Takeda ....What to look for (now) to keep from getting screwed

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Dave Martell said:
I couldn't say.

The issue here, however, is not that of the height of the bevel being incorrect - this is just a symptom - the issue is that the knife is too thick above the bevel which requires more steel to be removed to correct. If the knife was hammered thinner to begin with then the tall bevel grind wouldn't be necessary.

So if he wants a small looking bevel he would need to make a thin knife.
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Since I have only seen Stepan's & my Takeda's no expert.Both are thin behind the edge.I got Quantum's first Takeda 270mm the bevel below the slag on my blade is 6mm not as high as some of your pictures of old Takeda's,but the blade is hammered thin,cuts well with little stiction.
 
Dave Martell said:
Here's a couple of old school Takedas...notice how tall the bevels are cut on these knives.
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That's what mine looks like now that he fixed it

image-12.jpg
 
Wow, I can't believe the difference. I have an old 270 and it is quite thin. I was going to buy another 210 but it after seeing this. Are the cleavers having the same issues?
 
Huge difference in the way it cuts too. I posted new and better pics in my Takeda thread.
 
I've been thinking a lot about this situation with Takeda that's been developing and I wanted to say that I feel that even though I don't know Takeda personally I believe that he'll figure out the problem and do the right thing in the end. I say this because he's made a great reputation for himself over the years and surely won't appreciate the negative feedback his knives are now receiving. in recent times Takeda's been in communication with the western world more than ever before (Facebook, shows, new dealers, etc) so he's bound to here about this stuff, let's give him a chance to fix this before we crucify him.

I still say, should you be shopping for one of his knives, that it's currently worth your time to ask your retailer for pictures of the knife that you'll be buying prior to securing it. This will drive your retailer crazy but it will ensure that you get what you want and also show you the level of commitment that the retailer has to their products, their craftsman, and their customers.
 
Dave, I hope you're right, and that he does realize the issues, and take steps to improve them.

I'd guess that asking a retailer for individual pics is also another way to get feedback to Takeda. I think they'd be telling him, "We keep getting requests for pictures, and that takes a lot of extra time." It would also give a better idea about the relative incidence of various problems.
 
i recently got a new one too and while the bevels weren't wide (needed thinning), the forging was still how it's supposed to be (caved in). i would have been pretty upset had it been just flat all the way down like a moritaka which defeats the purpose of paying more for a takeda.
 
I think people have to stop buying his knives and he will get the message. The problem is all the great reviews out there that mislead people.
 
vlad8 said:
I think people have to stop buying his knives and he will get the message. The problem is all the great reviews out there that mislead people.
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Honestly I ordered a custom Nakiri from Takeda and its almost laser thin and caved in above the edge. The distal taper is also as I'd expect it to be.

Some comments in this thread are a bit harsh if you ask me. Contact the guy and talk to him, hes a pretty open guy.
 
erikz said:
Honestly I ordered a custom Nakiri from Takeda and its almost laser thin and caved in above the edge. The distal taper is also as I'd expect it to be.

Some comments in this thread are a bit harsh if you ask me. Contact the guy and talk to him, hes a pretty open guy.
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Any chance I could get a choil shot from yours? I posted mine earlier in the thread but haven't really seen many others. Would really love to compare.
 
Ill try to make a few shots this weekend, in between work and 2 whisky tastings.
 
Dave Martell said:
...should you be thinking about buying a Takeda I would advise that you request of the retailer to take a picture of the actual knife you're considering buying (not a stock photo) and verify which grind it has before you get stuck with a lemon.

....
I still say, should you be shopping for one of his knives, that it's currently worth your time to ask your retailer for pictures of the knife that you'll be buying prior to securing it. This will drive your retailer crazy but it will ensure that you get what you want and also show you the level of commitment that the retailer has to their products, their craftsman, and their customers.
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There's now a "Personal Shopper" (originally labeled as "concierge") service available at CKTG where they'll take pictures of these knives for you before you buy them.

Cost = $19.95


From http://www.This Site Not Allowed Here.com.com/kncose.html
This service will give you the ability to select your knife from at least 3 that we have in stock (if there are that many available). We will give you 3 or more to choose from with photos of both sides of the knife as well as a spine shot and will also provide you with accurate specs for each knife so you can make a more informed choice. We will also inspect each knife and point out any minor flaws as well as recommend the knife we think is best of the bunch.
Many of our knives are hand made by small blacksmith shops and some customers have specific requirements and preferences so we hope this service will help you get the knife you want in a similar way as possible to the experience you would have if you were standing in our shop selecting a knife in person.
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sorry but paying 20 bucks seems like BS to me. knife wear was more than happy to take pics of the takeda profiles they had in stock and email them to me a while back when i was shopping around for the "right" takeda for me. they would probably take choil shot pics too if you ask. if a supplier has time to answer your questions over the phone for a few minutes then i dont see why they wouldnt snap off a couple of pics of some inventory, especially considering how inconsistent takeda is with their profiles and grinds. the personal shopper fee has a photo of a takeda next to it, i guess he gets these requests alot for takeda.
 
And for only $5.99 more they'll add "copious bubble wrap" and "expert packing" to ensure your knife arrives "mostly damage free."
 
Maybe they put the wrapping in the box.
 
Any way to make a buck I guess. It's a service that, given the nature of the business, should be free! Obviously taking pride in ones customer service doesn't rank that high over there.
 
Hey guys, this is my Takeda 270 mm yanagiba (actually a sujihiki, since it's sharpened two-sided, but they call it a yanagiba). I got it about 9 months ago and it has never been sharpened.



These are two choil shots. I hope they are clear enough.





What do you think of the profile? And is it too thick behind the edge?
 
Do you like how it cuts? If the answer is yes, then it's fine. Also, choil shots can sometimes be misleading.

Looks like it thickens too rapidly for my taste, but ymmv.

Narrow Takedas don't seem to have the typical hollow forging of their taller counterparts.
 
Thickness is much less of an issue with a protein slicer.
 
Dave Martell said:
There's now a "Personal Shopper" (originally labeled as "concierge") service available at CKTG where they'll take pictures of these knives for you before you buy them.

Cost = $19.95


From http://www.This Site Not Allowed Here.com.com/kncose.html
Click to expand...
Man... A lot of times I feel like people are overly harsh on the guy and his site and there's some obvious personal bias and personal issue in the tone of posts about said site and owner, whether justified or not(likely more justified than not, but I'm honestly not judging either way, it's not my place nor do I personally know enough or am I looking to get involved), but this is pretty obnoxious IMHO, leaves a really bad taste in my mouth TBH.

I get they're high volume, but you really need to charge for that? Or at least not refund it as long as the person purchases one of the knives or a knife of similar cost?
 
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