Recent content by mhelminski

bunka bocho ("culture knife") is another name for a santoku. It's the name my wife was familiar with. Whatever you call it, it's a common, popular knife here in Japan. Take a look at the domestic sites for makers like Sakai Yusuke, for instance. Their top seller is a 180mm santoku...

Yes, the main kanji says "Hiromoto made"

Yeah, I've used Rakuten a fair amount here in Japan, but U.S. buyers are probably better off with American vendors in most cases. I do see some of Sakai Yusuke's stuff qualifies, but not their gyuto or petty knives.

Sounds like a good deal. I think that's actually a little cheaper than most shops here in Japan.

El Pescador - A Shigefusa is definitely beyond my budget right now, unfortunately. Maybe some day! Sanjo City is pretty far away, but I'd love to visit. snowbrother - Thanks, I'll have to check with Fujiwara about wa handle options and pricing here in Japan.

Interesting thank you for the recommendation. I should find time to visit them in Tokyo. I actually looked at the Fujiwara site recently, but it looked like the Nashiji line had western handles, not wa. Is wa also an option?

Thanks! And you're right. I'm not far from Tokyo (and Tsukiji) and visited the Kappabashi restaurant district when I was looking for the gyuto for my friend. I sort of wish I lived closer to Sakai, so I could visit makers like Konosuke easily... but then again, maybe not! Too tempting!

Hi everyone, I live in Japan and I'm looking for a nice, everyday wa gyuto to replace a Global G-2. I bought a 270mm Konosuke HD for a friend and felt totally comfortable using it, but my wife will be using this new knife as well and we have less space here in Japan, so I'm leaning towards...

Hi Everyone! These forums are great, but seriously dangerous! I'd been living here in Japan for years, oblivious to the wide world of Japanese knives beyond the Global I brought with me... until a few months ago when I decided to find a nice gyuto for a very good friend back in the U.S...