Raquin knives

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For the sake of trying to be civil and helpful. . . I post the following.

To the OP: Some of the things you have said are insulting, whether or not you intend them to be. And, to be honest, show perhaps a disconnect that I would implore you to consider. I say perhaps to be civil.

Fundamentally speaking, knives are kitchen tools. That's it. That's what they are. That should help you understand some things.

As for Raquin, the lack of different looks, fancy handles, etc. is because Bryan, and I say this relatively confidently though I am not Bryan, is not interested in making knives the way some other Western makers do. He wants to make tools, plain and simple. For personal taste, I love the rustic look and the French oak handles are perhaps the best I have held. The feel of natural wood is special. I digress.

Moral of the story is that Bryan's goal, I dare say only goal, in making a knife is that it will absolutely slay on the cutting board. And, for my money, I have yet to find a knife at ANY price point that is clearly and definitively better at doing that. "Better" is a subjective term so I add things like definitively to hopefully call off any response on what defines better. That's a personal definition. I have cut with Kato's, Shigs, old-stock Fujiyamas, River Jump, Heiji, all the major Sakai honyaki, Watanabe, several Yoshikane lines, about a dozen Western makers and more. There are others who have more experience, but I have used a fair shake at what these parts would call "the best."

TLDR: If you wanna cut ****, you pick up your Raquin.
+1 What he said.
Love my Raquin, no complaints.
Why are so many commentators so obsessed with money, comparative price?
 
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Here’s the difference though: that is excluding VAT, but Raquins prices are all incl VAT iirc and he does not offer taking the VAT off for non EU customers.... (it’s not that easy so not everyone offers it)

so for a fair price comparison you have to add 25% Swedish VAT to Iasmedians prices which would put said 210 knife at 480 USD.... which is actually more expensive than a Raquin.

Just saying ...

Maybe Raquin should follow EU law and not charge VAT on exports outside of the EU

Just saying...
 
Why dont we all start making threads about knives we personally think are overpriced. ;)
 
Maybe Raquin should follow EU law and not charge VAT on exports outside of the EU

Just saying...

I’m not sure you’re right on this one. There’s no law (imho) that states he can’t charge VAT, there’s definitely a law that states he CAN subtract VAT.

But I’m happy to eat dirt on that one if you can provide a link to said law. Because if it’s not the case you’re wrongfully accusing Raquin of a crime in a public forum .... just saying
 
I think "all Japanese knives are overpriced" would be a hit :D
 
I’m not sure you’re right on this one. There’s no law (imho) that states he can’t charge VAT, there’s definitely a law that states he CAN subtract VAT.

But I’m happy to eat dirt on that one if you can provide a link to said law. Because if it’s not the case you’re wrongfully accusing Raquin of a crime in a public forum .... just saying

https://europa.eu/youreurope/business/taxation/vat/vat-rules-rates/index_en.htm

I wouldn't have said it if I didn't just have to get a EU retailer to credit me back VAT they charged.
 
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to the OP:
I guess many can agree your love for mirror isn't totally a sign of bad taste.
The most important is to know wich finish is the most time/$-consuming.
 
For the folks who think a Raquin knife is meh, have you held one? cut with one? have you experienced the effortless slip through any food you choose with his Nakiri? have you felt the balance? have you put the steel on a stone and put an edge on it yet? whew.

I can only assume the answer is no. This Bazes might outperform the Raquin, maybe, but thats about it.

I think at 500-600 these are a good buy, not a super value, but a good buy. i dont think you will find many knives which perform more, period, but especially at this price.

I think Isasmedjan is more like Halcyon Forge in style than Raquin.
 
What I would like to know about raquin knives is the following: how is the edge retention and if it chips or roll if you zero grind it. What i mean is if you take the freshly sharpened knife and viciously chop (not gentle push or pull) some vegetables on the wooden board and then look at the edge in the light from tip to heel. Will you see some shinning spots?And if you so gently touch the edge, if you feel it chipped ?
Also if any raquin owners have experienced any warping in the blade. I am asking this because If I ever decide to buy one
 
Thanks for starting this thread.
Now I’m keen to try a raquin.
People need to stop pretending to ask things when they are instead trying to find support for their preconceived notions.
 
https://europa.eu/youreurope/business/taxation/vat/vat-rules-rates/index_en.htm

I wouldn't have said it if I didn't just have to get a EU retailer to credit me back VAT they charged.

interesting. You were able to get the VAT back, that makes sense.

My question is: is it a crime for the vendor to charge the VAT in the first place? EG: not if he has to refund it, but if he can be in legal trouble in his country ?

you have to be registered for VAT in the first place to be able to charge it .... but that’s a different topic altogether.
 
What I would like to know about raquin knives is the following: how is the edge retention and if it chips or roll if you zero grind it. What i mean is if you take the freshly sharpened knife and viciously chop (not gentle push or pull) some vegetables on the wooden board and then look at the edge in the light from tip to heel. Will you see some shinning spots?And if you so gently touch the edge, if you feel it chipped ?
Also if any raquin owners have experienced any warping in the blade. I am asking this because If I ever decide to buy one

I have not had any problems with chipping or rolled edges, but that may be dependent on sharpening ability.

As for warping, his KT are fairly stiff and probably not anymore susceptible to warping than most other knives. His normal, non-KT grind is thinner and a little more flexible, but again, probably not something to be overly concerned about.

I have an older, thin-forged gyuto that is definitely an outlier in terms of size at 320mmx60ish+ and is quite flexible. Probably as prime a candidate for warping as you'll find, I imagine. Never had a problem with it so far (probably 3 years old). The good thing is, if it does warp a little over the years, it will be easy to bend back.
 
What I would like to know about raquin knives is the following: how is the edge retention and if it chips or roll if you zero grind it. What i mean is if you take the freshly sharpened knife and viciously chop (not gentle push or pull) some vegetables on the wooden board and then look at the edge in the light from tip to heel. Will you see some shinning spots?And if you so gently touch the edge, if you feel it chipped ?
Also if any raquin owners have experienced any warping in the blade. I am asking this because If I ever decide to buy one

i have not noticed these problems on my nakiri yet. however, its a convex grind, so i keep it convexed, i dont grind it flat to sharpen the knife as that would decrease its performance IMO.
 
What I would like to know about raquin knives is the following: how is the edge retention and if it chips or roll if you zero grind it. What i mean is if you take the freshly sharpened knife and viciously chop (not gentle push or pull) some vegetables on the wooden board and then look at the edge in the light from tip to heel. Will you see some shinning spots?And if you so gently touch the edge, if you feel it chipped ?
Also if any raquin owners have experienced any warping in the blade. I am asking this because If I ever decide to buy one

The edge holds up better than most similar steels i tried. you can fairly easily bend the knife like all knives with similar construction, wich is one reason i dont prefer these types, also its fairly reactive.
 
interesting. You were able to get the VAT back, that makes sense.

My question is: is it a crime for the vendor to charge the VAT in the first place? EG: not if he has to refund it, but if he can be in legal trouble in his country ?

you have to be registered for VAT in the first place to be able to charge it .... but that’s a different topic altogether.

Well that document does say VAT isn't to be charged on exports, so armchair wise, I would say it shouldn't be charged in the first place. But I'm not an EU lawyer, and this kind of wording is where lawyers make their money.
 
Maybe its time for a reminder
https://www.kitchenknifeforums.com/threads/my-bnib-narra-honyaki-gyuto-wedges-badly.44322/

I'd have thought that experience would have taught a lesson that not everything shiny (with a fancy handle) is gold. In my experience if a knife or maker is hyped (by people I respect in the community) its with very good reason. Plenty of hyped makers out there who are undeserving of that status IMO, but they have usually gained little to no traction in the KKF community and for good reason.

I would rather buy from a blade smith who perfects a great style with incremental changes than one that generates a multitude of different designs, steels, finishes, profiles and grinds. Taking an automotive analogy, here's a reason why the Porsche 911 has been so successful for so many decades. Bryans knives may 'look' crude with their Kurouchi finish but its my understanding that its harder to pull off a great, authentic (as opposed to an applied) Ku finish, than one thats ground and brushed/polished.

As an aside, there was an interesting comment on one of Maksims IG posts for the Kato Ku knives recently asking why the blades were all scratched up, as if it was a sign of bad/careless manufacture. I thought those marks were from a straightening process on a roller, when it appears they are really an effect of the firing clay interacting with the Ku itself.

I will say, having tried many different makers and styles of blade finish, that Ku knives have generally been better performers than those that are polished. As for handles, give me a non-stabilized, open grain natural wood ANY day. For me performance is king. If I want to admire a bit of high performance bling I'll pull out the Ashi Honyaki. BRRRRRRPPP
 
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I have so many things I want to say but ..... I think I’ll just shut up.

+1000

BTW: Bryan is a forum member as well. A forum search will yield an archive of past user posts on Bryan's work and their impressions. Bryan himself also posts in the forums, so I'll let his posts do the talking:

https://www.kitchenknifeforums.com/threads/just-a-few-words.28476/

https://www.kitchenknifeforums.com/threads/gyuto-how-its-made.28604/

https://www.kitchenknifeforums.com/threads/my-steel.29256/

I had a much longer reply but at the end of the day, I'm just an unknown poster who probably won't carry much weight on your opinions.

Tl;dr: Buy what you like.

P.S. Forgot to add, @bryan03 , if I had the authority, I'd make you a Meilleurs Ouvriers de France.
 
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Well that document does say VAT isn't to be charged on exports, so armchair wise, I would say it shouldn't be charged in the first place. But I'm not an EU lawyer, and this kind of wording is where lawyers make their money.
Both of you guys should stop talking about VAT because clearly both of you have no idea what you’re talking about and its starting to look uglier by the second.

First of all, lets not imply someone is not complying with his tax obligations if there is no hard proof that its true.

Secondly, VAT is not due by law on exports to third party states (technically it is due but against a 0% rate), but if someone would charge it, the VAT would be due and payable (by the customer to the vendor and subsequently by the vendor to the tax authorities). Now lets go back to the real topic: telling OP why he needs a raquin.

PS: also, talking about taxes is boring as ****. Take it from me.
 
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Briochy, completely wonder that myself along with a few others. No doubt its ignorance on my part, I've been in this hobby too long.

My only confrontational statement is its funny how brand new members are coming at you. Wish they had an ignore button on here.
They do, you just have to look for it.
 
Both of you guys should stop talking about VAT because clearly both of you have no idea what you’re talking about and its starting to look uglier by the second.

First of all, lets not imply someone is not complying with his tax obligations if there is no hard proof that its true.

Secondly, VAT is not due by law on exports to third party states (technically it is due but against a 0% rate), but if someone would charge it, the VAT would be due and payable (by the customer to the vendor and subsequently by the vendor to the tax authorities). Now lets go back to the real topic: telling OP why he needs a raquin.

PS: also, talking about taxes is boring as ****. Take it from me.

As you apparently are an expert on VAT, you can easily answer the question we had, no? Is the vendor legally obliged NOT to charge VAT to third party countries? Or CAN he charge it (and then also has to pay said amount to authorities in his country - can’t keep it to himself of course)?

One of us said the former, the other the latter.

Thank you
 
As you apparently are an expert on VAT, you can easily answer the question we had, no? Is the vendor legally obliged NOT to charge VAT to third party countries? Or CAN he charge it (and then also has to pay said amount to authorities in his country - can’t keep it to himself of course)?

One of us said the former, the other the latter.

Thank you
As I’m not a French lawyer I will not (and neither should you, hahah)
 
As I’m not a French lawyer I will not (and neither should you, hahah)

Let me get this right: you first tell me and another poster that we should stop posting about it because we’re both clueless, then chime in yourself with your take on VAT law and now say that neither you nor me should say something about that topic?

Ok. Gotcha!
 
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