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

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.
My happy smiley lineup when it comes to cutting hard dense produce (carrots, sweet potatoes etc). From top to bottom:

Tanaka R2 Ironwood 265mm
Metal Monkey 1.2562 260mm
Masashi Kobo SLD 250mm
Metal Monkey 52100 215mm
Takamura Hana R2 210mm
Prendergast 220mm tall thin bunka

And finally, honourable mention for:
Tristone 260mm
20220821_201226.jpg
 
Last edited:
Benuser said:
1. All depends on what you're used to.
2. A lot of factory edges aren't meant to be used as such. Just helpful for the end-user so he can put his own edge on it, with only a few strokes. A factory edge shouldn't be the object of any special veneration. Traditionally, Japanese blades used to come without an edge. The end-user was supposed to sharpen himself — or let the retailer do it for him, at his cost. With today's export this is no longer acceptable. So, there has to be an edge on it. Put on it with a few strokes by the youngest apprentice. A bit of buffering for deburring, and done!
Only some expensive knives and (semi)customs come with a decent edge. Even then it isn't necessarily the kind of edge you're looking for.
3. Don't use an edge with an inclusive angle of 12° with board contact and complain about the steel being chippy.
Click to expand...
blokey said:
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
Click to expand...
How does the yoshikane compare to the kobayashi? I have had a very similiar experience to you, takamura>kobayashi and now I am thinking of one, but might just get a koutetsu.
 
chuggamug said:
How does the yoshikane compare to the kobayashi? I have had a very similiar experience to you, takamura>kobayashi and now I am thinking of one, but might just get a koutetsu.
Click to expand...

I have a Yoshikane gyuto and a Shibata bunka. They feel about the same through food - both are lasers IMHO. Some people define a laser by the spine width, in which case the Yoshi doesn’t qualify. But imho the slightly thicker spine is what makes me prefer the Yoshi to the Shibata - it’s just a bit more substantial and a little more comfortable in a pinch grip.

Both are great knives though and you can’t go wrong with either. The Yoshi is a convex grind and I think (but have never checked) the Shibata is concave, so if you’re planning on using the hell out of your knife over the long term, then the Yoshi’s geometry will be easier to maintain.
 
chuggamug said:
How does the yoshikane compare to the kobayashi? I have had a very similiar experience to you, takamura>kobayashi and now I am thinking of one, but might just get a koutetsu.
Click to expand...
I'd give a try for Yoshikane, I like it more than both, Shibata would be very similar to Kobayashi in term of thinness and cutting feel, Yoshikane is a whole different story, it might not impress you at the first but it just keep growing on me in terms of general cutting feel and comfort in use.
 
I like the Yoshikane white steel iron clad hammer finish with burnt chestnut handle. That knife has a lot going for it.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Latest posts

Back
Top