Hello everyone! Just wanted to put up an official review of this gorgeous piece…
This is a 213x 56 gyuto, VToku2 steel, wrought iron clad with a birdseye maple handle.
I was of course first attracted to the aesthetic of the knife, as it is very beautiful, but also the shape. Low tip, tall heel, flat profile, these are all things I tend to look for in an ideal knife.
I will admit at first I was unsure about the steel, as I have never owned any knives with VToku2 before, but after asking Alex about it I decided to pull the trigger. Boy, was that a good decision…
The knife arrived (quite quickly) in a zip up pouch, much like a bag for a high end Microphone, with a nice soft, fuzzy interior. Immediately I could tell this was a highly finished knife. The handle, the spine, the choil, all polished and rounded perfectly. The edge the knife came with is quite honestly the sharpest edge I think I have experienced. Scary sharp is the best way I could describe it. I almost never do this but this thing was calling to me so I decided to use it immediately.
The knife FALLS through ingredients in a way I haven’t experienced before. From the super tapered tip all the way to the heel, under a comfortably thick base of the spine, it cuts the same. Effortlessly. The knife is a good weight, not especially heavy, but feels significant in your hand. It is also balanced perfectly… right at the makers mark which is exactly where my index finger lands in a pinch grip. This knife seriously feels like it was made for me… like an extension of my hand. The handle is also incredible. The wood feels dense and smooth…perfectly finished. The size and shape fit the knife and my hand perfectly. And the quilted birdseye maple just looks so damn good!
I tend to use slightly longer knives in general but I have found this length to be extremely nimble and wieldy, yet very capable of any task I put it too. At 56mm tall, there is plenty of knuckle clearance and the extra height allows the knife to feel slightly larger than it is.
I have yet to find an ingredient that this knife doesn’t slice or chop through with ease. Sweet potatoes, large carrots, no problem. Slices through them almost silently, with no cracking or wedging. The subtle S-grind is truly impeccable. Food release and cutting feel are top flight. It’s very very thin behind the edge but doesn’t feel delicate at all. The combination of a stiff, steady distal tapered spine and a crazy thin edge is ideal for performance in my opinion. This is a perfect example of that.
I have used this knife many times, on several different ingredients and it has yet to lose its edge. I have not sharpened or stropped it, and I haven’t had to. On the board it feels just the same as it did the day I got it. It now has a gorgeous electric blue patina (see photo) that was gained after cutting duck breast several times but other than that it still looks just as it did. The wrought iron cladding just continues to pop the more I use it as well.
In conclusion, this was, in my opinion, one of the best knife purchases I have ever made. I feel honored and lucky to have this highly functional piece of art. And I CANNOT wait to get another from Alex. I’m honestly hoping to get this exact same knife in a slightly larger size to see what that’s like. If any of you have an opportunity to buy a Bazes Blade, take it!! (And if you already have one, then you already know
)
This is a 213x 56 gyuto, VToku2 steel, wrought iron clad with a birdseye maple handle.
I was of course first attracted to the aesthetic of the knife, as it is very beautiful, but also the shape. Low tip, tall heel, flat profile, these are all things I tend to look for in an ideal knife.
I will admit at first I was unsure about the steel, as I have never owned any knives with VToku2 before, but after asking Alex about it I decided to pull the trigger. Boy, was that a good decision…
The knife arrived (quite quickly) in a zip up pouch, much like a bag for a high end Microphone, with a nice soft, fuzzy interior. Immediately I could tell this was a highly finished knife. The handle, the spine, the choil, all polished and rounded perfectly. The edge the knife came with is quite honestly the sharpest edge I think I have experienced. Scary sharp is the best way I could describe it. I almost never do this but this thing was calling to me so I decided to use it immediately.
The knife FALLS through ingredients in a way I haven’t experienced before. From the super tapered tip all the way to the heel, under a comfortably thick base of the spine, it cuts the same. Effortlessly. The knife is a good weight, not especially heavy, but feels significant in your hand. It is also balanced perfectly… right at the makers mark which is exactly where my index finger lands in a pinch grip. This knife seriously feels like it was made for me… like an extension of my hand. The handle is also incredible. The wood feels dense and smooth…perfectly finished. The size and shape fit the knife and my hand perfectly. And the quilted birdseye maple just looks so damn good!
I tend to use slightly longer knives in general but I have found this length to be extremely nimble and wieldy, yet very capable of any task I put it too. At 56mm tall, there is plenty of knuckle clearance and the extra height allows the knife to feel slightly larger than it is.
I have yet to find an ingredient that this knife doesn’t slice or chop through with ease. Sweet potatoes, large carrots, no problem. Slices through them almost silently, with no cracking or wedging. The subtle S-grind is truly impeccable. Food release and cutting feel are top flight. It’s very very thin behind the edge but doesn’t feel delicate at all. The combination of a stiff, steady distal tapered spine and a crazy thin edge is ideal for performance in my opinion. This is a perfect example of that.
I have used this knife many times, on several different ingredients and it has yet to lose its edge. I have not sharpened or stropped it, and I haven’t had to. On the board it feels just the same as it did the day I got it. It now has a gorgeous electric blue patina (see photo) that was gained after cutting duck breast several times but other than that it still looks just as it did. The wrought iron cladding just continues to pop the more I use it as well.
In conclusion, this was, in my opinion, one of the best knife purchases I have ever made. I feel honored and lucky to have this highly functional piece of art. And I CANNOT wait to get another from Alex. I’m honestly hoping to get this exact same knife in a slightly larger size to see what that’s like. If any of you have an opportunity to buy a Bazes Blade, take it!! (And if you already have one, then you already know
)
