Possible pass around!

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If it helps, I can send it on to echerub immediately and go last. Not a big deal...I guess! Haha
Seriously though, I will if it helps get it to the ECG.
 
Lefty, please feel free to swap the passaround order as needed to get the knife to the ECG. I'm not hung up on being near the front of the line - I'll be happy to test it out and put in my thoughts at *any* time ;)
 
doubt it will be to me by then but if so, I can bring it to ecg as well
 
I think some lucky postman has it right now.
He'd better write a review! :p
 
Sounds like Lefty will juggle the list, to have the knife make the ECG! Not sure who gets to bring it.
 
Got it all figured out (if we are all quick to the post office and they cooperate).
#2 is now # 7, # 6 is #5, old number 5 is #3...
JUST KIDDING!
Echerub kindly agreed to go last (buy the man a drink!), and edipis and mattrud are swapping spots (thanks edipis).
Matt, you get the honor of showing this beauty off! Have fun with it!
Hope we are all sorted out and thanks again guys!
 
Don't worry guys I have my suitcase of knives ready for ECG, and this baby will have a nice home in there for the trip.
 
I'm glad you cleared that up. I couldn't figure out why everyone wanted a knife brought to an Echo-Cardio Gram, but I was going to make sure it happened, since it seemed so important!
:D
 
Aha.

Will there be a best knife of the year competition there? If Marko is going he can bring 6 of my knives :)
 
I got the package I've been waiting for!
The gyuto arrived in a Japanese cloth bag (and packaging of course).
I'm going to give you all a quick run down of my first impressions.
The first thing I noticed when I grabbed the knife was that it feels incredibly well made. For me, it was reminiscent of the first time I held my Dad's Henckels chef knife, when before then I had only used an old beater knife, back when I was a kid. It just feels...right. The words that come to mind are solid, well constructed and to be honest even prettier in person.
The edge was hair popping sharp and has a very nice contour to it. At first glance, I thought it looked rounder than I like, but when I used it (for about 20 minutes), I realized that it is, in fact comfortable and versatile. I realized that it feels great push cutting, but for some reason, I wanted to rock chop a bit (and I liked it...) The edge profile allows you to do both very effectively.
So far, I don't want to say too much, but I will say that pictures say a thousand words, and it must take a million to describe this work.
I'll really give it a whirl in the next few days. :) I can't wait!
 
Oh, just to rub it in...
30532984.jpg

9bc7830a.jpg

Looks good, doesn't it???
 
One of the most unique and best looking patterns I have seen on a blade in some time. Very nice.
 
Ok, I took another quick peek at the gyuto after waking up and I've decided I'm canceling the rest of the pass around. I'm keeping it, and you can't stop me! Haha. JK... But it is incredible to hold and look at.
Maybe it's something to do with being fully handmade by an amazing maker, but it just feels different than every other knife I've used. The lines feel smoother and softer, while the knife as a whole feels thin, yet like it could plow through a 2"x4" followed immediately by making paperthin slices of mushrooms, garlic, etc.
I really can't wait until I get to prep a real meal with this beauty!
 
Nice

Is there anyone on the passaround list that got a Heiji 240 Guyto?
I really want to compare this to the Heiji.
 
It looks like an amazing knife. Whish I could experience it myself :) Keep us updated on the testing.

DarkHOeK
 
Nice, then I look forward to your review!!
I believe Pierre is onto something with this profile/geometry
 
I'm all done with the knife (unfortunately)! I'll be passing it on to Caddy next (sending it out on Monday morning).
Dmccurtis also got to give it a little work out today, so he might post some thoughts (although ours were very similar).
Overall, this was a great experience and once again, I'd like to thank Pierre for getting it together and in a record time!
I'll be posting my detailed review tonight likely around 10-11pm (I should have time at work to do it :) ).
 
My Damasteel Gyuto Review

I'm breaking this review into a few different groups in an attempt to keep my jumbled thoughts somewhat organized! :)

Initial package:
The knife came in very nice little red cloth bag with an edge protector on it. There was also a nice little touch - a certificate with steel type, model, production number, care, etc. I really found this to be a pleasant surprise that I would definitely keep if it were my knife.
Overall, great presentation and it was a lot fun to open and added to the suspense!
4/5

Factory Edge:
The factory edge on the knife was truly as good as it gets!*
It was done on a 30000 grit paper wheel and would be equivalent to (I'm guessing by bite, polish, etc) a 6k-8k stone. The edge actually was done VERY nicely with a bit of convexity to it. Hands down, the best factory edge I've seen. *
5/5

Fit and Finish:
This is where Pierre's knives really shine! The F and F is almost perfect, with only the smallest "flaw" in one or two spots. The handle meets up with the spine absolutely flawlessly! It's seamless, smooth and incredibly well done.
Both the choil and spine are nicely rounded and I have no complaints. Very comfortable and attractive (how can a choil be attractive???)
The only spot that I noticed anything to note would be where the spacer and bolster meet up. On one side, the spacer is slightly smaller than the one on the opposite. I will admit, this adds to the uniqueness and overall feel of the knife, but if you're a perfectionist and you hate anything slightly out of whack, this will be it.*
Other than that, f and f is beautiful!
4.5/5

Handle:
What can I say? It was done by a person, not a robot. It is perhaps my favorite part of the whole knife (and that's saying a lot!)
This part might sound a bit strange to most, but the handle feels warm in the hand and a little bit organic. It's almost as if the knife and handle were grown together in a magical land far, far away! :D The edges are soft and smooth. It is very close to being perfectly symmetrical, with a bit of 'personality'.
There are a few spots where Pierre fixed nature's mistakes, and did a nice job of it. Any holes were filled, and made to feel like they were never there.
The handle has three very attractive mosaic pins, with a great colour match to the rest of the knife.
The bolster has a beautiful look to it, but might be a bit too squared off for some. Depending on grip style, you might notice the bolster up against your palm, but I had no real complaints.
Overall, the handle is my favorite so far.*
4.5/5

Blade (Profile and Grind):
The blade is a cross between a western and a j-knife, in my opinion. It's much closer to a j-knife, with a nice amount of flatness to belly.*
The tip is about halfway between the spine and bottom of the cutting edge and both flow nicely into it. The location of the tip makes it slightly less useable for fine detail work, as a result of the height. However, the tip becomes a non issue once you "get used to it". For people who like a little bit more height at the tip it is great and instills a sense of durability. If you prefer a more pointed tip, just tell Pierre when you order ;)*
The heel at the cutting edge rises slightly (a millimeter) towards the spine and lends itself VERY nicely to my preferred "French Style" of cutting. The blade profile makes your hands feel fast and the knife is an eager cutter! For pure push cutters, the somewhat raised heel can very easily be flattened out, but it's not an absolute necessity.
The grind on the knife appears to be above average, but I didn't take my calipers to it...I know, I dropped the ball on this one! The spine appears to be about 2.3ish millimeters at the heel, with a nice distal taper as well as grind to the edge.*
I'm sure some would thin it out a touch behind the edge, but for me, I'd leave as is. I plowed through sweet potatoes, Yukon Golds and a ton of other product with no real issues. For the sweet potatoes, I used a bit of a guillotine action (think heel of deba on a fish spine) and cut through almost perfectly, with only minor 'breaking' at the bottom of the slice.
The only produce I noticed any sticking with was fresh button mushrooms...portabellos were fine, but the white buttons stuck to the side, until the next slice pushed it off. It was strange and I can't figure out why, but I have a feeling that once the side of the blade has been broken in a bit and smoothed out through use and washing that this mysterious phenomenon will disappear - though I could be wrong.
I'm giving the blade a 4/5 because I prefer a pointier tip and some could complain about the edge profile. Even with these slight issues, I am very impressed and part of the beauty of custom knives is that you get to specify your needs and wants, and these become non-issues. For a "generic" shape, it is great, useable and performs beautifully.*

Edge Retention:
And here is the one we all wondered about. How will DAMASTEEL hold up in a kitchen???
I'm sending the knife on to Caddy with absolutely no touch ups from the minute I got it. It cut a lot of product (produce, fungi, protein, arm hair, paper...) and it is still super sharp. I would love for Caddy to comment on its state once he gets a look at it, just to back up my claim of how the edge held. The edge retained its sharpness at least as well as the vg10 (likely better) I have used, and better than my Misono Carbon. I think this steel is great for a home user, and I can't wait to read what the pros have to say in regards to a commercial kitchen.
4.5/5 (for home use)

Overall Feel:
The gyuto has some heft compared to many j-knives, but is not heavy in any sense. It gives a sense of quality and durability.*
I was trying to think of a knife that I could compare it to as far as weight and balance are concerned, and the closest I can come up with might have to be a Mac Mighty Chef Knife.*
You definitely feel the gyuto in your hand, but the balance is directly in front of the bolster (perfect in my opinion) which makes it feel much more nimble than most knives in its weight class.*
I have the feeling this knife would be a fantastic workhorse. It can trim meat, mince and dice garlic/ginger like an absolute champ and slice literally paper thin slices. In my opinion, it would be an awesome line knife! It can put up with the pounding and do the fancy footwork needed for mise.*
Overall, I'm giving it a SOLID 4.5/5!

I'm sad to see it go, but I am truly looking forward to reading everyone else's reviews.*
I was picking on everything I could, and I had only the few minor 'negatives' to mention.
Beautiful knife. I love the pattern. The handle is terrific!
To the rest of the guys in this pass around - Please take care of my gyuto. I'll miss it! But, as they say, *"absence makes the heart grow fonder"! :D
 
I got a chance to handle and briefly use this knife today (thanks Lefty!). The only produce I had on hand to test it with was an apple and a garlic clove, so I was by no means comprehensive in my testing, but it was an interesting look. My thoughts echo Lefty's to a great extent. First off, fit and finish was superb, absolutely no complaints there. Any imperfections were simply the nature of a handmade product, and in no way affect the function of the knife. The finish of the handle was the first thing that impressed me, very nicely fitted and polished. While I didn't love the feel of it in the hand, I also didn't notice it in use, if holding it in a pinch grip. I'm a wa handle user though, so my opinion is coloured by my preference. Regarding the blade, the edge as delivered is one of the best I've seen. I'd agree that it is somewhere equivalent to 6000. The polish looked higher, 8K SS-esque, while the edge had bite like a 3K or so. It cut smoothly, but you could feel the knife in the cut. Again, I didn't exactly have ideal product to test it on, so it will be interesting to hear how it performs on other foods. It will also be interesting to hear how it responds to various stones. Profile wise, I like the long flat spot, though I'd like to see the slight rise at the heel flattened. I found the tip too tall, and too radiused. It has no flat at the tip, which I like to have for detail work. The knife is not too tall at the heel, but doesn't narrow much towards the tip, making the knife feel taller than it is. Lefty described the profile aptly as 'snubnosed.' Again, a preference issue. Those who like Watanabes or Shigefusas will probably find it ideal. While I'd like the knife to be thinner behind the edge, the knife has heft to it, giving it good momentum through the cut. Mighty fans will like it. Overall, I thought the knife was exemplary for a maker relatively new to kitchen knives. Craftsmanship is superb, and it seems like the Damasteel is a very decent performer. I'll be very interested to hear what others who use it have to say.
 
Nice reviews guys, thanks. I am really interested to see how it holds up through a working shift.
 
Oivind, I have a feeling this profile will suit your tastes very nicely! I know you prefer a taller tip with a gently sloping edge.
I think you'd be pleased! :)
 
I know I will be pleased :)

But with every design it can be made even better ;)
Whats wrong with your camera?
 
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