Show your newest knife buy

[drsmp]

After seeing Kamon’s Darth Vader gyuto on IG , I decided to give my KKF Kamon an etch and polish.

 

[drsmp]

252x57mm nickel and wrought iron clad western handled gyuto with twr steel core and a western full tang handle in blue stabilized birch. Great knife from Tobias Heldqvist of Sweden and great service from Crocker Cutlery.

 

[Brian Weekley]

The MS qualification is hard to earn and well justified among knife makers. When a chance came up to acquire this knife made by Dave Lisch. I won’t say I jumped at it because it cost me my prized Yanick Gyuto plus cash. Once received I knew the trade plus cash was well justified. It’s a very special knife by any measure.

It is Dave’s Stag Handle Chef’s knife. The blade and edge measure in at 270mm. The knife is 66mm deep at the heel and weighs in at 388gms. It tapers from 4.6mm at the heel, to 1.05mm 1” from the tip. The Damascus steel is a combination of 15n20 and 1080 steel. The pattern is Dave’s Dragon Flower Pattern Mosiac with a C lock integral bolster. The handle is Sambar stag.

A few pics …

As chance would have it a family dinner was scheduled tonight where my participation would be my family’s favourite Newfoundland Seven Layer Supper. Lots of choppy choppy.

This Lisch Gyuto is an absolute delight in hand. It’s perfectly balanced in my pinch grip. Very light and maneuverable. It made short work of tonight’s chopping duties and I definitely won’t shy away from using it when the urge strikes me. Check out the Naughty Schoolboy Thread to see how it performed in the great potato slap down.

 

[Bensonhai]

Toyama aogami#2 stainless clad 240mm gyuto

 

[Delat]

My new nakiri finally arrived!

This is a 170mm s-grind in SF100 stainless steel from Neil Ayling at Willow Forge Custom Knives. Feels laser thin, super light, less than 1mm wide at the base of the “S” or the “wedge”. I’m super excited to try it.

 

[Barmoley]

Took some time, but the working horsey is here…..

 

[MontezumaBoy]

Took some time, but the working horsey is here…..

View attachment 170099

Material? Absolute beauty senor ~

 

[Barmoley]

Material? Absolute beauty senor ~

Just the way you like them sir. AEB-L + desert iron wood.

 

[pjheff]

Just the way you like them sir. AEB-L + desert iron wood.

I may well have one from the same litter:

 

[Bensonhai]

 

[Tea_Hills]

Just picked up the tinker tank and the mag strip. Really like both

 

[Martyn]

Finally boarded the TF train

Morihei Hisamoto white 1 iron clad 210 and 240 -

Interestingly the 240 has much thinner grind than the 210.
240 -

210 -

 

[tgfencer]

Finally boarded the TF train

Morihei Hisamoto white 1 iron clad 210 and 240 -
View attachment 170266
View attachment 170267

Interestingly the 240 has much thinner grind than the 210.
240 -
View attachment 170268

210 -
View attachment 170269

Hope you like them. The price on this line is good, but the gaps in those scales hurt my soul a little bit.

 

[Martyn]

Hope you like them. The price on this line is good, but the gaps in those scales hurt my soul a little bit.

yeah the price was not bad, especially for the 240, which they only had one in stock and I wanted free shipping, hence the 210 as well lol.
I guess I will need to fill the gaps with wax or glue before using them

 

[daddy yo yo]

yeah the price was not bad, especially for the 240, which they only had one in stock and I wanted free shipping, hence the 210 as well lol.
I guess I will need to fill the gaps with wax or glue before using them

…or you use them as they are and once you are sure they are keepers, you’ll have a proper handle installed!

 

[daniel_il]

Cm4030 came in today..incredible cutter, I became cleavers guy lately.
Interesting to see how’s the stainless comparing to the carbon version.

 

[KO88]

Cm4030 came in today..incredible cutter, I became cleavers guy lately.
Interesting to see how’s the stainless comparing to the carbon version.View attachment 170328View attachment 170329

And so is there any performance difference?

 

[BillHanna]

CCK 1301. Looking forward to dinner.

 

[daniel_il]

And so is there any performance difference?

Both really sharp out of the box. The carbon slightly better on paper towels but on real life cutting i cant tell the difference. Both have similar grinds with surprisingly good food release, the stainless got thinner spine.

 

[kpham12]

Cm4030 came in today..incredible cutter, I became cleavers guy lately.
Interesting to see how’s the stainless comparing to the carbon version.View attachment 170328View attachment 170329

I wish they made a full #6 size in the CM stainless steel. Out of all the cleavers I’ve tried so far, the balance on the Sugimotos feels the best due to the rat tail tang, light barrel handle and the distal taper. Very forward balanced for chopping power without feeling too heavy.

 

[daniel_il]

I wish they made a full #6 size in the CM stainless steel. Out of all the cleavers I’ve tried so far, the balance on the Sugimotos feels the best due to the rat tail tang, light barrel handle and the distal taper. Very forward balanced for chopping power without feeling too heavy.

i was thinking the same, my cleaver sweet spot is around 210mm so a bigger stainless should be nice. honestly their cleavers so much superior than the competitors and one of the best cutters i've tried. really happy with the cm4030. for large prep i got the 1#.

 

[jonnachang]

240 mm by 54 mm KT in 145SC and XC10 steel steel by Bryan Raquin.

 

[preizzo]

240 mm by 54 mm KT in 145SC and XC10 steel steel by Bryan Raquin.View attachment 170358View attachment 170359View attachment 170360View attachment 170361

Thought he stopped with custom ,nice one jhon

 

[Bico Doce]

Here’s a Tsourkan workhorse in 52100. He said he profiled it slightly thinner than normal - feels perfect to me. Really impeccable work

View attachment 169751
View attachment 169752
View attachment 169753
View attachment 169754

Here is the matching Tsourkan suji - 52100, 280mm, ziricote handle

 

[Philip Yu]

Thank You Ryan...but next time Calvin and Hobbes pls?

 

[adam92]

Here we have a duo review, the happenstance being that I received a brand new Masahiro VC on the very same day that I received a secondhand JCK Deep Impact. The knives are so similar, and yet so dissimilar, that I couldn’t miss the chance to do both in comparison.

Masahiro – VC series Virgin Carbon Gyuto 210mm
328 / 210 / 208 ... 46 / 39 / 26 ... 1.9 / 1.8 / 1.2 / 0.6 ... -5 ... 181g ... **

Long (Total / Blade / Edge) High (Heel / Half / Tip -35) Thick (Heel / Half / Tip -35 / Tip -10) Balance (Chin = 0) Weight Cutting OOTB ( * Poor ** Avg. *** Good **** Any shade of Great)

JCK Natures – Deep Impact Aogami Super Gyuto 210mm
340 / 220 / 213 ... 46 / 40 / 27 ... 1.8 / 1.7 / 1.6 / 0.7 ... -5 ... 180g ... n/a

The Deep Impact, having been used before, couldn’t be truthfully noted here on all points, even by the poor standards I set myself to respect, so it will be sort of tagging along the Masahiro review. As it was going dull when I got it, I simply touched it up on SP2K to give it back some bite and slice - in the same ballpark than the Masahiro, decent enough to do a prep and get an idea of where to go from there.

View attachment 88825

F&F: 2/5

Handle: 0.5/1
Masahiro VC handle is made of laminated wood – and feels just like that. Each scale shows inconsistencies, and they are obviously even more inconsistent one to another. However, the handle feels solid and comfortable enough, and looks impervious to any kind of wear. The Deep Impact micarta handle suffers from a condition of white spotting looking like wear, especially along the angles and behind the bolster, but also to a lesser level on both flat sides. No blame to the seller, I was forewarned. On the good side we have a better shaped handle than the Masahiro, solid and comfy enough too.

View attachment 88824

Bolster/Ferrule: 0.5/1
Masahiro bolster is well proportioned and shaped as an object, but a bit too short, angular and abrupt for best comfort with a knife. Otherwise, tang aligns with the blade showing no important bending, and the bolster tapers evenly from scales to blade. Deep Impact would have got full marks.

Blade: 0.5/1
The blade of the Masahiro shows no irregularity whatsoever. The choil is left a bit rough, and I feel a little more real estate after the bolster would do nicely: with the recessed heel ending just below it I feel space is a bit cramped for a comfortable pinch with the middle finger nestling at the choil, and the fact that the bolster isn’t the most comfortable doesn’t help. I could still adjust with a natural grip, so I cannot say it’s problematic, just something that I feel could be improved upon.

The Deep Impact offers a bit more real estate for finger placement after the bolster, a flexibility extending to the fact that the balance is located just after the taper. Thanks to that, one can use a comfortable pinch grip right around the balance point, and even a more forward or backward grip too without feeling unbalanced or cramped. On the other hand, the choil is just as rough as the Masahiro, and my unit here has that ill-grinded, somewhat jagged area right in the middle of the curve that adds to the discomfort. The blade shows no irregularity.

Spine: 0.5/1
Spine of both knives is your average low end affair, not exactly uncomfortable, polished just enough for use, but the angles are still a bit on the rough.

View attachment 88823

Finish: 0/1
Masahiro is a monosteel finished on the belt grinder. The pattern is quite rough, but quite uniform too. It’s not a problem especially at this pricepoint, but in this specific subcategory it cannot deserve any point either, especially when a 50$ Victorinox looks much nicer. However this is mostly a matter of having all my knives reviewed on equal grounds, and obviously the Masahiro is perfectly alright this way. The Deep Impact is cladded with stainless steel, where we can also find grinder marks, although the pattern is much lighter: it shows mostly at slanted angles under a crude enough light. It would have gotten the average mark here: cladding is polished enough to blend while the cladding line draws most of the attention anyhow.


EXPERIENCE: 4.5/5

Box: 0.5/1
The Masahiro box looks great, the fold of VCI paper is branded with Masahiro (first time I see that, a curioso of no importance) and there’s a carton sheath that follows the design of the box – a little extra security on the blade is always nice. It is all however made of rather cheap, thin and wobbly laminated carton. The Deep Impact would have earned full marks: the box is neat, thick and sturdy, with a full blue felt liner inside where the knife’s handle is securely encased and the blade is cozy, wrapped in its VCI fold and an extra plastic sheath, all this topped with extra foam protection.

View attachment 88818

First Impression: 1/1
Despite the rough finish and laminated handle, there’s a superb vibe coming with the Masahiro. It could almost be mistaken for a cheap western Chef from the hardware store at first glance, but looks fiercely dedicated and has that discreet but powerful identity in being a Virgin Carbon ground almost to a single bevel. It’s a unique knife hidden by the most ordinary, inconspicuous appearances.

The Deep Impact was love on first sight, this dating back to the first time I saw it online. Getting it secondhand didn’t tamper that in the slightest. The first impression is quite different from the Masahiro: the Deep Impact looks sleek and proficient, almost aggressively so, begging of you to use it, to sharpen it, looking restless whenever it’s not in your hand. Within four hours of receiving it, I had touched it up, used it in a prep, and fully sharpened it – AND was still looking for something else to do with it…

View attachment 88827

Geometry, Profile & Grind: 1/1
I like the Masahiro a lot here. Past the average OOTB edge and congestion behind it, it’s a purposeful geometry that will lend itself well to further maintenance through multiple sharpening since it is convexed very consistently and thickens consistently too. While the profile is perhaps a bit more rounded than I actually prefer, it still followed my usual techniques in all preps without having to adjust anything much. For frequent rock choppers it will only get better than my own experience. The spine pretty much is without taper until past the middle point, then there’s a good bit of taper kicking in until the very tip. It’s among the thinnest tips I’ve encountered this far too.

View attachment 88821
View attachment 88820

This point is also one where the Deep Impact hits the right notes. Already relatively thin behind the edge initially, it’s just ready to flow through food. Profile to me is excellent, such a nice flat spot, but it can rock chop with some leverage too. The geometry is nowhere near dedicated as the Masahiro, pretty much the usual V grind that I could observe with so many factory-made knives yet. Grind is on the spot. There’s no distal taper to talk about with this knife. As a whole I would have difficulty giving full marks because there’s nothing exceptional to show for it, but it IS thinner behind the edge than so many knife in this ballpark, and pretty much perfect the way it is.

View attachment 88822
View attachment 88819

First Use: 1/1
The Masahiro was for the most part a joy to use – and the parts that were less agreeable were obviously due to that somewhat bunched-behind-the-edge average OOTB sharpening. A bit of wedging was also expected in denser, taller produces, yet didn’t show as much as I would have thought. Halving an onion – first serious cut with it – was where I experienced the steering most. The correct grip however came naturally the more I went to cut with the knife. The Masahiro was particularly pleasant to use on bell peppers – even made me go back to a fair bit of rock chopping there because it was so slick. Mincing a garlic clove was a breeze with that fine tip.

The Deep Impact went to cut the very same food side by side with the Masahiro, half the stack each. No particular adjustments needed obviously, and with the touch-ups previously done it was just sharp enough to work pleasantly on that one prep. It was a natural, easy and mighty fun knife to work with – full marks would have ensued. It may not have the depth of the Masahiro’s character, but it is an enabling do-it-all that lets the cutter enjoy himself immensely, and often one just wants to use a knife just like that

Maintenance: 1/1
With both knives being carbon, some precautions are in order, but with the Deep Impact that is pretty much to just clean and dry as soon as possible after a prep. The Masahiro is fairly reactive although quite manageable of itself. It will fare better however with a full forced patina; once there maintenance is pretty much the same than for the Deep Impact. Can’t see no reason why both knives wouldn’t get full marks here.

From the choil shot of deep impact, looks like righty grind?

 

[ModRQC]

From the choil shot of deep impact, looks like righty grind?

I found it rather on the "more symmetrical" side of a japanese blade. Not seen on the picture but with the right lighting the core showed at the choil and almost dead center there as well.

 

[adam92]

I found it rather on the "more symmetrical" side of a japanese blade. Not seen on the picture but with the right lighting the core showed at the choil and almost dead center there as well.

Thanks for reply, I Talked to Koki asking about the same question, below is his comment.


For your information, Japanese Kitchen knives are generally designed for right hand use with a slightly thicker and rounded grinding on the right side blade and a less rounded (almost straight flat) grinding on the left side blade.

However, both right and left hander can use the knives that have double bevel edge sharpened 50/50 without problems.

May I assume the knife can be use for left hander as I saw from your deep impact choil shot, left & right side is not like the huge difference?

 

[ModRQC]

Thanks for reply, I Talked to Koki asking about the same question, below is his comment.


For your information, Japanese Kitchen knives are generally designed for right hand use with a slightly thicker and rounded grinding on the right side blade and a less rounded (almost straight flat) grinding on the left side blade.

However, both right and left hander can use the knives that have double bevel edge sharpened 50/50 without problems.

May I assume the knife can be use for left hander as I saw from your deep impact choil shot, left & right side is not like the huge difference?

At least he's honest with the grinding thing. More or less with the "free to go when sharpened 50/50" lol.

Mine unit was as I said as symmetrical as you could hope for. Others may present a bit more of the typical asymmetry but I'd think most would be rather of the same.

To me this kind of geometry - rather of a thin V grind - is also the most forgiving where left handed users are concerned unless the asymmetry is really prominent.

@Benuser IIRC bought one recently that he described to me as typically flatter on the left side and a mushy shoulder over the right side of the cutting edge somewhat of how a Misono would present - I believe. I'll let him add on to this if he will.

EDIT But obviously as a left hand user a unit like that would represent some extra work at the edge OOTB trying to make things kosher.

 

[adam92]

Benuser give me the feedback before, for what I understand deep impact is not friendly for left handed user, I guess I have to ask Koki if he have any deep impact in stock which have symmetrical as possible.

I might try out to see is it ok to me or not, if not I probably just sell it, as I only need a gyuto can last whole shift to cut more than 20kg chicken thighs on the poly board. I gonna use shiro kamo R2 for all the veggies anyway. Deep impact only use for meat.