Knives that make you go WHOA from the first cut!!

[big_adventure]

Moritaka 165mm nakiri, first carbon knife and i still miss it

What's that you are doing with your voice?

Are you mocking me?

 

[jlm46]

Gengetsu
Nihei SLD also released as konosuke sumiiro

 

[deanb]

Kagayaki Carbonext ES (Extra Sharpening) 300 mm sujihiki.

 

[talcum]

Gotta be the 210 Carter. It made my sphincter tighten up just thinking about running my fingers along the edge to check it. But I think a lot of that goes to the sharpener.
Next sharpest would be the Devin ITK, which just scared me to check.

 

[Chicagohawkie]

original Takeda wide bevel AS classic. Those things were finger assassins. Constantly had to pry them out of cutting boards. I regret selling that one.

 

[gaijin]

Watanabe Pro 210 Gyuto in blue Steel... Not my first J-Knife, but it was AMAZING at first cut. That was four years ago.

I just put some effort into getting it into similar shape again.

 

[preizzo]

Kato wh ,wakui skd ,dalman convex ,konosuke hd

 

[pleue]

fowler w2 from forever ago, devin itk, tf denka, doi w2 yanagi, markin half s grind

 

[brimmergj]

First j-knife (Harukaze as nakiri) (OOTB)
Munetoshi gyuto 210 (OOTB, 2nd j-knife)
Birgersson gyuto 225 (used, but practically OOTB, 6th j-knife)
Morihei Hisamoto White 1 nakiri (has best cutting feel of knives I own) (OOTB, 7th j-knife)
Denka gyuto 195 (used, edge had some micro chips, but had a certain "feel" to it, 8th j-knife)

All had better cutting feeling than the original edge after a sharpening

 

[Corradobrit1]

Morihei Hisamoto White 1 nakiri (has best cutting feel of knives I own) (OOTB, 7th j-knife)
Denka gyuto 195 (used, edge had some micro chips, but had a certain "feel" to it, 8th j-knife)

My TF Morihei Hisamoto Nakiri was a revelation. Gaku gave it a 'Fine Finish" on stones and tidied up the blade road. Cuts like a straight razor.
TF's tend to be a little chippy until the edge has been refined on stones. After that they are rock solid in my experience.

 

[JASinIL2006]

My first J knife: a Masakage Shimo 240 mm gyuto by Yu Kurosaki. I'd only used German stainless steel knives to that point. The Shimo totally blew me away and propelled me down this very expensive rabbit hole.

 

[brimmergj]

TF's tend to be a little chippy until the edge has been refined on stones.

I've heard similar things about TF. The Denka was used when I got it, but had a lot of tiny little chips. Been fine since I tuned it up though. The Morihei had been flawless before I put it to the stones.

I'd only used German stainless steel knives to that point. The Shimo totally blew me away and propelled me down this very expensive rabbit hole.

That's exactly how I felt when I got my first j-knife. Blew me away compared to my German chef's knife. I figured nothing could beat the feel of that nakiri. Then I tumbled down the hole and have been blown away a few more times

 

[blokey]

Thanks to this thread I just got a Yoshikane, the first whoa for me tho is Takamura R2 210mm gyuto, then Kobayashi Kei

 

[DF18]

My most profound woah moment: cutting carrots with my Birgersson Blades 240. My jaw about hit the floor.
@Björn Birgersson is a wizard

 

[Perverockstar]

My Kyohei Shindo Bunka. Quite an aggressive grind!

When I tried my Itou Gyuto with a Nappa Cabbage for making some Kimchi, it just slid through it and put a smile on my face.

But the most impressive blade that I have tried was a Yanagi from a Thai co-worker in a former job. I have never experienced something as sharp as that thing was. When it hit the cutting board, It woul immediately stop, same when trying it on one of my nails. Damn... Sadly I don't know the maker nor the steel.

 

[blokey]

Thanks to this thread I just got a Yoshikane, the first whoa for me tho is Takamura R2 210mm gyuto, then Kobayashi Kei
View attachment 163001

I got a really whoa today from the Yoshikane, the first few time I use it on meat and normal veggies I don’t feel that much different from my other good knives, they all cut good. but today I diced a whole butternut squash and the Yoshikane just slide through everything, I usually have a hard time with squash using thicker spines knives, but Yoshi did even better than my lasers, it just cut, there are no crack, no stiction. Holy it is a good knife.

 

[user 16756]

Tanaka R2 but only because it was the first really nice knife I ever got.

after that knives really just became different shades of the same color.

I guess technically when I refinished my Hinoura and knocked the shoulders off I had a whoa moment because it went from meh to god tier

 

[mozg31337]

So, I've had many WOW experiences in my knife journey. The first one was with Shun Classic 8inch Chef. This was my first Japanese knife, which was gifted to me. Before I was using European knives and it was an eye opener for me. After that, there was a Watanabe Pro 165mm Nakiri, which is a beast when it comes to handling veggies. OMG, it was a very different experience indeed. Next one was Watanabe Gyuto Honyaki 255mm custom made knife. It still puts a smile on my face every time I cut with it after 3 years of owning this knife. My most recent WOW moment was the Takeda Gyuto Classic Small (in my case it is about 225mm). It is an awesome cutter and the food release is truly fantastic.

 

[ValeryD]

Kochi & Yoshikane (thin, thin, thin cutting machines)
Kippington hook-grind, Alexander Bazes (for combination of cutting performance and food release)
Bidinger B-grind (pure food release)

What the shape of the B-grind? Any choil photo of such a grind?
Thanks.

Valery

 

[Carl Kotte]

My most profound woah moment: cutting carrots with my Birgersson Blades 240. My jaw about hit the floor.
@Björn Birgersson is a wizard

Same here. I still get that feeling everytime I use it.
Birgersson for president!

 

[WiriWiri]

Same here. I still get that feeling everytime I use it.
Birgersson for president!

Man, you people are making me all too curious with your big-ups for Birgersson.

I worry it‘s a Swedish conspiracy and you‘re getting a bit greedy with your fine Dalmans, Issawotsits and Birgersson blades, hogging a bit too much of my attention at least, Cut it out ok, or my bank a/c will suffer shortly.,

 

[ValeryD]

Here it is.

 

[Brian Weekley]

Soon they will be “Birgerr” than ABBA. …. Or even Ran Sailing!

 

[Carl Kotte]

Man, you people are making me all too curious with your big-ups for Birgersson.

I worry it‘s a Swedish conspiracy and you‘re getting a bit greedy with your fine Dalmans, Issawotsits and Birgersson blades, hogging a bit too much of my attention at least, Cut it out ok, or my bank a/c will suffer shortly.,

No, it’s just Better than denka so not much to see here…

 

[DF18]

The Swedish conspiracy is real… I’ve been totally brainwashed. 90% of my collection is Swedish. But also I couldn’t be happier.

 

[Auskid]

My first Woah was my Kurosaki Chiku AS, then Takeda NAS, Kawamura W1, Yoshikane SKD & W2 and most recently Nihei SKD.

honourable mention:

Watanabe pro 210
Mazaki W2
Wakui W2

Yes I am hooked on Sanjo knives.

 

[Perverockstar]

After using my knives for more time, the ones that still put a big "wow" grin on my face are:

Kyohei Shindo Bunka. Crazy aggressive laser.

Shirou Kunimitsu 240mm Gyuto. Slicing or portioning pork is just a pleasure.

Makoto Kurasaki 210mm Gyuto. Whatever I do with this little f#$&er. As soon as I grab it... Damn. My favorite from the ones I own.

 

[esoo]

Shibata Kotetsu Bunka R2 - nothing went through carrots like that knife.

Kono MM. I keep buying knives to try them and then when I come back to the MMs everything else gets sold.

 

[daddy yo yo]

Shibata Kotetsu Bunka R2 - nothing went through carrots like that knife.

Kono MM. I keep buying knives to try them and then when I come back to the MMs everything else gets sold.

I keep buying knives to try them - and then I keep most of them!

 

[esoo]

I keep buying knives to try them - and then I keep most of them!

In the long run, I'm not sure which is worse - having spent a whole bunch of money on knives or having lost a whole bunch of money having sold knives for fair prices on the forum.