Who made my knife? Sakai Yusuke?

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bartleby

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Hello,

I just got a nice 270mm Sujihiki from a store in Tokyo. This store sells the knife without (re)branding, so I don´t know in which factory it was produced, but of course I am curious...

Only info I have: Swedish steel "better than VG10". The knife looks a lot like the Sakai Yusuke knifes I've seen at Ebay. Even the box is the same. Can anyone confirm that it is a Sakai Yusuke? What sort of swedish steel does S.Y. use? AEB-L?

20680190ks.jpg


20680191ux.jpg



I know that it will be hard to get a definite answer, but I am curious :). In the end it makes no difference as it is a nice knife that will see its use in the future.

Greetings
Stefan
 
it could probably be from a number of places, the only difference i see right off with yusuke is they usually flush mount the handles with no machi. sometimes the boxes can be pretty generic too, i had asked my chef what my knife box said one day, thinking it had to do with the brand and he said it simply said, kitchen knife.
 
I have to agree with James, the machi gap is very similar as is the profile
 
You are right. The FuRinKaZan looks very similiar as well. Probably I will never find out for sure and does not really matter as well :)
 
FuRinKaZan and sakai yusuke are almost from the same maker, only slightly differences.

I have sakai yusuke, the knife box is exactly the same as yours.
 
Boxes are generic, doesn't really mean anything.

Typical Sakai wa-sujihiki. The presence of the machi gap doesn't really give anything away either, the customer may have just specified it, or left it to the makers discretion.
 
Thanks for the answer. Any idea what swedish is typically used for this knife? Aeb-l?

Greetings
Stefan
 
AEB-L or 13c26 (the Sandvik equivalent) would be my best guess. 19c27 (as used by e.g. Suisin) also possible. FWIW, i was told that the Yusuke stainless knives were Sandvik steel.
 
...it could probably be from a number of places...

Actually, probably is from a number of places, with one craftsman/workshop/factory doing the initial shaping & forging, another responsible for the finishing & sharpening, a third adding the handle and the storefront putting on the final edge. Maybe.
 
Out of curiosity if the knife is an unbranded FuRinKaZan or AEB-L knife, how much do you think you saved by buying it OEM-style?
 
Out of curiosity if the knife is an unbranded FuRinKaZan or AEB-L knife, how much do you think you saved by buying it OEM-style?

Based on the last thread you started, you should learn to write and speak Japanese better and understand Japanese better before buying another knife directly from a Japanese seller/maker.
 
Based on the last thread you started, you should learn to write and speak Japanese better and understand Japanese better before buying another knife directly from a Japanese seller/maker.

If I wrote something that offended you I'm sorry. I'm here to learn, same as anyone else. I assume the majority of people on this forum do not write or speak Japanese but would like to learn more about the Japanese knife buying process. Not all of us have the time or energy to learn Japanese but would still like to participate to the best of our ability.
 
If I wrote something that offended you I'm sorry. I'm here to learn, same as anyone else. I assume the majority of people on this forum do not write or speak Japanese but would like to learn more about the Japanese knife buying process. Not all of us have the time or energy to learn Japanese but would still like to participate to the best of our ability.

Most people don't buy directly from Japanese makers or sellers. What was offensive was how quickly you thought that Masamoto was trying to blow you off by their response, and your continued skepticism of the labeling. The responses provided, including the email from the member, essentially proved that your "V" marked knives are V1 steel.

But, it seems quite clear that you're just looking to get the cheapest price. Many of the members here value service, which is why we buy from vendors that are part of the forum. One of the main issues with buying direct from Japan is that you will not have any customer service after receipt.

Ultimately, it's your choice to buy direct. But, don't blame the vendor for your own insecurities.
 
How much did you buy this for?

I bought what looks like exactly the same knife ( machi and all) from Knife in Toronto a couple years back. Its a 180mm and was labelled as Sakai Yusuke.

I think it was around $140 (Canadian) on sale at the time.
 
How much did you buy this for?

I bought what looks like exactly the same knife ( machi and all) from Knife in Toronto a couple years back. Its a 180mm and was labelled as Sakai Yusuke.

I think it was around $140 (Canadian) on sale at the time.

Without postage it was 20000 Yen. So a little bit more expensive. Didn´t buy it there "unbranded" because it was cheaper. I liked the shop when I visited in Tokyo and wanted to buy a knife there. Just seen afterwards that it looks a lot like Sakai Yusuke knifes and was curious. But it doesn´t make a difference, it is a great knife anyway :)
 
Without postage it was 20000 Yen. So a little bit more expensive. Didn´t buy it there "unbranded" because it was cheaper. I liked the shop when I visited in Tokyo and wanted to buy a knife there. Just seen afterwards that it looks a lot like Sakai Yusuke knifes and was curious. But it doesn´t make a difference, it is a great knife anyway :)

Oh I think yours is still a better deal, mine was a 180 petty, so different knife. I was just curious.

Its a very basic knife but my most used.
 
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