Mizuno Tanrenjo Honyaki

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FishmanDE

FishmanDE

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Hey all,

I’m no where near being in the market for one, but I’ve been fantasizing a lot lately about getting a DX Blue 2 Honyaki or a White steel Honyaki 240 gyuto. That said, they’re very pricy. Are they actually worth the money? And has anyone tried either, and if so, how did you like the steel?
 
FishmanDE said:
Hey all,

I’m no where near being in the market for one, but I’ve been fantasizing a lot lately about getting a DX Blue 2 Honyaki or a White steel Honyaki 240 gyuto. That said, they’re very pricy. Are they actually worth the money? And has anyone tried either, and if so, how did you like the steel?
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Hey mate - happy to send you my 240 honyaki from Jun if you fancy trying one out. I like it a lot. Great knife. Just hit me up in the DM's. Nothing like trying it before you buy it.
 
I got to use, sharpen, thin, and polish a white steel one and the steel is distinctly hard but still buttery. Not necessarily brittle in use either. Not as glassy as TF white 1. My experience with honyakis so far is that they don't necessarily get sharper than clad knives, but the steel feels more durable at the edge (which I guess helps with retention), but at a macro level they are more brittle (big cracks during quench and internal stresses which lead to small cracks inside the knife sometimes). Weighty, looks cool. If you have the money, they can be very fun.
 
FishmanDE said:
Hey all,

I’m no where near being in the market for one, but I’ve been fantasizing a lot lately about getting a DX Blue 2 Honyaki or a White steel Honyaki 240 gyuto. That said, they’re very pricy. Are they actually worth the money? And has anyone tried either, and if so, how did you like the steel?
Click to expand...
While JHonyakis aren’t cheap I do think $1250 is a relative bargain for the 240mm wh2 Honyaki by Mizuno. Knife usually runs on the tall side 54mm ish has really cool profile and the grind is quite asymmetrical.
I am left handed so the grind was asymmetrical enough that I could barely appreciate the cutting which leads me to think they must be nice for righties.
It’s one of maybe 3 knives I’d find a way to justify spending over $1k for (if I was right handed)
 
Didn’t bother commenting on the steel because recast summed it up perfectly. Both Mizuno and Ittetsu wh2 Honyakis are pleasure on the stones and supply wonderful feedback on the cutting board in use.
 
refcast said:
I got to use, sharpen, thin, and polish a white steel one and the steel is distinctly hard but still buttery. Not necessarily brittle in use either. Not as glassy as TF white 1. My experience with honyakis so far is that they don't necessarily get sharper than clad knives, but the steel feels more durable at the edge (which I guess helps with retention), but at a macro level they are more brittle (big cracks during quench and internal stresses which lead to small cracks inside the knife sometimes). Weighty, looks cool. If you have the money, they can be very fun.
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I wouldn’t mind one that’s not a Honyaki, but the DX Honyaki seem to have a larger heel height. That said, that’s some serious extra coin for a couple mm
 
I used to have a 240 (230) DX Blue 2 Honyaki, the steel is excellent, some of the best Blue 2 out there. The knife itself was very good too. These are usually very asymmetric at least they used to be and mine was, not sure how @thebradleycrew is dealing with this being wrong handed.
 
first of all the heat treatment on Blue 2 is worth a praise, really really hard. and the grind on my extra thin,,,,not bad I mean. However, the mirror finish does bring more sticking problems. If they don't do the mirror finish, maybe the Honyaki DX would be a monster. I use it for a comparison with my tetsujin B2 as well. The sticking problem is worse than the tetsujin (which is a pretty sticking knife IMO).
1702718206781.jpeg

1702718225098.jpeg
 
tim huang said:
first of all the heat treatment on Blue 2 is worth a praise, really really hard. and the grind on my extra thin,,,,not bad I mean. However, the mirror finish does bring more sticking problems. If they don't do the mirror finish, maybe the Honyaki DX would be a monster. I use it for a comparison with my tetsujin B2 as well. The sticking problem is worse than the tetsujin (which is a pretty sticking knife IMO).
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Stiction would be my biggest concern with a highly polished gyuto. Probably less of a problem with a Suji or Yanagiba slicing raw fish.
 
FishmanDE said:
Hey all,

I’m no where near being in the market for one, but I’ve been fantasizing a lot lately about getting a DX Blue 2 Honyaki or a White steel Honyaki 240 gyuto. That said, they’re very pricy. Are they actually worth the money? And has anyone tried either, and if so, how did you like the steel?
Click to expand...
I don't remember if I actually sharpened it (was a baby sharpener at the time and mighta been too scared), but these were my notes on Salty's blue 240 Miz DX Honyaki
Vertigo said:
Haven't really collected my thoughts about this guy yet. Here are a few notes off the top of my head:

  • It has something of a learning curve. The first hour or so, I thought it was awkward and clunky. By the end of the day, I loved it.
  • Cuts thinner than it is. Got a big fat chunky grind and has virtually no sticktion issues, but also moves easily through food.
  • Blade heavy son-of-a-bizzo. Part of the "learning curve" is getting used to the weight.
  • Definitely not for everyone. Industrial knife for industrial use.
  • Begs for abuse. You get done julienning three dozen onions rapid-fire, and you just wanna throw the thing across the board like a boss.
  • Profile wasn't my favorite, but it was fitting for the geometry, if that makes sense.
  • Gorgeous patina that just kept getting better, zero odors or discoloration on food.

This is one of the most effective "workhorse" knives I've used professionally. It's like Wusthof got its act together and made a SuperSthof, a big mean burly bastard you could use for anything without worry, that also cut well and had great steel. That said, I was never compelled (even the slightest bit) to take it out at home to cook dinner for two. Just seemed overkill.
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panda said:
has anyone have/or tried miz honyaki petty?
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Yes, I owned one and used one. They are shaped much like the gyuto profile. My only complaint was that the tip was not quite pointy enough for my liking. I would have preferred a little pointer tip. Otherwise, it was great in hand, great on stones, and good petty all around. It's expensive for the size, but we all know that pettys and smaller knives take similar time/risk for the maker with less to show for the length of the work. But I like it. Right now, I prefer my Shi.Han petty and Takada petty due really only to shape.
 
thebradleycrew said:
Yes, I owned one and used one. They are shaped much like the gyuto profile. My only complaint was that the tip was not quite pointy enough for my liking. I would have preferred a little pointer tip. Otherwise, it was great in hand, great on stones, and good petty all around. It's expensive for the size, but we all know that pettys and smaller knives take similar time/risk for the maker with less to show for the length of the work. But I like it. Right now, I prefer my Shi.Han petty and Takada petty due really only to shape.
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was hoping you would say it sucks. now I really want one even more.
 
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