Ryusen line blazen vs bontenunryu

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vk2109

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Has anyone used the 2 lines ? i know one is VG10 and the one other is SG2 but was wondering if there is any noticeable difference between ?
or just become a tradeoff between edge retention, more brittle (SG2) vs less brittle and less edge retention.
(looking online at 210 gyuto...hard to decide between the 2)

Thanks

Vadim
 
I have only ever used the vg10 version and they are sweet. Considering SG2 is a nice steel even though its brittle I would probably get the SG2 if all else is equal, just cause I like harder steels, and VG10 sucks because its VG10, nothing wrong with it other than its really common.
 
Ryusens SG2 is not brittle at all for me. A little less tough than ginga, but among the tougher steel HT I've used, even considering thinness. It's not mega tough, but it's tough and hard enough to not chip or bend under smaller loads. A great balanced HT emphasizing edge life without compromising much on other properties. Mine was abused (not by me) to carve wood... A couple smallish chip, and only where it look like the person twisted the edge hard. And even there, there was a good amount of deformation left around the chip. And the steel feels hard
 
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I’ve owned a little Blazen paring knife for.a decade or so and it’s a trusty, robust thing - I’d definitely echo the chorus of SG2 is not chippy here.

I will say that I don‘t enjoy sharpening Ryusen’s SG2 much mind. This is probably a reflection on my marginal sharpening skills and slack practice levels as much as anything, but whilst I don‘t quibble with the edge retention or toughness of the HT I find it a little more awkward to get right. Good blades - and Ryusen does grand packaging and sayas - but `I didn‘t hold onto the Blazen gyuto of the same vintage, largely because I shifted away from yo handles and prioritised easier maintenance/knives that boosted my sharpening confidence

Whisper it quietly, but VG10 from the likes of Hattori (who I think Ryusen acted as OEM for at one point) seems much more simple to get sharp qiuickly.
 
Thank you @memorael, @refcast @KenHash and @WiriWiri. Thanks i feel like leaning towards the SG2 one.
Quick question what does the "HT" acronym stand for ?


memorael said:
I have only ever used the vg10 version and they are sweet. Considering SG2 is a nice steel even though its brittle I would probably get the SG2 if all else is equal, just cause I like harder steels, and VG10 sucks because its VG10, nothing wrong with it other than its really common.
Click to expand...

I think it's mainly the heat treatment with the Vg10. I have a tsukiji masamoto VG10 and sharpening is easy and the blade holds the edge razor sharp, while have some tojiro steak knife vg10 and really harder to sharpen !!
 
I had totally forgotten about Hattori, which I can confirm to some extent, did do ryusen blades and also nenox. If I am not mistaken, the forums knives are basically the same steel used for the G type nenox's. The steel gets sharp, and is easy to sharpen but for some reason I never really got into the steel. Maybe at that time I still didn't have the skill to get it to the point I like my knives or I just didn't like the way it felt when cutting. If I recall correctly I ended up finishing the forums knife on a 10k naniwa and it gets wicked sharp. For an utilitarian edge I like the king 6k. Funny enough even though I don't like the knife that much it is pretty much my only wa handled gyuto lol. I'll take a pic tomorrow so you guys can laugh off my sharpening job.
 
JBroida said:
you've got it the other way around on hattori and ryusen... ryusen used to do OEM work for Hattori FWIW
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I’m glad you jumped on the thread to clarify this - I almost felt motivated enough to quibble with the OEM mix up, but it would seem churlish to pIck up another poster’s inaccuracies when you’re just another everyday KKF knife nerd (and with a terrible memory to boot). But Jon‘s on surer ground: a voice of authoriy around these parts and with good reason. Not sure what Mr Hattori does these days, or whether Ryusen are still helping - seems unlikely, as Mr H seems to be basically limited to fitting the same superannuated kitchen forum range with increasingly gaudy handles In dubious ’special‘ edition releases. I actually like the Hattori/Ryusen VG10 fwiw, as unfashionable as that sounds

i also seem to remember one of John’s comments about Ryusen’s R2 heat treatment feeling a little different, which is my experience (albeit at a much smaller sampling size). Tougher than most for sure, but also not as easy to judge on the stones, at least for a sharpening plodder like me.
 
JBroida said:
you've got it the other way around on hattori and ryusen... ryusen used to do OEM work for Hattori FWIW
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So then Ryusen did the knives for Hattori? that's funny. So does Hattori make some knives for Nenox? or what's the whole shebang? I do recall at one point you informed me that only about 3 knife makers make all the honyaki knives so I figure this OEM is common ground on some knife makers and part of the reason knives have different price points are the fit and finish. I recall somewhere used to market their knives as sharpened by some guy so the knife was super sharp and correctly formed from the get go. If I recall correctly, knife making has 3 distinct steps? or maybe 4? the knife making itself, grinding, sharpening and handle making?
 
WiriWiri said:
I’ve owned a little Blazen paring knife for.a decade or so and it’s a trusty, robust thing - I’d definitely echo the chorus of SG2 is not chippy here.

I will say that I don‘t enjoy sharpening Ryusen’s SG2 much mind. This is probably a reflection on my marginal sharpening skills and slack practice levels as much as anything, but whilst I don‘t quibble with the edge retention or toughness of the HT I find it a little more awkward to get right. Good blades - and Ryusen does grand packaging and sayas - but `I didn‘t hold onto the Blazen gyuto of the same vintage, largely because I shifted away from yo handles and prioritised easier maintenance/knives that boosted my sharpening confidence

Whisper it quietly, but VG10 from the likes of Hattori (who I think Ryusen acted as OEM for at one point) seems much more simple to get sharp qiuickly.
Click to expand...

I'll second everything you said here re: Blazens
 
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