Please help me choose a Nakiri

[StonedEdge]

Yeah, just pull the friggin' Triggaar already and buy something.

THIS!

 

[Hanmak17]

I can't understand why Watanabe's 165mm nakiri comes with a buffalo horn hilt as standard, and the 180 comes with plastic.

Probably to save some money which I can't knock him for. How much time do you think it takes him to make those knives? How much time would you spend to make $280. These guys make almost nothing.

Consumers seem to have forgotten handmade is time consuming and expensive, if you want cheap buy a mass produced tool. .

 

[StonedEdge]

Also plastic is readily available whereas horn can be difficult to source all the time I bet

 

[Triggaaar]

Probably to save some money which I can't knock him for. How much time do you think it takes him to make those knives? How much time would you spend to make $280. These guys make almost nothing.

Consumers seem to have forgotten handmade is time consuming and expensive, if you want cheap buy a mass produced tool. .

Also plastic is readily available whereas horn can be difficult to source all the time I bet

But neither of these points address why it's standard on the 165mm.

 

[StonedEdge]

Are you 100% sure its standard? His 150 petty from the Pro line claims to be horn ferrule standard but mine shipped with a plastic ferrule and I don't mind at all.

 

[Chef Doom]

But wait! There's more!

But first, a word from our sponsor....

 

[Triggaaar]

Are you 100% sure its standard?

Well the 165 costs 25,000 while the 180 costs 22,000.
And upgrading the 180 to an oval shaped burnt chestnut handle with horn hilt costs 6,000, but just 500 on the 165.
So I'm pretty confident.

His 150 petty from the Pro line claims to be horn ferrule standard but mine shipped with a plastic ferrule and I don't mind at all.

I'd mind

 

[laxdad]

Well the 165 costs 25,000 while the 180 costs 22,000.
And upgrading the 180 to an oval shaped burnt chestnut handle with horn hilt costs 6,000, but just 500 on the 165.
So I'm pretty confident.

There's a bit of mixing apples and oranges here. The 25,000 yen 165 nakiri comes with an octagonal enju handle and horn ferrule. The 500 yen is to upgrade from there to an oval chestnut handle and horn ferrule.

The 22,000 yen 180 nakiri comes with an oval chestnut handle and plastic ferrule. It's 6000 yen to upgrade to the horn ferrule.

I've ordered a couple of Watanabes, and I've always considered his handle options as more of a pick-list as he will make the knife with your handle of choice. The lowest cost option is oval chestnut with plastic ferrule. The highest cost is octagonal chestnut with horn.

 

[Xenif]

But first, a word from our sponsor....

 

[parbaked]

Are you 100% sure its standard? His 150 petty from the Pro line claims to be horn ferrule standard but mine shipped with a plastic ferrule and I don't mind at all.

The 150 Petty comes with what Shin calls a plastic hilt. It's clearly stated on his website.
http://www.kitchen-knife.jp/pro/petite.htm

The only knives that come with the enju and horn handle standard are the 165 Santoku and 165 Nakiri.
Shin does this as these are the most popular sizes in Japan and he wants to package them with his best handle.

The other professional series knives all come with plastic ferrule with the option to upgrade.

 

[Triggaaar]

There's a bit of mixing apples and oranges here. The 25,000 yen 165 nakiri comes with an octagonal enju handle and horn ferrule. The 500 yen is to upgrade from there to an oval chestnut handle and horn ferrule.

The 22,000 yen 180 nakiri comes with an oval chestnut handle and plastic ferrule.

That's exactly what I said, and StonedEdge asked if I was sure.

I've ordered a couple of Watanabes, and I've always considered his handle options as more of a pick-list as he will make the knife with your handle of choice. The lowest cost option is oval chestnut with plastic ferrule. The highest cost is octagonal chestnut with horn.

For the 180, yes, but the plastic ferrule isn't even an option for the 165mm.

 

[chinacats]

I know that makes no sense but the 165 has had a horn ferrule for as long as I can remember while the 180 has had plastic...makes no sense to me either...pretty sure he sells more 180's in the states.

 

[StonedEdge]

As others have said, you can request a horn ferrule but it will be an additional charge. My mistake about it being standard...I could have sworn on his professional line pagwbit says horn standard...too lazy to go back and check tbh.. let us know how you like that Itinomonn! Having the gyuto, I'd be willing to bet the Itinomonn nakiri is well made

 

[parbaked]

It's not that complicated.
Shin sells the Professional line with plastic ferrules standard and the option to upgrade to better handle.

He also offers his most popular (in Japan) models, the 165mm Nakiri and Santoku, with his best handle because this is the knife and handle combo that sells best in Japan.

The only complication is if one wants a 165mm Santoku or Nakiri with a cheaper handle, which I'm sure She would do for less $...

 

[Marek07]

Off-topic a bit but...
I have two knives with plastic ferrules - the Watanabe 180mm kurouchi nakiri and a Teruyasu Fujiwara 150mm nashiji petty. Both are hand crafted blades from respected smiths, using great steels with excellent HT. They come sharp OOTB and respond to stones really well when needed. The TF is quite cheap (with a meh Magnolia D-handle), the Wat is a bit more (with a very good burnt chestnut D-handle) but still quite reasonable in the scheme of things. When I pick them up to use, the ferrule material is not even a thought bubble - you cannot see or feel the plastic. And they both perform very well indeed. No one who has seen or used them has ever said, "Damn! Nice knife, pity about the plastic ferrule."

 

[Triggaaar]

As others have said, you can request a horn ferrule but it will be an additional charge.

Yeah I know, I just thought it was weird that plastic was std, but not on the 165.

let us know how you like that Itinomonn! Having the gyuto, I'd be willing to bet the Itinomonn nakiri is well made

Will do. Yeah the gyuto is really popular. I might get to try the Wat at some point too, it's a journey

Off-topic a bit

This is the only topic now :biggrin:

the Wat is a bit more (with a very good burnt chestnut D-handle) but still quite reasonable in the scheme of things. When I pick them up to use, the ferrule material is not even a thought bubble - you cannot see or feel the plastic. And they both perform very well indeed. No one who has seen or used them has ever said, "Damn! Nice knife, pity about the plastic ferrule."

I think if you'd have posted that a couple of days ago I'd have bought Andreu's Wat

 

[chinacats]

It's a bit confusing how the professional listed by the link to the nakiris a few posts back is different from the professional gyutos which are still listed as being horn hilt (been the case for some time). Either way, my real problem with plastic is that the plastic often doesn't line up well with the wood so there's a drop off and I personally don't like the feel...been too long since I've used a Wat nakiri (Danny's) so my only real memory off the knife is more about how well it cut.

http://www.kitchen-knife.jp/pro/pro.htm

 

[Hanmak17]

Off-topic a bit but...
I have two knives with plastic ferrules - the Watanabe 180mm kurouchi nakiri and a Teruyasu Fujiwara 150mm nashiji petty. Both are hand crafted blades from respected smiths, using great steels with excellent HT. They come sharp OOTB and respond to stones really well when needed. The TF is quite cheap (with a meh Magnolia D-handle), the Wat is a bit more (with a very good burnt chestnut D-handle) but still quite reasonable in the scheme of things. When I pick them up to use, the ferrule material is not even a thought bubble - you cannot see or feel the plastic. And they both perform very well indeed. No one who has seen or used them has ever said, "Damn! Nice knife, pity about the plastic ferrule."

THIS!