Japanese Knives Suisin Knives- A Video

[JBroida]

Here's the last video we shot last night... this one is ourr introduction to some of the Suisin knives we have in the store- INOX Honyaki, Densho, Aya, INOX Western, Ginsanko, and more. Hope you like it...
[video=youtube;NShMBnokwjI]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NShMBnokwjI&feature=player_detailpage[/video]

 

[Tatsuya]

Came here in search of Suisin INOX western and got a lot more of other stuff...but awesome video nonetheless. Also, I think it's apparent that as time passes you're becoming more articulate with your presentations.

 

[JBroida]

thanks... i kind of wing these things, so i'm just glad they come out ok

 

[Tatsuya]

You know, it seems like when I watch your videos, view your posts, read your emails, etc., I'm left with more questions than I had originally, lol. I know all your knives are the ****, so yeah they're either quite easy to sharpen or relatively easy to sharpen or what have you. In your opinion, what's a "difficult" knife to sharpen, in terms of brands and the HTs for their chosen steels?

 

[JBroida]

i hate sharpening vg10 most of the time... and the gesshin uraki skd11 isnt super easy. Ginsanko can be tough to remove the burr from, and the Suisin INOX Honyaki can require a bit more skill and time to sharpen well (and the microvbevel technique takes a bit more skill). The gesshin ginga is easier to sharpen than the gesshin uraku. The jin knives are on the harder side to sharpen, but not so bad when compared to say zdp-189 or something like that (even some HT's on o1 i've seen).

 

[Tatsuya]

My work knife is VG10 and I'm not experienced with other steels so most of the talk I read has little meaning that I can actually apply to my learning. Can you elaborate on why you don't like sharpening VG10? Also, I'm quite interested in how you feel about popular brands that you do not carry.

 

[JBroida]

vg10 always feels sandy/gritty and is more difficult to deburr and sharpen than what you get from the results for that effort.

as for brands i dont carry, i used to talk more freely about this, but i kind of feel like it reflects poorly on not only me but also my competitors and other knife makers. I carry a lot of brands i like, i designed a lot of lines we carry, and there are good knives out there i dont carry too. Outside of that, if you're interested in speaking with me more about this, give me a call at the store one day.

 

[Tatsuya]

vg10 always feels sandy/gritty and is more difficult to deburr and sharpen than what you get from the results for that effort.

I can't say I've ever really enjoyed sharpening my VG10 knives. I recently picked up a Tojiro shirogami petty as a cheap intro to W#2 and not only is it a lot easier to sharpen, it's FUN! It just feels better. That's kind of why I have this sudden renewed interest in carbon knives.

as for brands i dont carry, i used to talk more freely about this, but i kind of feel like it reflects poorly on not only me but also my competitors and other knife makers. I carry a lot of brands i like, i designed a lot of lines we carry, and there are good knives out there i dont carry too. Outside of that, if you're interested in speaking with me more about this, give me a call at the store one day.

Alright, I can respect that. However, I initially came here looking for Suisin Inox Western, so I am interested in your take on this steel. Also, if it doesn't interfere with your stance on outside lines, can you compare it to another molybdenum stainless like Sakai Takayuki Inox? The reason I single out Sakai Takayuki is that my boss swears by it, but that doesn't make me inclined to run out and buy one. If you'd rather not comment, that's cool too, or you can PM me!

 

[JBroida]

actually, it would be a lot easier to just talk over the phone... want to give me a call at the store one of these days?

 

[Tatsuya]

One of these days I shall! I just don't want to waste your time without dropping some cash and I don't NEED a new knife at the moment.

 

[JBroida]

its not a waste of my time at all... i love talking about this stuff

 

[Tatsuya]

I understand that, but it's somewhat trivializing to me. I don't think you realize that I wouldn't be here if it weren't for your business and willingness to teach. Becoming a (repeat) customer is essentially a debt of gratitude that will inevitably be fulfilled. Make of that what you want but it's important to me.

 

[JBroida]

seriously, dont think too much of it. Just give a call when you have questions.

 

[Tatsuya]

I may call you next week or the following, pending a paycheck and tips. No promises.

Have you guys sold out of the Zakuri Tosagata-bocho? I noticed that it can't be added to the shopping cart.

 

[JBroida]

yeah, but theres a good chance i have a box of them waiting for me at work tomorrow

 

[Cutty Sharp]

Ah! Suisin is pronounced 'suiSHin' I was wondering about that, being into the language thing a bit. Bad spelling on their part. (In Japanese there's no 'si/see' sound, and so I was wondering about this.) Anyway, sorry to interrupt!

 

[Lefty]

I'm not sure why, but I found this to be one of the best videos so far, Jon.
I'll be in touch

 

[Tatsuya]

Suisin INOX Honyaki can require a bit more skill and time to sharpen well (and the microvbevel technique takes a bit more skill).

I didn't think of this first time around but is there anything in particular where you would NOT recommend microbevel techniques?

 

[JBroida]

many knives dont require it, but i often recommend it to people as it can provide better edge stability and toughness as well as edge retention. However, some people prefer knives without microbevels and thats totally fine too. The suisin inox honyaki series is unique in the way it responds to microbeveling and is the only line i will say it is really always a better idea (and recommended by Suisin as well)

 

[Seth]

I like this video as well but I would argue with the so-called great quality control. I have received several really bad knives; bent blades (1/4"), misshapen handles, crooked handles - from another vendor. In some cases I got exchanges, others, not. So I think buying from Jon is really important because I expect he would add another layer of quality control.