2 Knives, same model, slightly different weight/thickness which would you choose?

[westcoastknives]

Slightly academic in nature, just curious which of the following would you chose / why just based off the choil. Both are the same maker and model, and they aren't significantly different overall. One is real laser-ish and the other is just slightly thicker and is about 5% (~10g) heavier. So if you're at the store, and they have these two options in stock, which are you picking?

 

[Corradobrit1]

What steel? Sanmai? At first blush, the right one.

 

[PPIIBBSS]

Always thinner for me. I've got one big stainless workhorse for certain tasks, and besides that, it's like a sci-fi museum over here

 

[Benuser]

The right one. I would be more interested in food release, so I prefer a slightly fatter right side. As for thinneth behind the edge, which doesn't seem to be an immediate problem, I can manage.

 

[westcoastknives]

What steel? Sanmai? At first blush, the right one.

San Mai W#1

 

[PPIIBBSS]

The right one. I would be more interested in food release, so I prefer a slightly fatter right side. As for thinneth behind the edge, which doesn't seem to be an immediate problem, I can manage.

Mike Tyson? Is that you?

 

[ethompson]

With something this thin, food release is totally out the window. Not nearly enough room to have impactful convexity on the right hand knife. So since you can’t have food release go with maximum ease of cutting, the left.

 

[Benuser]

With something this thin, food release is totally out the window. Not nearly enough room to have impactful convexity on the right hand knife. So since you can’t have food release go with maximum ease of cutting, the left.

I'd tend to respectfully disagree. Moving the very edge just a tad to the left may make quite a difference in food release, combined with a very slight convexity. To be preferred over a deadly flat face where food will stick like glued.

 

[ethompson]

I'd tend to respectfully disagree. Moving the very edge just a tad to the left may make quite a difference in food release, combined with a very slight convexity. To be preferred over a deadly flat face where food will stick like glued.

I agree that subtle differences in geometry can make a large impact, but with these knives I see two flat ground lasers with very little room for added finesse without sacrificing meaningful height. The difference to my eye is spine thickness which determines the angle of the flat v grind. I don't think there is magic that can be done with these and IMO the thinner knife wins.

 

[westcoastknives]

Agree there isn't a ton of convexity in these regardless, but fwiw they are Myojin grinds.

 

[esoo]

For Myojin ground, heavier always. His grinds get better the more steel he has to work with in my experience.

 

[Logan A.]

Always thinner for me. I've got one big stainless workhorse for certain tasks, and besides that, it's like a sci-fi museum over here

+1 for this. I have workhorses, so if I'm going thin on a new knife then I fully commit.

 

[superworrier]

I'm +1 on heavier for Myojin but I think it's more a matter of personal preference.
What I will say is the thicker ones cut pretty much identically, but have more stiffness. In this case though, I think the difference will be splitting hairs and be unnoticeable.

 

[SwampDonkey]

Probably the right one. Weight is becoming more and more important to my tastes these days so if it's a little stiffer and has a bit more heft then I'm more likely to reach for it. Grind looks thin enough regardless and it still looks like there's a lil sumsum going on on the left side of the thicker blade (user's right) to assist with food release more.

Curious if the balance point is any further forward on the heavier one?

 

[westcoastknives]

Probably the right one. Weight is becoming more and more important to my tastes these days so if it's a little stiffer and has a bit more heft then I'm more likely to reach for it. Grind looks thin enough regardless and it still looks like there's a lil sumsum going on on the left side of the thicker blade (user's right) to assist with food release more.

Curious if the balance point is any further forward on the heavier one?

Realize I forgot to answer this - it’s almost identical between 20-30mm from the handle