Information on "mainstream" high end Japanese brands such as Takeshi Saji and Sakai Takayuki?

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Owned a Saji R2 before. It has one of the best gyuto profiles imo, but like others before me have said, it lacked distal taper and had a chunky grind
 
My understanding is if I go to Kappabashi street in Tokyo (obviously difficult now, but I'd love to take a selfie in Tsubaya sometime this lifetime) and browse the higher end selection of a knife store there, I will likely find "mainstream" high end Japanese brands such as Takeshi Saji and Sakai Takayuki. Solid, very high quality knives with a longstanding following in the domestic market. I just can't find as much information on these in the old threads (or generally in English) -- nothing like the incredible Konosuke Fujiyama thread for sure!

Would anyone have any suggestions on where to find reviews and more information on these brands? These brands would be a great point of reference on the knife journey. I'd also be curious why these get less interest in this forum, though they are readily acknowledged as solid.

Reviews are based on personal opinion, so unless you understand the reviewers bias in knives, the review is meaningless. So to understand a review, you need to have at least tried one knife in common with the reviewer and be able to look a comparison of their review to your experience.

Buy a knife > Read reviews on the knife to understand your preferences against the reviewers > Read reviews done by the same person to understand what the other knife might* be like > buy reviewed knife if you think it'll fit.

If there is a knife you think that is cool that hasn't been reviewed, buy knife, review knife, further the community

* note: as these things are hand-made, the knife you get might be nothing like the knife that was reviewed. this is just part of the hobby.
 
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I’d hardly call either of those brands mainstream.
“mainstream” in the sense that even the Burrfection store has Sakai Takayuki, not in the sense of normal people who wouldn’t believe that not only do $1,000 exist but that there is actually an Internet forum dedicated to discussing them.
 
Saji kitchen knife looks cool, I was intrigued when I was a noob. Luckily, I found a few user reviews, & they were baaaaad, which helped me to stay away.

I don’t think it’s main stream either, sure they are everywhere but I don’t see a whole lot of buyers/users, of those few who did buy, they appear to hate it.
 
Prolly good to not cite Burrrrrrr when telling us we're wrong.
Sorry, sorry, I thought that would be an acceptable form of swearing here that is not caught by the filter. (I swear this guy is like Voldemort.)
 
I was thinking hard about a question on boards but I'm good. A friend gave me a 3 cm thick hinoki board and I honestly wonder why more people here don't use boards like that. I felt like I hadn't truly lived life until I used that board.
 
I was thinking hard about a question on boards but I'm good.
A suggestion, then: why not think hard about the numerous knife questions in your plethora of threads and answer them? You know, just as an idea. As opposed to just posting about inconsequential crap.

Or think hard about going to the knife shop and trying some knives, and then actually doing it?
 
I was thinking hard about a question on boards but I'm good. A friend gave me a 3 cm thick hinoki board and I honestly wonder why more people here don't use boards like that. I felt like I hadn't truly lived life until I used that board.
Have you tried cutting anything on the board? Do you ignore responses to your inquiries that end with a question mark?! What do you like about the board that we are missing out on?
 
My understanding is if I go to Kappabashi street in Tokyo (obviously difficult now, but I'd love to take a selfie in Tsubaya sometime this lifetime) and browse the higher end selection of a knife store there, I will likely find "mainstream" high end Japanese brands such as Takeshi Saji and Sakai Takayuki. Solid, very high quality knives with a longstanding following in the domestic market. I just can't find as much information on these in the old threads (or generally in English) -- nothing like the incredible Konosuke Fujiyama thread for sure!

Would anyone have any suggestions on where to find reviews and more information on these brands? These brands would be a great point of reference on the knife journey. I'd also be curious why these get less interest in this forum, though they are readily acknowledged as solid.

just bought one (aus10 wa gyuto 210mm) out of noob impulsiveness... haven't use it yet
early impression: feels a bit heavy (i expect it to be lighter as it's wa handled), ootb sharpness is good, grind is ok, the finishing need a bit of improvement (some glue drip in the handle)
 
My understanding is if I go to Kappabashi street in Tokyo (obviously difficult now, but I'd love to take a selfie in Tsubaya sometime this lifetime) and browse the higher end selection of a knife store there, I will likely find "mainstream" high end Japanese brands such as Takeshi Saji and Sakai Takayuki. Solid, very high quality knives with a longstanding following in the domestic market. I just can't find as much information on these in the old threads (or generally in English) -- nothing like the incredible Konosuke Fujiyama thread for sure!

Would anyone have any suggestions on where to find reviews and more information on these brands? These brands would be a great point of reference on the knife journey. I'd also be curious why these get less interest in this forum, though they are readily acknowledged as solid.
I was in Tsubaya at kappabashi st (Actually bumped into and said hi to Burrfection there) Unless you speak japanese, don't expect much of a conversation there. The locals don't speak much english. At most they'd tell you what type of knife, what % grind, what steel is used.
But lots of knives to look at and touch though. Lots of tourists too...

I had a good time shopping at Masamoto Sohonten (only 1 other client in there) and received all the attention i needed and they had the SW 240 Gyuto in stock there which i bought with a Saya. Again, they don't speak much english at all. We communicated via cell phones with google translate. Worked well.

The people at the Tsukiji fish market spoke to the most english. But they're closed and moved now (never been to the new one / know if open) Cousin bought a Tsukiji Masamoto 210 Gyuto there. They'll perform finishing sharpening for you and give you the tax refund on the spot.
 
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