Thinking about making some changes

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joshtheberg

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Hello,
I am thinking about making some changes to my knife collection. Currently, I have a Yoshikane SKD 180mm Santoku and a 240mm blue #2 Yoshimo Kato Gyuto. I like both my knives but I just kinda want something new. I really like the feeling of the Sanjo taper in the Yoshikane so I want my next knife to be a Sanjo-style knife. I am looking at either a Yoshikane 240 skd or white #2 gyuto or a Mazaki Migaki 240 mm gyuto. Does anyone have any insight about what I should get? I love the look of the Mizaki but from my understanding, the Yoshikane is subjectivly the better knife. I don't have a petty but I don't feel that I really need one. I am a home cook and I don't have any stones, so I am thinking that the Mazaki may be too much of a hassle in terms of thinning and whatnot but I don't mind wiping down my knife.
 
When you say you like the 'Sanjo taper' what exactly do you mean?

Also... 'subjectively the better knife' depends entirely on your own preferences and usecase.
 
I'd go with the Mazaki if you already have the 180 Yoshi. I wouldn't limit myself to only Yoshikane or Mazaki if I wanted a Sanjo 240 though, there's wakui, and munetoshi both near or under the yoshikane pricepoint
 
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Gotta say… maz takes a killer edge but it doesn’t last long on my iteration of it.

Take it for what you will. I can’t say anything about the others, but it’s a point to be taken into consideration. Acids and alums seem to really eat my fresh edges on both my white #2 mazaki.

Love the grinds and the mass tho.
 
My Mazaki is pretty thick. Good workhorse grind. Steel has pretty good retention for white2. It ain't no blue steel, though. Seems there is a fair amount of variability in Mazaki grinds.

If you want a thinner Sanjo grind, Yoshikane and Wakui are worth a look in your price range. Note that certain interations of both are pretty workhorsey.
 
Mazaki, Wakui and Toyama are all excellent choices. All have generous spine thickness at the handle with substantial taper toward the tip. Grinds vary, but I have yet to come across any by these 3 that I did not enjoy.
 
I think I am leaning mazaki. I think the knives are really cool but are they too hard to deal with as a home cook? I am a college student so I don't cook that often so any knife I buy will not get that much usage. I am also thinking of picking up a 1000 grit Cerax stone
 
Regardless of what knife you settle on, I think I’d advise a splash and go stone for you. The Shapton Pro comes with a case and you can use it quickly and it has the case to use as a stand and good ventilation so it’s fast and easy to use. They aren’t expensive at all and for a college student they will be great. I have the Cerax 1000 and it’s a great stone, but it needs good soaking and drying…and a stand.
 
joshtheberg said:
I think I am leaning mazaki. I think the knives are really cool but are they too hard to deal with as a home cook? I am a college student so I don't cook that often so any knife I buy will not get that much usage. I am also thinking of picking up a 1000 grit Cerax stone
Click to expand...
Not really, no. A 1K for maintaining the edge and making sure you wipe it down and let it dry completely before putting it away should get you a really long way. A decent cutting board is worth getting as well.
 
Don't get too far into stones starting out (or do!) but there are more versatile choices than the Cerax 1K, which is a really nice stone, for the kind of usage and maintenance that you're talking about. One of the Med India/Soft Ark combis is a one and done setup for almost anybody.
 
joshtheberg said:
I think I am leaning mazaki. I think the knives are really cool but are they too hard to deal with as a home cook? I am a college student so I don't cook that often so any knife I buy will not get that much usage. I am also thinking of picking up a 1000 grit Cerax stone
Click to expand...
It is quite reactive (due to the iron cladding), but you already have a decent semi-stainless option in the Yoshikane so that's not the end of the world.
The question is more of a... is it the right knife for you. That's why I asked 'what did you like about Sanjo taper'... especially since IME not all 'Sanjo taper' knives are really the same.

Even though both Mazaki and Yoshikane are from Sanjo they are very different knives, even ignoring the steel difference. The Mazaki is a lot taller. The taper is actually quite different; my Mazaki starts off wider than my Yoshi but tapers more steadily, so while thickness 1 cm from the tip might be similar the Maz was actually thinner 5 cm from the tip. But whether that's a good thing depends a lot on your preferences.
Maz was also a lot different i grind (Yoshi more of a hollow grind, Maz more classical wide bevel, maybe leaning to more convex), profiles are a completely different ballpark (Yoshi gyuto has a very particular profile that's not everyone's cup of tea, Mazaki has a new profile every calender year, but in general the Maz will be quite a bit taller).

If you're in the ballpark of 'what do I need' the stone might indeed be the best investment.

Long story short, maybe fill in the questionaire, but try to figure out what you're really looking for in a knife, and what you really like and dislike about what you have.
In the end there's many good knives; the question is more which one is right for you.
 
My Mazaki has a very reactive cladding. It's my most reactive knife. Somewhat better with a patina.

My Hinoura (Hyakuren) doesn't have much taper compared to most Sanjo knives.

+1 on the questionnaire. It's hard to recommend a knife if we don't know what characteristics you are after.
 
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