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1000Cuts, it's a bummer that people now have to deal with these not thin behind the edge Takedas. I bought some from BST and some from Tosho, all of them thin behind the edge. They are definitely harder to sharpen when compared to Watanabe, but they are light for their size, high heeled, less reactive than most carbons and have edges that are sharp, but can take some abuse. That makes them a good all around gyuto for me. Also never tried the Sasanoha, only the standard gyutos.
 
@Marcelo Amaral (Takeda) what confuses me is that, if various statements scattered around here, there seem to be thin ones, some that are thicker behind the edge and "splittier" but take advantage of that for food release and still cut well, and others that are just considered badly ground.... I'd be in the market for the second option if any...
 
Wow, thanks for all the replies. It really seems like Watanabe is very well respected.

I need to look into:
Fujiwara Teruyasu
Wakui
Takeda
Gesshin Heiji
Itinomonn

What's the deal with Tsukasa? The prices! I've seen some with some wavy lines on them (river?) and others in a black kitaeji style.
 
1000cuts, my suggestion is, whenever you decide to get a Takeda, get one from Tosho and ask them to send you a thin behind the edge specimen. If you are not in a hurry, you could wait to buy the right one on BST. The ones i use, all of them are good at food release. There's also some advice on how to thin a Takeda by our KKF member, LucasFur. If you are going down that road, i suggest you get a carbon clad Takeda.

http://www.kitchenknifeforums.com/s...a-thinning-(LucasFur-Method)?highlight=Takeda
 
the relationship with watanabe is different than with other Japanese master smiths. While he comes from a multi- generational knife making family, he brings engineering knowledge and is very open to communication. Being relatively younger, he will hopefully be making quality knives for our lifetimes. He produces enough knives that they are obtainable and not reaching speculative prices.

His professional line is excellent- I find it easy to communicate with him about what I am looking for and he figures out the best way to shape it. He is a principled knife maker, in that he has beliefs around design, geometry, durability, function and may not always compromise.

I like his aesthetic- simple, clean lines, functional. Beautiful to me...
 
My heaviest knife by weight, but never feels that way in use. My only semi-issue is related to his kasumi finish which seemed pretty reactive...first thing I did was refinish the face with some sp.

Won out between itself and Kato for keeper workhorse knife...and I really liked the Kato.
 
chinacats said:
My heaviest knife by weight, but never feels that way in use. My only semi-issue is related to his kasumi finish which seemed pretty reactive...first thing I did was refinish the face with some sp.

Won out between itself and Kato for keeper workhorse knife...and I really liked the Kato.
Click to expand...

I just bought some SP for that very purpose on my Toyama! Say, what SP grit did you go up to?
 
It's been a while but if I remember correctly ~1500 wet/dry automotive paper.

As an aside, I really like the finish of a green scrubbie (Scotchbrite)...was closest I could ever get to a Shig finish.
 
Jkts said:
the relationship with watanabe is different than with other Japanese master smiths. While he comes from a multi- generational knife making family, he brings engineering knowledge and is very open to communication. Being relatively younger, he will hopefully be making quality knives for our lifetimes. He produces enough knives that they are obtainable and not reaching speculative prices.

His professional line is excellent- I find it easy to communicate with him about what I am looking for and he figures out the best way to shape it. He is a principled knife maker, in that he has beliefs around design, geometry, durability, function and may not always compromise.

I like his aesthetic- simple, clean lines, functional. Beautiful to me...
Click to expand...

:plus1::plus1::plus1:
 
And he is also a Pro with Whetstones! i would buy everything he recommends without a doubt!
I am glad that other people also recognize this after more than a Year when he started to sell his handpicked stones.

Best performing knifes for realistic "unhyped" prices and i love his advice and stories he is allways telling me!
++++++++++++++1 for Watanabe!

Holy moly! @nutmeg those are some real beauties!!!!!
 
Those who have a Pro series Gyuto, do you recommend the KU or the Kasumi? Watanabe wrote me that the Kasumi is thinner and better for "precise cutting".
 
i will get mine in kasumi and will ask for extra sicker grind.
 
bennyprofane said:
Those who have a Pro series Gyuto, do you recommend the KU or the Kasumi? Watanabe wrote me that the Kasumi is thinner and better for "precise cutting".
Click to expand...

KU is generally thicker.
The KU I got from him were often thicker than the Pro line.

A Watanabe Gyuto 270 Blus Steel is my favorite and almost sharpest knife. Massive but not that heavy and very agile. I wouldn't go for thicker but it's personal taste.
BTW if you order a small gyuto like 180-240 you can get an ebony handle wich is really extreme comfortable.. :)
 
Aha! ;) well Shinichi mentionend "that he will have something nicer for me" regarding the handle.. hmm interesting ;)

by the way .. i asked him for this 180mm Suji-Petty with 40mm height http://www.kitchen-knife.jp/special/img/petite180_big.jpg but with a blonde bolster...

-soo now we are at it will be polished no KU
-"make it thinner for extra"
-and i cant imagine a thinner Watanabe Knife with sicker grind ;) .. they usually cute amazing.. is there a superamazing? ;))

i will see!

Seeya, Daniel ;)
 
nutmeg said:
KU is generally thicker.
The KU I got from him were often thicker than the Pro line.

A Watanabe Gyuto 270 Blus Steel is my favorite and almost sharpest knife. Massive but not that heavy and very agile. I wouldn't go for thicker but it's personal taste.
BTW if you order a small gyuto like 180-240 you can get an ebony handle wich is really extreme comfortable.. :)
Click to expand...

This is good to know thanks. Are grinds the same between KU and Kasumi.
 
@Marcelo Amaral sorry to keep on that semi-OT line... does one really get Takeda to have a thin-as-heck knife? Got a laser, want something in addition that ... can spinkick, stare-down and elbow its way through stuff instead of trying to sneak through unnoticed :)
 
My most recent Watanabe knife is on its way to me right now… 200mm white steel yanagi with keyaki handle. I always wanted a smaller yanagi and saw this on his specials page
yanagileft200_big.jpg

I owe a thanks to nutmeg for guiding me on the virtues of the special line ;)


Jkts said:
the relationship with watanabe is different than with other Japanese master smiths. While he comes from a multi- generational knife making family, he brings engineering knowledge and is very open to communication. Being relatively younger, he will hopefully be making quality knives for our lifetimes. He produces enough knives that they are obtainable and not reaching speculative prices.

His professional line is excellent- I find it easy to communicate with him about what I am looking for and he figures out the best way to shape it. He is a principled knife maker, in that he has beliefs around design, geometry, durability, function and may not always compromise.

I like his aesthetic- simple, clean lines, functional. Beautiful to me...
Click to expand...

Can you post your picture of your 40+ Watanabe knives :D :hungry:


Marcelo Amaral said:
1000Cuts, it's a bummer that people now have to deal with these not thin behind the edge Takedas. I bought some from BST and some from Tosho, all of them thin behind the edge. They are definitely harder to sharpen when compared to Watanabe, but they are light for their size, high heeled, less reactive than most carbons and have edges that are sharp, but can take some abuse. That makes them a good all around gyuto for me. Also never tried the Sasanoha, only the standard gyutos.
Click to expand...

It appears Takedas have changed significantly… I got a 270 NAS gyuto from Tosho that shosui made to exactly 270 after a "second" knife was sent to me. It's about 2.6mm on the spine but I've now seen 210 gyutos that are almost double that and with the smallest bevel.


bennyprofane said:
Those who have a Pro series Gyuto, do you recommend the KU or the Kasumi? Watanabe wrote me that the Kasumi is thinner and better for "precise cutting".
Click to expand...

I got the honyaki 240 gyuto so cannot compare, but would probably go with what the others are saying. If you have the extra cash I'd go for honyaki (+110%) and mirrror poshied (+50%)
C7D793AC-D5FD-4E87-80C8-2A2312770124_zps7oluw30c.jpg

I recently got my ebony with nickel-silver and horn handles from James at Knives and Stones, so gotta get them on ASAP :running:
 
Tjangula, since you asked, this is my collection minus one...

IMG_2659.jpg

This is my newest- a nakiri shaped like a cleaver...

IMG_4297.jpg

The top one is a thin cleaver, the bottom actually a nakiri.

These are the professional line, mostly blue steel and keyaki handles.
 
panda said:
why do you call it nakiri? cause it doesnt have cleaver handle?
Click to expand...

The three cleavers I have from Shinichi are all single bevel.

This nakiri is double bevel, with a cleaver shape. The tang is also different.

I wanted a very thin cleaver- it's really a hybrid- so I guess one could call it either.

I've only used it once so far, mainly push cutting. It has weight behind the blade, but is also very thin.

Over the years I have read about thin cleavers folks here have and wanted to approach that...

Here's a spine shot comparison...left being the "nakiri".

IMG_4295.jpg
 
Oops, my mistake. You are right. They are not single bevels- they are all double bevels. With the asymmetry I had not looked carefully at them.

The real difference is in the weight and the tangs are much wider- I assume to hold up for the chopping.
 
Krassi said:
i will get mine in kasumi and will ask for extra sicker grind.
Click to expand...

Krassi said:
Aha! ;) well Shinichi mentionend "that he will have something nicer for me" regarding the handle.. hmm interesting ;)

by the way .. i asked him for this 180mm Suji-Petty with 40mm height http://www.kitchen-knife.jp/special/img/petite180_big.jpg but with a blonde bolster...

-soo now we are at it will be polished no KU
-"make it thinner for extra"
-and i cant imagine a thinner Watanabe Knife with sicker grind ;) .. they usually cute amazing.. is there a superamazing? ;))

i will see!

Seeya, Daniel ;)
Click to expand...

How much thinner will you go and what do you mean by sicker grind? I am also contemplating asking him to do for me one slightly thinner 210. I have pro 240 and it is perhaps just a bit too thick for my taste...
 
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