Kurosaki AS vs Hinoura AS
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Kurosaki makes a good knife, so a good reason in quality, not so much, although there are those I guess who will tell you Hinoura HT is superior.
What really makes a difference though is the knife. There so different one to another that, apart from price vs. a very abscond notion of quality, your query doesn't make any sense... If you get my drift.
What really makes a difference though is the knife. There so different one to another that, apart from price vs. a very abscond notion of quality, your query doesn't make any sense... If you get my drift.
Look at weight and grind specifically to see a bit of what I mean. Also profile to some extent, but that's pretty obvious. Generally Kurosaki makes rather light-midweight concave grind. Hinoura is a mid-heavyweight wide bevel from Sanjo.
I prefer thinner/lighter so maybe the Kurosaki is better for me
Thanks for the great answers and info!
tostadas
Hobbyist / Craftsman
These are very different knives. The only similarity would be the steel type. I haven't tried a Kurosaki, but I can say that the Hinoura are solidly on the heavy side of midweight.
I prefer thinner/lighter so maybe the Kurosaki is better for me
Thanks for the great answers and info!
Perhaps. Wasn't a fan of mine. Just received a Hinoura W#2 that's much more my style of cutter but can't say much for performance yet. Mid-heavyweight meaning little under or over 200g for a 240mm Gyuto Ho wood. Kurosaki would be 140-160g perhaps less, not so likely more.
I don't have the same knife from both, but Kurosaki definitely makes thin tools - I have a Bunka and a petty. Hinoura's dimensions are generally much more robust. If you want thin 'n light, go Kurosaki. Both of mine are amazing. I don't see how you would be disappointed as long as you were expecting what you get.
Kurosaki are high finished knives without much soul was my problem. Insipid in use. Format didn't have anything to do with it, although I do appreciate a bit more beef. But any knife that thin cuts well indeed. Good a choice as many if your type. But you can have that same exact feeling and ballpark performance with like 50+ different 100-150$ knives. Not OOTB mind you, Kurosaki are thinner and sharpened better, usually. If you have a particular affection for concave grind, that would be something to add to the + list of many Kurosaki - but not all. With work? About anything can replace it concave or not. That's what I mean by not much soul.
I hear what you are saying. I enjoy different knives for different things. Kurosaki's designs are very... Blingy... and that's going to be love/hate for many. I've never tried one of his gyutos - and think they'd be a bit thinner than I'd prefer if the Bunka is anything to go by. Im a big person with giant hands - 200g, 240mm gyutos are already lasers in my mitts. But if one were searching for something along those lines that is also visually remarkable, one could do worse than Kurosaki in my mind. Mileage, oh yeah, it varies.
I fully agree too. It's a point of view is all. I like expressing this one because... well I think you can have a better definition of this kind of cutter for the price. Then again, when you didn't experience 25 knives - or 225 or whatever your budget and years into this - a Kurosaki will just look and feel splendid, and nothing can be said against quality involved.
One of the coolest things about coming here is getting well formed opinions professed on many sides. People like different things. You were underwhelmed by your Sukenari iirc, whereas I have a 240 k-tip in Zdp that I absolutely love - it's my go-to right now for at least 70% of my prep. To each their own. There's a knife for each of us, hell, for most of us there are a LOT of knives.
More directly on this topic, I have a Hinoura AS 240 gyuto arriving tomorrow and I'm anxious to take that for a spin.
More directly on this topic, I have a Hinoura AS 240 gyuto arriving tomorrow and I'm anxious to take that for a spin.
It’s a shame no one actively carry the AS in Canada. It would have been the one. But then again I may not even like it and that w#2 had a sweet deal. Glad for you.
For the records I almost bought a Kuro 240mm AS just the other day because it was so unexpensive. Easy to decide against as I tried one already. Still tempting.
For the records I almost bought a Kuro 240mm AS just the other day because it was so unexpensive. Easy to decide against as I tried one already. Still tempting.
It’s a shame no one actively carry the AS in Canada. It would have been the one. But then again I may not even like it and that w#2 had a sweet deal. Glad for you.
For the records I almost bought a Kuro 240mm AS just the other day because it was so unexpensive. Easy to decide against as I tried one already. Still tempting.
Hinoura's HT on white 2 is supposed to be pretty fantastic. We can compare notes after.
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I'd choose Hinoura simply due to weight; Hinoura 210 is heavier than Kurosaki 240 iirc. Personally I like my Hinoura too, though I have an iron clad shirogami version.
It looks like the AS version comes with a pretty nice ebony handle (if you're looking at EE), to me that's a nice bonus. Hinoura's burnt chestnut isnt quite my favorite, and I absolutely despise ho wood.
It looks like the AS version comes with a pretty nice ebony handle (if you're looking at EE), to me that's a nice bonus. Hinoura's burnt chestnut isnt quite my favorite, and I absolutely despise ho wood.
Yu Kurosaki knives never really attract me, maybe because I've seen a lot of newbies fell in with the knives and then most of them chipped it after 1 week. Fun facts, I see more chipped Kurosaki than Kotetsu, which is a high standard of laser grind. Makoto Kurosaki is different though, some people like it better and say the grind better (since Makoto is more of a sharpener than a blacksmith). Hinoura is a wide-bevel knife, I find it more attractive than weird bling-bling, Kira-Kira, Hammer mark that is pretty painful to clean. Even though it's Sanjo style, it has one of the thinnest grinds behind the edge.
tostadas
Hobbyist / Craftsman
In comparison to other popular Sanjo knives in terms of thinness of the one's I've handled, here is how I would order them from thinnest to thickest behind the edge for 240mm:
Yoshikane (0.9-1mm@10mm) -> Wakui (1.1-1.2mm@10mm)-> Hinoura (1.2-1,5mm@10mm) -> Mazaki (1.2-1.6mm@10mm)
Yoshikane (0.9-1mm@10mm) -> Wakui (1.1-1.2mm@10mm)-> Hinoura (1.2-1,5mm@10mm) -> Mazaki (1.2-1.6mm@10mm)
I owned one Kurosaki, unbelievable performance out of the box, only knife I have owned that constantly micro chipped.
I so second this. Playing a little more with the Hinode yesterday I was just amazed by the quality of that blade and its strong presence in handling.
Agggggh my Hinoura AS was supposed to arrive today, but UPS is feeling sloooooow thanks to, I guess, extreme cold and snow and ice all over Paris. So I'll have to wait until tomorrow to dance with her.
It’s a trend with Hinouras, mine took 8 open days from a store it generally takes 2. 
Worth the wait!
Worth the wait!
Woo hoo! She's here. She's beautiful - somewhat hammered, really solid looking ku finish, nice lines, comfortably sharp for most kitchen work (though I'll re-edge it soon enough - I prefer sharp), beautifully worked choil and spine. The only odd thing is that the handle is not quite vertically straight to where I imagine the tang to be. But, I'm an inveterate very forward pinch gripper with giant hands, so it's not noticeable in hand. I'm very anxious for tonight's prep.
Quick update: out of the box, it was beautiful on a quick prep. Precise and delicate enough to brunoise shallots and garlic, forceful enough to hammer through leeks and carrots quickly and consistently. The feeling of a well-made tool: instantly comfortable and communicative.
The edge, as stated, was "sharp enough" but both not sharp enough for me and with a couple of flaws you could feel going through paper. Outside of those two slight catches in paper, it was smooth, but it wasn't shaving sharp on arm hair. So, onto the stones for a 1k edge (13-14 deg per side I'd say), deburr polish, polish edge leading on 3k, and boom, effortless arm shaving (I don't have much hair left there). Polish on 6k, slight microbevel (3 strokes) on the left side and strop just for pretty and it's even smoother. Can't wait for a great slice off this weekend.
Short version: the AS Hinoura is amazing, I wouldn't hesitate to recommend it. The OOB edge was OK at best, so either be ready to resharpen it yourself or have the source resharpen it for you before sending it.
The edge, as stated, was "sharp enough" but both not sharp enough for me and with a couple of flaws you could feel going through paper. Outside of those two slight catches in paper, it was smooth, but it wasn't shaving sharp on arm hair. So, onto the stones for a 1k edge (13-14 deg per side I'd say), deburr polish, polish edge leading on 3k, and boom, effortless arm shaving (I don't have much hair left there). Polish on 6k, slight microbevel (3 strokes) on the left side and strop just for pretty and it's even smoother. Can't wait for a great slice off this weekend.
Short version: the AS Hinoura is amazing, I wouldn't hesitate to recommend it. The OOB edge was OK at best, so either be ready to resharpen it yourself or have the source resharpen it for you before sending it.
tostadas
Hobbyist / Craftsman
When I ordered 2 different Hinouras, one came with a blade that was slightly misaligned from the handle (I had to return that one). The vendor told me that it was common for those with handles installed directly by the maker because of some asymmetry in the tang.
Your assessment of the performance is very similar to what I experienced as well. Great knife
Alright. Well, for me, I'll monitor it. It's dead straight inline with the blade and perfectly centered horizontally (confirmed with caliper measure just now) it's just that it looks like vertically it's a few degrees lower than where I'd imagine the tang would be. I think that just works with my as-stated ape hands (ring finger to thumb 27cm = 10 2/3rd inches). At worst, a re-handle down the line. I'm too much of a kid in every way but age to return my brand new toy.
tostadas
Hobbyist / Craftsman
Thats exactly what i noticed with my 240. The angle of the spine was a bit lower than I thought it should have been in relation to the handle. It shouldnt have any major issues in actual use, but the aesthetic bothered me.
Oh, hey, I can see how that would be bothering. I noticed it instantly. I'm just, as stated, far to much of a child to let someone else take my toy back.
It would be ironic if I received the exact knife you returned (I doubt it mind...).
tostadas
Hobbyist / Craftsman
Probably not. Mine was a White#2, not AS.Oh, hey, I can see how that would be bothering. I noticed it instantly. I'm just, as stated, far to much of a child to let someone else take my toy back.
It would be ironic if I received the exact knife you returned (I doubt it mind...).
But to the OP, I wouldnt hesitate to recommend the Hinoura as an excellent heavy midweight knife
inferno
( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°) <*))))><
all hinouras i have seen have these handles that are pointing down a bit.
on my knives i simply remove the handles and bang the tangs "straight" or heat it with acetylene and bend straight. dont like the bent down handles.
on my knives i simply remove the handles and bang the tangs "straight" or heat it with acetylene and bend straight. dont like the bent down handles.
Well there you go. I'll likely leave it for now, the ebony on it is quite nice and in very brief use, it felt great as is.
