Takefu knives?
- Thread starter CiderBear
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The Kurosaki western k tip gyuto is one of the best looking knives out there IMO. Other Kurosakis are just not my thing. And the grind seems inconsistent from batch to batch.
josemartinlopez
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Those handles are beautiful indeed
juice
Doesn't even buy knives
⁉
Eloh
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on the other hand, some people rather go the safe route and choose a kid that's not special, instead of taking a 50% chance of getting a retarded child (sorry for political incorrectness lol)
Takefu knives are like Toyota cars; most people will be very happy with them, but perhaps not those who own a BMW. They are really good for what they are, better than 99.8% of knives in the US and better than factory produced knives from Japan.
My first good Japanese knife was a Anryu Blue #2. At the time I thought it was totally awesome and I still think it’s a great knife. It doesn’t find much use now, but that doesn’t detract from it’s quality.
My first good Japanese knife was a Anryu Blue #2. At the time I thought it was totally awesome and I still think it’s a great knife. It doesn’t find much use now, but that doesn’t detract from it’s quality.
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What do you see as being the visible underlying similarities between a Takamura, a Saji, and an Anryu? Or a Kitaoka vis-a-vis other Takefu single-bevel makers (and in contrast with a Sakai or Seki single-bevel knife)?
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josemartinlopez
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Would you keep Takefu knives as part of a rotation even if you own higher end knives? If you were going for lighter knives, are there things that are better or at least clearly have more handwork (let’s say higher end for lack of a better term) in the same profile and steel as the Takefu knives?
I started with Takefu knives, but mainly use higher end knives now. I find it mostly true with gyutos and petties, but there are exceptions to this.
Saji San
I have a Saji colored Damascus gyuto that makes the cut, it’s one of my wife’s favorites as it really fits her hand well. I love its thicker spine but the height isn’t quite where I like it. Depending on hand size, it makes a great knife. I think this line of knives have almost more of a Niigata feel to them but a with little lower profile. Perhaps it’s his affinity for hunting knives that makes them so different. He has a new black Damascus line coming out which peeks my curiosity. I like to support the older blacksmiths and get their knives while I can.
Kurosaki San,
I love Kurosaki knives, they are both well crafted and look really cool. I think he stands out for his style, as he pushes the boundaries with this various hammers. He sometimes sports dyed hair and likes colorful handles, so his knives are not for everyone. I often have a Kurosaki AS bunka in rotation for that size knife. I think he does a great job with AS and I was impressed with his cobalt special. He has a line of the colored Damascus that he is working on, which will be available in both VG10 gold and AS. As VG10 comes from Echizen, those blacksmiths tend to do a better job with it than others. Still, I’ll go for the AS version.
Kato San
I have a Masakage Yuki Nakiri that is often in rotation. I picked it up with my first batch of knives and it still sees regular use. It’s just a good knife and I never think of it as one that needs improvements (okay, I will admit I am seriously wanting a Toyama 210 Nakiri and I have an order in for a Mazaki Damascus 180 Nakiri)
Kobayashi San
Perhaps these fall in line with Takefu Expectations with the profile, but his SG2 black Damascus is really nice. I am impressed with the look and f&f on these. As he is known as a sharpener and finisher, these are well done to carry his name. I am really enjoying the light weight feel to it - great cutter. I don’t know if they stand out for SG2, but it’s the first SG2 that I’ve used.
josemartinlopez
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Thanks very much, great post. Would you have any experience with Anryu and Shiro Kamo, two more names that come up, and any SG2/R2 knives that have stayed in the rotation? Could I ask what "higher end" knives replaced the Takefu knives you used to use?
For Japanese high ends that I use - Hinoura, Toyama, Kato Kiyoshi, Tanaka Yoshikazu, Shigs, Carter, Fujiwara Teruyasu , Sukenari. I would like to get a Tansu, Raquinn and Jiro at some point. Also have a Mazaki Damascus coming in and I think Nigara and Yoshida are other good high end knives.
For SG2, I’ve avoided it until recently, partly because I like sharpening knives and partly because I prefer carbon. Since I like sharpening, high edge retention isn’t really desirable. Maybe if I ever master sharpening, I may change my mind.
As I hobby in handle work, many knives get sent to me. I’ve seen a few Kato Kiyoshi with flaws. If I create a post with photos of the bad spots, will it influence people into thinking he makes bad knives? For Takefu (and TF) people focus on the faulty ones, but those are not representative of those knives as a whole.
Except for a Wat Nakiri, I’ve never used any of the knives sent to me but I get to see how they look and feel in my hand. There are so many good knives that differ wildly, much of it comes down to preferences. Takefu knives are a great knife for that price point, but there are other good makers at the same price like Mazaki and Kawamura (yoshimune), some house brands from JKI and JCK to name a few.
josemartinlopez
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The many Takefu knives on your Instagram after your work are certainly elevated to a completely different level sir.
josemartinlopez
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Would you be able to compare your Takefu knives against your higher end knives? For example, how would your Takefu aogami super knives with similar profiles compare to lighter knives on your list such as Y Tanakas and Carters?
Too many details there, it may be best to fill out a knife recommendation form.
When I started I emailed JKI about a couple knives and Jon personally called me back. He was kind enough to down sell, not up sell to me as higher end knives are often more delicate in nature. I am still grateful for the advice that he gave me.
One thing I want to add about KKF, their greatest strength can also be a weakness to some. Namely, there is a lot of very serious knowledge and experience, KKF is really awesome for that. But, it’s like walking into a wine club and overhearing a couple experts debating between a 1998 vs. 1999 grape when a $8 bottle of wine tastes great to you. The finer details are more important once you develop greater appreciation and understanding.
josemartinlopez
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I'll come back and reread this thread when ready then.
I will add to what @JoBone said regarding Kato's Masakagi Yuki line. I have a Yuki honesuki and it is great. It is a wonderful knife for its purpose. I bought it to break down chickens and have also used it to make chicken meat-suits following Jacques Pepins instructions. At the time I thought I would rather learn on a $160 knife than a more expensive one, especially if I damaged it. Please keep in mind I am just a home user, so I have only done a few ducks, turkeys and 50 to 60 chickens. The knife is easy to touch up to keep sharp, very sharp. I have yet to damage it and more importantly, I now see no reason to buy a different or more expensive honesuki. The Yuki just works really well for me and is low maintenance.
josemartinlopez
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Is there any advantage to using a higher end honesuki for this? I thought this was one application where people treated the knife as a beater.
Cause it's fun. I use a Gesshin Heiji, which is more honesuki than I'll ever need. But it does bring a smile to my face in use.
I don't treat the honesuki as a beater, I cut through joints & never bone. As I was learning to break down chickens in these ways I figured that if I screwed up and hit bone I would rather it be on the Yuki instead a more expensive knife. I think the Yuki gave me confidence because I wasn't scared to try and possibly make mistakes due to the low cost. I think that if a person were breaking down lots and lots of yard bird, they might want a stainless core or something with more edge retention. As far as my uses, I don't see how a higher end honesuki would matter.
Honesuki and Deba are rough use Japanese knives. It would be wise to spend as moderate as you can since you might chip or leave it in the sink for some time. I have a Tojiro DP Honesuki and it just won't hold the sharpness as I wanted to. I upgrade to Ashi Ginga Honesuki, damn that asymmetric wide bevel holds an edge really nice and easier to touch up.
