A gyuto on NKW's Nakiri Ranch!? - Evaluating a TF Denka

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Ok, afternoon meeting was postponed.

Here are some initial impressions of the knife...

Steel Impressions:
So, my first time post polishing/thinning, I thought I had done a good job deburring. After two days however, it stopped push cutting paper towel. I figured I had a wire edge (doh!), so I touched it up: 3k Cerax, Suita Koppa, leather strop, then back onto the koppa for some teeth, That seems to have done the trick, and it’s still cutting papertowel after a couple weeks of use.

Still, the steel is a pleasure to sharpen, and the edge retention is better than my Moritaka Aogami 2.

I had hoped it would keep the fresh off the stones feel for longer, but not the case. Compared to my moritaka blue 2, the initial fresh off the stones aggressiveness dulls at around the same time, but the sharpness level it settles at is higher. In other words, if they both start at 100%, by the end of a couple days the denka will stabilize at 90% and the moritaka at 80%.

Balance:
The yo handle pushes the balance to the most distal part of the bolster (where it fuses to the blade) rather than at the middle of the kanji as in my old wa-handled Maboroshi.

Handle and Finger Notch:
I can hold it without pain, no complaints there. With the addition of the finger notch though, I haven’t figured out how to use the last 1.5cm or so of the heel. When I want to pinch grip, I don’t use the finger notch. When I use racket grip, the finger notch is absolutely perfect. I can tap chop to my heart’s content. Because of that, I’m starting to use racket grip more often now. The notch has also encouraged me to use the point grip (index finger on spine like slicing with yanagiba; not sure what the official name is) when I’m making long draw cuts. Its comforting to have a bit more lateral stability with my middle finger snugly in the notch.

F&F:
It’s okay, nothing sticking out with the handle. The previous owner smoothed some things out as well. Will include pictures soon. Aesthetically, I find the knife very pleasant. I prefer this look to the full KU. The patina is also very pretty to look at. I wished I could get a better kasumi on it, but the more I think about it the more that idea falls by the wayside. It's SS clad carbon, the contrast is built in.

Reactivity:
Stainless cladding feels like I’m cheating. It’s very easy to take care of compared to a very reactive iron cladding. The AS does not tend to rust. I do need to wipe if I’m cutting more than a few onions at a time though. The stainless has patina’d to a faint blue.

Food release (dice):
Onions stack, celery stacks, carrot does not, no issues with potatoes at all. Not great (like my moritaka), but also not annoyingly poor.


I'll go back and edit things and flesh them out a bit more, but who knows with work when that will be. I just wanted to get my initial thoughts out for now. At this point though, I can say that I would rather have a my nakiri in denka steel than a denka gyuto in moritaka steel...
 
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nakiriknaifuwaifu said:
Took advantage of the cloudy skies and took a few pictures in the diffused lighting. Vibrant colors from violet to orange. These photos aren't edited but I hope the colors come through. I was hesitant about the stainless-cladding aesthetics plus not having a kasumi finish on there, but I could get used to this. Don't want to cross-post - should I be sharing this to the patina thread too?
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would you recommend a Denka Nakuru with western handle or Wa - huge weight difference - 200gm vs 330 gm
 
RockyBasel said:
would you recommend a Denka Nakuru with western handle or Wa - huge weight difference - 200gm vs 330 gm
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@RockyBasel, I assume you're thinking of the 195mm with those weights.

Personally, for a denka nakiri I would definitely go with the wa handle for the 150mm and 165mm. At 195mm though, the balance of the yo starts to become more attractive.

That being said, the finger notch pushes my pinch grip 1.5cm to 2cm forward, and I really don't think 200g is that bad. It's about as heavy as your KU shig, so I'd decide based on how you think that feels. Edit: If I remember, you also have a 210 toyama nakiri, and that's probably closer to the 195mm denka. That should be a good reference for your decision too.

Nakiri use is a lot of up/down chopchop stuff, and I prefer a blade-heavy bias for that sort of work. Given the hit-or-miss fit and finish of the TF yo handles, I'd probably go with a wa handle, no upgrades. And then, I'd get another one custom made that's longer/shorter/heavier/lighter/cooler to suit my tastes better. The red/black urushi always looks killer with the denka KU tho, can't deny that.

I feel most people on the forum would consider the wa handle a downgrade (I'm sure the yo would get more likes here), but that finger notch really changes the game.
 
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nakiriknaifuwaifu said:
@RockyBasel, I assume you're thinking of the 195mm with those weights.

Personally, for a denka nakiri I would definitely go with the wa handle for the 150mm and 165mm. At 195mm though, the balance of the yo starts to become more attractive.

That being said, the finger notch pushes my pinch grip 1.5cm to 2cm forward, and I really don't think 200g is that bad. It's about as heavy as your KU shig, so I'd decide based on how you think that feels. Edit: If I remember, you also have a 210 toyama nakiri, and that's probably closer to the 195mm denka. That should be a good reference for your decision too.

Nakiri use is a lot of up/down chopchop stuff, and I prefer a blade-heavy bias for that sort of work. Given that the fit and finish of the TF yo handles are hit and miss too, I'd probably go with a wa handle, no upgrades. And then, I'd get another one custom made that's longer/shorter/heavier/lighter/cooler to suit my tastes better. The red/black urushi always looks killer with the denka KU tho, can't deny that.

I feel most people on the forum would consider the wa handle a downgrade (I'm sure the yo would get more likes here), but that finger notch really changes the game.

Edit 2: The denka is a pretty thin blade, I'm suspicious about those weight numbers...both of them can't be accurate....
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thanks - very helpful. That Denka Yo handle looks awful - even in their marketing pics. You are spot on there

I prefer Wa handles on my knives - all are Wa. Except the new Hisamoto FF heading my way - which i now is basically a Better finished Mab at lower price

I have never had a handle custom made - how does that work, and who to go to for a custom made Wa handle in EU?

might be a good thing to try - the Denka only comes in the red Urushi or the ebony
 
nakiriknaifuwaifu said:
This was a bit of a tease. I did indeed buy the knife, but it's happily in another home now. Can't blame a man for doing a little catch and release. By the way, this particular knife had absolutely no flatspot 😱😱😱

I am surprised there aren't more comments on the choil shot I posted, normally you guys are all over that.
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That choil looks a little fat behind the edge tbh. For instance, this is my Morihei Hisamoto

If3a5k7.jpg
 
CiderBear said:
That choil looks a little fat behind the edge tbh.
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I would agree with you, it does crack slightly through carrots and I need some speed if I'm going sideways through onions.
CiderBear said:
That choil looks a little fat behind the edge tbh. For instance, this is my Morihei Hisamoto

If3a5k7.jpg
Click to expand...

I agree.

I was going to hold off on making my mind up on thinning it till I got through a whole bag of carrots, but after seeing that, mine could surely stand to lose some weight.

Currently, it does slightly crack through thicker carrot roots and sweet potatoes. I'm considering taking some steel off of the last few mm behind the edge as in my original post and seeing where that gets me. The current hamaguri shape makes it difficult to get on the stones without encroaching on what's left of the KU and the second character of the stamp, and I'll need to make sure I have enough skill to reform a good hamaguri bevel.

I imagine it will be a while before I can clear out an evening to get this done. I suppose that'll give me enough time to wrap my head around what I want done with it though.
 
Thinned, convexed using murray carter's method. Cuts better now. A bit upset that I hit the edge too many times, realized that it was because I wasn't rocking as far back as I should. Figured it out by the left side, which is why it looks cleaner. Was too lazy to refinish the right side. Oh well, will learn for next time.

Pushed the shinogi line a bit higher on the left face as well.

Could take a bit more metal off, but I think I'm ok with this. Finished rough at 400 grit, rubbed some 3k stone powder on the bladeroad.

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Choil shot, bladeroad against buildings showing convexity.

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