive stuff on BST. A 1k knife a year ago might be a 1.2k knife now as prices creep up to compensate for inflation.

Certain makers are famous for different things. Some cliff notes on some of the big names below.

Kamon: walkschliff grinds, unique aesthetics / easily identifiable profiles, complex handles, use of 1.2519 and ApexUltra
Milan, Yanick, and MerionForge: remarkable stone polished bevels on various san-mai constructions
Dan Bidinger and Kippington: masters of stock removal with great attention paid to convex / food release grinds (b-grind, hook grind). DB has one of the nicer western handles I've laid my hands on.
Halcyon Forge and Isasmedjan: is there anything these guys don't do superbly well? masters of all and lean towards WH grinds
Marko Tsourkan: monster truck convex grinds that make you question the laws of physics, immaculate F&F, AEBL and 52100
Bryan Raquin: Jokingly / endearingly the TF of the West. Legendary for 145sc steel and a kitchen tractor grind that Brraapps ;).
Martin Huber: Man can draw a penis like you've never seen. Rectangle royalty. Instagram/YT full of serious / excellent work. Have a rectangle pending for "All Rectangle March."
Harbeer HSC: Have some work pending with him, impeccable convex grinds, strong proponent of CruWear high toughness steel
Tobi at MetalMonkey: Crazy damascus patterns, high-performance convex grinds, excellent F&F

Too many smiths to comment on. Have some fun experimenting. Buy / re-sell through BST to limit some of the $ outflow.
 
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nhb22 said:
Thank you so much to everyone who replied and offered advice and sorry about the super open ended question. I’m very open-minded. Kitchen knife is a hobby, so I don’t have any hard requirements. When I first started trying Japanese knives, I remember someone told me I need to try different grinds, steels, makers and knives from different region. If someone new to Japanese makers asks me the first 5 knives to try, I might recommend something like:

1. Toyama 240mm blue 2 gyuto
2. TF Mab 240mm gyuto
3. Takada 240mm blue 1 gyuto
4. Wakui w2 workhorse
5. Nakagawa 240mm ginsan gyuto or maybe a Yoshikane SKD

Obviously, I imagine everyone’s list would be different, but you get the idea. Would you guys be able to give me a list of 5-10? When you recommend a maker, it would be helpful if you can also specify the steel you think I should try. If someone does a unique grind or shape that you can recommend, it would be good to specify that as well. Knives from certain makers (for example, Milan) seem very hard to acquire, it would good to keep those recommendations to 1 out of 5 or 2 out of 10. For the first 5, I would like to keep 3 below $1k, 1 below $1500 and 1 below $2,500. If you have 10 knives you can recommend, please just multiply those numbers by 2.

Again, really appreciate you guys’ input!
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Send @MSicardCutlery a PM. Matt works with a broad range of steels and various constructions (mono steel and laminations). He's also well versed in styles and profiles. You can find a lot of his work here on the form.
 
Finally, some Heldqvist love! A tougher snag, but he makes some great stuff.
nhb22 said:
Thank you so much to everyone who replied and offered advice and sorry about the super open ended question. I’m very open-minded. Kitchen knife is a hobby, so I don’t have any hard requirements. When I first started trying Japanese knives, I remember someone told me I need to try different grinds, steels, makers and knives from different region. If someone new to Japanese makers asks me the first 5 knives to try, I might recommend something like:

1. Toyama 240mm blue 2 gyuto
2. TF Mab 240mm gyuto
3. Takada 240mm blue 1 gyuto
4. Wakui w2 workhorse
5. Nakagawa 240mm ginsan gyuto or maybe a Yoshikane SKD

Obviously, I imagine everyone’s list would be different, but you get the idea. Would you guys be able to give me a list of 5-10? When you recommend a maker, it would be helpful if you can also specify the steel you think I should try. If someone does a unique grind or shape that you can recommend, it would be good to specify that as well. Knives from certain makers (for example, Milan) seem very hard to acquire, it would good to keep those recommendations to 1 out of 5 or 2 out of 10. For the first 5, I would like to keep 3 below $1k, 1 below $1500 and 1 below $2,500. If you have 10 knives you can recommend, please just multiply those numbers by 2.

Again, really appreciate you guys’ input!
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Under $2500:
Kamon
Under $1500:
Bidinger or Heldqvist
Under $1000:
Eddworks, Markin, Isasmedjan, Birgersson, Shihan, Maillet, Dalman, Spåre

Honestly, I think any of these makers can make almost anything you want and would do it well, it really just comes down to personal preference imo.
 
My favorites Westerns remain some of the ones that started making "Japanese" style here in the states. Devin Thomas, Marko Tsourkan, Dave Martell, Butch Harner. These are all represented in my work knives as well as the home crew. In more recent years HSC has earned a place at the table, like Haburn a lot, would like to try a Shihan at some point, not a thing bad to say about others cited here.

If I wanted to drop 1500 on a "best" representation of western makers I would make Hoss's (Devin Thomas) phone ring and ask him for one of his signature dammy patterns in his favorite steel of the day.
 
mockit said:
Pricing for Western makers has quite a bit more variance. It can depend on when it was made and who is selling it. A custom piece or semi-custom sold first or secondhand will likely cost less than retail at ModernCooking, Eating Tools, etc. BST and patience are your best friends. Sign up for every newsletter you can. Follow them all on instagram. PM a few you are most interested in and see if they are accepting custom orders.

Knives I purchased for around 1k that I would absolutely purchase again are Dan Bidinger B-grind gyuto (Retail - Crocker Cutlery), Robert Trimarchi aka the.9 western gyuto in Aogami 2 (Newsletter ballot knife), Halcyon Forge wrought iron gyuto with 1.2519 core (BST), Mark Tsourkan gyuto in AEBL (BST). 1.5k should open the door to all but the most exclusive stuff on BST. A 1k knife a year ago might be a 1.2k knife now as prices creep up to compensate for inflation.

Certain makers are famous for different things. Some cliff notes on some of the big names below.

Kamon: walkschliff grinds, unique aesthetics / easily identifiable profiles, complex handles, use of 1.2519 and ApexUltra
Milan, Yanick, and MerionForge: remarkable stone polished bevels on various san-mai constructions
Dan Bidinger and Kippington: masters of stock removal with great attention paid to convex / food release grinds (b-grind, hook grind). DB has one of the nicer western handles I've laid my hands on.
Halcyon Forge and Isasmedjan: is there anything these guys don't do superbly well? masters of all and lean towards WH grinds
Marko Tsourkan: monster truck convex grinds that make you question the laws of physics, immaculate F&F, AEBL and 52100
Bryan Raquin: Jokingly / endearingly the TF of the West. Legendary for 145sc steel and a kitchen tractor grind that Brraapps ;).
Martin Huber: Man can draw a penis like you've never seen. Rectangle royalty. Instagram/YT full of serious / excellent work. Have a rectangle pending for "All Rectangle March."
Harbeer HSC: Have some work pending with him, impeccable convex grinds, strong proponent of CruWear high toughness steel
Tobi at MetalMonkey: Crazy damascus patterns, high-performance convex grinds, excellent F&F

Too many smiths to comment on. Have some fun experimenting. Buy / re-sell through BST to limit some of the $ outflow.
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this is exactly the kinda advice I was looking for. i have been lurking here for years and finally sign up for an account (if online introvert is a thing...). i have read a lot, but cliff notes def help. thank you so much!
 
Love me some Shi.Han.

My wife and I have collected a bit of a Shi.Han set over the years.

240 KU Gyuto
180 A2 Gyuto
165 A2 Tall Petty
150 AEBL Petty

Got the 150 at a Sacramento blade show, all the others were custom orders. 10/10 would recommend.
 
MowgFace said:
Love me some Shi.Han.

My wife and I have collected a bit of a Shi.Han set over the years.

240 KU Gyuto
180 A2 Gyuto
165 A2 Tall Petty
150 AEBL Petty

Got the 150 at a Sacramento blade show, all the others were custom orders. 10/10 would recommend.
Click to expand...

Thank you. def on my list to try. it has been a bit hard to find a proper gyuto. I had chances to buy a nakiri, a suji and some smaller Shihan knives, but haven't gotten lucky with any gyutos.
 
nhb22 said:
Thank you. def on my list to try. it has been a bit hard to find a proper gyuto. I had chances to buy a nakiri, a suji and some smaller Shihan knives, but haven't gotten lucky with any gyutos.
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Some fuel for the fire.

IMG_0036.jpeg


IMG_1497.jpeg


IMG_1493.jpeg
 
Once the levy brakes on westerns, it crumbles. They all have such unique styles and the handles often times become just as unique as the blades. When it looks as beautiful as it works, it’ll inspire you to keep going back to it. And as I’ve found, being able to sharpen your own stuff makes you connect and pick it up more. I keep picking up my Heldqvist and Northeside. They’re fantastic 🥰
 
Everyone in this thread knows that I started my "exploration" in the world of western maker knives about three months ago. Looking at my Pirate Ship account, I have shipped out (sold or traded) about 50 knives in the past three months. I have bought and tried every interesting knife that I was able to get my hands on. I am now near the end of my exercise. I want to thank everyone who has provided me help and guidance along the way. I "met" and talked with so many hobbyists and makers during this period. Learned a great deal about kitchen knives and my own preferences. This is such a lovely community and I am truly grateful. I also want to report back and show you guys my result. The two pictures below include all the western maker knives I have kept. This doesn't mean the knives I let go are bad. These "keepers" are purely based on my personal preference as a home chef.

PS: never thought I would become a collector, but I think I am now officially a collector of Devin Thomas' knives.

Team USA
IMG_0241.png



Team World (excluding US and Japan)
IMG_0242.png
 
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nhb22 said:
Everyone in this thread knows that I started my "exploration" in the world of western maker knives about three months ago. Looking at my Pirate Ship account, I have shipped out (sold or traded) about 50 knives in the past three months. I have bought and tried every interesting knife that I was able to get my hands on. I am now near the end of my exercise. I want to thank everyone who has provided me help and guidance along the way. I "met" and talked with so many hobbyists and makers during this period. Learned a great deal about kitchen knives and my own preferences. This is such a lovely community and I am truly grateful. I also want to report back and show you guys my result. The two pictures below include all the western maker knives I have kept. This doesn't mean the knives I let go are bad. These "keepers" are purely based on my personal preference as a home chef.

PS: never thought I would become a collector, but I think I am now officially a collector of Devin Thomas' knives.

Team USA
View attachment 314474


Team World (excluding US and Japan)
View attachment 314475
Click to expand...
Nice Mazakis
 
nhb22 said:
Everyone in this thread knows that I started my "exploration" in the world of western maker knives about three months ago. Looking at my Pirate Ship account, I have shipped out (sold or traded) about 50 knives in the past three months. I have bought and tried every interesting knife that I was able to get my hands on. I am now near the end of my exercise. I want to thank everyone who has provided me help and guidance along the way. I "met" and talked with so many hobbyists and makers during this period. Learned a great deal about kitchen knives and my own preferences. This is such a lovely community and I am truly grateful. I also want to report back and show you guys my result. The two pictures below include all the western maker knives I have kept. This doesn't mean the knives I let go are bad. These "keepers" are purely based on my personal preference as a home chef.

PS: never thought I would become a collector, but I think I am now officially a collector of Devin Thomas' knives.

Team USA
View attachment 314474


Team World (excluding US and Japan)
View attachment 314475
Click to expand...
Quite the spread!😍 Assuming the Devin’s are high on the list but what few others are real standouts for you.
 
mockit said:
Pricing for Western makers has quite a bit more variance. It can depend on when it was made and who is selling it. A custom piece or semi-custom sold first or secondhand will likely cost less than retail at ModernCooking, Eating Tools, etc. BST and patience are your best friends. Sign up for every newsletter you can. Follow them all on instagram. PM a few you are most interested in and see if they are accepting custom orders.

Knives I purchased for around 1k that I would absolutely purchase again are Dan Bidinger B-grind gyuto (Retail - Crocker Cutlery), Robert Trimarchi aka the.9 western gyuto in Aogami 2 (Newsletter ballot knife), Halcyon Forge wrought iron gyuto with 1.2519 core (BST), Mark Tsourkan gyuto in AEBL (BST). 1.5k should open the door to all but the most exclusive stuff on BST. A 1k knife a year ago might be a 1.2k knife now as prices creep up to compensate for inflation.

Certain makers are famous for different things. Some cliff notes on some of the big names below.

Kamon: walkschliff grinds, unique aesthetics / easily identifiable profiles, complex handles, use of 1.2519 and ApexUltra
Milan, Yanick, and MerionForge: remarkable stone polished bevels on various san-mai constructions
Dan Bidinger and Kippington: masters of stock removal with great attention paid to convex / food release grinds (b-grind, hook grind). DB has one of the nicer western handles I've laid my hands on.
Halcyon Forge and Isasmedjan: is there anything these guys don't do superbly well? masters of all and lean towards WH grinds
Marko Tsourkan: monster truck convex grinds that make you question the laws of physics, immaculate F&F, AEBL and 52100
Bryan Raquin: Jokingly / endearingly the TF of the West. Legendary for 145sc steel and a kitchen tractor grind that Brraapps ;).
Martin Huber: Man can draw a penis like you've never seen. Rectangle royalty. Instagram/YT full of serious / excellent work. Have a rectangle pending for "All Rectangle March."
Harbeer HSC: Have some work pending with him, impeccable convex grinds, strong proponent of CruWear high toughness steel
Tobi at MetalMonkey: Crazy damascus patterns, high-performance convex grinds, excellent F&F

Too many smiths to comment on. Have some fun experimenting. Buy / re-sell through BST to limit some of the $ outflow.
Click to expand...
Ugh. There I am thinking I can limit myself to one or two knives a year. This post is damaging my bank account. I told myself I’m done with Weebs and Japanese knives and here you’ve opened a whole new can of worms.

Beyond the realm of high end production knives is this world of custom pieces.
 
nhb22 said:
have bought and tried every interesting knife that I was able to get my hands on. I am now near the end of my exercise
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I really don't get why one makes it a sprint. If I try to get to know a knife and really test it I can take it to work for a few days and get through dozens of kilogram of vegetable. Assuming you are a home cook they don't get as much time on the board. I had like 7 knives to test in a span of 2 months and I felt a bit overwhelmed at times to be honest. To just run through what you buy would be even more so for me.

Overall I still have to say really nice collection. Tried or own most of these makers and their work is great. So great picks. Most annoying is their work still varies so getting more than one from them is kinda a reasonable choice.
 
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