ampersandcetera
Well-Known Member
I don't have pics of the used knife because it lives on the mag-strip at work, but here's the original thread for reference SOLD - Left Hand 240mm 52100 Gyuto I've got some free time this afternoon and figured I'd post a review, since he's been really active in the community lately. This is solely my opinion, and I have not been asked to give a review by the maker.
I picked this up on a whim because I was curious about a lefty-biased grind and the price was right, and I'm glad I took a chance on it. OOTB Edge was pretty good, but I did immediately put it on the stones and get a feel for the HT and how easily it sharpened--like most 52100 knives I've used it sharpened up very easily and held a great toothy edge for my whole shift on the line. What impressed me most about the knife was the fit and finish: really comfortable rounding on the spine and choil, clean handle install, and overall a very clean and well-finished piece, especially for under $200. Nice distal taper, but a bit thicker at the tip than I usually prefer. I wish I had the tools to measure that for you but I do not. I'd compare it to my Yoshikane Tsuchime SKD or even my Steelport in terms of F&F, so it's surely punching above its weight in that regard.
It's a workhorse weight and grind, for sure, and I had no problem using it for every task on the line--hard vegetables, herbs, portioning proteins, cutting bread, etc. I really put the thing through its paces, and I got no chipping and very little edge rolling after a full week of service with just some light honing on a Mac ceramic rod. With no frame of reference for a "left hand biased" grind, other than having to adjust to the occasional 70/30 righty knife for most of my life, I think I had about 10 cuts with some mild steering before I made some natural adjustment and stopped noticing the bias entirely. After developing a working patina within a few days of use, I found food release to be above average, again on par with my Steelport (same steel), better than my Toyama SS 270 (which is quite righty biased), and not quite on par with my Yoshikane 240 or Toyama nakiri (which are the best performers in my collection by a huge margin, IMO). It's also reminded me of how much I enjoy 52100 as a knife steel--tough, easy to maintain, and enjoyable to sharpen. I think if I had the chance to rebuild my kit all over again, I'd just get all of my knives in 52100, Blue #2, and SKD and not bother with anything else.
It wedged a bit with some larger/sturdier veg, especially as I cut closer to the heel, and I did have some initial sticking at the tip while doing some onion/shallot and celery brunoise. So I decided to use it to practice my thinning and gave myself an excuse to buy a Shapton 500. After a couple sharpening sessions with 5-7 minutes of thinning each time on the 500 (with extra attention to the tip and first 1/3 of the blade), I've grown to really enjoy using the knife for everyday work tasks. Now that the tip is a little thinner and I've eased the shoulders a bit, I'm getting much less wedging and minimal stiction, and it still feels like a tank of a knife. I trust it to take a beating on the line, it cleans up with minimal patina maintenance, and it usually can go 2-3 shifts without needing a light touch up on a 1000 grit stone. This will be my hard-use knife for a good long while, and has freed up some of my more expensive pieces for when I'm not pressed for time or can't be bothered to bring my whole knife roll to work or a catering gig.
Overall, I'd definitely recommend checking out @MSicardCutlery if you're looking for a good workhorse piece at a ~$200 price point and you don't want White#2. I'm sure as he continues to produce his prices will go up to reflect the F&F. I will definitely be on the lookout for new stuff coming from him in the future.
Thanks for reading.
I picked this up on a whim because I was curious about a lefty-biased grind and the price was right, and I'm glad I took a chance on it. OOTB Edge was pretty good, but I did immediately put it on the stones and get a feel for the HT and how easily it sharpened--like most 52100 knives I've used it sharpened up very easily and held a great toothy edge for my whole shift on the line. What impressed me most about the knife was the fit and finish: really comfortable rounding on the spine and choil, clean handle install, and overall a very clean and well-finished piece, especially for under $200. Nice distal taper, but a bit thicker at the tip than I usually prefer. I wish I had the tools to measure that for you but I do not. I'd compare it to my Yoshikane Tsuchime SKD or even my Steelport in terms of F&F, so it's surely punching above its weight in that regard.
It's a workhorse weight and grind, for sure, and I had no problem using it for every task on the line--hard vegetables, herbs, portioning proteins, cutting bread, etc. I really put the thing through its paces, and I got no chipping and very little edge rolling after a full week of service with just some light honing on a Mac ceramic rod. With no frame of reference for a "left hand biased" grind, other than having to adjust to the occasional 70/30 righty knife for most of my life, I think I had about 10 cuts with some mild steering before I made some natural adjustment and stopped noticing the bias entirely. After developing a working patina within a few days of use, I found food release to be above average, again on par with my Steelport (same steel), better than my Toyama SS 270 (which is quite righty biased), and not quite on par with my Yoshikane 240 or Toyama nakiri (which are the best performers in my collection by a huge margin, IMO). It's also reminded me of how much I enjoy 52100 as a knife steel--tough, easy to maintain, and enjoyable to sharpen. I think if I had the chance to rebuild my kit all over again, I'd just get all of my knives in 52100, Blue #2, and SKD and not bother with anything else.
It wedged a bit with some larger/sturdier veg, especially as I cut closer to the heel, and I did have some initial sticking at the tip while doing some onion/shallot and celery brunoise. So I decided to use it to practice my thinning and gave myself an excuse to buy a Shapton 500. After a couple sharpening sessions with 5-7 minutes of thinning each time on the 500 (with extra attention to the tip and first 1/3 of the blade), I've grown to really enjoy using the knife for everyday work tasks. Now that the tip is a little thinner and I've eased the shoulders a bit, I'm getting much less wedging and minimal stiction, and it still feels like a tank of a knife. I trust it to take a beating on the line, it cleans up with minimal patina maintenance, and it usually can go 2-3 shifts without needing a light touch up on a 1000 grit stone. This will be my hard-use knife for a good long while, and has freed up some of my more expensive pieces for when I'm not pressed for time or can't be bothered to bring my whole knife roll to work or a catering gig.
Overall, I'd definitely recommend checking out @MSicardCutlery if you're looking for a good workhorse piece at a ~$200 price point and you don't want White#2. I'm sure as he continues to produce his prices will go up to reflect the F&F. I will definitely be on the lookout for new stuff coming from him in the future.
Thanks for reading.
