Any Blazen , takada, yoshikane nakiri users out there?

[labor of love]

I was never interested in Nakiris until very recently when I used one at work for a few weeks. I discovered there certainly are a few advantages to be had with them, interested in picking one up soon. Interested in the Takada no Hamono ginsan, the Blazen wa, and maybe the yoshikane skd so far but I’m still looking.
Anybody here have experience with the before mentioned Nakiris? Is there other light weight stainless nicely made Japanese Nakiris I might be overlooking?
I’m less concerned about size, pretty sure I’ll be fine with anything between 160-180mm, more interested in grind and cutting characteristics.
Thanks

 

[HumbleHomeCook]

I can't help with those but I know you have a penchant for stainless and value so have you considered a Tsunehisa nakiri in ginsan? Not as refined obviously as those you mentioned but mine performs quite well and is pretty resilient.

Akifusa would be another but their stainless models are a fair bit more expensive than their AS models.

Just a thought.

 

[Matus]

I had Yoshikane SKD Hakata. Notba nakiri, more like crazy santoku. It was superbly well made, but a bit on a wedgy side. Masakage Koishi nakiri - nice knife, thin and lightweight and taller than most 165 nakiris, the bevel needed a bit of work to convex a little. Shigefusa kurouchi, lovely finish and top HT, grind was way too thick and wedgy. Takeda NAS, interesting knife, profile like a little Chinese cleaver, thin overall, but too wedgy grind - especially given the feather weight, thinned it, it improved a lot. Toyama carbon 180, ca. 200g, was awesome cutter, but eventually little too heavy for my taste. A bit later I got stainless clad Toyama nakiri, 175g, thin grind, love the way it cuts, keeping it.

I would love to try some more, especially Shigefusa kasumi, as the gyuto I tried was just awesome. But right now I am not in a position to go through more knives.

 

[labor of love]

I can't help with those but I know you have a penchant for stainless and value so have you considered a Tsunehisa nakiri in ginsan? Not as refined obviously as those you mentioned but mine performs quite well and is pretty resilient.

Akifusa would be another but their stainless models are a fair bit more expensive than their AS models.

Just a thought.

I’ve used a couple of Tsunehisa knives and yeah they’re pretty legit for the price.

 

[labor of love]

I had Yoshikane SKD Hakata. Notba nakiri, more like crazy santoku. It was superbly well made, but a bit on a wedgy side. Masakage Koishi nakiri - nice knife, thin and lightweight and taller than most 165 nakiris, the bevel needed a bit of work to convex a little. Shigefusa kurouchi, lovely finish and top HT, grind was way too thick and wedgy. Takeda NAS, interesting knife, profile like a little Chinese cleaver, thin overall, but too wedgy grind - especially given the feather weight, thinned it, it improved a lot. Toyama carbon 180, ca. 200g, was awesome cutter, but eventually little too heavy for my taste. A bit later I got stainless clad Toyama nakiri, 175g, thin grind, love the way it cuts, keeping it.

I would love to try some more, especially Shigefusa kasumi, as the gyuto I tried was just awesome. But right now I am not in a position to go through more knives.

Thanks, I know I know I know watoyama is the forum fave…probably should consider one…but nah.

 

[blokey]

Ginga nakiri cuts nicely just like other Gingas, only downside I see is the weigth (50mm) might be to narrow for some.

 

[Matus]

Thanks, I know I know I know watoyama is the forum fave…probably should consider one…but nah.

Just to say the obvious - the kurouchi Watanabe nakiri has nothing to do with Toyama. Different knives with different grinds. I don’t recall Toyama-made, Watanabe-branded nakiri. Gyutos are well known, but not a nakiri.

 

[blokey]

Just to say the obvious - the kurouchi Watanabe nakiri has nothing to do with Toyama. Different knives with different grinds. I don’t recall Toyama-made, Watanabe-branded nakiri. Gyutos are well known, but not a nakiri.

I was thinking that, but then I saw this picture yesterday...

 

[labor of love]

Just to say the obvious - the kurouchi Watanabe nakiri has nothing to do with Toyama. Different knives with different grinds. I don’t recall Toyama-made, Watanabe-branded nakiri. Gyutos are well known, but not a nakiri.

2 different Nakiris for sure. Both terrifically boosted here, and probably for good reason. Thanks, might return to the Toyoma idea at a later date.

 

[Chicagohawkie]

Soushi Takeda was my 2nd favorite Nakiri behind my Kato. The NAS line is stainless.

 

[pleue]

How light is light?

I have a kono hd I've always loved. Markin makes a killer nakiri with a great grind, you could get in contact with him. Heiji ss is a wonderful one as well but a totally different cutting sensation. No experience with the ones you listed.

 

[labor of love]

How light is light?

I have a kono hd I've always loved. Markin makes a killer nakiri with a great grind, you could get in contact with him. Heiji ss is a wonderful one as well but a totally different cutting sensation. No experience with the ones you listed.

140-165 grams give or take

 

[labor of love]

I can't help with those but I know you have a penchant for stainless and value so have you considered a Tsunehisa nakiri in ginsan? Not as refined obviously as those you mentioned but mine performs quite well and is pretty resilient.

Akifusa would be another but their stainless models are a fair bit more expensive than their AS models.

Just a thought.

I think you’re onto something. Did you purchase yours from carbon? Looks impressive especially for only like $150

 

[HumbleHomeCook]

@labor of love got mine from CKTG. Keep in mind, as my screen name subtlety suggests, I'm a home cook so I can't give any testimony to the rigors of a pro environment but I know I don't baby mine and it sees fairly frequent use. I used it a ton, almost daily for a two or three months before I got some new knives to start playing with and it sits a bit more.

I've done no thinning and mostly stayed with the original-ish edge geometry. Been experimenting between SG2k and 4k and miscl. strops but nothing elaborate. I don't rock chop too much with it but do here and there. Edge has shown no signs of chipping or rolling. It's often my go-to knife in the morning quickly prepping lunch for work. Plenty sharp, nimble, capable, and rinse, mostly dry, hang up, out the door.

Truth be told, and this is just between me and you, as much as I'd whine, I could probably fair just fine with this knife and a good petty.

I'll do my best to answer anything you might be wondering.

 

[HumbleHomeCook]

Weight:

The lighting makes it look dramatic, but it actually does take on a very subtle patina in the cladding. Super slow and nothing to worry about, just one of those interesting things when it's stainless cladding. I've read of others saying the same.

 

[Williamchan87]

I have a first gen Blazen that looks nothing like any of the blazens now, or anything that Ryusen sells atm .

 

[daveb]

I don’t recall Toyama-made, Watanabe-branded nakiri.

I thought it was Wat made, Toyama branded for Nakiri...

 

[captaincaed]

 

[Benuser]

Had a yo Ryusen Blazen nakiri, out of curiosity for the steel. Rapidly found that I grasped for any gyuto or chef's instead, even when I find the nakiri a fascinating form. There's nothing it does better than a gyuto, and a few things I can't do with it. I must admit it can be very different for push cutters, but I'm used to forward slicing, and like to have a fine tip area and a more robust base.