To honyaki or not to honyaki...

[nakiriknaifuwaifu]

For those who own or have owned honyaki knives, could you please discuss the pros and cons of performance, use, and maintenance?

In other words, please convince me to not buy one and/or custom order a honyaki nakiri.

Thanks,
NKW

 

[BillHanna]

Do it.

 

[Tim Rowland]

There is no question. Do it!

 

[pgugger]

please convince me to not buy one

Yes, I need your discouragement too, please.

 

[juice]

Take one for the team, report back.

 

[spaceconvoy]

It's not my money, I say go for it!

 

[Corradobrit1]

In other words, please convince me to not buy one and/or custom order a honyaki nakiri.

Sorry only enablers here.

 

[ian]

For those who own or have owned honyaki knives, could you please discuss the pros and cons of performance, use, and maintenance?

In other words, please convince me to not buy one and/or custom order a honyaki nakiri.

Thanks,
NKW

There are no advantages at all in performance, use or maintenance. It’s just a wavy line.





Fine print: most honyaki are less reactive than iron clad knives. the soft spine helps if one (in particular the maker) wants to straighten the knife. with japanese knives, more care is usually put into the grind and fit and finish of honyaki blades, although I’m not sure if that’s as true for western makers.

 

[Wdestate]

I also like to enable but real talk there is minimal if any performance advantages and is much more of a pain to maintain both from an aesthetic value and ease of thinning compared to a san mai co struction. That being said some people claim they get better feesback cutting with them. I been using them for years and never really noticed a difference. All that being said get one anyways cus why not

 

[ExistentialHero]

Honyaki knives tend to be the pinnacle of the craft of the smith and polisher who make them. Performance won't necessarily be better than any other good gyuto of the same profile and grind class; you buy a honyaki because it's friggin' awesome.

Buy it

 

[Bensbites]

I also like to enable but real talk there is minimal if any performance advantages and is much more of a pain to maintain both from an aesthetic value and ease of thinning compared to a san mai co struction. That being said some people claim they get better feesback cutting with them. I been using them for years and never really noticed a difference. All that being said get one anyways cus why not

The theory is that the softer spine absorbs more of the impact force... I would not be surprised if 50-95% of people couldn’t tell.

as far as the functional art, they are distinct and more difficult. The value to that will vary from person to person.

 

[McMan]

Or instead of one honyaki, you buy two other knives. Depends where're you're at with what you want to try.

 

[juice]

Well, I hope this thread has helped you.

 

[Colin]

Buying a honyaki from a western maker is a good compromise. It's generally less expensive than honyakis from Japanese makers but gives you the opportunity to try out honyakis. The ones that I have are truly remarkable, but I wouldn't say that is because they are honyakis. Rather, only good smiths can pull them off (in general). I say go for it!

 

[Ruso]

If you have the means, get one!

 

[McMan]

Buying a honyaki from a western maker is a good compromise. It's generally less expensive than honyakis from Japanese makers but gives you the opportunity to try out honyakis. The ones that I have are truly remarkable, but I wouldn't say that is because they are honyakis. Rather, only good smiths can pull them off (in general). I say go for it!

What makers are you liking?

 

[Colin]

For western makers, there's the nine, Kippington, and isasmedjan that come to mind instantly, but I am sure there are more out there that make them.

 

[juice]

For western makers, there's the nine, Kippington

Aussies represent!

 

[IsoJ]

Go for it, because the patina and honyaki are the best friends

 

[Phip]

Heck, I just bought a Cremina. Who am I to discourage a knife nerd from going honyaki.

 

[M1k3]

@The Edge does them also. I currently have one in my possession. Feels a little more "solid on the board", like mono, but nothing dramatic. Nice hamon though.

 

[Barmoley]

Yanick, Tansu, Antzenberg, Dalman are some of the others that make them.

Japanese makers seem to put more effort into honyaki and so in that sense they might be better knives, not because they are honyaki construction. They also seem to make them harder in general. Western makers don't seem to charge much more for honyaki most of the time and don't really make a big deal about it.