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Shun Bob Kramer Meiji 6"
Kramer6.jpg

kramer5.jpg

Kramer2.jpg
 
I continue to be stunned and bemused by the sheer beauty of the knives posted in this thread - the blessed Yoshikane above looks good enough to eat by itself. Even though my brain <knows> better, there's something so luscious about the damascene, that I keep thinking "Hmmmm - perhaps a delicate nut-like flavor with hints of pear and chocolate."

So, from a far less elegant, but more frugal (aw, 'fess up Jim - the word is cheap - the total cost was less than $50...) and utilitarian perspective here are two pretty simple knives that have found a home in our kitchen:

Bunmei_Usuba_2-1.jpg


First is a Bunmei 180mm Usuba - a simple, plain working tool - nicely balanced, good heft, and it sharpened up well with my limited skills. It was a $20 Craigslist find, and had been somewhat abused with lots of small nicks and some visible fold-over on the edge. An afternoon's work with waterstones, followed by a ceramic honing rod, and stropping across an egg carton seems to have brought it back to a usable condition with a few chips remaining to be worked out over time.


Bunmei_Usuba_1-1.jpg


Aside from vegetables, it has already earned its keep by quartering enough apples for about 20 quarts of applesauce, and split an entire winter's supply of Italian Plums which are drying in the basement - its ability to just cruise through pits and apple cores made these tasks far easier.

The other knife was an eBay impulse purchase - wife K. accuses me of being "An Invertebrate eBay abuser..." Sadly, I think she's correct, I just don't have enough spine to stand up to a bargain. This was a raw blade that had never had its tip shaped nor a final edge ground, and because it looked so odd, I got it for a song - well, maybe an EP single - it cost $16. I roughed out an edge with a slightly coarse garnet stone, finished it on several waterstones, threw on a Hoh wood handle, and ended up with this:

Tosa_knife.jpg


Which 'ecchef' took one look at in the intro forum, and admonished me - "Welcome! Fix the tip."

"Uhm, er, ah - Yessir! - is this any better?"

Tosa_knife_4.jpg


Tosa_kinfe_3.jpg


Actually, my neighbor Ernie Leimkuhler - who is reckoned to be a pretty dab hand with a knife grinder - saw me using the blade said something along the lines of: "That's just too ugly to live..." took it home like a stray puppy, reground a functional edge, finished it with an Edo-style tip, and now its a Bunka Hocho or something similar.

Tosa_knife-5.jpg


It's fairly thick at the spine, but not particularly heavy for its size (now about 210mm) - my hunch is that it's a white steel, which it seems fairly hard, and it does take a very decent edge.

So there they are, two rather modest knives without backstory or pedigree, not even vaguely pretty - but which for a very small cash outlay have made my cooking life much more effective, and even more, enjoyable

Cheers;

Jim
 
Mr.Magnus said:
Shun Bob Kramer Meiji 6"
Kramer6.jpg

kramer5.jpg

Kramer2.jpg
Click to expand...

Magnus, Finally someone around here but me bought one of these. I love the handle, in fact I'm having a handle made for my 210 Yusuke modeled after this knife. I also have XL hands. Curious to get your feedback. I think the grind and profile is expectational. Very little stickson even with sweet potatoes. I think I have it sharpened at 11 a side with a 15 degree micro. Will hold its edge better than AS and HD steel.
 
Mucho Bocho said:
Magnus, Finally someone around here but me bought one of these. I love the handle, in fact I'm having a handle made for my 210 Yusuke modeled after this knife. I also have XL hands. Curious to get your feedback. I think the grind and profile is expectational. Very little stickson even with sweet potatoes. I think I have it sharpened at 11 a side with a 15 degree micro. Will hold its edge better than AS and HD steel.
Click to expand...

You're not alone on this one. Absolutely love my 8"and serrated meiji. They both get some good millage in my kitchen
 
Mucho Bocho said:
Magnus, Finally someone around here but me bought one of these. I love the handle, in fact I'm having a handle made for my 210 Yusuke modeled after this knife. I also have XL hands. Curious to get your feedback. I think the grind and profile is expectational. Very little stickson even with sweet potatoes. I think I have it sharpened at 11 a side with a 15 degree micro. Will hold its edge better than AS and HD steel.
Click to expand...

Yeah I think the handle is great but the belly on this knife is Abit to aggressive for my personal liking. I got this knife very cheap and would not buy it for full price. But for the 100 bucks I paid new in box i could not argue.
 
Dr_Jim said:
I continue to be stunned and bemused by the sheer beauty of the knives posted in this thread
Click to expand...

Me too :)

Dr_Jim said:
The other knife was an eBay impulse purchase - wife K. accuses me of being "An Invertebrate eBay abuser..." Sadly, I think she's correct, I just don't have enough spine to stand up to a bargain. This was a raw blade that had never had its tip shaped nor a final edge ground, and because it looked so odd, I got it for a song - well, maybe an EP single - it cost $16. I roughed out an edge with a slightly coarse garnet stone, finished it on several waterstones, threw on a Hoh wood handle, and ended up with this:
Click to expand...

Interesting story....I need neighbors like that!
 
Johnny,
Sorry I missed your previous post. Wasn't referring to your gorgeous suji; rather the OP's original posted knife, and the rehandles of the R$chmonds in general.....
 
A beauty! Looks almost like there's a bleach stain on the edge-half of the blade.
 
I don't think I can count something I'm not keeping as a purchase, so here is what the guy who has beautiful knives pass through his hands at a freakish (and awesome) rate keeps for himself:

295D94B0-8336-4222-9D84-6B18C95A1DC9-3264-00000358D001B25A.jpg
 
NO ChoP! said:
Sorry I missed your previous post. Wasn't referring to your gorgeous suji; rather the OP's original posted knife, and the rehandles of the R$chmonds in general.....
Click to expand...

No worries. I shouldn't have assumed your comment was directed to me. (And now that you mention it, I see what you see in that first picture of the M.R. knife.)

Cutty Sharp said:
Nice taste on the Inos. The ebony/black combo is classy.
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Thank you; it's always been one of my favorite combinations (simple and "boring" as it may be).
 
Lefty said:
I don't think I can count something I'm not keeping as a purchase, so here is what the guy who has beautiful knives pass through his hands at a freakish (and awesome) rate keeps for himself:

295D94B0-8336-4222-9D84-6B18C95A1DC9-3264-00000358D001B25A.jpg
Click to expand...

I have a full set of nogents and despite the many knives I have bought and sold over the years the nogents have never left, and never will.
 
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