Opinions on Kasumi VG-10 steel knives

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jacko9

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I have a friend that was gifted a chefs knife 13 years ago which she still uses and hand sharpens on water stones but she is remote and I don't have any experience with this steel or the manufacturer, any comments on the quality of this brand?

Kasumi
Sointu USA is the exclusive distributor for Kasumi VG-10 steel knives in the United States. Kasumi knives are produced by Sumikama Cutlery in Seki, Japan. Sumikama Cutlery specializes in producing knives from the most advanced materials with the most advanced manufacturing techniques. Sumikama Cutlery produces two series of knives using VG-10 steel, the Kasumi VG-10 Damascus series and the Kasumi Solid VG-10 Pro series. Producing VG-10 steel knives requires tremendous experience and knowledge in order to achieve all the benefits of the super steeland to achieve a Rockwell hardness of 61. Sumikama is the original producer of VG-10 steel knives.
 
I got one as an early knife. It’s interchangeable with a shun. Maybe a little easier sharpening.
 
This won't address the OP's questions, but I thought I'd mention that Sumikama, despite not being widely known outside Japan is a highly respected company in Seki City. It was founded back in 1916 and the Grandfather of the current President is credited to have been the first to sell Seki made knives to Western companies. The President Katsumi Sumikama I believe is the chairman of the Seki Knife Makers Association. The family have very long roots in Seki, as their last name Sumi 炭 (Charcoal) and Kama 窯 (Kiln) indicates. I don't personally know too much about their products but I see them marketing a new line, a VG10 knife with TiNi coating in a few colors here in Japan.
 
Anybody else ever try these knives? Thanks Ken it sounds like the company is a very respectable long time company.
 
How am I to recommend an upgrade unless I have any information about these knives? Well perhaps I can't.

The knife itself doesn’t matter so much as what the user thinks about it. Is it too heavy, too light? Edge too fragile? Edge wears out too fast? Doesn’t get sharp enough? Blade too long, too short? Does food stick to the blade too much? Does she want more height, or less? Is the handle comfortable? Does she want something fancier looking? Are the choil and spine comfortable to use for long periods? Is the point too low for rocking? Is the belly too curved for chopping?

Deep knowledge of her existing knife won’t answer any of those questions and won’t give you any basis for recommending an upgrade.
 
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I don't have experience with either is it a good knife or beginners knife?
It depends on what you mean. There are a lot of better japanese knives for the same price. It like a lot of Shuns, Miyabis, and Yaxells can be ground a bit thick. Like those knives its a huge step up from a cuisinart knife. Compared to a lot of the popular options on here its a big step down.

I still have it on the back of my block to do cross chopping for herbs since thats harder on an edge, and its got a lot of belly.
 
How am I to recommend an upgrade unless I have any information about these knives? Well perhaps I can't.

If you're looking for recommendations on a replacement knife, then if asked that way, and not restricted to a specific brand, then I have no doubt you'll get a lot of inputs. As said, understanding more about the end-use and desires is helpful but there are a lot of good Japanese knives in the $100-200 range.
 
I agree with everything above. I haven't owned any but I have used and sharpened a bunch of coworkers Kasumis over the years. They are basically a shun but with a slightly thinner grind and more basic western pakka scales. There is nothing wrong with them and nothing exciting about them. Lots of other better options under $200.
 
They‘re a respectable brand here, or at least the reseller in the UK seems to have done well in positioning them in Global’s wake, becoming one of the leading alternatives here a couple of decades back

Never owned one - I jumped to a Murata and a few JCK offerings and never looked back - but in hindsight they look a pretty decent halfway house between Western and Japanese blades. Better performance lies elsewhere for sure, but I‘d be wary of assuming that there’s an easy replacement that your friend will lap up. Some people crave familiarity, comfort and convenient maintenance far more than others.

Do you really have to recommend an upgrade? An alternate (different sized/profile etc) gyuto may be an easier sell, or a decent petty etc
 
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Takamura VG-10 instead. Or go the length of SG2. Or Chromax which would be my pick. To me all are a much better purchase.

No disagreement from me that they’re better knives, but I know my better half would object to the slightly crummy fit and finish. Wabi sabi holds no appeal for her,
 
Hmmmm... Unit I have is pretty tight there. Also, from comparison with about 6 Gyutos of the same low price range, and quite different provenances, F&F is high standard. Grind is outstanding for price. Price is outstanding for knife. Wouldn't expect Kasumi to be any better than Shun or Zwilling where F&F goes - they might look nice, but they're full of faults.

Then again, if a unit you had was crummy, I fully understand your POV and warning.
 
No disagreement from me that they’re better knives, but I know my better half would object to the slightly crummy fit and finish. Wabi sabi holds no appeal for her,
Only thing I thought needed some love on my Chromax was taking some sandpaper to the spine and choil. Granted I was using it at work for hours on end so it would start to hurt some. Otherwise everything else about the f&f was great.
 
Only thing I thought needed some love on my Chromax was taking some sandpaper to the spine and choil. .

This was pretty much the extent of my reservations about the Chromax I had fwiw - the spine and heel were bordering on uncomfortable and could do with a little rounding. Plus the handle was a little rudimentary and didn’t look or feel particularly nice in hand. I would still choose it every time over the Kasumi mind - for the price it was excellent value.

With hindsight ’crummy’ was a little harsh and perhaps undistinguished would have been more apt - it just didn‘t feel particularly well finished as a product, which is entirely what you’d expect at that price point (Takamura’s better than most tbh, and I probably chose a duff example here)

The point wasn‘t really to put down the Chromax, more to suggest that others value different things. I’m no fan of the Kasumi, but my distant memory of handling one was that it was a fairly polished, robust feeling unit, with a shiny bolster and mass-market prestige. The Takamura‘s not quite the same, as much as I’d prefer to use one personally.
 
Yeah the only problem I have about Takamura Chromax is the spine and choil not rounded, especially I’m holding the knife liked this and making a thousand slicing cuts per day, it will hurt my index finger in the long term.
It won’t be a problem for thicker spine(3mm+), but anything around 2mm or under I would prefer a rounded spine, otherwise it’s not useable knife for me.
Considering the price was in the lower range, I won’t expect it to have high F&F, so I just have to round the spine myself with sandpaper, only took few minutes with proper tools.
Other than that, everything about this knife is great, except the handle might be smaller for some ppl, the edge retention and ease of sharpening is phenomenal, this is what I liked about this knife. It broke my personal record at going 1 month+ without sharpening on stone, only maintained by green compound strop, and I still haven’t sharpening it yet on stones.
 

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