Knife Japan: What's notable, worth buying, etc.?

Japanese Knives - by Tokushu Knife
Miura knives
Kitchen Knife Forums

Help Support Kitchen Knife Forums:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.
pitted_soul said:
Which Model do you specifically have?
Click to expand...
Custom 230x51 KU based off this one. All I said was 225-230 and at least 50 mm, otherwise do what Kusunoki san thinks best. Michael threw an ebony handle on there he had floating around the shop. Balance point right at the pinch so it feels super agile, though I'm thinking of switching the handle to make balance a little more forward as my tastes have leaned in that direction. It's quite a flat profile, feels like a big nakiri with a laser of a tip, which I quite enjoy.

https://knifejapan.com/unshu-yukimitsu-hamono-kurouchi-gyuto-200mm/
20230406_192235.jpg

20230406_191753.jpg
 
SwampDonkey said:
Custom 230x51 KU based off this one. All I said was 225-230 and at least 50 mm, otherwise do what Kusunoki san thinks best. Michael threw an ebony handle on there he had floating around the shop. Balance point right at the pinch so it feels super agile, though I'm thinking of switching the handle to make balance a little more forward as my tastes have leaned in that direction. It's quite a flat profile, feels like a big nakiri with a laser of a tip, which I quite enjoy.

https://knifejapan.com/unshu-yukimitsu-hamono-kurouchi-gyuto-200mm/
Click to expand...

Thank you, that is exactly what I wanted to hear. Sounds like it'll give the ol' Munetoshi a run for its money and the winner is ME. I was tempted to grab that 180 he has ready-made since it is taller but I am gonna get a 210ish as I have been digging the smaller stuff lately. I have Karys gyuto that is like a long Nakiri and that thing is a smile-inducing master of vegetable dominance but sometimes its a little extra.
 
Choppin said:
what have you ordered?

I'm looking at this one... 200 or 210.

https://knifejapan.com/unshu-yukimitsu-hamono-migaki-gyuto-210mm/
Click to expand...
I got an Okubo gyuto, asked for 250x55 and a heel profile on the flatter side. Wanted to get a migaki patina canvas but his KU is just too full of character to turn down. Reminds me of Munetoshi's which is a favorite.

I've been so curious about Kusunoki's regular gyuto profile compared to my k-tip that I very well may order a migaki one if I'm ever feeling particularly wealthy. Please let me know if you get one!
 
Yoshi said:
Wow that's a reality interesting handle, and I really dig how they are taking hand measurements into consideration as well. Only if they make longer blades
Click to expand...
Yes! I got the longest that was offered. It seemed so unique and something not often seen. Michael seemed pretty enthusiastic about them. It'll probably be one that is kept over the long haul because of it's uniqueness. I would imagine that the size of the branches don't get too big so the blade matches that?

It even gets my height as one of the measurements. I wonder where that comes into the design? Blade, handle, or both?
 
pitted_soul said:
Yes! I got the longest that was offered. It seemed so unique and something not often seen. Michael seemed pretty enthusiastic about them. It'll probably be one that is kept over the long haul because of it's uniqueness. I would imagine that the size of the branches don't get too big so the blade matches that?

It even gets my height as one of the measurements. I wonder where that comes into the design? Blade, handle, or both?
Click to expand...
Watanabe asked about my height when I ordered directly from him, but I honestly doubt it made any difference lol, probably just good old marketing gimmick
 
It's not that uncommon for Japanese smiths/vendors to reference user height in relation to the blade's size (length, height, or both). Those folks believe shorter people are more comfortable with smaller knives and vice versa.
 
Yoshi said:
Watanabe asked about my height when I ordered directly from him, but I honestly doubt it made any difference lol, probably just good old marketing gimmick
Click to expand...
he mentions something in his website about this... "165 nakiri is better for people under 170cm (?) while 180 nakiri is better for people over that", something something
 
I removed the handle on my Ikenami and was planning on rehandling, but decided to give it a second chance. Sanded up to 400 grit and tung oiled.

Sure, a horn ferrule would be better, but I'm actually liking how the Japanese cherry looks now. It feels nice also, a bit denser than ho wood but still lightweight. I'll probably just install it back :)

 
Last edited:
Choppin said:
I removed the handle on my Ikenami and was planning on rehandling, but decided to give it a second chance. Sanded up to 400 grit and tung oiled.

Sure, a horn ferrule would be better, but I'm actually liking how the Japanese cherry looks now. I'll probably just install it back :)

Click to expand...


I like it.
 
Choppin said:
I removed the handle on my Ikenami and was planning on rehandling, but decided to give it a second chance. Sanded up to 400 grit and tung oiled.

Sure, a horn ferrule would be better, but I'm actually liking how the Japanese cherry looks now. It feels nice also, a bit denser than ho wood but still lightweight. I'll probably just install it back :)

Click to expand...

I also really like the wood portion of the stock handle, it's got great shape and taper for this size blade, and the cherry looks nice. I finished mine with oil and I have plans to replace the plastic ferrule with a horn one when it goes down for the full polish, touching up the choil and spine work, and re-doing the KU while it's too cold to be outside.
 
deltaplex said:
I also really like the wood portion of the stock handle, it's got great shape and taper for this size blade, and the cherry looks nice. I finished mine with oil and I have plans to replace the plastic ferrule with a horn one when it goes down for the full polish, touching up the choil and spine work, and re-doing the KU while it's too cold to be outside.
Click to expand...
How are you redoing the ku?
 
Genghis_F said:
How are you redoing the ku?
Click to expand...
I've got a number of ways I'm going to go about it, to see what I can get the best results on. I'm planning on doing a WIP post when I get around to it. Which of them worked better or worse, and if combos of them or a single approach works best. I've got at least 3 blades with varying degrees of KU loss to mess around with, and a handful of others that I'd like to do spot re-applications on (e.g. putting a KU back on post spine rounding) in my current project pile. The goal is to be better than using cold blueing solution, since that's both easy and readily available.
 
deltaplex said:
I also really like the wood portion of the stock handle, it's got great shape and taper for this size blade, and the cherry looks nice. I finished mine with oil and I have plans to replace the plastic ferrule with a horn one when it goes down for the full polish, touching up the choil and spine work, and re-doing the KU while it's too cold to be outside.
Click to expand...
Yeah I was considering changing the ferrule to a horn one, @cotedupy style. I just don't have the donor horn handle right now so I'll keep it like this.

Please do make that post about retouching the KU, I need to do that to my Ikenami as well.
 
SwampDonkey said:
Okubo came in, neat little message from Michael

View attachment 281085

I asked for a flatter heel and that is exactly what I got. The heft, the forward balance, the excellent OTB edge, the campfirey good smokey smell on the handle..I'm just very pleased all around. 256x57mm, 242g


View attachment 281087
View attachment 281088
View attachment 281089
View attachment 281091
View attachment 281092
View attachment 281093
Click to expand...
you must return to tell the journey. I want to know. I have been planning down the line for this. Big fan of the takenoko nakiri/cleaver monster he made me. Actually very close to the same length as yours there. This would make a great pair.
 
deltaplex said:
I've got a number of ways I'm going to go about it, to see what I can get the best results on. I'm planning on doing a WIP post when I get around to it. Which of them worked better or worse, and if combos of them or a single approach works best. I've got at least 3 blades with varying degrees of KU loss to mess around with, and a handful of others that I'd like to do spot re-applications on (e.g. putting a KU back on post spine rounding) in my current project pile. The goal is to be better than using cold blueing solution, since that's both easy and readily available.
Click to expand...


I too will be very interested to hear about your findings!

(Is this on knives with forge scale kuruochi but have lost some of it, and then you're experimenting with various applications / techniques to try to match it and blend in? Or am I misunderstanding something...?)
 
cotedupy said:
I too will be very interested to hear about your findings!

(Is this on knives with forge scale kuruochi but have lost some of it, and then you're experimenting with various applications / techniques to try to match it and blend in? Or am I misunderstanding something...?)
Click to expand...
In this instance yes, it's to replace sections forge scale that I unintentionally stripped off while figuring out how blade orientation affected the areas and rates of stock removal on my belt sander.
This is how the KU arrived to me:
PXL_20220719_195100024.jpg
PXL_20220719_195107867.MP.jpg


This is post powered stock removal:
PXL_20230226_152931300.jpg
PXL_20230226_155124520.jpg


I also have at least one other vintage nakiri that most of the KU has disappeared from through years of use that I'd like to attempt to replace, and I have a handful of applied coating KUs that I'll replace with an actual iron oxide one if I get the results that I'm hoping for.
 
Filmed my first onion with the Okubo 250. There was slight cracking on the biggest carrot I could find so I wasn't sure if I'd need to thin it or whatnot but then I cut the onion. For quite a thick, workhorsey knife it is delightfully smooth. The convex really pulls it weight here. Far cleaner than my Toyama SS 240. Did some shallots and peppers after this with similar happy results. Second video is a little better as I was learning how the knife cut in real time. The choil and spine are rounded and much more comfortable than I anticipated.



@deltaplex I'm still drafting the novel, just releasing promos for my publisher
 
Last edited:
SwampDonkey said:
Filmed my first onion with the Okubo 250. There was slight cracking on the biggest carrot I could find so I wasn't sure if I'd need to thin it or whatnot but then I cut the onion. For quite a thick, workhorsey knife it is delightfully smooth. The convex really pulls it weight here. Far cleaner than my Toyama SS 240. Did some shallots and peppers after this with similar happy results. Second video is a little better as I was learning how the knife cut in real time. The choil and spine are rounded and much more comfortable than I anticipated.



@deltaplex I'm still drafting the novel, just releasing promos for my publisher
Click to expand...

Oh this makes me excited for my Santoku. I didn't realize I could make requests when I ordered it. The convexity looks great.

How would you compare it to a munetoshi?
 
pitted_soul said:
Oh this makes me excited for my Santoku. I didn't realize I could make requests when I ordered it. The convexity looks great.

How would you compare it to a munetoshi?
Click to expand...
Funny you ask, "Big Munetoshi" is very much what came to mind through use today. It's a little thicker BTE than my 240 gyuto, though similar to the Munetoshi nakiri I had. Doesn't have the Sanjo distal taper of the Munetoshi either but I like the flatter back section of the Okubo profile better than the curvier Munetoshi. It's 26g heavier too so just a really pleasant weight to each cut without being tiring or too workhorsey. Noticeably better food release than the more subtle convex on the Spåre/B&B 250 I just got, though they're very different styles and I haven't been playing with that one much yet.

I think thinning the front 1/3 or 1/4 of the knife will really unlock its full potential so the tip is more slippy. Might have to bribe @tostadas since his cleaver refurb gets me drooling every time I see it ;)
 
It appears that the Minomo165 Bannou and Nakiri have been re stocked. I’ve had my eye in these for a while, the price is right and I love the video of the family they seem like really great people with very well loved knives.

Anyone have these and willing to share some thoughts and maybe some pics?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Latest posts

Back
Top