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So after all the great advice above I’ve narrowed down to these 3:

https://www.cleancut.eu/butik/knifebrands/hinoura-3-series/hinoura/gyuto_hinoura-1-detailhttps://www.cleancut.eu/butik/knifetype/gyuto/kockkniv2015-01-29-11-55-27-detailhttps://www.knivesandstones.com.au/collections/tanaka/products/tanaka-r2-sg2-damascus-gyuto-wa-210mm
Now I’m guessing the last listing will end up costing me quite a bit on vat and import, but think I’m right in saying the first two will not as within the EU zone?

I’m edging towards the Hinoura which would also leave some cash for sharpening as suggested above. Anyone own/owned this knife who could give an opinion please?

Lastly what’s techniques do you employ to seek out best prices? Is it just a case of visiting all the stores and comparing or are there any tools you use..... as always thanks in advance.
 
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swall101 said:
So after all the great advice above I’ve narrowed down to these 3:

https://www.cleancut.eu/butik/knifebrands/hinoura-3-series/hinoura/gyuto_hinoura-1-detailhttps://www.cleancut.eu/butik/knifetype/gyuto/kockkniv2015-01-29-11-55-27-detailhttps://www.knivesandstones.com.au/collections/tanaka/products/tanaka-r2-sg2-damascus-gyuto-wa-210mm
Now I’m guessing the last listing will end up costing me quite a bit on vat and import, but think I’m right in saying the first too will not as within the EU zone?

I’m edging towards the Hinoura which would also leave some cash for sharpening as suggested above. Anyone own/owned this knife who could give an opinion please?

Lastly what’s techniques do you employ to seek out best prices? Is it just a case of visiting all the stores and comparing or are there any tools you use..... as always thanks in advance.
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I use the Hinoura 180 white #2 santoku, recently bought from Cleancut. It arrived very sharp and has a wide, slightly concave bevel. Makes very precise, straight cuts in hard veg like carrots.

Many years ago, I had and enjoyed a budget Tanaka ginsan gyuto. These are also very good cutters. The profile is slightly more rounded/has more belly than the Hinoura, but not dramatically so. If I was getting ready to learn to sharpen, I might not want to drop quite that much money on a stainless damascus, which would not have the benefit of developing patina to mask scratches.

I'm not familiar with Kurosaki beyond seeing them listed next to other very nice knives and liking their different looks. I look forward to other people providing input on that.
 
These are all good knives but quite differnt from one another.

The Kurosaki looks like a Shizuku. Mine is quite thin behind the edge with a very slightly concave grind to the wide bevel. The spime is a bit more robust.

My KnS Tanaka R2 is a little thicker, more of a middlewight.

I'm not sure if the grind on that Hinoura is the same as on my Hyakuren (the choil looks similar from what I can see, But it's not a good choil shot). If so, it's also a middleweight, with a flat ground wide bevel.

SG2 (Aka R2) is a fairly hjghly alloyed steel. It sharpens pretty nicely for stainless but full deburring can take persistence. I like Kippington's deburring method for R2. Edge retention is pretty long. AS is a fairly highly alloyed carbon steel. Probably a bit easier to sharpen and certainly easier to deburr than R2. Probably gests sharper than R2, but you need to be a decent sharpener to notice the difference (both steels are light years ahead of any Western stainless knife). Edge retention is usually pretty good (I assume Mutsumi's HT would be pretty decent) but not as long as R2.

If you are interested in learning to sharpen, I reckon that simpler steels are the go to start with. With White2, you will get plenty of practice because edge retention is not its forte. But it is so easy to sharpen and deburr, you will feel like a sharpening god. Until you have to sharpen your Western stainless knife again. Blue2 is really just as easy to sharpen and deburr and has longer edge retention.
 
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swall101 said:
Cleancut are a company you would vouch for I’m guessing...
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Yeah, nothing against any of the many other vendors recommended here at all. That is the only European vendor I've ordered from. Pretty quick shipping to the US, seem like good prices on good products to me. Knives & Stones are also quite well regarded. Sounds like Blenheim Forge is pretty close to you too? There really has never been a better time to buy a great knife if you have the money for it.
 
swall101 said:
So after all the great advice above I’ve narrowed down to these 3:

https://www.cleancut.eu/butik/knifebrands/hinoura-3-series/hinoura/gyuto_hinoura-1-detailhttps://www.cleancut.eu/butik/knifetype/gyuto/kockkniv2015-01-29-11-55-27-detailhttps://www.knivesandstones.com.au/collections/tanaka/products/tanaka-r2-sg2-damascus-gyuto-wa-210mm
Now I’m guessing the last listing will end up costing me quite a bit on vat and import, but think I’m right in saying the first two will not as within the EU zone?

I’m edging towards the Hinoura which would also leave some cash for sharpening as suggested above. Anyone own/owned this knife who could give an opinion please?

Lastly what’s techniques do you employ to seek out best prices? Is it just a case of visiting all the stores and comparing or are there any tools you use..... as always thanks in advance.
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You're correct about the VAT afaik. It's unlikely that anything would get stopped from outside the EU, and little tricks that senders can use to minimise the risk, but there is always a chance. And if it does- as well as the tax due on it, you'll get charged a processing fee on top, which I think is something like 20 quid.

Might be worth looking at some UK vendors too, the pound has devalued so massively in the last few months against some currencies (eg. over 10% against the AUS$) that they might start looking good value.

Afraid I can't give any expert opinions on the knives, but I certainly prefer the Hinoura in terms of looks. But then I'm seemingly alone in thinking damascene patterns look rather gaudy and ott.
 
Hinoura ordered from Cleancut and should be here on Friday. I’ll post some pictures once received.

I’ve also treated myself to a new board which should be here tomorrow....

1A247BA7-54FD-4590-A433-E7FA2D8DB222.jpeg


Thanks for all your help everyone 👍
 
swall101 said:
Hinoura ordered from Cleancut and should be here on Friday. I’ll post some pictures once received.

I’ve also treated myself to a new board which should be here tomorrow....

View attachment 86508

Thanks for all your help everyone 👍
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Looking forward to your thoughts, hope you enjoy it as much as I have mine!
 
Well to say today has been disappointing is an understatement. Notification from UPS that my Gyuto is out for delivery woo hoo! Working from home so no dramas in regards to it being an all day time slot with the safety net of safe place if no answer.

Notification at 12:17 that the package had been delivered, must not have heard them but no worries will be in safe place. Go downstairs no card through the door, go to safe place no package! Tried neighbours against my better judgement due to C-19 and they have not got it. Look on UPS website can’t contact them, they push you back to the store, so now I have to ring Sweden. The chap checked the system and said it’s been delivered but noticed the postcode was wrong albeit address was right. Said he would contact UPS and ring me back, which he did. UPS saying they will investigate and I’ve heard nothing since! Really struggle with how difficult it is for UPS to ring their driver there and then and get to bottom of issue.

So long story short I have no knife! I know there are bigger things to worry about in the world but I was excited and now gutted.

On a positive note the chopping board did turn up (DPD are a quality Courier who arrived bang on when they said they would) and it is a beauty. I’ll get some photos up when the knife situation is sorted...
 
Mate I feel you. I’ve had UPS turn up on my drive to deliver a MacBook, they were gone by the time I opened the door and hadn’t even knocked. Claimed they were delivering to a neighbour (I’m on a small rural Close with 3 houses; they are lying)

it infuriates me how they’re unanswerable and un-contactable.
Agree that DPD are head and shoulders above the rest, Hermes pretty good here too.
 
Btw also in Kent, near Faversham. You’re probably my closest kkf member. Knife fwends.
 
Yeah DHL/DPD never had any problems. Hermes sucks ass in Germany though. Bad working conditions, only immigrants on timestrain. Made friends with a driver at my parents', we never had a problem until he quit, good for him, found something more humane. Right now where I live they often don't bother showing up and one time was even too lazy to walk 20m to my house so had to check the other appartment building, also once threw a package which wasn't for me on my terrace over the bushes against my window.
 
sidey said:
Btw also in Kent, near Faversham. You’re probably my closest kkf member. Knife fwends.
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Ashford here.... 35 mins away. Small world!

Saying it was signed for on delivery on their website by CV? So if they have gone somewhere else it means someone has signed for a package which clearly isn’t theirs, just don’t get it.

Not sure how long it takes to sort out or whether Cleancut will send another out until it’s been investigated, which really cannot be that hard as they must have trackers on their vehicles and the postcode shown on their website is a way from mine. A quick phone call to the driver who would of been literally 10 mins away from wherever it was delivered must be far easier than having to absorb loss cost surely.

Anyway not going to let it get to me and hope Cleancut sort out quickly. Thanks for all the kind words!
 
Unfortunately, with the harsh work conditions and unrealistic delivery rates expected, the good drivers leave and the ones left behind generally don't care or have such poor work skills they can't get a job somewhere else. Now add poor wages to the mix and do we wonder why things like this happen?

Hopefully, the OP's lost package gets sorted out quickly and he gets his knife without much stress or drama.
 
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