To be honest, Kato knife's Kanji is like wrriten by a 5 year old kid.

Japanese Knives - by Tokushu Knife
Find deals on amazon
Kitchen Knife Forums

Help Support Kitchen Knife Forums:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.
A more accurate comparison would be if Devin, Marko or Bob Kramer engraved their makers mark on their blades in what looked like a childs scrawl. Someone not used to roman letters might not see an issue with it and even like it, but it would probably irk the hell out of the westerners.
 
Beau Nidle said:
A more accurate comparison would be if Devin, Marko or Bob Kramer engraved their makers mark on their blades in what looked like a childs scrawl. Someone not used to roman letters might not see an issue with it and even like it, but it would probably irk the hell out of the westerners.
Click to expand...
It's a bit deeper than that...but not too far off. The niche market that this forum represents will not care too much about typography, though it does seem to abhor plastic ferrules.

An analogy I shared privately with a few folks was a book geek (not a reader, but one who sniffs books in the store) buying a unique superior-quality leatherbound, handwritten copy of a favorite classic (say, Lord of the Rings) and the cover is deeply debossed using Arial with bad kerning.
 
So does american walmart actually carry any american made knives?

Not a joke question, I don't live in America. Here in Germany there will be various cheap Solingen based brands mixed with imports at a normal supermarket, and the usual Zwilling and Henckels at upscale department stores... oh, and both places will sometimes have the classic Herder carbon paring knives that Cliff Stamp is so fond of.
 
LifeByA1000Cuts said:
So does american walmart actually carry any american made knives?

Not a joke question, I don't live in America. Here in Germany there will be various cheap Solingen based brands mixed with imports at a normal supermarket, and the usual Zwilling and Henckels at upscale department stores... oh, and both places will sometimes have the classic Herder carbon paring knives that Cliff Stamp is so fond of.
Click to expand...

What's an American knife? For that matter, what's a walmart?
 
If you want something that refine why would you buy from a Japanese maker? They just view things differently when it comes to aesthetics.
 
LifeByA1000Cuts said:
So does american walmart actually carry any american made knives?

Not a joke question, I don't live in America. Here in Germany there will be various cheap Solingen based brands mixed with imports at a normal supermarket, and the usual Zwilling and Henckels at upscale department stores... oh, and both places will sometimes have the classic Herder carbon paring knives that Cliff Stamp is so fond of.
Click to expand...

chinacats said:
What's an American knife? For that matter, what's a walmart?
Click to expand...

The bigger question is what's a Cliff Stamp? :scratchhead:
 
LifeByA1000Cuts said:
So does american walmart actually carry any american made knives?
Click to expand...

Haha... NOTHING in a Wal Mart is American made. A certain "politician" these days would probably claim that also goes for the employees ...!

Anyway, (cynical) jokes aside: while Wal Mart carries some (few) American made products, most is made in China and while I haven't checked, I'm 99.99999% sure that goes for all knives sold at Wal Mart, at least the kitchen knives. Depending in the location of the store, they might have some more upscale (well, kind of) hunting knives that MIGHT be made in the US.
 
He doesn't seem to have technique issues. The style must be a choice.

image.jpeg
 
[video=youtube;oFJ44qz9_to]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oFJ44qz9_to[/video]

Odd that this has not been posted yet.
 
@chinacats I guess a specialty pastry knife of German manufacture, used to prepare and cut black and white cookies (which are called Amerikaner here).
 
Just curious if anyone has or has seen or has any pics of his swords?
 
Great video that seems to end the supposition that five year olds are engraving Kato's knives (unless the five year olds have very large wizened hands). :scratchhead:To my eye he does have a very simple style with his character engraving and if you like it buy it. Simple is a good aesthetic. If not, buy another maker's knives to match your artistic sensibilities.
 
"It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or the doer of deeds could have done better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, who's face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is not effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasm, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who in the end knows the triumph of high achievement, and who at worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold souls who know neither victory nor defeat." - Theodore Roosevelt, April 23rd, 1910.
 
TheDispossessed said:
sincere response. his hunting knives may be sought after but i doubt his kitchen knives are a hot commodity in japan.
Click to expand...

Ok, thanks for clarifying. if thats the general consensus then perhaps my Vesper euro washed analogy might hold water in this context. For me, this explains a lot about people's perception of Katos kitchen knives, and by association his writing. many things japanese seem to benfit from the halo effect. In the same way many things from china see negative perceptions despite changing trends. We are seeing fewer things made in China as their standard of living increases. Manufacutring is moving to the next lowest wage nation which is indonesia or some place like that.

What japan is doing more and more is emplying chinese "interns" which is just a euphomism for unpaid or underpaid labour. It makes up for a lack of japanese labour force do to low population growth. Would it irk people to find out if their "japanese" blade passed through the hands of a chinese "intern" at some point in the manufacturing process?
 
jessf said:
Would it irk people to find out if their "japanese" blade passed through the hands of a chinese "intern" at some point in the manufacturing process?
Click to expand...

A little off topic here, but we're on page 17 of a thread that IMO started with a totally reasonable perspective in the first place.
I used to be extremely wrapped up in the romantic story of the old japanese blade smith, these days I'm less invested in that and more just the quality of the tool itself, independent of it's origin.
And FWIW the most mind bogglingly well manufactured thing I have ever owned in my life was made in china, an iPhone.
Cheers
 
TheDispossessed said:
A little off topic here, but we're on page 17 of a thread that IMO started with a totally reasonable perspective in the first place.
I used to be extremely wrapped up in the romantic story of the old japanese blade smith, these days I'm less invested in that and more just the quality of the tool itself, independent of it's origin.
And FWIW the most mind bogglingly well manufactured thing I have ever owned in my life was made in china, an iPhone.
Cheers
Click to expand...

I agree, but also think we're still on target with the intent of the OP's original post, which was, cultural experience can have an impact on your perspective and perceived value of objects. I'd like to think that more experience means a broader appreciation of aesthetics and things in general; for some it has a narrowing effect and only reinforces a bias they came with.

Now I'm running off topic. What's more mind boggling about iphone manufacturing in China is the suicide nets around the foxconn manufacturing plant not having a negative impact on iphone, HP, Sony etc sales. The narrative on blood diamonds, elephant ivory etc changed the face of those trades, we haven't quite reached that level of consumer empathy for the deplorable conditions in which much of what we buy is made.

In short, Kato knives cut, and the writing is neato.
 
Chuckles said:
He doesn't seem to have technique issues. The style must be a choice.
Click to expand...

It's obviously a choice. If you have a poor handwriting I bet you know it. And if you decide to use it, you know how it looks.
Anyways, Maxim explained it earlier that this type is a choice, but I guess most people do not bother to read 18 pages.

The Kanji looks amazing to my western eyes.

As for the car comparison goes, it will be more like a Vauxhall. Good looking car but with such an ugly logo, the designer must of been drunk...

buyers_guide_-_vauxhall_astra_gtc_2014_-_front_quarter.jpg
 
I'm not proud of it but I have read every post in this thread. I was hoping it would unravel in a more entertaining way. I don't even like the knives.
 
LifeByA1000Cuts said:
@chinacats I guess a specialty pastry knife of German manufacture, used to prepare and cut black and white cookies (which are called Amerikaner here).
Click to expand...

Oh man. I love those. Back when I was living in Dresden, there was a bakery where they were wunderbar. Now, in Cologne, they are not so good.

Amerikaner+11.JPG


:threadjacked:
 
So what... this thread is getting all the attention, keeping much else from happening on the forum, so to escape the silence, you have to be here...
 
I used all day my Kato at work and I was simply happy seen how does it cuts.!!
Even one single moment I was thinking in the engraving, this Mas is an artist, his knife are simply perfect cutter, don't give a **** about the Kanji!
More knife for me to buy if. Don't like them!! 😂😂😂
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Latest posts

Back
Top