Dylan Ambrosini Gyuto Passaround

[Dylan Ambrosini]

Hello glorious people,

A while back I posted in the new members forum and alluded to doing a passaround, I then proceeded to go dark, futz over the best knife for said passaround, fulfill other orders, and subsequently reemerge here, months later, finally with a knife for passing around.

For those interested, I'm a smith / knifemaker in Chicago, been at it a few years but the last couple have really been about dialing in the details. I want knives that look like relics as much as they belong in a cook's knife roll. A precarious line to walk lol. The last year or so I've moved away from big flat grinds and toward closer forging and lower bevels -- the knife below is a reflection of both those efforts.

I've never done one of these before so any advice or wisdom from seasoned passers arounders is welcome.

Here's the knife specs:

Steel: 52100 core, Mild cladding
Handle is walnut, spacer is brass
Finish is lightly bead blasted and polished.
Blade length: 215mm
Heel: 51mm
Handle (including bolster): 115mm
Overall: 335mm

I'd say the geometry leans "workhorse", although at this size it's hardly a beast.

I'm wanting to keep it to 10ish spots, prioritizing people with the best/longest track records.
Will keep it to the US for this round, just for peace of mind.
Each person should have around a week with the knife.
If there's any serious damage, send it on back to me and I'll repair it before it goes on to its next stop.
Seems like the usual protocol but keep sharpening to whatever's necessary and only do so if you trust your abilities.
The value of the package is $600, please insure it to the full value when you ship it out
Post any updates/feedback here or you can always DM me.
I'm based out of Chicago so let me know if you're in the area and you can be at the front of the line (or I guess the end, if you prefer)
Let me know if I forgot anything lol

 

[Repjapsteel]

Im no chef or knife expert but I would love to try your knife.

I want to add im in the SF area

 

[fortheloveofmoar]

Look good! Also not a pro but I like knives. In Wisconsin but I was originally form the Chicago burbs!

 

[VincenteFox]

I would be interested to try. I'm always intrigued by relatively newer makers, and I'm personally not familiar with your work through use or by reputation. It's a nice-looking knife, though, and it wouldn't be the first time I joined a passaround and found a knife I wanted to buy.

I'm in Northern Virginia (though I went to Northwestern for grad school, so my now-wife and I did live in Chicago--not Evanston--for a little bit).

 

[brimmergj]

Looking through your website, you do some great looking work. I'd love to be included in the pass around and see how it cuts.
I'm located in the Bennington Vermont area

 

[Blumbo]

Been following on Instagram for a while and love the detailed work you do!!! I’d love to join the passaround if there’s still any still any spots! Just a home cook out in Cleveland Ohio

 

[fortheloveofmoar]

Been following on Instagram for a while and love the detailed work you do!!! I’d love to join the passaround if there’s still any still any spots! Just a home cook out in Cleveland Ohio

lol just a home cook….. also an amazing polisher.

 

[Gshep91]

Just an average guy but I’d be interested. Southern California

 

[mc2442]

You have some heavy hitters so far. Knife looks great, looking forward to hearing the feedback!

 

[timebard]

Would definitely be interested! SLC, UT

 

[A.Malcolm.ations]

If I could be included… I’d love to share mmm y thoughts! I’m in SLC UT

 

[HumbleHomeCook]

KKF Members: This thread was temporarily moved off-forum to sort out a few details. It is back now and Dylan is all squared away.

Thanks for the patience Dylan.

This pass around is once again live.

 

[AT5760]

I'd be interesting in participating. Nebraska for shipping considerations

 

[VincenteFox]

KKF Members: This thread was temporarily moved off-forum to sort out a few details. It is back now and Dylan is all squared away.

Thanks for the patience Dylan.

This pass around is once again live.

Where was it moved to?

 

[Cloudsmoker]

DFW, Texas - please.

 

[TheDza]

Interested, if there any spots remaining. Im in Charlotte

 

[deltaplex]

I'm interested, home cook and geometry weirdo; East Central MN.

 

[Dylan Ambrosini]

Thanks for the interest, everyone!
Looks like there are 12 people down so I'm happy to bump up the number of slots a little. Here's the order, I've made it roughly a loop so nobody is shipping across the country. Emphasis on roughly.

1. @fortheloveofmoar
2. @Blumbo
3. @deltaplex
4. @AT5760
5. @timebard
6. @A.Malcolm.ations
7. @Repjapsteel
8. @Gshep91
9. @Cloudsmoker
10. @TheDza
11. @VincenteFox
12. @brimmergj

The knife is doing a mini round here in Chicago, then I'll reach out to @fortheloveofmoar in a week or so and get it shipped out.

 

[Cloudsmoker]

Thanks for the interest, everyone!
Looks like there are 12 people down so I'm happy to bump up the number of slots a little. Here's the order, I've made it roughly a loop so nobody is shipping across the country. Emphasis on roughly.

1. @fortheloveofmoar
2. @Blumbo
3. @deltaplex
4. @AT5760
5. @timebard
6. @A.Malcolm.ations
7. @Repjapsteel
8. @Gshep91
9. @Cloudsmoker
10. @TheDza
11. @VincenteFox
12. @brimmergj

The knife is doing a mini round here in Chicago, then I'll reach out to @fortheloveofmoar in a week or so and get it shipped out.

Thank you!

 

[Mikeadunne]

Seems a bit full at the moment but I will be watching to hear thoughts/reviews!

 

[Dylan Ambrosini]

The passaround is kicking off -- the knife is on its way to the first person. Thanks again, everyone. Happy cooking.

 

[robzilla]

FWIW, I have enjoyed owning a lovely DA blade in stainless clad Apex Ultra for about a year and a half, one of my top three cutters.

 

[fortheloveofmoar]

Hi all,

@Dylan Ambrosini Thank you so much again for this opportunity to participate in the pass around and be able to scratch the "new knife" itch without feeding the monkey on my back too much .

Knife received in good condition and just in time for some butternut squash soup prep. I like to use butternut squash as the ultimate test of any knifes geometry. Butternut is sticky, dense and there is a lot of it. I am just a home cook but I like to think I've been fortunate enough to handle a lot of highly regarded makers which to inform my palate but I don't consider myself an expert of knives.

I feel a lot of pressure being the first one to receive it so it has a fresh edge with original geometry from the maker. I will not sharpen and probably send it on quickly to give other folks as fresh of an experience as possible.

I did a nice little head to head against my Dan bidinger triple fuller, the Skye Ellierrs pass around also happening. I won't do a full review of each knife here but lets just say the DA falls a little behind the Dan bidinger for cutting ease and food stiction and a bit ahead the Skye (but worth noting I'm the lsat person to get the Skye), but the Skye is still quite good.

Pros:
- VERY impressive food release. I've used a decent number of knives to say this one was impressive for its balance of ease in cutting and food release. Butternut squash mostly fell right off when I was cutting into logs and then cubing them.

- Good cutting ease. It handled the initial cuts at the stem, base and midsection of the butternut squash without too much protest. Not a Clean single slice but I think thats more to do with the shorter length than the geometry. It slayed onions. Easy to use the tip to slice and then do a small dice with very little onion sticking. Quite impressed. It gives a lot of other makers a run or their money. Particularly impressed with how it handled the squash.

- Balance point is forward of the heel and just a smidge behind the makers mark. I like this balance point very much.

- profile! I like it. Little tip rise, longer flat spot. Very nice


- Integral was comfortable. Handle was well constructed. Normally not an oval person but I can jive with this shape. If you have large hands is suspect you may not like this as it is a touch on the smaller side. I actually like the stubbiness of the wa handle.

- Packaging was *chef kiss*.

Cons:
- I only have one complaint worth noting. I wish the spine had some rounding. It was particularly rough on the finger at the pinch when I had to really beat down on the butternut squash. Maybe not an issue if you have more callused hands but these pampered fingers are good at sitting at a desk and being lotioned one to two times a day while I type away on meetings. I would have been a hands model if they weren't so ugly. Under other circumstances (i.e not hard vegetables) it is probably unnoticeable.

Other thoughts
- I, personally, would have liked to see this in a 230 to 240 which is really my sweet spot. I think it would have been killer (not to detract from the specimen at hand though, it is quite impressive).

overall I am impressed.

Thanks again,
Richard.

 

[fortheloveofmoar]

Pics

 

[aporigine]

Hi all,

@Dylan Ambrosini Thank you so much again for this opportunity to participate in the pass around and be able to scratch the "new knife" itch without feeding the monkey on my back too much .

Knife received in good condition and just in time for some butternut squash soup prep. I like to use butternut squash as the ultimate test of any knifes geometry. Butternut is sticky, dense and there is a lot of it. I am just a home cook but I like to think I've been fortunate enough to handle a lot of highly regarded makers so I like to think I have a decent palate but I don't consider myself an expert of knives.

I feel a lot of pressure being the first one to receive it so it has a fresh edge with original geometry from the maker. I will not sharpen and probably send it on quickly to give other folks as fresh of an experience as possible.

I did a nice little head to head against my Dan bidinger triple fuller, the Skye Ellierrs pass around also happening. I won't do a full review of each knife here but lets just say the DA falls a little behind the Dan bidinger for cutting ease and food stiction and a bit ahead the Skye (but worth noting I'm the lsat person to get the Skye), but the Skye is still quite good.

Pros:
- VERY impressive food release. I've used a decent number of knives to say this one was impressive for its balance of ease in cutting and food release. Butternut squash mostly fell right off when I was cutting into logs and then cubing them.

- Good cutting ease. It handled the initial cuts at the stem, base and midsection of the butternut squash without too much protest. Not a Clean single slice but I think thats more to do with the shorter length than the geometry. It slayed onions. Easy to use the tip to slice and then do a small dice with very little onion sticking. Quite impressed. It gives a lot of other makers a run or their money. Particularly impressed with how it handled the squash.

- Balance point is forward of the heel and just a smidge behind the makers mark. I like this balance point very much.

- profile! I like it. Little tip rise, longer flat spot. Very nice


- Integral was comfortable. Handle was well constructed. Normally not an oval person but I can jive with this shape. If you have large hands is suspect you may not like this as it is a touch on the smaller side. I actually like the stubbiness of the wa handle.

- Packaging was *chef kiss*.

Cons:
- I only have one complaint worth noting. I wish the spine had some rounding. It was particularly rough on the finger at the pinch when I had to really beat down on the butternut squash. Maybe not an issue if you have more callused hands but these pampered fingers are good at sitting at a desk and being lotioned one to two times a day while I type away on meetings. I would have been a hands model if they weren't so ugly. Under other circumstances (i.e not hard vegetables) it is probably unnoticeable.

Other thoughts
- I, personally, would have liked to see this in a 230 to 240 which is really my sweet spot. I think it would have been killer (not to detract from the specimen at hand though, it is quite impressive).

overall I am impressed.

Thanks again,
Richard.

if it holds with the Skye that is high praise indeed.

 

[Dylan Ambrosini]

Thrilled to see things start to kick off. Thanks for typing up all your thoughts, @fortheloveofmoar. I've always wondered who out there owns those nuts bidinger triple fullers. They remind of me cinquedeas.

Enjoy the knife, cook your favorite **** with it. That's all my little heart desires.

 

[pavhav]

@Dylan Ambrosini
Welcome to the forums. I first saw your work at Crocker Cutlery, and then your site; looks really promising. Glad to see you here.

 

[fortheloveofmoar]

Sorry shipping photos below. Same condition as I posted when I did the review but I addd the tip guard I found when packing and forgot to mention it.

It’s been delivered as of today to Blumbo

 

[Blumbo]

It’s currently at my ups access point! I’ll be able to pick it up tomorrow morning!

 

[Blumbo]

Picked it up from post today!! Echoing the sentiment about the excellent packaging! This is an incredibly comfortable knife to hold - and the balance is particularly nice as most integrals are weighted a little further back IME. The knife oozes craftsmanship - will be cooking with it later today!