Help from the carnivores, please

[Jovidah]

Bit late to the party, but for the sake of people reading this thread later my 2 cents:
-Ashi ginga petty is on the thin, light and low side
-That means it's better for trimming than for slicing... though it can still slice reasonably well. For slicing I always prefer stiffer and heavier.
-The thin light and low also works really well for stuff like citrus supremes.... but carbon version isn't ideal for that.
-Since it's a monosteel reactivity isn't all that bad; it's much less problematic than iron-clads... but it's still a carbon knife. So if you want to slice for serving and stuff like that you may consider stainless just to be more hasslefree.
-Keep in mind that the profile length is different between wa and yo -version
-Although Ashi is often touted as the be all and end all of trimming knives - and I probably agree it is the best thing to come out of Japan - I don't think it's 'perfect'. While it has the right thinness enoug stiffness, IMO the tip gets too tall too fast, and in general I'd prefer something with even less blade height. The perfect trimmer is IMO something like a stiff version of a French fillet knife / sole knife.

 

[Choppin]

Thanks, everyone, for your informed comments. They definitely helped shape my decision. When I understood from some of you that Ashi is solid for its type, I started reading older threads, all the way back to 2014. I took a slight left turn along the way (big surprise), and ordered a 210 mm gyuto, which is en route. I definitely wanted a double-purpose knife, and I thought that this might fill my infrequent need for a slicer, while being my first gyuto. More later, after I’ve used it for awhile.

how are you liking the 210 Ashi? I’m thinking about getting one

 

[Seemore]

how are you liking the 210 Ashi? I’m thinking about getting one

I’m liking it a lot. I chose the white 2 / wa handle version. At 116 grams I was concerned it would feel like it might fly out of my hand, but it does not. Although I also have heavier thicker knives, this is a treat to cut with. I considered the western handle version, but at 170 grams, I figured most of that weight difference is in the handle, which might feel unbalanced to me.
It’s thin but not quite a laser; at first the blade stained easily, but that seems to have settled down even without showing a patina. Nice for my slicing needs, still tall enough for regular gyuto work on the board. It’s nicely finished without being fussy. While there are signs that it’s hand made, every time I use it I think, “Someone took a lot of care making this knife”.

 

[Choppin]

I’m liking it a lot. I chose the white 2 / wa handle version. At 116 grams I was concerned it would feel like it might fly out of my hand, but it does not. Although I also have heavier thicker knives, this is a treat to cut with. I considered the western handle version, but at 170 grams, I figured most of that weight difference is in the handle, which might feel unbalanced to me.
It’s thin but not quite a laser; at first the blade stained easily, but that seems to have settled down even without showing a patina. Nice for my slicing needs, still tall enough for regular gyuto work on the board. It’s nicely finished without being fussy. While there are signs that it’s hand made, every time I use it I think, “Someone took a lot of care making this knife”.
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nice, thanks! my 180 yo-gyuto, stainless Gesshin version, is one on the most used knives at home. I use it for small prep and also as a petty / utility. I like the yo handle as it gives a bit more weight and heft to an otherwise very light knife, and I feel that with smaller knives the balance point doesn’t matter much.

But with a 210 I’d prefer a wa handle. I’ll probably grab one of those.