Regarding none Japanese makers

[DreamSun]

Who would you consider to be on the same level in all aspects of knife making as 3rd Generation Akiharu Mizuno Shigefusa Kitaeji (飯塚解房) Okishiba Masakuni for none Japanese Makers other than Bob Kramer

 

[Logan A.]

Bit of a ramble here, but this is my take. This is all in regards to double bevel knives. Single bevels are a different animal, hence my omission of Okishiba. I don’t have enough experience with those to make a reputable statement.

In my experience there are many non-Japanese makers that have superior knives to Mizuno and shigefusa. ESPECIALLY in regards to F&F.

Japanese knife makers aren’t the best at making knives, they rather excel because they emphasize tradition and have a deep knife making history. This is something harder to find with western makers. For example, a Mizuno is special because knives have been made by that family for hundreds of years, not because they are better.

Bob Kramer is an interesting reference point. I would say he is a master of mosaic Damascus, but his knives otherwise aren’t all that interesting. Currently his celebrity status pushes him further along than his knife making. Same can be said for popular makers like Neil Kamimura. Nice knives, but not necessarily better than a Tansu or Newham. Just to name a few.

All-in-all if we’re talking knife-making then there’s a LOT of options regarding skill and capability. If we’re talking status then knife-making has to be set aside and you must look at other factors. Fame, history, exclusivity etc. None of which will result in a better product.

 

[stringer]

There's an active thread on top Western makers here:

https://www.kitchenknifeforums.com/threads/looking-for-western-maker-recommendations.69556/

 

[DreamSun]

Bit of a ramble here, but this is my take. This is all in regards to double bevel knives. Single bevels are a different animal, hence my omission of Okishiba. I don’t have enough experience with those to make a reputable statement.

In my experience there are many non-Japanese makers that have superior knives to Mizuno and shigefusa. ESPECIALLY in regards to F&F.

Japanese knife makers aren’t the best at making knives, they rather excel because they emphasize tradition and have a deep knife making history. This is something harder to find with western makers. For example, a Mizuno is special because knives have been made by that family for hundreds of years, not because they are better.

Bob Kramer is an interesting reference point. I would say he is a master of mosaic Damascus, but his knives otherwise aren’t all that interesting. Currently his celebrity status pushes him further along than his knife making. Same can be said for popular makers like Neil Kamimura. Nice knives, but not necessarily better than a Tansu or Newham. Just to name a few.

All-in-all if we’re talking knife-making then there’s a LOT of options regarding skill and capability. If we’re talking status then knife-making has to be set aside and you must look at other factors. Fame, history, exclusivity etc. None of which will result in a better product.

I think I’m asking purely based on capability of knife making and I realize even North American makes (chef knives) a lot of them are not ABS masters. Besides the fame and celebrity status Kramer is also an ABS master blade smith.

 

[Logan A.]

I think I’m asking purely based on capability of knife making and I realize even North American makes (chef knives) a lot of them are not ABS masters. Besides the fame and celebrity status Kramer is also an ABS master blade smith.

Then I’d definitely refer to the list above. ABS certifications are impressive, but their testing is more geared towards hunting/fighting knives. Kitchen knives are a different application of the skillset.

I’d recommend checking out Mert Tansu. He does amazing work with wootz. Devin Thomas is another one to check out. He was recently inducted into the cutlery hall-of-fame.

 

[ethompson]

In terms of kitchen knives, I don’t think the ABS Mastersmith designation is all that relevant. The focus of that group is hunting and fighting knives which is a different craft to kitchen cutlery. There are master smiths making beautiful, but absolute crap performing, kitchen knives.

 

[blokey]

They are all respectable makers with vast traditional knowledges, but unless you are a collector, the younger generations, Japanese or Western can make as good of a knife. Is Jun Mizuno really worse than his grandfather? Or Nakagawa vs Shirakai?

 

[blokey]

Tho some of them do make very unique knives that can only be made by them, but the same can be said for many others