Knife findings

[hukdizzle]

Not sure how long these have been up for, but there are some pretty cheap dama tanakas, and they have real nice heel heights which you don't normally see, 52 and 55mm for 210 and 240 which is tall for tanaka. Don't love the vertical belt grind line finish but besides that, pretty sweet for the price:

https://www.knivesandstones.com.au/...mascus-gyuto-210-240mm?variant=43765552808157

Maybe my eyes are warped but that spine shot looks ultra bent. Very likely just a picture issue but who knows.

With that being said, those specs are ultra tasty for the price. And it looks like a convex grind which IMO I prefer over a Kyuzo grind.

 

[superworrier]

Maybe my eyes are warped but that spine shot looks ultra bent. Very likely just a picture issue but who knows.

With that being said, those specs are ultra tasty for the price. And it looks like a convex grind which IMO I prefer over a Kyuzo grind.

If you look at where it enters the handle, I think it's because of the reflection and chamfering of the spine. I think only the middle of the spine is visible near the bottom, and at the top, the chamfering stops and you can see the whole spine, and the knife is slightly tilted to the right.

Carbon needs to give everyone else a lesson on picture taking

 

[riverblue]

AG Klint had a drop yesterday, there's still a 250mm Gyuto and a pretty sexy go mai Bunka still there. I love my thin cleaver from him.

 

[OkayMode]

Not sure how long these have been up for, but there are some pretty cheap dama tanakas, and they have real nice heel heights which you don't normally see, 52 and 55mm for 210 and 240 which is tall for tanaka. Don't love the vertical belt grind line finish but besides that, pretty sweet for the price:

https://www.knivesandstones.com.au/...mascus-gyuto-210-240mm?variant=43765552808157

I have one of these Y Tanaka badged 210’s (from Kitchen Provisions, not KnS though).

It’s ace - kind of wish I’d bought the 240 but I treat it like a big Santoku.

I think I saw someone knocking Tanaka’s white steel earlier this week, but I think it’s really good

 

[PeterL]

I think I saw someone knocking Tanaka’s white steel earlier this week, but I think it’s really good

I think people were knocking his white 2 not the white 1 that I think is in your Y Tanaka from Kitchen Provisions.

 

[OkayMode]

I think people were knocking his white 2 not the white 1 that I think is in your Y Tanaka from Kitchen Provisions.

Fair enough, can’t say I’ve tried his white 2. As you were then!

 

[ZeeVee]

Halcyon Forge has a couple of interesting ones up.

 

[Ikonaka]

Halcyon Forge has a couple of interesting ones up.

Oof. If I didn't already have a honyaki from him, I'd be all over that one

 

[enrico]

That cleaver

 

[HumbleHomeCook]

Really surprised this is still available...

https://www.knothandcrafted.com/product/carving-set

 

[Southpaw]

Used Bob Kramer
https://www.eatingtools.com/chef-knives/1621-bob-kramer-meiji-chef-242mm.html
Cheapest I’ve seen one in a while

 

[HumbleHomeCook]

As Ryan (@Illyria) noted, he posted up some great knives on his Etsy. He makes an awesome knife and if I didn't already have a couple others in the works, that 200mm yo would be mine. Prices are very attractive too.

https://www.etsy.com/shop/RyanDGeigerKnives?ref=usf_2020

 

[blokey]

As Ryan (@Illyria) noted, he posted up some great knives on his Etsy. He makes an awesome knife and if I didn't already have a couple others in the works, that 200mm yo would be mine. Prices are very attractive too.

https://www.etsy.com/shop/RyanDGeigerKnives?ref=usf_2020

That integral is awesome!

 

[heldentenor]

Not sure how long these have been up for, but there are some pretty cheap dama tanakas, and they have real nice heel heights which you don't normally see, 52 and 55mm for 210 and 240 which is tall for tanaka. Don't love the vertical belt grind line finish but besides that, pretty sweet for the price:

https://www.knivesandstones.com.au/...mascus-gyuto-210-240mm?variant=43765552808157

Has anyone tried a full progression/polish on these with JNATs or good synthetics? Curious what a good stone finish might do for these. Agree that the vertical finish looks, ahem, "rustic."

 

[heldentenor]

Fair enough, can’t say I’ve tried his white 2. As you were then!

His white #2 is pretty good, in my experience with a Kono FM gyuto and a Hitohira yanagiba. Solid if not spectacular edge retention and a joy to sharpen. Not the miracle that his blue #1 is, but not the same price point, either.

 

[jedy617]

My brother in christ if you think Tanaka white 2 has spectacular edge retention.......idk what to say. You need to try some more knives

 

[More_Gyutos]

My brother in christ if you think Tanaka white 2 has spectacular edge retention.......idk what to say. You need to try some more knives

Well, it’s clear not everyone has had your experience with his white #2.

 

[itzjustchris1]

I have one of these Y Tanaka badged 210’s (from Kitchen Provisions, not KnS though).

It’s ace - kind of wish I’d bought the 240 but I treat it like a big Santoku.

I think I saw someone knocking Tanaka’s white steel earlier this week, but I think it’s really good

Not knocking on Tanaka’s white steel but what I can say with my experience with my Konosuke Fujiyama White 1 is that I can kill it’s edge really fast maybe 2-3 days of massive Mirepoix cutting. While his blue’s does me really good.

 

[More_Gyutos]

Not knocking on Tanaka’s white steel but what I can say with my experience with my Konosuke Fujiyama White 1 is that I can kill it’s edge really fast maybe 2-3 days of massive Mirepoix cutting. While his blue’s does me really good.

I very much believe that, but I don’t feel my Tanaka white #2 is that different from my Mazaki, Yoshi or Kanefusa, although I’d give the edge to everything but my Kanefusa. I’m not saying Tanaka didn’t produce some crappy White #2 at some point, but mine is not.

 

[jedy617]

Well, it’s clear not everyone has had your experience with his white #2.

After a little looking, I found lots on here share my sentiment. Regardless, no simple carbon steel should be on the list of "spectacular edge retention" in my opinon. You can get them all dull in days or even hours. I'd say zdp, rex121, s90v...that's spectacular. Gonna hold their edge at least 5x as long.

 

[xsmx13]

I'm confused, who said the white #2 had spectacular edge retention?

 

[jedy617]

His white #2 is pretty good, in my experience with a Kono FM gyuto and a Hitohira yanagiba. Solid if not spectacular edge retention and a joy to sharpen. Not the miracle that his blue #1 is, but not the same price point, either.

@xsmx13

Edit: Actually might have misread that one, kind of confusing statement. Either solid, or if not it's spectacular, or not spectacular?

 

[heldentenor]

"Solid if not spectacular" is a fairly common term of art. The edge retention on Tanaka's white #2 is good. It's not great or exceptional when compared to his blue #1.

 

[jedy617]

Hmm

 

[blokey]

TBH given the little difference between White 1 and 2, 1095 or 26C3, there simply shouldn’t be any real difference if given similar heat treatment, but I the 1095 from Mert does last noticeably longer than my Tanaka white 2, same with another White 1 knife. I still feel Wakui’s white 2 last longer, tho not as long as Mert’s 1095.

 

[M1k3]

TBH given the little difference between White 1 and 2, 1095 or 26C3, there simply shouldn’t be any real difference if given similar heat treatment, but I the 1095 from Mert does last noticeably longer than my Tanaka white 2, same with another White 1 knife. I still feel Wakui’s white 2 last longer, tho not as long as Mert’s 1095.

Different hardness and geometry?

 

[xsmx13]

I agree with you @jedy617 and I'm guessing most here will too on this point. The simple carbon steels whether Hitachi white, 108x, 1095 and other similar steels are never going to compare to their more alloyed brethren in terms of edge retention. All things being relative, I think there are definite standouts out there such as Munetoshi's white #2 and Tansu's 1095 as Blokey noted above, which also both tend towards more robust profiles in my experience. Do Tanaka's white steel blades come in both more robust profiles like the wide bevels and the much thinner profiles that I've seen in the aogami offerings? Regardless, Vanadis 8 or s90v and things like that are still just going to laugh at them all in edge retention.

Part of what I appreciate is being able to go back and forth between stuff that just sharpens up smooth as hell on the stones which can be an enjoyable experience versus other times like when traveling where I want a PM steel that I know I will not need to sharpen for quite sometime.

Personally, I'm just a home cook, so even well heat treated simple carbons can hold plenty well for my purposes versus a professional who will do as much cutting in a service as I do in weeks of preparing meals for my family. I have friends and family in the industry who definitely differ in view. One likes the ease of being able to give a quick touch up on carbon and bring back a nice edge, another just wants the best edge retention possible, a third doesn't give a **** and will cut with anything. To each their own I guess.

Cheers to all of em!

 

[jedy617]

I agree with you @jedy617 and I'm guessing most here will too on this point. The simple carbon steels whether Hitachi white, 108x, 1095 and other similar steels are never going to compare to their more alloyed brethren in terms of edge retention. All things being relative, I think there are definite standouts out there such as Munetoshi's white #2 and Tansu's 1095 as Blokey noted above, which also both tend towards more robust profiles in my experience. Do Tanaka's white steel blades come in both more robust profiles like the wide bevels and the much thinner profiles that I've seen in the aogami offerings? Regardless, Vanadis 8 or s90v and things like that are still just going to laugh at them all in edge retention.

Part of what I appreciate is being able to go back and forth between stuff that just sharpens up smooth as hell on the stones which can be an enjoyable experience versus other times like when traveling where I want a PM steel that I know I will not need to sharpen for quite sometime.

Personally, I'm just a home cook, so even well heat treated simple carbons can hold plenty well for my purposes versus a professional who will do as much cutting in a service as I do in weeks of preparing meals for my family. I have friends and family in the industry who definitely differ in view. One likes the ease of being able to give a quick touch up on carbon and bring back a nice edge, another just wants the best edge retention possible, a third doesn't give a **** and will cut with anything. To each their own I guess.

Cheers to all of em!

I agree, love sharpening and using my carbons, but there is an awesome feeling of grabbing my markin rex121 petty or my newham magnacut and knowing it's always going to be sharp pretty much. If I worked in a pro kitchen no way would I not be using a very wear resistant steel

 

[xsmx13]

I agree, love sharpening and using my carbons, but there is an awesome feeling of grabbing my markin rex121 petty or my newham magnacut and knowing it's always going to be sharp pretty much. If I worked in a pro kitchen no way would I not be using a very wear resistant steel

Agreed. I really want to try a Markin in that or k390 as almost all the knives I have by him have been in the 52100 equivalent. I have an elmax one that I bought as one of a couple gift options for a family member, but they went with a Masakane gyuto and an RDG gyuto/paring instead. It's a bit on the small side for my preference, but I should probably finally put it to use.

 

[blokey]

Different hardness and geometry?

They are equal assume the the same HT and geometry, since they have similar attainable hardness. Tho that’s obviously not true when they are HTed differently.