Knife Hero's met and then.....

[WifeNotUnderstand]

I have lusted after a few knives since finding this forum that for one reason or another I thought were either too hard to obtain or too expensive to purchase.
Over time I have been able to either get them through BST or I have adjusted my knife budget to suit.
For me I have managed to snag 3 personal 'hero' knives so far - here they are and what I thought of them

1. Yoshikane 240 SLD Damascus - Fantastic Sanjo knife, slightly taller than my other Yoshi's and I love using it! - it was better than I expected
2. Konosuke 240 FM in W#1 - Was expecting a lot - its a really well done knife - looks cool - felt meh about it - sold it - don't miss it
3. Toyama 240 Ironclad - This has been the one knife that really wanted and I had given up being able get one - put out a WTB and some how a very generous member reached out and was willing to sell me a BNIB example! - the knife itself is my perfect weight/balance/profile/grind/steel type/everything

So summarise 2/3 are keepers and one was sold

What are your hero knives that you managed to get and what did you think of them when you actually used them?

 

[brimmergj]

Most of my purchases have been impulse buys via bst and just wanting to try new makers, but these 3 involved a lot of waiting, research and effort.
1. Kurosaki Fujin AS 210: Came across the Fujin series when I started getting heavy into knives; absolutely had to have it. Great knife; cuts amazingly, looks the same. Just doesn't give me "the feel" during use. Definitely not a disappointment, I think I was just new to knives and thought it would be the perfect, last knife I'd ever need. Valuable lessoned learned.
2: TF Denka: Wanted to see what all the fuss was about, now I'm part of the club. Picked up a 195 via BST. Fantastic feel on the board and stones. Just wish it wasn't stainless clad.
3: Toyama: Ended up with a 240 damascus via BST. Honestly, I didn't really care for it when I first got it. It was big, heavy and wedged like crazy. It had been sharpened a bunch prior to me receiving it. I thinned it and that turned it into a fantastic knife. Took some time, but I absolutely love it now. Had I listened to that first cutting session, I would've sold it. Really glad I didn't.

 

[timebard]

Naming a few...

1. Kippington: first big-name, hyped maker I splurged on. If the avatar doesn't give it away, big big winner, definitely lives up to the hype.
2. Watanabe: I had very high expectations for the 180 nakiri, ended up disappointed - not a bad knife, but the grind wasn't that special IMO. Passed it on. Then, found my way to a 270 ironclad and wow! Great, great performer.
3. Dalman: I built up Dalman as the Swedish maker to try, ended up getting two of his knives in trade. Craftsmanship was on point for both, one was a great cutter and a keeper, the other I wanted to like and the steel was awesome, but the grind did not work at all for me.
4. Myojin: tried via the Kono MM. Lives up to the hype, great convex grind and overall package. Glad I've got this one versus lighter FMs that I suspect lack the heft that makes this example work for me.
5. Shihan: gets tremendous love here so I jumped on a used 210. Loved the sturdy feeling, loved the craftsmanship, wasn't so impressed with the raw cutting ability. Ultimately I wanted it to be a bigger, taller, heavier knife so that the weight could do more of the work. Great knife for someone but not the perfect knife for me. Would love to try a 240.

 

[Pie]

1. TF denka 210 - mind blowing steel, useful profile and I love the notch. Bought it way too early, learned to appreciate it very quickly. Agree stainless clad is a negative overall.
2. Takeda gyuto 270 - flies through product and protein like no other. Odd grind works amazing when applied to the right tasks. My 3rd Takeda, won’t be my last unless he completely shuts it down. I didn’t realize I need food separation and release this bad until I experienced it.
3. Togashi/Hitohira tall bunka - odd combination of thicker chuka bocho and bunka. Utility is through the roof, it’s one of those smaller “the only knife you need” sort of things. The edge taking of the steel really makes it shine. Even with my capabilities edge building and deburring are a breeze.

 

[henkle]

1. My very first good knife was a TF nashiji. Don't know if I was overcome by the mystique, but that knife did have a certain something about it that I have yet found in subsequent knives (M. Kurosaki, S. Tananka, Wakui, Sukenari - all good knives). My Shiro Kamo nakiri comes the closest. Alas, sold the TF for new adventures.

2. Wanted an Anryu for a while and finally snagged one (Ikeda made). Super cutter, nice F&F for the price, but doesn't have that same je ne sais quoi as the TF did either.