SilverSwarfer
Well-Known Member
Browsing the BST I had a thought about hard use of aesthetically enhanced tools: what are my boundaries in considering use of certain beautiful blades?
I really love this Tanaka (Shigeki I'm pretty sure- correct me if not) 240 Gyuto I got in 2016. At the time I was rarely using Gyuto but this one struck me because it was presented as SG2 clad in SS. I threw it in my cart with a Tekeda "Super Yanagi" (really a suji I don't understand) I just had to have.
I didn't really start using the Tanaka until April 2019 and since then, I've done some thinning. Vast improvements resulted from the work I did in terms of cutting performance. This is now a very awesome knife! However, the aesthetics took a real beating. The grind is not perfect and neither am I. Eroding the original finish while thinning enhanced the imperfections of the grind. It's just a different thing now in terms of looks.
For me in my philosophy of use/ownership, I decided I can't specifically pursue certain aesthetic enhancements like Damascus. Highly polished or Kurouchi or Kasumi finishes all fit nicely with my knife needs. I enjoy maintenance of my tools and I have the capability to maintain excellent finishes. Many knives become more unique and beautiful as they evolve through years of use and scores of sharpening, polishing, and thinning sessions. Damascus IME/O is an exception: the more it erodes on the stones, the worse it looks. I am hoping for some contrary examples; I am always open to experimenting with new approaches to knife maintenance.
In this case thinning the Tanaka improved the tool at the cost of ruining the presentation. In consideration of the BST knife that spawned these thoughts, I have reinforced the realization that paying more for certain aesthetic features does not make sense for me: given I use every knife I own at work and sharpen/polish/thin frequently.
Aesthetics aside, how does a Damascus cladding, like in the case of this Tanaka, enhance a knife?
I really love this Tanaka (Shigeki I'm pretty sure- correct me if not) 240 Gyuto I got in 2016. At the time I was rarely using Gyuto but this one struck me because it was presented as SG2 clad in SS. I threw it in my cart with a Tekeda "Super Yanagi" (really a suji I don't understand) I just had to have.
I didn't really start using the Tanaka until April 2019 and since then, I've done some thinning. Vast improvements resulted from the work I did in terms of cutting performance. This is now a very awesome knife! However, the aesthetics took a real beating. The grind is not perfect and neither am I. Eroding the original finish while thinning enhanced the imperfections of the grind. It's just a different thing now in terms of looks.
For me in my philosophy of use/ownership, I decided I can't specifically pursue certain aesthetic enhancements like Damascus. Highly polished or Kurouchi or Kasumi finishes all fit nicely with my knife needs. I enjoy maintenance of my tools and I have the capability to maintain excellent finishes. Many knives become more unique and beautiful as they evolve through years of use and scores of sharpening, polishing, and thinning sessions. Damascus IME/O is an exception: the more it erodes on the stones, the worse it looks. I am hoping for some contrary examples; I am always open to experimenting with new approaches to knife maintenance.
In this case thinning the Tanaka improved the tool at the cost of ruining the presentation. In consideration of the BST knife that spawned these thoughts, I have reinforced the realization that paying more for certain aesthetic features does not make sense for me: given I use every knife I own at work and sharpen/polish/thin frequently.
Aesthetics aside, how does a Damascus cladding, like in the case of this Tanaka, enhance a knife?