Jovidah
I'll make you a sponsor offer you can't refuse...
Or fondling. Wouldn't be surprised if we eventually see BNIB Katos and Shigs with handles like that.
Gyuto heel height
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I think It's all about how the height works in concert with the other features of the profile/grind/intention of the knife. Is it a 210mm laser? A 240mm knife with a thick spine and a rocking distal taper that says "I can be all the things!"? Something else?
Caveat: I'm just a Technology Pro who enjoys cooking with nice knives - so *** do I know about this /shrug
I think a taller heel height allows a maker a little more flexibility in making a knife that is thin behind the edge, while still allowing for a good shoulder from a convex grind further up the blade to support food separation. If the knife is tall enough, it won't wedge in smaller dense product (ex: Apples/sweet potatoes), but it still prevents the food from stacking up over the knife. I think this works best on a longer knife when paired with a good distal taper because as the knife narrows towards the tip, the reduced surface area mitigates the loss of food separation as the convex grind/shoulder dissipates as the knife transitions to more of a laser grind near the tip.
If you have a 210mm laser, I would argue that extra heel height is not needed. The knife is more about being nimble, and food separation is a "nice to have" secondary goal. For example, I have a Shibata Koutetsu 210mm gyuto that is a classic laser with a 47mm heel height, and I've never felt it wasn't tall enough. I'm a tall guy with big hands.
I have a 210mm laser by Francisco Vaz that is even shorter in heel height, it's a joy to use.
I have just recently acquired a 233mm 51.5mm tall Knot Handcrafted k-tip gyuto with a strong distal taper and a thick spine at the base and it's a lot of fun so far, but as the front vs the rear of the knife behave differently I'm still learning how to best use it.
I have a custom order TALL (70-80mm) bunka that I'm excited to receive. I think it could be a lot of fun to use.
It's all about how the height works in concert with the other features of the profile/grind.
Caveat: I'm just a Technology Pro who enjoys cooking with nice knives - so *** do I know about this /shrug
I think a taller heel height allows a maker a little more flexibility in making a knife that is thin behind the edge, while still allowing for a good shoulder from a convex grind further up the blade to support food separation. If the knife is tall enough, it won't wedge in smaller dense product (ex: Apples/sweet potatoes), but it still prevents the food from stacking up over the knife. I think this works best on a longer knife when paired with a good distal taper because as the knife narrows towards the tip, the reduced surface area mitigates the loss of food separation as the convex grind/shoulder dissipates as the knife transitions to more of a laser grind near the tip.
If you have a 210mm laser, I would argue that extra heel height is not needed. The knife is more about being nimble, and food separation is a "nice to have" secondary goal. For example, I have a Shibata Koutetsu 210mm gyuto that is a classic laser with a 47mm heel height, and I've never felt it wasn't tall enough. I'm a tall guy with big hands.
I have a 210mm laser by Francisco Vaz that is even shorter in heel height, it's a joy to use.
I have just recently acquired a 233mm 51.5mm tall Knot Handcrafted k-tip gyuto with a strong distal taper and a thick spine at the base and it's a lot of fun so far, but as the front vs the rear of the knife behave differently I'm still learning how to best use it.
I have a custom order TALL (70-80mm) bunka that I'm excited to receive. I think it could be a lot of fun to use.
It's all about how the height works in concert with the other features of the profile/grind.
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Luftmensch
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It is to keep the handle rough and grippy. I had an interesting exchange with @Ochazuke (thanks for the education) about the exact same photo [#65, #71, #86]. I was off in my original post (#65)... But I still think there is a performative element to that level of wear in the handles.... or maybe it is just a wabi-sabi balance... if the blade is going to wear away... so should the handles!
But hey man... if it works for Chef Morimoto... who am I to question it!?
Anyway... If you are going to sand the handles aggressively... I suspect a concavity in the middle is self reinforcing. Once it is there... you will probably end up sanding that location more than the high spots
bradmacmt
Well-Known Member
60mm+
