I'm an addict and I can't even hide it

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Can we see how you store them all? I have around a dozen knives and 4 of the beater ones sit in a drawer and the rest are on a magnetic strip.. couldn’t imagine all of these lol
Magnets are the way.
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After trying and utterly failing to beat my addiction in March, these last couple of weeks ended up being my most productive (read: expensive) period of knife buying to date.

I’ll make a photo update to this thread after a couple more knives arrive, but for anyone following along, here’s the list of this month’s haul: a Tsourkan 240, a Markin 240, three Takada No Hamono suibokus, a Jiro 225, a Shi.Han 240, two Kono FMs (including a blue 1 damascus 240), a Kono Tetsujin 240, a HVB 220, a Catcheside 195, a Migoto 270, a Watanabe nakiri, a MSicard 180 petty and 220 gyuto, and a Bazes 210 petty.

Did I mention I utterly failed to beat my addiction?

I think that Kipp is the one I had it is a very good one. Also, I do find the migotos white series to be very similiar cutting experience to the FMs, but I think I like the Migoto a little better.
The Kipp nakiri has cemented its place as my favourite among my 70+ (?) knives. It doesn’t even make sense - I prefer gyutos to nakiris and longer/taller knives to shorter ones - but something about the knife just clicks with me perfectly. I thank you for releasing it into the wild so that it could find its way to me!

If I just buy one more knife ever again, it’ll be a Kipp. I do have a lead on a gyuto, but if anyone out there reads this and feels generous enough to put me out of my misery help accelerate the process and just sell me one right now, please hit me up!

Migoto comparisons are interesting. I don’t think my Migoto white 270 can be compared with a 240 since it’s got so much heft to it. But I’m now in a position to compare a Migoto blue shinogi 240/blue suminagashi 255 to a Konosuke FM 240.

My conclusion? They are indeed really similar…but they’re also kind of different… *

I look forward to being able to share a similarly helpful level of insight once the Kono Tetsujin 240 arrives.

While I do think one more magnetic bar is in my future, I fear that’s a photo of a man who lives alone.



* The Migoto pair have a slightly more solid (I definitely wouldn’t go so far as to say workhorse) cutting feel to me. The FM feels nimbler (though I definitely wouldn’t describe it as laser-y), and dare I say, feels more exciting to cut with than the Migotos.

I know the Migoto shinogi is labelled a wide bevel, the FM is full convex, and the Migoto suminagashi somewhere in between, but their grinds all feel more nuanced to me than their labels would suggest. For example, the Migoto wide bevel cutting feel is quite a bit more robust than the “zingy” cutting feel of orthodox wide bevels like the Tanaka x Kyuzo migaki and Kochi kurouchi.

To answer the original question from @timebard about which knives feel/perform most like the Migotos, I can now say the FM is in fact most similar in my collection — but add the caveat that it’s also kind of different (as described above).

Having thought about it a bit more, I’d also add to the “similar cutting feel/performance to Migoto” list: the Wakui tsuchime (but not the Kochi kurouchi for the reason above), Dalman x Birgersson (but not the Birgersson solo), Spåre bunka, and actually the Kipp nakiri. For me, the main characteristic of the Migoto knives is that they thread the needle of combining the ease of a laser’s cutting performance with the authoritative feel (but not the perceived weight) of a workhorse.

This is a long ass footnote.
 
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In school they used to say, if there's an earthquake, you can stand in the doorway so stuff won't fall on your head...
I posted a picture on Reddit wayyyy back at the beginning of my addiction before I had nearly as many knives. Still had those magnets tho. I got all the comments on “that looks dangerous, what happens if there’s an earthquake, yadda yadda”. Then I had them all on the wall for our most recent hurricane and the anxiety nearly killed me 🤣
 
Well at least you have great taste. Missing a Munetoshi 240 though...
🙏

Yeah, there’s a dismaying number of big, obvious holes in my collection: Denka/Morihei/Isamitsu, Kono MM, Hado, Mikami, Manaka, Masashi, Mazaki blue/honsanmai, Kyohei Shindo, maybe Gihei/Kurosaki Gekko HAP40… Shig and Kato, of course. I’m even missing a CCK 1303!

And not to mention the numerous fantastic Western makers who aren’t represented at all: Dalman solo, Xerxes, Yanick, Evan, Milan, Kamon, The Nine, Carter, Chopp, Horn, Radiona Breg, Comet, etc, etc, etc…
 
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You can't collect them all is what I've been learning. Well you might be able to but I tell myself I shouldn't 😅
 
You can't collect them all is what I've been learning. Well you might be able to but I tell myself I shouldn't 😅
No, at this point, I’m genuinely hoping that my collection doesn’t get any bigger!
 
Of course, I’d be remiss if I didn’t include my storage that I’m the most proud of. Designed it myself, sourced the wood locally, then found a local woodworker who could make me 18 identical wooden pieces with magnets in them. After, I shipped them all off to a leatherworker in GA to give all of them a nice soft cradle that won’t scratch any of my cleavers. Everyone involved absolutely nailed it, and this is the result.
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No such thing as too many options, right?
 
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@cooktocut
Saw your Kamon cleaver above the door and I was wondering what happened to this beautiful display.

Always a treat to see!

@dehory
Beautiful collection Mate! Thanks for sharing.
Thank you! Yeah that quiche pic was a little bit older... but speaking of the kamon cleaver, it weighs a ton with that machined timascus handle. So while I scoffed at people who made jokes about knives falling, I will say having those cleavers up there did make me a little nervous at times. Now I have those magnets filled with everything else :)
 
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Current Collection (April 2023)



Top row (left to right)

Masamoto KS 270 gyuto • white 2 mono • ho + blond horn

Takada No Hamono Suiboku 270 gyuto • blue 1 • ebony, imitation ivory, triple ginmaki

Takada No Hamono Suiboku 240 gyuto • blue 2 • ho + black horn

Migoto/Nakagawa x Kawakita 270 gyuto • white 1 kasumi • Ben’s Bites redwood burl

Migoto/Nakagawa x Kawakita 255 gyuto • blue 1 suminagashi • ebony mono

Migoto/Y Tanaka x Nomura 240 gyuto • blue 1 shinogi • ebony + oak

Yoshikane 240 gyuto • SKD nashiji stainless clad • K&S teak + black horn

Kochi 240 gyuto • v2 kurouchi • burnt chestnut + black horn

Mazaki 240 gyuto • white 2 migaki • K&S ebony + blond horn

Wakui 240 gyuto • white 2 tsuchime stainless clad • tostadas burnt white oak mono

Konosuke/Nihei ‘Sumiiro’ 240 gyuto • SLD kurouchi • burnt chestnut + black horn

Konosuke Fujiyama FM 240 gyuto • blue 1 damascus • ebony + marbled horn

Masamoto HC 240 gyuto • SK mono (speculative) • pakkawood yo

Jiro #240 225 gyuto • white 1 kurouchi • tagayasan yo

Toyama 240 gyuto • blue 2 damascus • ho + black horn

Kiyoshi Kato 240 standard gyuto • blue 2 migaki • ho + black horn

Myojin Riki Seisakucho 210 gyuto • SG2 kasumi • wenge + black horn

Konosuke/Tetsujin 210 gyuto • blue 2 kasumi • Khii laurel mono

Konosuke/Tetsujin 240 gyuto • blue 2 kasumi • Khii laurel mono

Kagekiyo 240 gyuto • ginsan • walnut mono

Takeda 240 sasanoha • blue super kurouchi • maple + pakkawood

Sukenari 225 gyuto • blue super stainless clad migaki • K&S ebony + black horn

Gengetsu 210 gyuto • semi-stainless • burnt chestnut + black horn

S Tanaka 210 gyuto • ginsan nashiji • amboyna burl + mango bolster

Sakai Kikumori/Yoshikazu Tanaka x Ajioka ‘Shironiko’ 210 gyuto • white 2 kasumi • zelkova + red pakkawood


Second row (left to right, top to bottom)

Dalman x Birgersson 240 gyuto • silversteel warikomi • pear wood mono

Birgersson 220 • silversteel warikomi • olive mono

Hitohira/Tanaka x Kyuzo 240 k-tip extra height gyuto • blue 2 migaki • Taihei ebony + marbled horn

Yoake 210 k-tip gyuto • blue 1 kurouchi • ebony + black horn

M Hinoura 210 k-tip gyuto • blue super kurouchi • rosewood + black horn

Shibata Koutetsu 180 bunka • SG2 migaki • jarrah + pakkawood

Aritsugu Nishiki 平常一品 180 santoku • blue 2 stainless clad • pakkawood yo

Shibata Koutetsu 130 ko-bunka • SG2 migaki • jarrah + pakkawood



CCK 九江 KF1401 cleaver

Matsubara 165 nakiri • blue 2 tsuchime stainless clad • wenge mono

Watanabe Pro 180 nakiri • blue 2 stainless clad kurouchi • walnut + dyed maple

Kippington 185 nakiri • s-grind 52100 mono • pine + black juma

Toyama 210 nakiri • blue 2 ironclad • burnt chestnut + black horn

Murata Buho 120 sabaki • blue 1 kurouchi • ho + plastic

Munetoshi 170 butcher • white 2 kurouchi • burnt ho + horn

Ohishi 165 hiraki • blue 2 kurouchi tsuchime • rosewood + black horn

Hitohira/Tanaka x Kyuzo 165 petty • blue 1 kurouchi • yakusugi cedar + black horn

Konosuke Fujiyama FM 150 petty • white 2 • Dan Ryan tamarind

Mazaki 150 petty • white 2 migaki • ho + walnut



Takamura 150 petty • SG2 migaki • red pakkawood yo

Ashi Ginga 150 petty • Swedish stainless • pakkawood yo

Bazes 217 petty • suminagashi-clad Takefu shiro 2 • roasted curly hickory + Madagascar ebony

Nigara 245 k-tip sujihiki • SG2 kurouchi tsuchime • ebony + blond horn

Hitohira/Togashi 240 sujihiki • white 1 stainless clad • Taihei ziricote + blond horn

Mazaki 270 sujihiki • white 2 migaki • keyaki + black horn

Takada No Hamono Suiboku 270 sujihiki • ginsan • rosewood + black horn



Shi.Han 240 gyuto • 52100 mono kurouchi • thermory ash mono

Marko Tsourkan 240 gyuto • A2 mono • cocobolo, imitation ivory spacer + bog oak

Kemadi 225 • bulat mono • Turkish walnut mono

HVB 220 gyuto • 1095 mono • bocote mono

Catcheside 225 • forged geometry c105 • wenge + bog oak

Catcheside 195 • forged geometry c105 • wenge mono

Raquin 200 gyuto • SC145/XC10 kurouchi regular grind • burnt oak mono

Dehillerin/K Sabatier 200 chef • stainless • rosewood

MSicard 220 gyuto • Magnacut • burnt oak mono

MSicard 180 petty • Magnacut • cherry mono


Not pictured (sorry Fredrik, I don't know why I didn't see your knife on the rack):

Spåre MCX 190 bunka • 1.2419 mono • ebonised oak + brass

North Arm Trillium 90 petty • Magnacut • G10 yo

MAC Superior 270 bread knife • stainless • pakkawood yo


Incoming sometime soon-ish:

Markin 240 gyuto • WX-15 (52100) mono • merbau mono


Heiji 210 sujihiki • Iwaksaki carbon • burnt chestnut + black horn

Heiji 240 gyuto • secret semi-stainless • enju + black horn


Yes, that ugly snarl of petties in the bottom hurts my eyes too. Any knife sales I was planning may have to be postponed until I can redo this photo. 😂
 
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Current Collection (September 2023)

knives (sept 2023).jpeg

Top row (left to right)

CCK 九江 KF1401 cleaver
CCK 桑刀 KF1303 cleaver
Toyama 210 nakiri • blue 2 ironclad • burnt chestnut + black horn
Matsubara 165 nakiri • blue 2 tsuchime stainless clad • wenge mono
Kippington 185 nakiri • s-grind 52100 mono • pine + black juma
Watanabe Pro 180 nakiri • blue 2 stainless clad kurouchi • walnut + dyed maple

Second row (left to right)

Raquin 200 gyuto • SC145/XC10 kurouchi regular grind • burnt oak mono
M Hinoura 210 k-tip gyuto • blue super kurouchi • rosewood + black horn
Kemadi 225 • bulat mono • Turkish walnut mono
Markin 240 gyuto • шх-15 (52100) mono • merbau mono
Birgersson 220 • silversteel warikomi • olive mono
Dalman x Birgersson 240 gyuto • silversteel warikomi • pear wood mono
Shi.Han 240 gyuto • 52100 mono kurouchi • thermory ash mono
Yanick Puig 240 gyuto • 242x59 / 238g • wrought iron clad 135Cr3 kurouchi • violet + poplar burl
Halcyon Forge 260 gyuto • 260x54 • wrought iron/nickel suminagashi clad 1.2519 • black dyed karelian birch mono
Takeda 240 sasanoha • blue super kurouchi • maple + pakkawood
Jiro 225 gyuto • white 1 kurouchi • tagayasan yo
Yoshikane 240 gyuto • SKD nashiji stainless clad • K&S teak + black horn
Wakui 240 gyuto • white 2 tsuchime stainless clad • tostadas burnt white oak mono
Kochi 240 gyuto • v2 kurouchi • burnt chestnut + black horn
Yoake 210 k-tip gyuto • blue 1 kurouchi • ebony + black horn
Konosuke/Nihei ‘Sumiiro’ 240 gyuto • SLD kurouchi • burnt chestnut + black horn
HVB 220 gyuto • 1095 mono • bocote mono
Catcheside 225 • forged geometry c105 • wenge + bog oak
Catcheside 195 • forged geometry c105 • wenge mono
S Tanaka 210 gyuto • ginsan nashiji • amboyna burl + mango bolster
Dehillerin/K Sabatier 200 chef • stainless • rosewood
Aritsugu Nishiki 平常一品 180 santoku • blue 2 stainless clad • pakkawood yo
Masamoto HC 240 gyuto • SK mono (speculative) • pakkawood yo

Third row (left to right)

Mazaki 270 sujihiki • white 2 migaki • keyaki + black horn
Takada No Hamono Suiboku 270 sujihiki • ginsan • rosewood + black horn
Hitohira/Togashi 240 sujihiki • white 1 stainless clad • Taihei ziricote + blond horn
Nigara 245 k-tip sujihiki • SG2 kurouchi tsuchime • ebony + blond horn
Marko Tsourkan 240 gyuto • A2 mono • cocobolo, imitation ivory spacer + bog oak
Masamoto KS 270 gyuto • white 2 mono • ho + blond horn
Mazaki 240 gyuto • white 2 migaki • K&S ebony + blond horn
Migoto/Nakagawa x Kawakita 270 gyuto • white 1 kasumi • Ben’s Bites redwood burl
Migoto/Nakagawa x Kawakita 255 gyuto • blue 1 suminagashi • ebony mono
Migoto/Y Tanaka x Nomura 240 gyuto • blue 1 shinogi • ebony + oak
Takada No Hamono Suiboku 270 gyuto • blue 1 • ebony, imitation ivory, triple ginmaki
Hitohira/Tanaka x Kyuzo 240 k-tip extra height gyuto • blue 2 migaki • Taihei ebony + marbled horn
Takada No Hamono Suiboku 240 gyuto • blue 2 • ho + black horn
Myojin Riki Seisakucho 210 gyuto • SG2 kasumi • wenge + black horn
Kagekiyo 240 gyuto • ginsan • walnut mono
Konosuke/Tetsujin 210 gyuto • blue 2 kasumi • Khii laurel mono
Konosuke/Tetsujin 240 gyuto • blue 2 kasumi • Khii laurel mono
Konosuke Fujiyama FM 240 gyuto • blue 1 damascus • ebony + marbled horn
Kiyoshi Kato 240 standard gyuto • blue 2 migaki • ho + black horn
Toyama 240 gyuto • blue 2 damascus • ho + black horn
Heiji 240 gyuto • mystery steel • enju + black horn
MAC Superior 270 bread knife • stainless • pakkawood yo
Gengetsu 210 gyuto • semi-stainless • burnt chestnut + black horn

Bottom row (left to right, top to bottom)

North Arm Trillium 90 petty • Magnacut • G10 yo
Takamura 150 petty • SG2 migaki • red pakkawood yo
MSicard 180 petty • Magnacut • cherry mono
Bazes 217 petty • suminagashi-clad Takefu shiro 2 • roasted curly hickory + Madagascar ebony
MSicard 220 gyuto • Magnacut • burnt oak mono
Sukenari 225 gyuto • blue super stainless clad migaki • K&S ebony + black horn

Ohishi 165 hiraki • blue 2 kurouchi tsuchime • rosewood + black horn
Mazaki 150 petty • white 2 migaki • ho + walnut
Murata Buho 120 sabaki • blue 1 kurouchi • ho + plastic
Konosuke Fujiyama FM 150 petty • white 2 • Dan Ryan tamarind
Ashi Ginga 150 petty • Swedish stainless (AEB-L) • pakkawood yo

Sakai Kikumori/Yoshikazu Tanaka x Ajioka ‘Shironiko’ 210 gyuto • white 2 kasumi • zelkova + red pakkawood
Heiji 210 sujihiki • Iwaksaki carbon • burnt chestnut + black horn
Munetoshi 170 butcher • white 2 kurouchi • burnt ho + horn
Hitohira/Tanaka x Kyuzo 165 petty • blue 1 kurouchi • yakusugi cedar + black horn

Spåre MCX 190 bunka • 1.2419 mono • ebonised oak + brass
Shibata Koutetsu 130 ko-bunka • SG2 migaki • jarrah + pakkawood
Shibata Koutetsu 180 bunka • SG2 migaki • jarrah + pakkawood


Spot the difference. The collection has crept up onto the window sill. I was away all summer, so actually not too many additions since the last update.

For any similarly self-loathing knife addicts out there in the future looking for succour, you may find comfort in knowing that this is the point when the voice in your head screaming at you to start selling knives will become more deafening than the other voice coaxing you to buy more.

For example, I've already managed to offload four knives from that picture: for anyone keeping track, Raquin, Tsourkan, Munetoshi, and Toyama 240! This made me feel so good that I (only) added one more...albeit it's a Bidinger...

Many kind readers have let me know that this thread has been very helpful for the purposes of giving their significant others perspective into how reasonable their collections actually are: "Look, this guy has 10x the number of knives I have... And most of them are even the same shape! I can get another one, right?"

So I'll leave this as the final update until there's a serious reduction of the herd. At that point, I'll try to add notes about those knives that have left for greener pastures so hopefully this thread can continue to contribute in other meaningful ways...
 
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After unburdening myself of 39 40 knives, I thought I'd taken a decent stab at bringing my collection down to a manageable number, but after laying them all out, I find that I am mistaken.

The fact that my knife fund balance is somehow at zero despite making quite a few sales should have been a pretty good clue... But hey, at least it all fits on the kitchen table again!

Current Collection (January 2024)

knives jan 2024.jpeg

Top Row (left to right)

Evan Antzenberger 250 gyuto • 252 x 53 / 305g • Vtoku honyaki • ringed gidgee western
Aritsugu Nishiki 平常一品 180 santoku • blue 2 stainless clad • pakkawood western
Ashi Ginga 150 petty • AEB-L • pakkawood western
Bazes 217 ‘petit chef’ • 216x36 / 145g • suminagashi-clad Takefu shiro 2 • roasted curly hickory + Madagascar ebony
Bidinger ‘B-grind’ 240 gyuto • 247x51 / 188g • coffee etched A2 mono • black paper micarta + copper western
Bidinger ‘B-grind’ 240 gyuto • 242x57 / 195g • Magnacut mono • carbon fiber, micarta + copper western
Catcheside 195 • forged geometry c105 • wenge mono
CCK 桑刀 KF1303 cleaver
CCK 九江 KF1401 cleaver
Dalman x Birgersson 240 gyuto • 247x60 / 215g • silversteel warikomi • pear wood mono
Gengetsu 210 gyuto • semi-stainless • burnt chestnut + black horn
Heiji 180 santoku (refcast regrind) • semi-stainless • burnt chestnut + horn
M Hinoura 210 k-tip gyuto • blue super kurouchi • rosewood + black horn
Kagekiyo 240 gyuto • ginsan • walnut mono
Kagekiyo (Tanaka x Morihiro Hamono) 240 gyuto • blue 1 • kuroro black urushi
Kamon ‘Massdrop’ 225 gyuto • 229x54 / 194g • 1.2519 mono denty kurouchi • bog oak + stainless steel
Kamon 255 gyuto • 256 x 58 / 220g • 1.2519 mono plainforge nashiji • ash + stainless steel
Kemadi 225 • bulat mono • Turkish walnut mono
Kiyoshi Kato STD 240 gyuto • blue 2 migaki • ho + black horn
Kippington ‘Laserpony’ 260 gyuto• 260x55 / 191g • 52100 mono • pine + black juma
Kippington 185 nakiri • 185x52 / 186g • S-grind 52100 mono • pine + black juma
Simon Lönsted petty • 187x45 / 125g • 15LM mono • bog oak + reindeer horn
MAC Superior 270 bread knife • stainless • pakkawood western
Markin 240 gyuto • 237x53 / 186g • FeCl₃ etched шх-15 mono • merbau mono​

Bottom Row (left to right)

Masamoto HC 240 gyuto • SK mono (speculative) • pakkawood western
Masamoto KS 270 gyuto • white 2 mono • ho + blond horn
Mikami Hamono 175 ryoba wo-bocho • 175x54 / 262g • blue 1 warikomi
MSicard 180 petty • Magnacut • cherry mono
MSicard 220 gyuto • Magnacut • burnt oak mono
Muteki 200 funayuki (#4651 / Cory Pulliam) • 198x54 / 161g • stainless clad white 1 • desert ironwood + red micarta western
Myojin Riki Seisakucho 210 gyuto • SG2 kasumi • wenge + black horn
Mystery (秀綱) 210 yanagiba (refcast fix up) • ? • ho + plastic
North Arm Trillium 90 paring • Magnacut • G10 western
TheNine 240 gyuto • 243x50 / 217g • blue 2 kurouchi • bog oak mono
Yanick Puig 240 gyuto • 242x59 / 238g • wrought iron clad 135Cr3 kurouchi • violet + poplar burl
Dehillerin/K Sabatier 200 chef • stainless • rosewood western
Shibata Koutetsu 130 ko-bunka • SG2 migaki • jarrah + pakkawood
Shibata Koutetsu 180 bunka • SG2 migaki • jarrah + pakkawood
Shi.Han 240 gyuto • 247x56 / 237g • 52100 mono kurouchi • thermory ash mono
Sukenari 225 gyuto • blue super stainless clad migaki • K&S ebony + black horn
Takada No Hamono Suiboku 270 gyuto • blue 1 • no handle
Takeda 150 honesuki • blue super kurouchi stainless clad • rosewood + pakkawood
Takeda 240 sasanoha • blue super kurouchi stainless clad • maple + pakkawood
Hitohira (Tanaka x Kyuzo) 240 k-tip extra height gyuto • blue 1 migaki • Taihei ebony + marbled horn
Hitohira (Togashi) 240 sujihiki • white 1 stainless clad • Taihei ziricote + blond horn
Toyama 210 nakiri • blue 2 ironclad • burnt chestnut + black horn
Watanabe Pro 180 nakiri • blue 2 stainless clad kurouchi • no handle
Xerxes ‘Userfriendly’ 240 gyuto • 236 x 54 / 200g • 1.2562 mono • bog oak + stabilised poplar
Xerxes ‘Workhorse’ 255 gyuto • 254 x 54 / 275g • Apex Ultra mono • historic oak + bronze western
Yoshikane 240 gyuto • SKD nashiji stainless clad • K&S teak + black horn
 
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Outgoings (Sold/Traded)

Marko Tsourkan 240 gyuto • 243x53 / 245g • A2 mono • cocobolo, imitation ivory spacer + bog oak
Quite a good WH-leaning midweight, though I prefer my Shi.Han which has similar specs but a keener cutting feel. (This may be a running theme.) Handle too oversized for my taste. Beautifully clean F&F.

Munetoshi 170 butcher • white 2 kurouchi • burnt ho + horn
Unexpectedly elegant performer for such a rustic-looking beast. Traded away, but will probably pick up another one at some point.

Raquin 200 gyuto • 200x52 / 182g • SC145/XC10 kurouchi regular grind • burnt oak mono
Cuts well, but too short for the style IMO, and for me, the handle/F&F are a bit rough at this price point.

Konosuke Fujiyama FM 240 gyuto • blue 1 damascus • ebony + marbled horn
There’s a hard-to-explain magic about how this knife feels so impeccably balanced and calibrated. But given its degree of rarity/desirability, it's lacking against the very best cutters, and the damascus/general aesthetic is so coolly perfect that it has an almost sterile quality that I didn't connect with.

Konosuke Fujiyama FM 150 petty • white 2 • Dan Ryan tamarind
Nice small knife, but such a reactive blade in a petty form factor just doesn’t make sense to me.

Migoto/Y Tanaka x Nomura 240 gyuto • blue 1 shinogi • ebony + oak
One of the best feeling J-knives I’d tried to date when I bought it: great geometry with just the right amount of satisfying heft behind the cut. But I gradually realized I prefer the performance/look of western gyutos in this ~1g per mm weight class. Hello, Mr Puig.

Takada No Hamono Suiboku 240 gyuto • blue 2 • ho + black horn
Gorgeous blade, but too light, too low, and too short for my tastes. The 270 Suiboku is a keeper.

Konosuke/Tetsujin 210 gyuto • blue 2 kasumi • Khii laurel mono
One of the better cutters that’s easy to buy. Thin without feeling brittle. Not spectacular, but very well crafted. Cladding a bit reactive for my taste. Myojin’s SG2 210 is a daily driver on my family knife rack.

Konosuke/Tetsujin 240 gyuto • blue 2 kasumi • Khii laurel mono
See above.

Jiro #240 225 gyuto • white 1 kurouchi • tagayasan yo
An eye-opening experience. Certainly the most unique J-knife I’ve tried. Monumentally heavy in the hand, but surprisingly nimble on the board and just glides through product. 225 is a bit short for the WH style gyuto IMO.

Toyama 240 gyuto • blue 2 damascus • ho + black horn
More a midweight than a WH after having seen heavy use and sharpening/thinning, but still too much forward balance for me with the ho handle. A very good knife, but for the price of a new Toyama damascus, I’d unquestionably opt for a certain New Mexican maker instead.

Kochi 240 gyuto • v2 kurouchi • burnt chestnut + black horn
Every bit as excellent as everyone says. Best performing knife I had tried in the sub-$350 price bracket until I picked up a Markin.

Mazaki 240 gyuto • white 2 migaki • K&S ebony + blond horn
Highly satisfying cutting feel, but prefer a less reactive blade. Dislike K&S’s metal spacer handles — tacky-looking in person. Mazaki’s kanji engraving is the coolest. Been tempted to get a BBQ variant just for his kanji.

Wakui 240 gyuto • white 2 tsuchime stainless clad • tostadas burnt white oak mono
This one was hard to let go in large part because of Brandon’s wonderful handle work, but I preferred the Kochi’s performance.

Konosuke/Nihei ‘Sumiiro’ 240 gyuto • SLD kurouchi • burnt chestnut + black horn
Adore the inky kurouchi, but I was expecting a Yoshikane vibe and instead it was a bit thick BTE and didn’t have enough oomph (weight/heel height) to make up for it.

S Tanaka 210 gyuto • ginsan nashiji • amboyna burl + mango bolster
Superb no-frills stainless cutting performance for the money (<$200), but I’d moved onto fancier knives even before I received this in the mail.

Sakai Kikumori/Yoshikazu Tanaka x Ajioka ‘Shironiko’ 210 gyuto • white 2 kasumi • zelkova + red pakkawood
Hardly used this at all. Just a bit too large to be a utility knife and too small to be an everyday gyuto. Not a fan of the handle.

Murata Buho 120 sabaki • blue 1 kurouchi • ho + plastic
Very cool little knife, but I rarely use such tiny ones.

Ohishi 165 hiraki • blue 2 kurouchi tsuchime • rosewood + black horn
Nicely proportioned petty. Good value. Just kept reaching for my trusty old Ashi Ginga instead.

Birgersson 220 • silversteel warikomi • olive mono
Good, but just didn’t make me smile when I used it. Felt almost like a rough draft of a knife. The Dalman collab is what I was hoping this would be.

Halcyon Forge 260 gyuto • 260x54 / 266g • wrought iron/nickel suminagashi clad 1.2519 • black dyed karelian birch mono
Spectacular knife that cut almost as beautifully as it looks. A bit too pretty and too blade forward for me to use frequently, but if I were into polishing, I’d certainly have kept this one.

HVB 220 gyuto • 1095 mono • bocote mono
Bulletproof workhorse. Prioritises toughness a bit too much at the expense of keenness. Also not the biggest fan of this edge length.

Catcheside 225 • forged geometry c105 • wenge + bog oak
Rustic looks, refined performance. Almost completely flat profile, but somehow it still worked well for me. Let down by poor ergonomics.

Spåre MCX 190 bunka • 1.2419 mono • ebonised oak + brass
Solid. Incredible F&F/attention to detail for the price. I prefer the nimbleness and thinness of Shibata’s bunka.

TheNine 240 gyuto • 236x53 / 273g • blue 2 kurouchi • bog oak mono
Good WH, but I was disappointed having been so excited to try a Nine. Carefully thinned by previous owner…but side-by-side with a Shi.Han, I prefer the latter’s less wedgy grind. Cumbersome balance — a Xerxes WH feels perfectly weighted in the hand by comparison. All that said, Rob’s mastery of the minimalist kurouchi aesthetic is totally unmatched.

Kippington ‘Workpony’ 240 gyuto • 245x55 / 193g • 52100 mono • pine + black juma
It’s hardly a shock, but if I could only have knives from two makers, it’d be Kipp and Shehan. Traded this WP to try out a LP grind, which I think ekes out just a bit more cutting smoothness without any perceptible drawbacks.

Milan Gravier twisted ‘dirty’ deep etch 240 gyuto • 232x49 / 220g • wrought iron clad ApexUltra • burnt boxwood + bronze
The most strikingly beautiful knife I’ve seen in person. Breaks my heart to say that it just didn’t click with me: ergonomics felt awkward, and more robust BTE than I like.

Heiji 210 sujihiki • carbon • burnt chestnut + black horn
A heavy 210 suji like this should be in everyone’s kit. Awful F&F, but still one of the most satisfying cutting feels OOTB I’ve tried. Would have sent it in for the JKI spa treatment and kept it if it were the semi-stainless.

Mazaki 150 petty • white 2 migaki • ho + walnut
See FM petty. Thought about keeping this as a polishing mule, but I still haven’t succumbed to J-nats and I’d rather keep a knife I’d actually use.

Yoake 210 k-tip gyuto • blue 1 kurouchi • ebony + black horn
Comical thickness out of the handle. Decent performance OOTB, but not my cup of tea. Skilled hands would have coaxed this into something great, but to me it felt kind of like Jiro’s ugly younger brother.

Matsubara 165 nakiri • blue 2 tsuchime stainless clad • wenge mono
Hardly used this because IMO 165 feels too small for a nakiri.

Nigara 245 k-tip sujihiki • SG2 kurouchi tsuchime • ebony + blond horn
Lovely looker with fantastic F&F, but a sticky and not-so-slicey slicer. Ironically, a k-tip on a 240+ suji is totally pointless. From this and the Takada, I learned that I prefer a heavier, stiffer suji, so off to BST it went.

Mazaki 270 sujihiki • white 2 migaki • keyaki + black horn
An excellent slicer that was stuffed in the back of the cabinet out of shame after chipping it slicing a jamon serrano leg. (Appalling choice of tool for the job. And it wasn’t even an iberico bellota…)

Takada No Hamono Suiboku 270 sujihiki • ginsan • rosewood + black horn
Gorgeous blade, but much too flexy and lightweight for my tastes. As I’m typing that, I realise it would probably have been a good candidate for that ham leg. 🤦🏻‍♂️

Takamura 150 petty • SG2 migaki • red pakkawood yo
Call me superficial, but the red handle made me cringe every time I used it despite how impeccably the knife cut.

Hitohira (Tanaka x Kyuzo) 165 petty • blue 1 kurouchi • Taihei yakusugi cedar + black horn
Pretty much a perfectly proportioned tall petty/utility knife, but rarely used because it was carbon. Using it as a template for a custom Shi.Han in AEB-L.

Migoto/Nakagawa x Kawakita 270 gyuto • white 1 kasumi
Lacked that “dropping through food” cutting feel I’d expect for a knife like this, and was too fixated on chasing other knives to bother trying to tweak it.

Migoto/Nakagawa x Kawakita 255 gyuto • blue 1 suminagashi • ebony mono
I almost never feel squeamish about using knives because of their beauty, but this was an exception. Truly stunning contrast of intricate damascus and rustic kurouchi. Cool half-convex/half-wide bevel grind too. Might regret selling this one given how much of a discount it sold for.

Comet 210 gyuto • 210x51 / 201g • 1018 clad W2 • Tasmanian Blackwood mono
Cool knife, but not crazy about the super flat profile, and don’t use 210 gyutos enough to be tempted to hoard them.

Heiji 240 gyuto (247x52) • Iwasaki carbon • enju + black horn
Wonky grind and all, my overall favourite of my heavier weight Sanjos. Powerful but balanced. I preferred this to my Toyama and Mazaki. Outstanding value direct from Heiji if you’re up for a project or sending off to JKI… Neither of which I felt like doing with so many other knives to try.
 
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How do like the butcher? Do you find uses for it often?
I’ve been using a isasmedjan Honesuki for butcher work but always looking to add more knive
😝
The Munetoshi got caught up in an somewhat elaborate trade involving a Tsourkan, a Raquin, a Bidinger, and cash, so I no longer have it, but I'd definitely buy another one.

I'm still kind of figuring out how to use the Takeda honesuki I subsequently picked up in its place – the sweep and geometry of the Munetoshi, on the other hand, felt effortlessly swooshy in use from the first time I tried it.

Highly recommended, though I will admit not used that often.
 
After unburdening myself of 39 knives, I thought I'd taken a decent stab at bringing my collection down to a manageable number, but after laying them all out, I find that I am mistaken.

The fact that my knife fund balance is somehow at zero despite making quite a few sales should have been a pretty good clue... But hey, at least it all fits on the kitchen table again!
I applaud the effort and restraint, but this throws a major wrench in my 2024 purchase plan now I can no longer use the pics here to convince myself I am doing fine

This thread used to be much more..enabling
🥕🥕
 
I applaud the effort and restraint, but this throws a major wrench in my 2024 purchase plan now I can no longer use the pics here to convince myself I am doing fine

This thread used to be much more..enabling
🥕🥕
Here’s a different take on it.

The way I managed to reduce my number of knives by a third - but not make any profit by putting all those funds into even more expensive knives - should be exactly the kind of enabling inspiration you need to plow even more money into BST and focus on increasing your collection’s cost per knife!
 
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