Japanese knives from Home Goods

[jtlove]

I was in Home Goods yesterday looking for a nice 3 QT Sauce pan (Good Luck with that) and after striking out, I stopped by the cutting board isle. That section was picked over but at the end of the isle I found these knives where typically there is a bunch of cheap Chinese stuff. Japanese knives from Seiki City. I know these are not Masamoto quality blades, but what did I find here and does anyone know what kind of steel these knives are made of? The Wahoo Nakiri ($24.99) has an Octagon handle and is hammered. The Gyuto ($16.99) and Petty ($14.99) are from Kanekaze. The smaller Petty ($7.99) is Tsubazo. There also was another Nagari from Tsuubazo that I did not buy. With tax I am in to all four knives for around $65. I am new to the Forum and I couldn't find any info on these brands doing a search. I have been shopping for some traditional knives but haver not ordered anything yet. I bought these to see how I like the feel of a traditional handle. Thank you.

 

[Jovidah]

Never heard of them. I assume you meant they come from Seki City? It's basically one of the knife capitals of Japan. However that doesn't say a whole lot by itself; you'll find all levels of quality being produced there, including junk. Although admittedly I'd still have more faith in something coming from Japan than something coming from China, no matter how pretty it looks.
Any information about the steel or hardness? That might give you some more indication of what to expect.

 

[bbrooks008]

I'm sure they are worth every penny.

FWIW one of my favorite knives is a €13 piece of garbage from Woolworths that came OOTB with a 90° included angle ...after i spent several hours fixing the edge using a €4 whetstone i bought at the train station (times were tough back then)

 

[KenHash]

They are pretty much what most knife enthusiasts would call "crap". Kanekaze is a brand sold by Fukumoto Hamono in Seki, and I'm pretty certain that Seki Tsubazo is Ozawa Hamono who also sells the Sekizo brand. The Wafuu (spelled Wahoo) I've never run across. These are made in China but assembled in Japan usually using the cheapest materials and stamped blades. They can be as bad as 420j2 and usually Aus6 at best. They are cheap and sold throughout Japan in Home Centers at similar low prices to buyers who don't know (or care) much about knives. In Japan though nearly all Home Centers also carry the Seki Magoroku line which is owned by Kai, and although it's not high quality materials at least it is usable.

 

[jtlove]

Never heard of them. I assume you meant they come from Seki City? It's basically one of the knife capitals of Japan. However that doesn't say a whole lot by itself; you'll find all levels of quality being produced there, including junk. Although admittedly I'd still have more faith in something coming from Japan than something coming from China, no matter how pretty it looks.
Any information about the steel or hardness? That might give you some more indication of what to expect.

No steel info. Hoping someone on here would know. They are very light and at the very least I will use then and see if I like a traditional handle shape.

 

[jtlove]

They are pretty much what most knife enthusiasts would call "crap". Kanekaze is a brand sold by Fukumoto Hamono in Seki, and I'm pretty certain that Seki Tsubazo is Ozawa Hamono who also sells the Sekizo brand. The Wafuu (spelled Wahoo) I've never run across. These are made in China but assembled in Japan usually using the cheapest materials and stamped blades. They can be as bad as 420j2 and usually Aus6 at best. They are cheap and sold throughout Japan in Home Centers at similar low prices to buyers who don't know (or care) much about knives. In Japan though nearly all Home Centers also carry the Seki Magoroku line which is owned by Kai, and although it's not high quality materials at least it is usable.

Thanks for the info. After handling these, I like the weight and the handle shape. I am going to see about investing in something much nicer. These will be nice to keep as a beater though.

 

[KenHash]

Thanks for the info. After handling these, I like the weight and the handle shape. I am going to see about investing in something much nicer. These will be nice to keep as a beater though.

One thing I forgot to mention is that with all these "cheapo" brands, if the knife is a single bevel the ura is invariably totally flat, not concave, But yes, could be a total beater knife.