Anyone familiar with Takayuki TUS?

[Kirk.S]

Last weekend I checked out a couple of my local knife shops here in Portland, OR and I saw that they both carried this line of Takayuki TUS knives. The service people at both shops said they thought highly of the knives for the price point and preferred them to Tojiros for entry level Japanese knives. They're thin and very light, and I'm considering getting one but have found almost no mention of them on this forum. Anyone know anything about them?

 

[KenHash]

I never paid much attention to them. A Moly-Van series made by Aoki Hamono, Sakai.

 

[js0930]

I bought one at Seisuke for my brother for Christmas a few years ago. He’s been really happy. Fit and finish is definitely better than Tojiro DP, sharpening is easier as well. Not sure the edge retention will be as long as a Tojiro, but I think they’re excellent knives in that price range.

 

[ojisan]

It looks identical to Suisin INOX. If so, AUS8?

 

[Kirk.S]

It looks identical to Suisin INOX. If so, AUS8?

Good catch. It sure does look like it. I'll give one of the shops a call and find out.

 

[GorillaGrunt]

I noticed the resemblance when trying to figure out what knife David Chang was using on I think it was Mind of a Chef, please let us know!

 

[Bert2368]

Fit and finish is definitely better than Tojiro DP, sharpening is easier as well. Not sure the edge retention will be as long as a Tojiro, but I think they’re excellent knives in that price range.

Pardon my thread necromancy-

Interested that these are considered a better value than Tojiro for entry level knives.

I have been looking for any data on hardness and/or composition for the TUS stainless steel used in the Sakai Takayuki knives. Found nothing from sellers or manufacturers so far. The anecdotal information here that they are easier to sharpen than the VG 10 Tojiro DP knives suggests they are softer.

Does anyone know what hardness this line is made at? Any idea what the steel used is, or any known near equivalent to relate it to?