Up and coming Sakai

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DoYoon Kim said:
Just realized i called a dude with close to 30 years of experience up and coming.... Says something about the knife industry. I think some people still treat Itsuo Doi as a apprentice to dad.
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I’m a big fan of Doi-san’s blades. Bombproof ht. Ootb sharpness better than 90% of what’s out there. I’m more of a laser guy, but his “workpony” grinds work really well across a range of ingredients. Fit&finish are a B+, but the issues are fixable with care, patience and some wet/dry.

Not sure what to think about Homura Guren though.
 
DoYoon Kim said:
I donno if konosuke is going down hill, but something tells me Myojin might not make as much doing a FM versus all the other knives he's been making to date. He's quite a prolific sharpener in the past year for basically every other maker...

I do like that he's doing more non-brand like stuff like the JJ x Myojins, if he never makes a FM again and just starts doing stuff on his own feel like that could be cool.

I do think a lot of people are trying to break out of the mold. I have 2 Makoto Tadokoro's and they are absolutely top of the line f&f lasers. It doesn't seem like he's getting as much attentions as western individual shops which i guess speaks to the domination of these brands, but I think I'd call him up and coming sakai.
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Both are not from Sakai and myojin doing his own thing means myojin not doing konosuke. Tadokoro used to sharpen cheapo knives for Sakai wholsesalers but not anymore. Why would he.

We can really take both off the list and add them to the well established masters from Tosa list.
 
DoYoon Kim said:
I donno if konosuke is going down hill, but something tells me Myojin might not make as much doing a FM versus all the other knives he's been making to date. He's quite a prolific sharpener in the past year for basically every other maker...

I do like that he's doing more non-brand like stuff like the JJ x Myojins, if he never makes a FM again and just starts doing stuff on his own feel like that could be cool.

I do think a lot of people are trying to break out of the mold. I have 2 Makoto Tadokoro's and they are absolutely top of the line f&f lasers. It doesn't seem like he's getting as much attentions as western individual shops which i guess speaks to the domination of these brands, but I think I'd call him up and coming sakai.
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Myojin also did a collaboration with @Isasmedjan
 
DoYoon Kim said:
I donno if konosuke is going down hill, but something tells me Myojin might not make as much doing a FM versus all the other knives he's been making to date. He's quite a prolific sharpener in the past year for basically every other maker...

I do like that he's doing more non-brand like stuff like the JJ x Myojins, if he never makes a FM again and just starts doing stuff on his own feel like that could be cool.

I do think a lot of people are trying to break out of the mold. I have 2 Makoto Tadokoro's and they are absolutely top of the line f&f lasers. It doesn't seem like he's getting as much attentions as western individual shops which i guess speaks to the domination of these brands, but I think I'd call him up and coming sakai.
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From my understanding, Makoto Tadokoro does do slot of sharpening for other brands, including Sakai shops.
 
Hi all..

I'm not really that knowing about the different smiths and sharpeners.

I just bought a Hado Sumi 240 in white#2. I like It so far, but I would like to hear how you guys would compare Hado to the other more established Sakai makers ?
 
Hado isn’t a maker so much as a wholesaler / commissioner of knives that has a team of in house sharpeners (led by one in particular). They don’t forge the knife blanks. Yours (like most Hados) was forged by Yoshikazu Tanaka in Sakai (a top dog smith in Sakai, although his W2 is not what he’s most famous for forging) and sharpened by Hado’s in house sharpener, who is very well regarded but relatively new to the game. They are, by most accounts, very nice knives with excellent thin grinds and fantastic fit and finish. I have a B1 Hado and it is excellent, and comparable to other top shelf Sakai offerings.
 
JPAU said:
Hado isn’t a maker so much as a wholesaler / commissioner of knives that has a team of in house sharpeners (led by one in particular). They don’t forge the knife blanks. Yours (like most Hados) was forged by Yoshikazu Tanaka in Sakai (a top dog smith in Sakai, although his W2 is not what he’s most famous for forging) and sharpened by Hado’s in house sharpener, who is very well regarded but relatively new to the game. They are, by most accounts, very nice knives with excellent thin grinds and fantastic fit and finish. I have a B1 Hado and it is excellent, and comparable to other top shelf Sakai offerings.
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When Yoshikazu Tanaka is not known for his white#2. Does that mean his white#2 is under average. Or just nothing special?
 
HappyamateurDK said:
When Yoshikazu Tanaka is not known for his white#2. Does that mean his white#2 is under average. Or just nothing special?
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Others might be more experienced with how his heat treatment in W2 actually is, but to my research it’s reputed to be fine, but not special like his b1 and w1, and not as renowned as some of the w2 from Sanjo. I’m no expert - just passing in what I’ve read.
 
HappyamateurDK said:
When Yoshikazu Tanaka is not known for his white#2. Does that mean his white#2 is under average. Or just nothing special?
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I think it’s just average. His white 2 isn’t very hard, doesn’t get very sharp. Nakagawa and Mazaki white 2 feels better. The best white 2 I used is from Munetoshi..

Tanaka’s white 1 however, is entirely different. One of the best. I thinned one of his white 1. The knife almost seem to stop thinning once the core steel reaches the stone, really hard and gets very sharp. I’d say it’s a big jump above munetoshi white 2.
 
JP Knerd said:
I think it’s just average. His white 2 isn’t very hard, doesn’t get very sharp. Nakagawa and Mazaki white 2 feels better. The best white 2 I used is from Munetoshi..

Tanaka’s white 1 however, is entirely different. One of the best. I thinned one of his white 1. The knife almost seem to stop thinning once the core steel reaches the stone, really hard and gets very sharp. I’d say it’s a big jump above munetoshi white 2.
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I think you have a good point about his white#2 not being really hard. The knife is only rated to 61 Rockwell. Maybe it's to make the nailflexing thin edge less delicate
 
I believe that 61-62 is pretty standard for w2. for various reasons, do not take too much away from the hardness specs listed online.

That said, Tanaka is not and up and coming in Sakai. Getting off topic.
 
NickMinton said:
Kawachi has been around a few years but his volume is low and available through JNS only

Miyazaki is getting some traction but is again a one man shop that puts out fairly low numbers. He does custom work but you’ll need a connection to get to him
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How are the Kawachis? I wish I had got the 180mm petty off JnS. The gyuto looks great too tbh!
 
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