Budget Carbon Battle: Fuji FKH vs. Suisin High-Carbon?

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SolidSnake03

SolidSnake03

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Hey Everyone,

Ok so slightly silly title aside, does anyone have some experience with these knives for comparison purposes? I know the Fuji FKH is a go to favorite for a budget carbon knife and is all around fairly well regarded but I personally know next-to-nothing about the Suisin. Price wise the Suisin is about $30-$40 more at the 240 and 270mm sizes, the 210mm doesn't interest me at all.

The Suisin is sold exclusively at Korin but there aren't many details given and honestly don't know anyone that owns one.

Was hoping someone that own's these knives specifically the Suisin might be able to chime in about the differences and if you think I should just save $30-40 and get the Fuji FKH? Basically looking for an all around home use Carbon gyuto just for some fun (make cool forced patina designs etc..) and I always like trying out the "budget" stuff to see how it stacks up performance wise to some more costly things.

Thanks!
 
Actually was not familiar with the Masahiro Virgin Carbon line, the 240mm does seem to split the difference price wise....
 
I'm not sure of the price of these, but believe I'd also include the white steel uraku from Jon in the list. It would likely make for a more pleasant first carbon experience.
 
While I don't think a formal pass around is worth doing, if someone wants to do a comprehensive "relatively inexpense carbon faceoff" review, I'd be happy to lend a masahiro virgin and a misono dragon to that person :)
 
I have a worn down fujiwara carbon 270mm suji that you can have. Its oversharpened a little and the profile lost a bit of its curvature, but you could still test it to see how you feel about the steel. Sharpens very easy and forms an extremely stable patina if thats your thing. PM me if youre interested.
 
Snake - When in doubt google. "site:kitchenknifeforums.com suisin high carbon" will yield comments on the Suisin from some of our local luminaries, including Chuckles and P Tiger. You're on your own for the other knives. :cool2:
 
I have a fujiwara fkh 270 suji and a Suisin carbon 270 gyuto. I love both blades, hate both handles. Fuijwara seems too small, Suisin too ...blobby? weird? bulky?

Fujiwara takes a wicked edge and holds it well enough. Suisin takes a wickeder edge but holds it fractionally less well. Both are relatively soft and sharpen quickly even for a self-taught sharpener who's only been at it with water stones for a few years. My intense love of the Suisin is due to its shape: it's tall, slightly curved, some belly, some flat. Those last were great as I moved from rocking to push cutting (it was my first Japanese knife). It's still unique among the knives I've played with, but might be quite standard among Suisins.
 
The Masahiro carbon gets referred to a lot as a "single-bevel" knife, which has always raised my eyebrow a bit. But I gather it's super-duper asymmetrical, more so than the Fujiwara or the Suisin. If that floats your boat.
 
fimbulvetr said:
The Masahiro carbon gets referred to a lot as a "single-bevel" knife, which has always raised my eyebrow a bit. But I gather it's super-duper asymmetrical, more so than the Fujiwara or the Suisin. If that floats your boat.
Click to expand...

Choil shot?
 
labor of love said:
I have a worn down fujiwara carbon 270mm suji that you can have. Its oversharpened a little and the profile lost a bit of its curvature, but you could still test it to see how you feel about the steel. Sharpens very easy and forms an extremely stable patina if thats your thing. PM me if youre interested.
Click to expand...

Snake I would take Craig up on this, a freebe 270 worn Suji. I have worn down a few Masamoto suji's it happens in a busy kitchen.:O

I have used both the FKH and much more so the Korin Suisin prefer the latter.
 
Interested to see a choil shot as well!

Thank you all for the great suggestions and advice about the knives, I see that my google-fu could use a tune up since I wasn't able to find that stuff on my own initially :)

Regarding the Gesshin, I'm looking at Western's for this, sorry should have mentioned that off the bat but wasn't planning to go WA on this knife which is why the Fuji and Suisin were the only one's on my original short list.

Keithsaltydog: Could you go into a bit more detail on why you prefer the Suisin Carbon over the FKH?

Regarding handles, I own a Fuji FKM that I use as a loaner knife for friends and if I'm traveling so I know those handles already work fine for me. Previously owned a Suisin Western as well and know they were comfortable enough so either way the handle thing isn't a big deal for me. I guess I'm just not too picky in that regard as long as the handle is well finished with flush rivets etc....

The Masahiro has definitely perked my interest though and am intrigued to see the choil shot, I have found a few places selling a "left handed" one as well?
 
Handle on the 24cm Masahiro is on the big side, and around 52mm wide blade, if I remember correct. Handle on the 21cm is much smaller. On e-bay you can find Masahiro Japanese steel metal bolster 21cm, for 68.3usd, the 24cm for 85usd, free shipping both, and without metal bolster even cheaper. I dont know how they compare, but they have the same box. Anyways I always try to buy western handle metal bolster, it is my favourite
 
Choil shot will not tell the whole truth, cause this blade is a little particular.
According to Gator's chart of bevels, it is a modern version 'chisel with urasuki', which means the left side of the blade is not flat, but curved towards the right side. You understand this is you drag the left side flat over a sharpening stone.
Masahiro says it is 90/10, but it is more likely 100/0. Personally, I like it more than 70/30 or 50/50
I judged that the 21cm carbon I received needed some thinning(maybe impressed by how thin was the stainless version), the 24cm was thin enough.
 
Wait so your saying the Masahiro Carbon basically came as a single bevel if its 100/0 ?

And you sharpened it as such with flat back sharpening and only following the bevel on the one side?

Also, did the 240 come thinner than the 210? Curious why the 210 needed some thinning and not the 240
 
I have a 270mm suisin carbon sujihiki from Korin. I really like it but I cannot compare it to the FKH. It is easy to force a patina on, easy to sharpen. The sujihiki actually has a sort of an acute kiritsuke like tip and is very pointy (for lack of a better word). I rehandled mine into a mini coke bottle-ish handle. The knife is terriffic for long slicing tasks. It has engraved kanji if that is important to you. I give it two thumbs up as a beginner carbon knife. :doublethumbsup:
 
SolidSnake03 said:
Wait so your saying the Masahiro Carbon basically came as a single bevel if its 100/0 ?

And you sharpened it as such with flat back sharpening and only following the bevel on the one side?

Also, did the 240 come thinner than the 210? Curious why the 210 needed some thinning and not the 240
Click to expand...

I sharpen it as you describe. It is almost 100/0 , 95/5?, not like traditional knives, but modern western versions.
I prefer it than 50/50, or 70/30(much more practical for a busy kitchen, 3-4 slides on the stone from the one side, one flat slide from the other side and it is ready). Cuts perfectly fine as it is, you will not have problems.

I dont say that the 24 is thinner than the 21cm, it is taller though and as such, all 24cm knives from every manufacturer and line, have a longer thinner distance from edge to -lets say the middle of the height of the blade- compared to 21cm since they are taller. I think the 21cm was pretty ok as it was, but I happened to get it shortly after the stainless Masahiro, which is very thin and fascinated me, and I wanted to do the carbon as the stainless.

But I have a belief, that all batches of knives from every manufacturer(big or small), might not be exactly the same with the previous or the next batches.

The stainless comes very sharp out of the box. The carbon comes sharp, toothy, but can become very sharp.

It is a minimal knife, dont expect nothing fancy, but dont expect finish problems as well. You will have to ease the spine a little on your stones, if you get the 24cm, as far as your hand goes while in pinch grip. Pretty easy and quick fix.
 
Thought i should mention at this point since i am interested in the Masahiro that i am left handed.....

Wondering if using the "regular right handed version" would really be that much of an issue
 
You shouldn't miss this opportunity of getting a truly adapted gyuto, with a flat right face and a convexed left one. It's not so much about the edge, it's about the entire grinding, having the edge as near as possible to the food to be cut, and the convexed side easing the food release.
 
SolidSnake03 said:
Thought i should mention at this point since i am interested in the Masahiro that i am left handed.....

Wondering if using the "regular right handed version" would really be that much of an issue
Click to expand...

You are lucky, because they make a left handed version as well, with an extra 'character-symbol-kanji, something like that' on the blade...search e-bay and amazon

I have to inform you about two things: the patina on the Masahiro is more frosty than in my Hiromoto white 2(after mirror polishing both of them), and that if you get the 24cm gyuto, it is tall, if I remember correct 52mm. Personally, I prefer 24cm gyutos at 48-50mm. Extra steel though, extended life time
 
That is true however it would put the knife outside of the pricing i want and increase the cost to basically double that of something like the Fuji FKH. Having used a "regular right hand" Fuji FKM extensively (never bothered to get a lefty one)i cant say i have had any issues or complaints so i know that would be a safe choice.

I dont mean to cheap out on it but of the price difference becomes that big i might have to pass just from a financial stand point.

The lefty 240mm Masahiro is over $170....

I do tend to prefer my gyutos taller so the added height is actually a bonus to me :)
 
My guess is that you'll find the high degree of asymmetry to be an annoyance since its on the "incorrect" side of the blade. Keep us posted.
 
A pair of size 9's don't cost me twice as much as 10's.....
 
Not sure how this translates to the gyuto, but I've got a Suisin suji from Korin. The metal is pretty non-reactive, but all I cut with it is raw protein. This came with a 90/10 bevel. I think edge retention is about average and it sharpens very easily. There are a few minor fit and finish issues but I can look past them for the price. Overall I am happy with the product for the price and would imagine the gyuto to be comparable in these respects.
 
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