I've been researching 210mm gyutos for a bit too long now, and can't make a decision at this point. Narrowed it to the following three, would like to hear any comparisons. Bear in mind I'm a lefty, looking for my do-it-all middleweight as I'm currently gyuto-less.
1. JKI EN:
pros: most affordable option + saya, gives a bonus 5mm of length, light-middleweight,
cons: ??? not a ton of feedback on these yet, average height
2. Shinko Kurokumo R2:
pros: midpricer, very tall which appeals to me, heavier-middleweight, ridiculous upgrade over suminagashi considering the $ difference
cons: indifferent to damascus, neutral on ebony handles
3. Gengetsu:
pros: the absolute limit of my budget, burnt chestnut is sexy, that flat profile, light-middleweight
cons: average height, serious coin for someone who isn't doing a ridiculous amount of cooking
Each is a different steel, profile, with only a few overlapping characteristics, but I could see myself buying any of them. My smaller knives are both masashi (150mm gyuto at 40mm height and 180mm santoku at 51mm height) so tall profiles make me gravitate towards the kurokumo, but that's also the one I'm most lukewarm towards the aesthetics. The design choices in the Gengetsu have many similarities to masashi, so familiarity is a thing there. The spine recurve in the EN is so cool, and it has the most minimal look.
Jon gave me some feedback on the En and Gengetsu regarding the grind for lefties, and he said neither should lose practical performance for us. No clue about the Kurokumo but some choil shots I've found don't show a huge righty-bias (do correct me if I'm wrong)
I recently sold my Tanaka G, which was solid, but I didn't jive with nashiji aesthetically. The only part I really like 'rustic' is burnt chestnut handles. I'm not the type to buy multiples, which for me is redundancy. The only exception would be a laser, or a 240mm down the line, but I don't really need that length day to day.
1. JKI EN:
pros: most affordable option + saya, gives a bonus 5mm of length, light-middleweight,
cons: ??? not a ton of feedback on these yet, average height
2. Shinko Kurokumo R2:
pros: midpricer, very tall which appeals to me, heavier-middleweight, ridiculous upgrade over suminagashi considering the $ difference
cons: indifferent to damascus, neutral on ebony handles
3. Gengetsu:
pros: the absolute limit of my budget, burnt chestnut is sexy, that flat profile, light-middleweight
cons: average height, serious coin for someone who isn't doing a ridiculous amount of cooking
Each is a different steel, profile, with only a few overlapping characteristics, but I could see myself buying any of them. My smaller knives are both masashi (150mm gyuto at 40mm height and 180mm santoku at 51mm height) so tall profiles make me gravitate towards the kurokumo, but that's also the one I'm most lukewarm towards the aesthetics. The design choices in the Gengetsu have many similarities to masashi, so familiarity is a thing there. The spine recurve in the EN is so cool, and it has the most minimal look.
Jon gave me some feedback on the En and Gengetsu regarding the grind for lefties, and he said neither should lose practical performance for us. No clue about the Kurokumo but some choil shots I've found don't show a huge righty-bias (do correct me if I'm wrong)
I recently sold my Tanaka G, which was solid, but I didn't jive with nashiji aesthetically. The only part I really like 'rustic' is burnt chestnut handles. I'm not the type to buy multiples, which for me is redundancy. The only exception would be a laser, or a 240mm down the line, but I don't really need that length day to day.
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