Stainless Laser Gyuto 210mm wa or yo , Gesshin Ginga , Takamura R2/SG2 , or ... ?

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ayumi_ishida

ayumi_ishida

KKF Supporting Member
Joined
Apr 26, 2020
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Location
Honolulu Hawaii
Enjoying my just recently bought Anryu 210 Gyuto Blue #2 and would now like to try a Stainless Laser for comparison .
Two most frequent knives I see recommended across the internet are Gesshin Ginga (210 yo / 240 wa , and Takamura R2)
Any others to consider ?
(I've already check Aframes in Honolulu )

Live in Hawaii , USA
Right handed
Western or J handle , read that yo on Laser adds stiffness , I find wa on Anryu very comfortable
+ - $250
Home cook
General use , slicing & chopping vegetables , slicing meat
Current chef is Anryu 210 Gyuto Blue #2
Hasegawa Soft Cutting Board
Learning to Sharpen my Own
 
  • Shibata SG2 has excellent fit and finish right out of the box. K-tip is not for everyone's taste though.
  • Hatsukokoro Hayabusa is a good value option with similar grind geometry to the Takamura knives, but can benefit from some work on the spine/choils
  • Hit up Matt @MSicardCutlery for a custom AEB-L gyuto. His laser grinds will blow the socks off most of the Japanese stuff you are gonna find.
 
tostadas said:
  • Shibata SG2 has excellent fit and finish right out of the box. K-tip is not for everyone's taste though.
  • Hatsukokoro Hayabusa is a good value option with similar grind geometry to the Takamura knives, but can benefit from some work on the spine/choils
  • Hit up Matt @MSicardCutlery for a custom AEB-L gyuto. His laser grinds will blow the socks off most of the Japanese stuff you are gonna find.
Click to expand...
Thanks .
I like the polished spine/cholis on my Anryu .
 
Yoshikane SKD might fit the bill nicely here as well. A little pricier than Takamura but not too much more than Geshin Ginga. Semi-stainless laser with Wa handle. Konosuke HD2 off BST maybe. MSicard laser grinds really are too legit to quit and if you can afford to go that route, I’d encourage it. Check his forum thread and keep your eye on BST.
 
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If you want a slightly lower price point, Gesshin Ginga OEM is Ashi, and a reputable seller on ebay Blueway sells lots of Ashi. Fit and finish and heat treatment will be slightly lower, but maybe that is worth the tradeoff for you.
 
jakuda said:
If you want a slightly lower price point, Gesshin Ginga OEM is Ashi, and a reputable seller on ebay Blueway sells lots of Ashi. Fit and finish and heat treatment will be slightly lower, but maybe that is worth the tradeoff for you.
Click to expand...
I'd like the JKI version .
Love the fit and finish on my Anryu .
 
Last edited:
Owning both Ashi Ginga and Takamura R2 I'd lean towards the former. The main differences.

Takamura has better steel that will have better edge retention. And aesthethically the handles are quite nice... if your hands aren't too large. Another thing most willl see as an advantage is that a Takamura is a 'true' 210 (wa-version of Ashi runs 10mm short) and has a bit more bladeheight (many consider the Ashi 210 on the low side).

However... the thin sanmai construction makes the Takamura feel rather flimsy...almost toylike. So while it cuts really well I never particularly liked how it the feedback felt - a bit dampened and delicate feeling. On top of that it has a really thin spin and none of the spine and choil are eased so the ergonomics are not ideal...although admittedly that's somewhat fixable with some DIY. The Ashi feels stiffer and less delicate on the board, mostly because it's monosteel and is a bit more ergonomical to hold (probably even more so with the JKI version), without really giving anything up in cutting performance. And the size difference is 'fixed' by stepping up to a 240 wa ginga - which also runs short so it's more of a 230.
 
Jovidah said:
Owning both Ashi Ginga and Takamura R2 I'd lean towards the former. The main differences.

Takamura has better steel that will have better edge retention. And aesthethically the handles are quite nice... if your hands aren't too large. Another thing most willl see as an advantage is that a Takamura is a 'true' 210 (wa-version of Ashi runs 10mm short) and has a bit more bladeheight (many consider the Ashi 210 on the low side).

However... the thin sanmai construction makes the Takamura feel rather flimsy...almost toylike. So while it cuts really well I never particularly liked how it the feedback felt - a bit dampened and delicate feeling. On top of that it has a really thin spin and none of the spine and choil are eased so the ergonomics are not ideal...although admittedly that's somewhat fixable with some DIY. The Ashi feels stiffer and less delicate on the board, mostly because it's monosteel and is a bit more ergonomical to hold (probably even more so with the JKI version), without really giving anything up in cutting performance. And the size difference is 'fixed' by stepping up to a 240 wa ginga - which also runs short so it's more of a 230.
Click to expand...
This is spot on. I gave my Takamura away after a few months, felt like a toy, I’ve had the ginga for years.

As far as gesshin vs ashi, buy once, cry once. You’ll have this thing for years, even if you can’t tell the difference, you’d always have the nagging little voice whispering in your head every time you pick the ashi up.
 
I have the Anryu 210 in aogami 2 that the OP has and also have a Takamura R2 210 and a Gesshin GInga 210 petty. Between the Takamura and the Ginga, I'd probably opt for a 240 wa handled ginga. The 240s are taller than the 210s and are a little bit undersized, so I think they're about perfect as far as a laser workhorse goes. The lighter, shorter knives just don't have enough weight or heft to them to feel like they're doing much.

I'll throw a dark horse into the ring and suggest a stainless CCK vegetable cleaver, which is my favorite general purpose lasery workhorse. The steel isn't as nice as the Japanese offerings, but it's very thin while also having a good amount of weight behind the blade to "do the cutting for you." It's a knife that not only cuts well but also feels like it *wants* to cut. By contrast, the Takamura is so neutrally balanced that it feels like you have to move the knife through everything. That can be nice sometimes, but most of the time, having a laser with some weight to it is my strong preference.
 
I've had Ashi yo/wa gyuto's and a Gesshin yo handle gyuto. I kept the Gesshin and believe it's worth the few extra bucks. For what it's worth, the WA handled Ashi's were nimble and light, but the yo handled ones feel more robust without any noticeable loss in performance.

Gesshin Ginga 240 stainless yo handle is near the top of my list as one of the best all around knives.
 
ayumi_ishida said:
I'm looking for a true laser that's durable , robust .
From what I'm reading Gesshin Ginga yo appears to be best choice for that .
If the 210mm yo version is standard sized I might go for that one .
Click to expand...
Ginga or Yoshikane (or Wakui and Masashi. Who were trained at Yoshikane).
 
OP I've owned both yo- and wa-handled gingas, and several takamuras (all yo). Both knives cut very well because of the laser grinds. Basically, I think you can decide like this...

1) If you want a wa-gyuto because you prefer the feel and asthetics, you'll obviously have to go with the ginga, since takamura doesn't make a wa-handled knife in its r2 migaki series. There is a very rare takamura hana/uchigumo that has a sort of hybrid wa-yo handle, but good luck finding one. It would probably take you a year to track one down and it would be extremely expensive. So, again, if you want a wa handle, it's a no brainer to go with the ginga.

2) If you want a yo-gyuto, the main difference between the ginga and takamura IMHO is the balance point. Both the ginga and takamura have a full-length tang, but only the ginga has a full-height tang. The tang on the takamura does not extend through the full height of the handle. In some contexts, such as for a heavy use outdoor knife, the lack of a full-height tang might be considered a drawback because of a potential lack of structural integrity. This is not an issue at all in a chef's knife. You will not be using your gyuto to baton through hardwood. You will be cutting food. So, that said, what is the effect of the difference in tang construction when it comes to a chef's knife? Say it with me: balance point! The takamura has less weight in the handle, and, therefore, comparatively more weight in the blade. This allows for a more blade-forward balance, and, in my opinion, a superior "feel" in cutting performance.

That said, I recognize that some users have felt that the lightness of the takamura lends it a sort of toy-like feel compared to the ginga. I think these users are likely responding to the fact that the ginga's full-height (and length) tang gives it a more robust feel. Fair enough. But I think that the difference in balance point more than makes up for this phenomenon. I've also never personally felt that my takamuras seemed like toys. To me, the takamura wins this comparison.

But, bottom line, both are excellent knives and you'll likely be happy with whichever you choose. If you get both to compare, you'll probably also be able to sell whichever one you decide not to keep, here on BST. BST is a bit slower these days than it used to be, but the ginga and takamura are both very popular knives, and you'll probably be able to sell either with a bit of patience and an enticing price.

Good luck and enjoy!
 
chiffonodd said:
Dang I had no idea he had this line. I've been eyeing his sg2 for years. Cobalt steel = vg10 probably?
Click to expand...
My guess is it's probably similar to VG10

http://zknives.com/knives/steels/steelgraph.php?nm=Cobalt Special,VG-10&ni=6664,4001&hrn=1&gm=0
1706911241688.png
 
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