Not that they naturally compare, but I'm thinking about picking one up to try out during the JNS sale and I'm PARALYZED by INDECISION. Curious what people think.
Wakui vs. Munetoshi
- Thread starter VincenteFox
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Wakui on paper is better in all regards. Better fit and finish and cleaner convexity, usually with nicer DT. But in use there’s something kinda magic with munetoshi, and the HT/grind feel more confident/commanding in my experience.
aporigine
The slow blade penetrates the winter squash
Blumbo is 100% right. The Kochui was better on paper (except edge retention) but I sold it and kept my Munetoshi...and bought 3 more of various sizes.
This question truly is the answer. I have both and I love both. Wakui F&F will certainly be better, but I've never had a Munetoshi that was as rough as some Morihei TF's I've encountered (I’ve had a bunch of both - though others may report different experience). Also, Munetoshi are fun to polish and play with on stones. If you can swing both during the sale without putting yourself in a rough spot, I think there are virtues to each maker's work that you'll enjoy. And if you don't like either one, I might be checking in on your FS post.
edited for clarity
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aporigine
The slow blade penetrates the winter squash
Thank you for a brilliant expression of the logic that informed my post. Try both; find out which is the keeper.
A lot has been said about Wakui being one of the best knives that you can buy for below 300$ and i totally agree.
I had one 240mm gyuto in V2 185g with perfect fit and finish, grind, profile, taper and a tip that is thin enough to easily go through onions.
My experience with Munetoshi is different to most i have read here. Bought the petty/mini gyuto and although i really digged the rustic looks of it, it seemed like one of those knives that bladesmiths can make a dozen of per day. Thick spine, no taper and unfortunately the tip of the knife (a petty!) Was thick enough i had to put my index finger on the spine and push it though an onion!
Got rid of it within days.
Yes it only cost half of a Wakui but it still is too expensive for a piece of metal with an edge (at least my example).
I had one 240mm gyuto in V2 185g with perfect fit and finish, grind, profile, taper and a tip that is thin enough to easily go through onions.
My experience with Munetoshi is different to most i have read here. Bought the petty/mini gyuto and although i really digged the rustic looks of it, it seemed like one of those knives that bladesmiths can make a dozen of per day. Thick spine, no taper and unfortunately the tip of the knife (a petty!) Was thick enough i had to put my index finger on the spine and push it though an onion!
Got rid of it within days.
Yes it only cost half of a Wakui but it still is too expensive for a piece of metal with an edge (at least my example).
I like my Munetoshi 165mm petty/mini gyuto a lot so got a little defensive and busted out my calipers (edit: micrometer) when I read this! No it isn't very thin at the tip, but it never crossed my mind to use it on an onion so I don't know how it does on that. It's not a general purpose knife, it's a weird (and cool) little 165mm knife... but anyway mine is 4.5mm at handle, 3.6 at heel, 2.3 halfway, and 1.3 just before the bevel starts (about one cm from tip).
I measured the spines on my Munetoshi and JNS Wakui machi gyutos, and they are pretty similar, some of the measurements are the same even. The overall dimensions of the two knives are similar too, both a little over 245mm long and 50mm-51mm height at heel.
| Spine width (mm): | Munetoshi gyuto 240mm | Wakui machi ku gyuto 240mm |
| At handle | 4.9 | 4.4 |
| At heel | 3.8 | 3.8 |
| Halfway between heel and tip | 2.2 | 2.4 |
| 3cm from tip | 2.0 | 2.0 |
| 1cm from tip | 1.2 | 1.2 |
I got 1.06 and 1.02 for JNS Tall and RSK Munetoshi 240s at 1 cm from tip, respectively. I remember my Kochi having a thinner tip but I have always been impressed with how usable the Munetoshi 240 tip is. I have a post a couple years ago on here asking why my Munetoshi cut gooder up front than my Tanaka despite having a thicker tip. My first Sanjo introduction.
Ho handle on left is JNS tall.
Ho handle on left is JNS tall.
Thanks everyone
One more tid bit. I have both, a 240 Wakui in V2 and a 210 Munetoshi K-tip. The Munetoshi was thinned and polished by Maksim and is another knife now. He basically removed the major negative aspects of the knife and it is KILLER. He took the shoulders off and eased/polished the spine and choil and put on his chestnut handle. My god it's really phenomenal. Still retains solid food release and is one of the more aggressive cutters I have. My Jaw dropped when I first cut with it. This was early on in my collecting but it has remained on the Varsity Squad in my collection.
The Wakui is fantastic in its own right. You can feel and see the Yoshikane DNA in the knife. I can't add to the conversation on Wakui. It all comes down to preferences, but that Munetoshi magic is real. And there are some machi Kochis at JKI right now. I snagged one to compare to the Wakui and they're about identical but with a taller neck. I'll sell you mine, since I seem to have two.
The Wakui is fantastic in its own right. You can feel and see the Yoshikane DNA in the knife. I can't add to the conversation on Wakui. It all comes down to preferences, but that Munetoshi magic is real. And there are some machi Kochis at JKI right now. I snagged one to compare to the Wakui and they're about identical but with a taller neck. I'll sell you mine, since I seem to have two.
