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I went to Dhl today to pick up my Yanick!
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The knife, but we’re pumping brakes on that as I’ve come to discover some small, what look to be, pits on the front right under the kasumi. I have reached out to the dealer and am waiting for a response
 
Tojiro 225mm VG-10 No.6 Chinese Cleaver/Chucko Bocho

102mm at the heel, 105 mm in the middle, 103 mm at the tip
2mm spine thickness all the way down
496 grams

I seem to be going through a bit of a cleaver phase. I wanted something inexpensive and stainless with good edge retention, and although VG-10 has a bit of a bad rap, it supposedly has better edge retention than other entry level options that are usually some kind of molybdenum/vanadium or INOX stainless and I don’t think that full sized cleavers in a nicer stainless option like R2/SG2 are common.
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Out of the box, the Tojiro is ground decently thin, although it still has that kind of chisel grind edge bevel that is common on entry level J-knives and feels a little thick in use. It needs a decent push to get through anything dense and is missing that “fall through food” feeling that you’re looking for with full sized cleavers. Also, it has the worst, most draggiest sandblasted finish I’ve ever encountered. Edge retention was only ok and sharpening took extra effort to raise and remove a burr, all expected from VG-10, although it was not nearly as bad as some of the crap Chinese VG-10 I’ve sharpened for others. I used it for a couple days before taking it to the stones. Removed about a couple grams of steel with some extra focus on the front corner/tip since there’s no taper at all. I reground it from close to a 50/50 grind to more of a right handed asymmetric. It’s kind of hard to tell from the choil shots, but it makes a world of difference when cutting. I also took some sandpaper to smooth out the sandblasted finish where the thinning didn’t reach.

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Before

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After

Test drove it through 50 lbs of onions, medium dice, on the crappiest plastic boards imaginable. The edge is thin enough to fall through food smoothly or with just a little nudge, while not so thin that it microchips or feels fragile. You can do some forceful chopping and it still holds up well. With a thinner edge and more acute sharpening angle, the VG-10 is easier to sharpen and deburr than originally (still requires a bit more effort than a good carbon steel) and edge retention has improved immensely to about at a level I thought was good. I cut up some tomatoes and apples afterwards and the front third of the cleaver where most of the chopping was done hesitates on the skin a little before piercing it, but is still an acceptable level of sharpness. The rest of the cleaver, which still saw some board contact, remained shaving sharp. The VG-10 doesn’t strop back to easily like with most carbons, but a couple swipes on a MAC black ceramic honing rod brings the entirety of the edge back to shaving sharp.
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Overall, the Tojiro cleaver definitely needs a bit of work to shine, but if you can spare the time and effort, it’s an excellent bang for your buck knife.
 
Two new TFs in the last couple months. Got the Sugi/Forty/TF 210 first and then ended up picking up a Denka 210 on BST.

Did some work rounding the heel and spine of the Denka after it arrived and feels much better in hand now. Both have had work on the blade road/thinning done before I got them. I'm very happy with how both perform even though they feel quite different from each other. One day I might upgrade to a 240 denka but I'm happy for now. The Japanese elm burl on Jobone's handle is absolutely beautiful, pictures don't quite do it justice.

Sugi/Forty/TF:

Length (heel to tip): 216mm
Height at heel: 51mm
Weight: 182g

TF Denka:

Length (heel to tip): 211mm
Height at heel: 50mm
Weight: 222g

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Nice handle, who made that for you?
 
It's sashimi tonight. Just for this occasion, we have tuna, salmon, and hamachi from Quality Seafood.

I have not really made sashimi, just sushi. How do you cut sashimi? Do you cut sashimi chunkier than sushi? I cut sushi to drape over the rice if I can.
 
I haven't made sushi, so can't compare. Last time I sliced somewhat thin, put a dab of wasabi at one end, folded and dipped lightly in soy sauce. I'll try to remember to check tonight and use my wife's opinion as the final, authoritative answer.
 
I haven't made sushi, so can't compare. Last time I sliced somewhat thin, put a dab of wasabi at one end, folded and dipped lightly in soy sauce. I'll try to remember to check tonight and use my wife's opinion as the final, authoritative answer.

Yea, we put a dab of wasabi on our sushi rice before I drape the fish over the rice. I try to cut my sushi so it drapes over the rice and covers it. That is my favorite way.
 
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For the thickness of the sashimi, the wife has spoken. I said it looked like about 3/16", but she countered with "I'd say it's closer to 1/8". So the answer is closer to 1/8" (but no more than 3/16"). For length, cross grain across the block which is about 3" wide (measured, not someone's opinion).

Here are a few more pictures after cleaning the blade with acetone but before using. Again: Gesshin Kagekiyo 330mm White #1 Kiritsuke Yanagiba

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For the thickness of the sashimi, the wife has spoken. I said it looked like about 3/16", but she countered with "I'd say it's closer to 1/8". So the answer is closer to 1/8" (but no more than 3/16"). For length, cross grain across the block which is about 3" wide (measured, not someone's opinion).

Here are a few more pictures after cleaning the blade with acetone but before using. Again: Gesshin Kagekiyo 330mm White #1 Kiritsuke Yanagiba

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I cut my sushi about 1/8 inch thick. I never cut 3/16 thick as I don't think it will drape over the rice. Sounds like we are cutting it the same.

I think I have seen pictures maybe on this site where the sashimi was cut thicker like a 1/4 inch or more. I have no idea what is correct or why you would want it thicker.


PS
I here is a picture of some sushi I cut.
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Togashi 300mm in white #1 - first yanagiba. Entry level no doubt, but oh man now I get why you would use one of these things for raw fish. It’s pretty sharp ootb and looks damn complex to polish, this one’s staying stock for a long time.

Edit: entry level in terms of the yanagiba I see floating around here. To give credit where credit is due - fit, finish, and performance (as far as I can tell) is excellent. Attention to detail is noticeable.
 
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Sakai Kikumori 240mm Blue 1 Damascus by Y Tanaka, wide bevel version.

- OOTB sharpness was scary sharp, after a few strops on leather it glided through the roots of an onion, the part that typically gives me the most resistence
- fit and finish is superb. Perhaps because this a more classic brand/ design, the spine was less rounded vs Hitohira Tanaka Kyuzo
- Weight comes in at 173g vs 192 on the Tanaka Kyuzo
- came with a protective layer of lacquer? Which I removed with an alcohol pad.
- purchased at strata together with the tanaka kyuzo which I will upload pics shortly :)
Where did you get this?
 
I just picked this up from Bernal Cutlery’s most recent vintage knife batch. The mark on the blade is of a butcher/tanner from Ohio that certainly purchased working knives that fit this description in bulk from Lamson & Goodnow during the late 19th/early 20th century, but cannot say for sure that it is indeed LG. It should be a relatively simple carbon steel based on the age. If anyone has additional thoughts on what this might be or what it might be made of, please share! BTW…I took it for a test drive today through some different fruits with the OOTB edge on it and it was a fun time. I plan to use it as a longer adjunct to my Watanabe Ajikiri for fish breakdown where needed, but I’m sure I’ll find all sorts of uses.
 

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