Tanaka Yoshikazu from JNS

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Isn't he continuing to sell the exact same grind Tanaka in Damascus Blue 1, for full price? I wouldn't think it'd be in his economic interest to let a bunch of really shoddy blades go if the Damascus inventory has the same sharpener. Could well be the case the white inventory just isn't moving as fast with the Damascus.
 
I have a white #1 210 from JNS. The steel is chippy, that's for sure, but damn can it get sharp. I think the grind is great: it's THIN, but the food release is pretty good. I'm gentle with it, reserving it for precious cuts (like scalloped potatoes, ratatouille, etc...). Keep moving if you're looking for a workhorse. This is more a surgical tool. Also, the cladding is very reactive.
 
My blue 1 dammy from JNS is not chippy I would say. Given how thin it is BTE I think it’s actually pretty tough. However, it also had slight overgrind issue near heel. I discovered the issue and fixed it during 1st sharpening. It was easy/quick to fix because it is so thin that there is no much steel to remove.
 
My blue 1 dammy from JNS is not chippy I would say. Given how thin it is BTE I think it’s actually pretty tough. However, it also had slight overgrind issue near heel. I discovered the issue and fixed it during 1st sharpening. It was easy/quick to fix because it is so thin that there is no much steel to remove.

I got the 240 blue dammy Y Tanaka from JNS - about 205 gm. I love that knife - really well made, excellent steel - no sign of chipping. I ordered the 270 blue dammy as well last week because the 240 blue me away. Maksim said the knife is not in good shape, has some chips and damage, and he is sending me a brand new Y Tanaka one arriving next week- a much better one according to him
 
I have bought a Mazaki and 2 YTanakas from Maxim on sale. All 3 have been excellent with no grind issues. Altogether, I have 3 Tanakas including a W1 Konosuke, a blue 1 Damascus and another White 1. His steel is my favourite to sharpen as it has a feel on the stones that is hard to describe, perhaps buttery smooth that no other steel seems to replicate. I also have Raquins, Toyama, Watanabe, Morihei Hisamoto ( TF steel ) Yu Kurosaki and others. All have their respective strong points which is why I still own them but none feel as good on the stones as those Y Tanakas.
 
Went for the Tanaka 240 - Shirogami 1 / close out sale. I will keep you informed, as soon as I will get the knife. Hopefully Maxim closes them out for not moving fast enough, and that there are no other issues with the blade. Shouldn´t it be satisfying, I am gonna try to return the knife. A microbevel might be a good idea. I asked Maxim about the sharpener, but have not gotten an answer yet.
 
Went for the Tanaka 240 - Shirogami 1 / close out sale. I will keep you informed, as soon as I will get the knife. Hopefully Maxim closes them out for not moving fast enough, and that there are no other issues with the blade. Shouldn´t it be satisfying, I am gonna try to return the knife. A microbevel might be a good idea. I asked Maxim about the sharpener, but have not gotten an answer yet.
Those white Y Tanaka knives are an incredible deal right now at JNS. I was tempted, but already had ordered the blue Damascus 270
 
would there be any significant difference in buying the Y Tanaka in White #1 versus White #2 or other steels, or it's really a much smaller factor than people may think?
 
Common wisdom is the difference between two very similar steels like white 1 and 2 is minuscule compared to the variation in heat treatment among makers. White 2 with an incredible HT would be preferable to white 1 with a pretty good HT. Go with the better blacksmith instead of the 'better' steel.
 
JNS does not offer Tanaka in White#2. The blue#1 damascus clad is supposed to be the cooler/better steel. I would love to get one, but it is currently out of my range.
 
A much smaller factor i think. I always wanted to have a knife in Shirogami #1 - from the collectors point of view. I doubt that Shirogami #1 is the perfect match for gyutos, maybe more suitable for knifes where you treat the blade cautiously (Yanagiba etc. ) and where you don´t get hard contact on the cuttingboard. So Shirogami #2 might be the better choice for a gyuto. I already got the Munetoshi 240 in Shirogami #2 (stellar knife), so I could not resist to get a Tanaka at that price point. I have the Tanaka x Kyuzu blue #1 from Hitohira and I must say it is one of the finest edges I have. If Tanakas Shirogami #1 compares to his blue #1, all the better. The grind will be the big question. Never heard of the sharpener, don´t find anything about him on the web. It looks similar to the Hitohira "Yohei" in my opinion, but who knows for sure?
 
A much smaller factor i think. I always wanted to have a knife in Shirogami #1 - from the collectors point of view. I doubt that Shirogami #1 is the perfect match for gyutos, maybe more suitable for knifes where you treat the blade cautiously (Yanagiba etc. ) and where you don´t get hard contact on the cuttingboard. So Shirogami #2 might be the better choice for a gyuto. I already got the Munetoshi 240 in Shirogami #2 (stellar knife), so I could not resist to get a Tanaka at that price point. I have the Tanaka x Kyuzu blue #1 from Hitohira and I must say it is one of the finest edges I have. If Tanakas Shirogami #1 compares to his blue #1, all the better. The grind will be the big question. Never heard of the sharpener, don´t find anything about him on the web. It looks similar to the Hitohira "Yohei" in my opinion, but who knows for sure?
Tanaka’s B1 via “Takada no Hamono” is a BEAST
 
Went for the Tanaka 240 - Shirogami 1 / close out sale. I will keep you informed, as soon as I will get the knife. Hopefully Maxim closes them out for not moving fast enough, and that there are no other issues with the blade. Shouldn´t it be satisfying, I am gonna try to return the knife. A microbevel might be a good idea. I asked Maxim about the sharpener, but have not gotten an answer yet.
The 160 petty is otw to me! They sure look great. (Had to order some nagura 2 get shipping 🤣)
 
Common wisdom is the difference between two very similar steels like white 1 and 2 is minuscule compared to the variation in heat treatment among makers. White 2 with an incredible HT would be preferable to white 1 with a pretty good HT. Go with the better blacksmith instead of the 'better' steel.
This is one thing that drives me nuts in the Industry.

Who makes a "Bad/pretty good" white 1 HT?
Who does and "Incredible" white 2 HT.
Its all sales and marketing talk.
My experience is generally ... *you get what you pay for*
There are some pieces that are over-valued (typically the hyped stuff) - and there is the under-valued (Generally what nobody bothers talking about)

I havn't spend enough time grinding down Y. Tanaka's steels to give my impression admittedly. Can somebody take theirs down to a Zero grind and let us know how it holds up?
 
Lucas, it is not that impossible. It does not take a scientific measurements to feel that, for example, Tanaka white#1 is much faster to sharpen than for example white#2 Munetoshi Honyaki. There is definitely difference in hardness and also edge holding.
 
Good luck finding
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something wrong with this..
 
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