Mark’s Little Collection

[Markcg]

Thought I’d start posting some of my knives here. Thanks KKF for throwing me headfirst down the rabbit hole, and to all the members who’ve been so generous with their time and advice- you guys are seriously awesome!

I’ll start with my three amigos, a trio of Kato 240 KU Gyutos. Left and right are the standard B2s (right has the kao kanji, originally from Morihei). Middle was bought used, with the handle replaced. Profile is less tall and longer than the newer B2s, and was originally purchased from Kikuhide Ginza as a white steel. Haven’t used the BNIB ones, but love how the middle cuts. I prefer beefier profiles on my gyuto

 

[Markcg]

My first Mazaki piece, a 300mm Blue#1 Damascus clad Yanagiba.

 

[Markcg]

Here’s a pic of my daily drivers for non-fish meals. Mizuno Suminagashi 240mm blue#1 and a Jiro 150mm petty.

 

[chefwp]

Here’s a pic of my daily drivers for non-fish meals. Mizuno Suminagashi 240mm blue#1 and a Jiro 150mm petty.

That is a cool looking handle on the Jiro.

 

[9fingeredknife]

Glad the jiro is getting good use!

 

[Markcg]

That is a cool looking handle on the Jiro.

It’s stock, but yeah they they do good work

 

[Markcg]

Glad the jiro is getting good use!

Thank you again

 

[Markcg]

So tempting to break this one in. Kato 330mm Kasumi Yanagiba.

 

[Joao lourenco]

So tempting to break this one in. Kato 330mm Kasumi Yanagiba.

View attachment 117831

Wow!!!from Maksim?300mm or actually 330mm?

 

[Checkpure]

So tempting to break this one in. Kato 330mm Kasumi Yanagiba.

View attachment 117831

No way I would be able to resist using that. Not a chance.

 

[Markcg]

Wow!!!from Maksim?300mm or actually 330mm?

Yep, from Maksim. Got lucky and the 330 popped up!

 

[Joao lourenco]

Yep, from Maksim. Got lucky and the 330 popped up!

Lucky you!!!330 is quite rare!!!!

 

[Markcg]

This Shigefusa Kitaeji 270 Fuguhiki has such a delicate blade. My only Kitaeji but hope to add more some day.

 

[Markcg]

Thought I’d follow the trend with a 3 amigos post! I’ll post more photos later- just sent the honyaki off for a custom handle.

315 Tamahagane Honyaki Yanagiba
365 Watetsu Clad Tamahagane Takohiki Sakimaru
330 Blue2 Kasumi Yanagiba

Ps: anyone want to sell me a dammy/kikuryu single bevel?

 

[Joao lourenco]

Thought I’d follow the trend with a 3 amigos post! I’ll post more photos later- just sent the honyaki off for a custom handle.

315 Tamahagane Honyaki Yanagiba
365 Watetsu Clad Tamahagane Takohiki Sakimaru
330 Blue2 Kasumi Yanagiba

Ps: anyone want to sell me a dammy/kikuryu single bevel?


View attachment 119586

Wowwwww
Holy trinity!!!!

 

[Markcg]

Some recent additions! From left to right, an Anryu 170mm bunka in AS, Jiro gyuto 240mm (#43) and nakiri 180mm (#148), and a Konosuke Fujiyama FM gyuto 210mm in white#1.

 

[Matt Zilliox]

Love the jiro nakiri! Nice collection!

 

[Markcg]

My Jiro nakiri with his smaller siblings. 150mm Kato and 165mm Shigefusa.

 

[waxy]

That Kato Nakiri is such a cutie, beautiful profile!

 

[Mrchainsaw]

Wowwwww
Holy trinity!!!!

so I’m new to this and want to know what makes these three special? The maker? Steel? Why refer to as the holy trinity?

 

[Markcg]

so I’m new to this and want to know what makes these three special? The maker? Steel? Why refer to as the holy trinity?

The two on the left are definitely special, and the one in the right is less rare. The tamahagane and watetsu Kato Kiyoshi uses is from his family’s collection, some of which is generations old, making the two on the left special in terms of material and rarity. The one on the right is his standard blue steel Yanagiba at a rarer length. Lots of information on Kato on the forums, and his process is his highly regarded, whether you agree with the current pricing or not. If I could find a Damascus or kikuryu single bevel, it would truly be the holy trinity.

 

[Mrchainsaw]

So the knives in the left are generations old? I’m sorry for my ignorance. I don’t know anything about Japanese knife makers. It’s amazing to me people instant recognize a steel or maker etc. it’s all Greek to me.

 

[Corradobrit1]

So the knives in the left are generations old? I’m sorry for my ignorance. I don’t know anything about Japanese knife makers. It’s amazing to me people instant recognize a steel or maker etc. it’s all Greek to me.

No the core steel and Watetsu iron is ancestral stock, stated to be 100 years old. The knives themselves are recent manufacture.

 

[Mrchainsaw]

No the core and Watetsu steel is ancestral stock, stated to be 100 years old. The knives themselves are recent manufacture.

Thanks for the clarification. Cool. I like the history

 

[Markcg]

So the knives in the left are generations old? I’m sorry for my ignorance. I don’t know anything about Japanese knife makers. It’s amazing to me people instant recognize a steel or maker etc. it’s all Greek to me.

The steel and iron used to make the knives on the left are old, smelted from a tarara (traditional Japanese furnace) where iron sand is combined into tamahagane and watetsu. This is how steel and iron is and has been produced for the forging of Japanese swords. Kato is a licensed sword smith, as was his father, and the steel from his family’s collection, one would hope, reflects this. Many outfits claim sword smith lineage, but most are generations removed from actual production. Family records in Japan are very well kept, so being the 7th generation of so and so isn’t as meaningful as it might be in other contexts.

So through the steel and iron were smelted a long time ago, the knives are new. Kato engraves the forge dates on the tangs of his single bevels, and the honyaki on the left was forged just two months ago (as was the knife on the right). The sakimaru in the middle is from a few years ago.

 

[Markcg]

Just got these Mazaki 240mm hon-sanmai gyutos from K&S the other day. One blue2 and the other white2. These were advertised as forge welded, and have the extra kanji.

 

[Markcg]

Updated family photo of my JNats.

From top left counter clockwise:
Ohira shiro suita
Ohira kiiro sunashi suita
Nakayama karasu suita
Shoubudani sunashi suita
Natsuya
Blue aoto
Aizu
Uchigomori
Ozuku
Ohira tomae
Shoubudani

My faves right now are the sunashi suitas- so forgiving to my amateur polishing skills.

 

[Markcg]

Some Ashi Honyaki Western standards. 120, 210, 240 and 270.

 

[Runner_up]

Geeze this thread is just full of win @Markcg

 

[phoka]

Wow, stunning collection!