Is Wakui WH worth it?

[Blumbo]

I’ve really been enjoying more robust feeling knives recently and have wanted to try a true workhorse. The Wakui Seiryu for some reason activates the “want” neuron in my brain, but are the Wakui WHs worth the price? On JNS there’s a 210mm WH which is near ~500$ which is tempting but I’m unsure if I should pay that much to experiment on a new kind of grind.

 

[NickMinton]

It’s definitely at the top of my list of Japanese workhorse style knives and immediately has an impactful feeling in hand

I have the 240 and love it

 

[Stevem627]

If you are pretty sure you will like it, give it a try. You should be able to sell it pretty easily to recoup a lot of your investment.

 

[Blumbo]

Yesss the enabling words I was seeking

 

[enrico]

Not worth it at the new price IMO. Might be an unpopular view.

Too heavy to be a daily driver in a “pro” setting. Carbon clad plus the extra weight just didn’t do it for me at work. Ashi Ginga stainless was much more efficient. Never felt the need to choose the wakui vs any other efficient knife.

Handle needs to be replaced to make it more balanced (then it’ll be even heavier but more comfortable). Probably not a big deal for a home cook though just having fun.

Also, I feel like @jedy617 has influenced me a bit but white 2 @ $500 is also a bit much for me. If you ended up replacing the handle and started going towards $600 your $$ can go further on a nicer steel, handle, and comfort option.

All personal opinions though. They are funnnn to use and a very nice blade but I’ve become much more specific in what knives I’ll actually buy now.

 

[labor of love]

I’ve seen some pretty good deals on gently used Wakui WH pass through BST. I do wanna try one at some point but my instincts tell me to stay away from something of that weight class. As a novelty it could be a lot of fun but I’ve already been down this road and it’s just too much knife to be a daily driver.

 

[Stevem627]

Well, if you’dlike to try something beefy, but not TOO beefy, I’d try a Kaeru at JNS when the 210 becomes available again. It’s a nice convex knife and it’s priced exceptionally well for what you get.

 

[labor of love]

Yeah the chef knife enthusiast YouTube channel did a great review of the stainless Kaeru gyuto. Seems a bit improved since I owned one.

 

[Juna]

I picked up a 210 Wakui wh. It is definitely a little weighty while not overly so. It is thick at the heel but has a nice distal taper and the grind is excellent. Chop through anything with the heel and fine mince garlic with the tip.

 

[Blumbo]

Not worth it at the new price IMO. Might be an unpopular view.

Too heavy to be a daily driver in a “pro” setting. Carbon clad plus the extra weight just didn’t do it for me at work. Ashi Ginga stainless was much more efficient. Never felt the need to choose the wakui vs any other efficient knife.

Handle needs to be replaced to make it more balanced (then it’ll be even heavier but more comfortable). Probably not a big deal for a home cook though just having fun.

Also, I feel like @jedy617 has influenced me a bit but white 2 @ $500 is also a bit much for me. If you ended up replacing the handle and started going towards $600 your $$ can go further on a nicer steel, handle, and comfort option.

All personal opinions though. They are funnnn to use and a very nice blade but I’ve become much more specific in what knives I’ll actually buy now.

Thanks for taking the time to communicate your honest balanced take!

 

[Gshep91]

Yeah the chef knife enthusiast YouTube channel did a great review of the stainless Kaeru gyuto. Seems a bit improved since I owned one.

Well, if you’dlike to try something beefy, but not TOO beefy, I’d try a Kaeru at JNS when the 210 becomes available again. It’s a nice convex knife and it’s priced exceptionally well for what you get.

Seconding these. Have a 150mm petty & a 240 gyuto and both are rather heavy.

I find it a bit heavier than I prefer and I’ve been debating selling it but I got it for a great price on sale & it’s a solid work knife.

 

[M1k3]

Killer knife for many heads of lettuce/leafy stuff.

Needs some uhh, extra "encouragement" when going through dense stuff, like Fennel bulbs.

Definitely enough meat to tune it to your liking though.

Definitely needs a heavier handle.

 

[Stevem627]

I saw the knife profile cutting demo by Chef Knife Enthusiast on YouTube, and it convinced me the Kaeru is a knife I need to try.

 

[SwampDonkey]

I’ve seen some pretty good deals on gently used Wakui WH pass through BST. I do wanna try one at some point but my instincts tell me to stay away from something of that weight class. As a novelty it could be a lot of fun but I’ve already been down this road and it’s just too much knife to be a daily driver.

Okubo beckons

 

[NickMinton]

Not worth it at the new price IMO. Might be an unpopular view.

Too heavy to be a daily driver in a “pro” setting. Carbon clad plus the extra weight just didn’t do it for me at work. Ashi Ginga stainless was much more efficient. Never felt the need to choose the wakui vs any other efficient knife.

Handle needs to be replaced to make it more balanced (then it’ll be even heavier but more comfortable). Probably not a big deal for a home cook though just having fun.

Also, I feel like @jedy617 has influenced me a bit but white 2 @ $500 is also a bit much for me. If you ended up replacing the handle and started going towards $600 your $$ can go further on a nicer steel, handle, and comfort option.

All personal opinions though. They are funnnn to use and a very nice blade but I’ve become much more specific in what knives I’ll actually buy now.

I was a bit short in my first comment but Enrico hit some good points.

It’s important to note that I’m a home cook and enthusiast, not working in a professional setting, therefore weight and size don’t really matter to me. I also have the Kasumi WH edition, not Seiryu line.


This knife would not be my choice for a professional setting. I also have some longer term plans to re-do the handle

 

[timebard]

Also, I feel like @jedy617 has influenced me a bit but white 2 @ $500 is also a bit much for me. If you ended up replacing the handle and started going towards $600 your $$ can go further on a nicer steel, handle, and comfort option.

I haven't used the Wakui WH so can't really advise on "worth it" or not, but I'm inclined to agree with this take. I'd happily try one if I could snag a good BST deal but at full price can't really see it.

There are some nice heavy workhorse options in the $500-600 range that I'd take from a steel and overall package standpoint. Mert's heavier HVBs in 52100 or blue 2 or Lucid's stuff come to mind as good heavyweight options. Or see if you can scare up something like an old ironclad Watoyama on BST.

 

[Just a DK]

Also pretty certain... if you ask any of the craftsman on KKF to make you a 52100 monosteel WH it would prolly be about or less than 400 as well...

On the other hand if you gotta, have too, MUST feel the Wakuiness you gotta do what you gotta do to scratch that itch.

 

[Juna]

You missed Maxim’s November sale but the whole store was 15% off and that would have brought the number closer to 400

 

[tostadas]

Workhorse in general is fun to try. The added mass makes for a different experience. I personally have gravitated more toward the heavier end of the spectrum lately.

For the wakui, I absolutely love all his knives (I've had probably at least 10 different ones at this point) and see no reason for the wh to make me think otherwise. The price is on the steeper side, but given the demand in the secondary market, I still consider it to be only a minimal financial risk in the event that you don't like it.

 

[daddy yo yo]

Handle needs to be replaced to make it more balanced (...)

When buying from JNS any handle needs to be replaced anyway. Make sure you don’t buy anything wooden from there…

 

[Uncle Danny]

I absolutely love mine and wouldn’t part with it for anything! It’s a 245x58x5mm. 328 gram monster.

 

[Stevem627]

I think it’s always great to find something on the BST to save money, but, far too often, I don’t have the patience to wait if what I want is available. Once I get the itch, I want to scratch it.

 

[PappaG]

"Worth it?"
Probably not the right question on this forum for most knives, but I ultimately agree that its not worth it at that price. I purchased and sold mine at a lesser/old price. I think I called it the "budget" WH knife in my for sale post. Super/silly fun knife to hold because of its mass. But I would not pay that much now. In retrospect I do wish I picked up the 180mm. I think that too would have been a fun knife to play around with.

 

[jacobwilder5]

I’m a Wakui fan boy and got a 240 WH in a trade and love it. Super fun knife to use.

That said it doesn’t get nearly as much use a my shi.han a2 which I’d still consider a WH grind. It’s just a better all rounder for me. A custom in a2 from Shehan can be had for around the same price the Wakui is going for these days.

If I had to pick only one it’d be Shi.Han but the Wakui isn’t going anywhere.

 

[daddy yo yo]

Had the Wakui for half a day before sending it back because of its smell. Was not very well balanced and definitely too heavy. Shihan is the way better choice, any time!

 

[OkayMode]

I don’t think holding off because it’s White 2 is the best rationale to be honest.

Yeah I had my phase of not liking that steel much too, but smiths like Mazaki and Wakui have changed my perception. My experience has been that I t takes a great edge and then loses sharpness predictably and consistently, unlike the bad examples of that steel.

Both my Seiryu and WH are much better balanced since I put heavier handles on, but they’re both past 300g now.

They are excellent (and very fun!) for mowing through a large volume of prep for home, but I’m not sure I would want to be using one all day in a pro kitchen. Mine get quite thin bte and at the tip for such units.

 

[labor of love]

When’s the last time a Shihan gyuto was even available in this price range? As far as I can tell he makes telegraph wire clad gyutos for $1k or more (lulz) and doesn’t really do mono anymore.

 

[TheDza]

When’s the last time a Shihan gyuto was even available in this price range? As far as I can tell he makes telegraph wire clad gyutos for $1k or more (lulz) and doesn’t really do mono anymore.

yeah saying get a shihan and not a wakui is like saying a Honda Accord is ok but you should really go for an Acura NSX

 

[tostadas]

For very blade heavy knives, I find it to be a decent comfort upgrade to adjust the balance with swapping for a heavier handle.

 

[Uncle Danny]

When’s the last time a Shihan gyuto was even available in this price range? As far as I can tell he makes telegraph wire clad gyutos for $1k or more (lulz) and doesn’t really do mono anymore.

After I read this thread, I did a quick google on Shihan. That’s not Wakui money