Bought Y. Tanaka B1

[JPAU]

Hello knife enthusiast community!

I am hoping to acquire a thinly ground (and light <180g) Y. Tanaka B1 240mm+ gyuto, with a slight preference for iron clad over stainless. I am opening up to different grinds, heights and styles (usually prefer flat and convex but am open to an especially thin wide bevel) and prefer BNIB or lightly used please. Looking for a regular gyuto shape rather than a k-tip this time (although I enjoy the flatter profile of Kiritsuke style gyutos). Especially interested in old Konosuke, Takada No Hamono and Hitohira. I realise that they’re popular and in many cases, rare.

Very grateful for the kindness and interest that members have shown, and hope I can take a surplus Tanaka B1 off your hands (and give it a loving home)! Please help a budding collector out…

Thanks for reading!

 

[thebradleycrew]

Highly recommend this one:
https://www.kitchenknifeforums.com/threads/kagekiyo-blue-1-dammy-240mm-gyuto.69731/240mm, iron clad.

 

[tostadas]

Grab the one from @ashy2classy listed above. You will be hard pressed to find a better deal on a y Tanaka by a top notch sharpener.

 

[JPAU]

Thank you for the recommendations!

Is it the same as this one?

https://www.chefsarmoury.com/produc...lvvELpkvuEOPoS2R0RDCjrvvlzAMDbmUaAlQqEALw_wcB

 

[thebradleycrew]

Thank you for the recommendations!

Is it the same as this one?

https://www.chefsarmoury.com/produc...lvvELpkvuEOPoS2R0RDCjrvvlzAMDbmUaAlQqEALw_wcB

Not quite. The one from @ashy2classy is damascus and includes saya, so materially different in those areas. Also believe it came from a different source but I'd defer to Ashy to answer that. And as @tostadas said, grab it and be done - won't find a better deal.

 

[JPAU]

Thanks for clarifying. Really appreciate the suggestion, and you taking the time to help!

 

[jedy617]

Kagekiyo is top tier stuff

 

[JPAU]

Thanks, looking for something a bit thinner this time, spine at heel >2.5mm. Thanks!

 

[Just a DK]

You are looking for a TxK (Tanaka x Kyuzo) from Hitohira.

I feel like there was a bunch of them in BST.

 

[JPAU]

You are looking for a TxK (Tanaka x Kyuzo) from Hitohira.

I feel like there was a bunch of them in BST.

Not many that I can see in iron clad, if any. Grateful for a steer of there are some though! Maybe I narrowly missed out.

I’m counting out mythological species like Fujiyama FM. Front runners for me would probably be a very thin 240mm TxK (sub 2.2mm spine at heel), a Takada No Hamono 240mm or 270mm and a TxYohei 240mm (perhaps would consider 210mm). I know I am asking a lot, as they’re all highly sought after!

 

[Rodin326]

What about a Hado?

 

[jedy617]

Hados are super thin. Also highly recommended

 

[JPAU]

A fantastic point… but I have a B1 Hado Nakiri on the way and I would probably be duplicating. I will see how I like the Nakiri (in transit)

 

[Rodin326]

My hado has a profile that is definitely non nakiri and it’s taller than most. Just a consideration for you in your search.

 

[blokey]

JNS Tanaka？Spine thickness kind doesn’t matter in this regard
https://www.japanesenaturalstones.com/tanaka-yoshikazu-gyuto-240mm-blue-1-dama/

 

[Blumbo]

Kind of want to explore why you’re looking for a particular spine thickness as well! If what you’re looking for is pure cutting performance or a thin laser to ghost through product then spine thickness really doesn’t matter. Thinness behind the edge is what determines that and something like the Kagekiyo is amazing in that regard. Spine thickness primarily determines how flexible vs robust the knife feels at the pinch grip, and most times I find the knives around 2mm can feel kinda flimsy.

 

[JPAU]

JNS Tanaka？Spine thickness kind doesn’t matter in this regard
https://www.japanesenaturalstones.com/tanaka-yoshikazu-gyuto-240mm-blue-1-dama/

Thanks, had my eye on this. Looks nice and thin behind the edge. It’s plan B. The fit and finish I’m unsure about as I’m not familiar with JNS and the pictures are blurry. I’d have to replace the handle too.

 

[JPAU]

Kind of want to explore why you’re looking for a particular spine thickness as well! If what you’re looking for is pure cutting performance or a thin laser to ghost through product then spine thickness really doesn’t matter. Thinness behind the edge is what determines that. Spine thickness primarily determines how flexible vs robust the knife feels at the pinch grip, and most times I find the knives around 2mm can feel kinda flimsy.

I’m new to it all, so thanks for helping teach me a bit. I suppose that I’m looking to try different things and see what jives. Also, I suppose that the acuteness of the bevel angle would in part be determined by the spine thickness to some extent, depending on the grind? Wouldn’t a myojin grind with a 2.5mm spine be thinner behind the edge than a myojin that’s 3.5mm at the spine? To be honest, as mostly thinking of the wide bevels there, where the angle for the bevel to the primary edge is further down.

 

[Blumbo]

I’m new to it all, so thanks for helping teach me a bit. I suppose that I’m looking to try different things and see what jives. Also, I suppose that the acuteness of the bevel angle would in part be determined by the spine thickness to some extent, depending on the grind? Wouldn’t a myojin grind with a 2.5mm spine be thinner behind the edge than a myojin that’s 3.5mm at the spine? To be honest, as mostly thinking of the wide bevels there, where the angle for the bevel to the primary edge is further down.

The angle of the grind and the type of grind matters a bit more! So here’s a few pics of a Kagekiyo I got off BST, I’ve polished it up and softened the wide bevel because I prefer the look but it’s the same knife otherwise as ashy2classy’s BST posting. Afterwards I include a pic of its choil as well as the choil of a Myojin ground laser.

This guy is 3.5mm at the heel and 49mm tall, but because of the angle of the grind and because it’s slightly hollow ground, it’s thinner bte than this Myojin which is a convex to flat ground laser that’s ~2.3mm at the heel and 50mm tall. Both perform amazingly, but prefer the feel of the thicker spine in my hand and sometimes a stiffer knife feels better going through dense product.

Kagekiyo

Myojin

 

[JPAU]

Thanks, that’s very helpful. I suppose you circumvent the thickness problem, height held constant, through concavity / hollow grind to get it thinner behind the edge. Nice demonstration, cheers Blumbo. Really appreciate it.

 

[blokey]

I’m new to it all, so thanks for helping teach me a bit. I suppose that I’m looking to try different things and see what jives. Also, I suppose that the acuteness of the bevel angle would in part be determined by the spine thickness to some extent, depending on the grind? Wouldn’t a myojin grind with a 2.5mm spine be thinner behind the edge than a myojin that’s 3.5mm at the spine? To be honest, as mostly thinking of the wide bevels there, where the angle for the bevel to the primary edge is further down.

Myojin 3.5mm cuts a lot better than his 2.5mm stuff, similar thin behind edge but more convexity and more weight, too thin and flat of a grind usually has problem sticking to dense produce, causing more friction. Also taper need to be taken into consideration

 

[jedy617]

Thanks, that’s very helpful. I suppose you circumvent the thickness problem, height held constant, through concavity / hollow grind to get it thinner behind the edge. Nice demonstration, cheers Blumbo. Really appreciate it.

I will say, the hado junpaku I had was one of the thinnest ground knives I have ever had if you are into that. But from my personal experience with thinly ground tanakas like myojins, takadas, kagekiyos, and hados..they all cut really well if you don't care that much about food release, and without having them back to back, it's hard for me to have a strong preference.

 

[Blumbo]

Thanks, that’s very helpful. I suppose you circumvent the thickness problem, height held constant, through concavity / hollow grind to get it thinner behind the edge. Nice demonstration, cheers Blumbo. Really appreciate it.

Also important to note that spine thickness isn’t the same across the whole length, especially in knives that are hand-forged. Many of the best knives imo taper in from the heel which gives you a slightly more confident feel near the back and more precision in the front. The same Kagekiyo above tapers down to 2mm just past the pinch grip.

 

[JPAU]

Yes indeed! Noted! Also, fantastic silhouette photography. You do the photos for Carbon Knife Co? Joking.

 

[A.Malcolm.ations]

I’ll attest to the kagekiyo having an insanely thin grind. Here’s mine from when I first bought it. Crazy F&F levels with beautiful performance to match. Here’s 2 vids of running through a shallot to show the stock grind and how well it cuts. Truly a stunner. If I had the cash I’d have snagged the dammy blue 1 on bst when it first popped up.

 

[JPAU]

Thank you for the recommendations!

Is it the same as this one?

https://www.chefsarmoury.com/produc...lvvELpkvuEOPoS2R0RDCjrvvlzAMDbmUaAlQqEALw_wcB

Is this the one that you have @malcom?

 

[JPAU]

I

I’ll attest to the kagekiyo having an insanely thin grind. Here’s mine from when I first bought it. Crazy F&F levels with beautiful performance to match. Here’s 2 vids of running through a shallot to show the stock grind and how well it cuts. Truly a stunner. If I had the cash I’d have snagged the dammy blue 1 on bst when it first popped up.
View attachment 296204
View attachment 296208View attachment 296209

Appreciate the recommendation… I dare say that with your superior skills you could make brunoising look effortless with any sharp knife though!

 

[A.Malcolm.ations]

Is this the one that you have @malcom?

The one I have is actually technically a nakagawa forged w2….. but I will most likely get a blue 1 because Y Tanaka’s blue 1 is my favorite steel. Just had to throw a rec for the kagekiyo team because it’s such an excellent package and the grind will be similar regardless.

 

[A.Malcolm.ations]

I

Appreciate the recommendation… I dare say that with your superior skills you could make brunoising look effortless with any sharp knife though!

Thanks! I like knives that make my work easier. And the grind on this just ghosts through most things. The horizontal cuts are shown really well in the little clip. Definitely a pretty laser beam!

 

[JPAU]

Does anyone know who the sharpener is? Or is it a trade secret?

And why do they sometimes conceal them? Is there a trade off between (a) marketing a name like Myojin and (b) concealing the name to keep the sharpener in lower demand and therefore cheaper to use?