Chance smiles. Wanted to try this knife, and a BST providentially came with a decent price for a barely used unit. Seems the JNS naming scheme literally means “climbing” or “jumping carp”, while culturally in relation with koi fish where “koi” is informal for the colored variants of a species of carps, bred and kept for decorative purpose, some emblematic of specific aspects of personal growth and well-being. Sorry for this very general and probably distorted explanation of something of no real consequence: whatever good there is comes from a thread here on KKF, for misinformation blame Wikipedia and shady alternative sources. I’m just trying…
Syuuji Toyama is a seventy-some master working alone in his shop – see that incredible YT video of him making a Deba:
* True in line with Heel +10mm. False is significantly different - see choil shot.
** Nearest to tip with still 10mm perpendicular up the edge just below the spine.
Box is pretty typical, albeit very nice: sturdy, tight friction fit, carton sheath protecting and keeping the blade in place.
In this new review formula, box isn’t counting towards score anymore. The general criteria otherwise stay the same while the scoring gets dumbed down to five points total – which makes each affect toll more aggressively. Performance criterion will still show and discuss the profile but no more score goes towards that neither, since profile is the most personal thing to like or dislike, and has always been the most inconsequent aspect to brute performance within this criterion.
Handle: 0.5/1
Aesthetics & Ergonomics
Does the job. For the price I was tempted to give bottom mark, since it’s the cheapest of handles on one hand, but more importantly puts the balance 30mm forward the heel, walking the fine line of overdone for a 210mm. It however feels quite nice in use with that balance point, enough to admit that it essentially still suits the knife’s profile and warrants the average score. I wonder how it would translate on any of the longer Gyuto though…
Blade: 0.5/1
Choil & Spine
Choil semi-eased, spine partially rounded at the pinch. Only but warrants average score again – and apparently Maksim asks for superior F&F on these, which is probably a good thing. However, a look at the video tells you just how much of a single-handmade knife you get, and apparently amongst the best treatment of Blue #2 – so I guess under this light, price is pretty good, handle and rougher details disputable only if you’re really picky.
Finish: 1/1
Aesthetics & Maintenance
Every day maintenance for this knife will be on the easiest side of carbons, kasumi pattern is nicely done enough to please the amateur of plain looks in me, and as a big plus, makes for the easiest of long-term maintenance where you’ll be able to naturally blend additional stone work with it.
Performance: 2/2
Geometry & Grind
It’s the place to shine, and the Toyama does it rather awesomely. First, counting mild use from original owner, this knife is nicely sharp OOTB and thin behind the edge, especially just above it, performing superbly already. Yet you have that great beefy geometry and, accordingly, quite nice food release. In cutting reminiscent of Yoshikane, but what you won’t get with a Yoshi is the taller blade that combines a still tall curving to tip area with pretty nimble tip work despite the bull nose and absence of fine tapering at the tip. In all absolute I prefer a finer tip, but here can’t complain with the equilibrium befitting profile, especially where that kind of tip provides benefits of its own.
Grind is kindly asymmetrical, a more abrupt shift pretty obvious 15-20mm behind the edge. We have some dramatic spinal tapering out of the handle, but over most of the cutting edge there isn’t much to speak of, and even getting to the tip the spine keeps relatively thick. There’s accordingly about no longitudinal tapering of the blade itself. Nice convexity to the cutting side.
Not much flat spot for the 210mm unit, but I kind of dig them that way as long as the belly is sufficiently progressive to act as a flat spot until mid-length at least. Most of my last purchases have this kind of profile and I find them a tad more natural in use than a long straight flat spot, although having one or ten of these is always a good thing too.
Overall Score: 4/5
There are an overwhelming lot of good things about the Toyama, but F&F and handle for the asking price are somewhat… aaaah… crude. However, for the overall quality and cutting ability, a Toyama sits in the zone still where value is concerned. For now, it is very carefully balanced between keeping it for a longer run in my home rotation, and selling it back fast to hunt for the next new experience. Next couple weeks should be decisive for that matter. Seeing the maker at work has almost convinced me of just keeping the knife forever, but deep admiration and true recognition of what I have in hand is still insufficient reason to keep a knife that doesn’t stick in use – and I don’t know yet if it does. What I know is that it’s made to make someone very happy and proud for a long time.
Syuuji Toyama is a seventy-some master working alone in his shop – see that incredible YT video of him making a Deba:
MAKER | Toyama |
TYPE & LENGTH | Gyuto 210mm |
FINISH & STEEL | Kasumi Aogami #2 |
WEIGHT / BALANCE | 174g / +30 |
HANDLE MATERIAL | D-Shape Ho Wood & Buffalo Horn |
| |
TOTAL LENGTH | 370 |
BLADE LENGTH | 223 |
EDGE LENGTH | 210 |
| |
HEIGHT AT HEEL | 50 |
HEIGHT AT MID BLADE | 43 |
HEIGHT 35mm TO TIP | 29 |
| |
SPINE THICKNESS | (4.7 out of handle) |
HEEL | 4.1 |
MID BLADE | 2.2 |
35mm TO TIP | 2 |
10mm TO TIP | 1.4 |
| |
THICKNESS OVER THE EDGE | @ 10/5/1mm (Choil=True*) |
HEEL + 10mm | 1.1 / 0.6 / < 0.1 |
MID BLADE | 1.1 / 0.6 / < 0.1 |
35mm TO TIP | 1.1 / 0.6 / < 0.1 |
TIP** | 1.1 / 0.6 / < 0.1 |
** Nearest to tip with still 10mm perpendicular up the edge just below the spine.
Box is pretty typical, albeit very nice: sturdy, tight friction fit, carton sheath protecting and keeping the blade in place.
In this new review formula, box isn’t counting towards score anymore. The general criteria otherwise stay the same while the scoring gets dumbed down to five points total – which makes each affect toll more aggressively. Performance criterion will still show and discuss the profile but no more score goes towards that neither, since profile is the most personal thing to like or dislike, and has always been the most inconsequent aspect to brute performance within this criterion.
Handle: 0.5/1
Aesthetics & Ergonomics
Does the job. For the price I was tempted to give bottom mark, since it’s the cheapest of handles on one hand, but more importantly puts the balance 30mm forward the heel, walking the fine line of overdone for a 210mm. It however feels quite nice in use with that balance point, enough to admit that it essentially still suits the knife’s profile and warrants the average score. I wonder how it would translate on any of the longer Gyuto though…
Blade: 0.5/1
Choil & Spine
Choil semi-eased, spine partially rounded at the pinch. Only but warrants average score again – and apparently Maksim asks for superior F&F on these, which is probably a good thing. However, a look at the video tells you just how much of a single-handmade knife you get, and apparently amongst the best treatment of Blue #2 – so I guess under this light, price is pretty good, handle and rougher details disputable only if you’re really picky.
Finish: 1/1
Aesthetics & Maintenance
Every day maintenance for this knife will be on the easiest side of carbons, kasumi pattern is nicely done enough to please the amateur of plain looks in me, and as a big plus, makes for the easiest of long-term maintenance where you’ll be able to naturally blend additional stone work with it.
Performance: 2/2
Geometry & Grind
It’s the place to shine, and the Toyama does it rather awesomely. First, counting mild use from original owner, this knife is nicely sharp OOTB and thin behind the edge, especially just above it, performing superbly already. Yet you have that great beefy geometry and, accordingly, quite nice food release. In cutting reminiscent of Yoshikane, but what you won’t get with a Yoshi is the taller blade that combines a still tall curving to tip area with pretty nimble tip work despite the bull nose and absence of fine tapering at the tip. In all absolute I prefer a finer tip, but here can’t complain with the equilibrium befitting profile, especially where that kind of tip provides benefits of its own.
Grind is kindly asymmetrical, a more abrupt shift pretty obvious 15-20mm behind the edge. We have some dramatic spinal tapering out of the handle, but over most of the cutting edge there isn’t much to speak of, and even getting to the tip the spine keeps relatively thick. There’s accordingly about no longitudinal tapering of the blade itself. Nice convexity to the cutting side.
Not much flat spot for the 210mm unit, but I kind of dig them that way as long as the belly is sufficiently progressive to act as a flat spot until mid-length at least. Most of my last purchases have this kind of profile and I find them a tad more natural in use than a long straight flat spot, although having one or ten of these is always a good thing too.
Overall Score: 4/5
There are an overwhelming lot of good things about the Toyama, but F&F and handle for the asking price are somewhat… aaaah… crude. However, for the overall quality and cutting ability, a Toyama sits in the zone still where value is concerned. For now, it is very carefully balanced between keeping it for a longer run in my home rotation, and selling it back fast to hunt for the next new experience. Next couple weeks should be decisive for that matter. Seeing the maker at work has almost convinced me of just keeping the knife forever, but deep admiration and true recognition of what I have in hand is still insufficient reason to keep a knife that doesn’t stick in use – and I don’t know yet if it does. What I know is that it’s made to make someone very happy and proud for a long time.