Originally Posted by Ttvetjanu /img/forum/go_quote.gif Lovely pictures. Gotta love those blades, though I must admit that the handle of the Yoshikane 240mm wa-gyuto does not look that comfortable.
Also, why would you cut a rambutan like that?
Do those blades require a lot of maintanance?
Not only it doesn;t look comfy, i don't trust knifes that the blade is "inserted" into the blade and that doesn't go all the length of the handle.
Originally Posted by Ttvetjanu /img/forum/go_quote.gif Lovely pictures. Gotta love those blades, though I must admit that the handle of the Yoshikane 240mm wa-gyuto does not look that comfortable.
Also, why would you cut a rambutan like that?
Do those blades require a lot of maintanance?
It's a traditional Japanese-style handle. It is actually much more comfortable than you would think. It's not round; the profile is shaped like a D. It rests in your palm very comfortably. You can also get a left-handed version with the handle profile reversed. It is a matter of preference whether you prefer a Western handle, and there are plenty of Japanese knives with Western handles available.
The rambutan shot is from the vendor's site. I guess they're just showing off the sharpness
Maintenance is very easy. Nice carbon steel blades keep an edge very well, and a few minutes on a waterstone makes them razor sharp again once they dull. You can get by with a single combination grit waterstone, or go crazy and take it up to something like 12000x and strop for a mirror finish.
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Originally Posted by raymondlin /img/forum/go_quote.gif Not only it doesn;t look comfy, i don't trust knifes that the blade is "inserted" into the blade and that doesn't go all the length of the handle.
Discounting any blade with a rat tail tang eliminates most traditional Japanese knives and swords. Scandinavian blades have also used rat tail tangs for 1500 years.
A full tang is essentially meaningless when it comes to Japanese knives. The traditional handling method is to heat the tang and shove it into the handle. They are meant to be balanced completely differently from a Western chef's knife where the tang and bolster significantly affect the balance.
It's also worth noting that there are plenty of full tang and bolster gyutos available. Again, it is a matter of preference, and a rat tail tang is not viewed as a mark of poor quality in any way.
The Japanese style handle is actually quite comfortable, but it might be a bit large in some models, but they are nice to hold once you get used to it.
And tang is really the last thing you want to worry in hand-made Japanese knifes. It's all about balance as bob said.
Funny I was actually considering to get Yoshikane too but not the carbon one, but decided not to because I read that it's a bit more difficult to sharpen compared to normal ones. that's a nice Yoshikane though, and I can tell it must be very sharp.
Originally Posted by dj_mocok /img/forum/go_quote.gif Monkee obviously knows his kitchen knife. I too use Japanese kitchen knifes but the thing is, it has to go hand in hand with learning to use whetstones to sharpen knifes. Maybe not a good idea if you are just after something that you can abuse around.
For that I keep my Mundial.
ooh thankyou. They do go hand in hand a bit, but you can get S/S knives with Japanese edges/hardness and western balance. Shun (normal) would be a good example, or the Hiromoto SS Gyuto, ($131 for the 240mm version).
I love the Gyuto and Petty I have in-part due to the full tang, but I no longer belive it necessary. My next knife will probably be a tuna/filleting knife with a traditional handle - I have to say Bob McBob's Wa-Gyuto reminds me that I have a thing for beautiful sharp things. And that parer is also up there, with beautiful etching.
As a pom-down-under, I'm a lot closer to Japan now and my previous love for the euro-style knives has really diminshed. I'm a more efficient and relaxed chef now the knives are doing more work for me and keeping even a high carbon knife clean and dry is just part of the routine. Sharpening - if you're in the US, Dave @ DR Sharpening can probably even put an edge on an orange - he's the best sharpener I've come across and I ship my knives to him before I touch them myself
The wustofs etc I chop with in more of a rocking motion while the Jap knives you'd usually work off the heel - but they're so much better balanced that even my wife can use a 270mm without a problem, while she'd struggle with a 210mm german/french chef's knife. Give one a go in my opinion!
My main knife, Hattori HD3G Gyuto with a 150mm blade. Really nice in the hand, and holds an edge well. I keep telling myself i'll get a high quality paring knife, but i don't know that i'd use it that much.
Originally Posted by Monkee /img/forum/go_quote.gif ooh thankyou. They do go hand in hand a bit, but you can get S/S knives with Japanese edges/hardness and western balance. Shun (normal) would be a good example, or the Hiromoto SS Gyuto, ($131 for the 240mm version).
I love the Gyuto and Petty I have in-part due to the full tang, but I no longer belive it necessary. My next knife will probably be a tuna/filleting knife with a traditional handle - I have to say Bob McBob's Wa-Gyuto reminds me that I have a thing for beautiful sharp things. And that parer is also up there, with beautiful etching.
As a pom-down-under, I'm a lot closer to Japan now and my previous love for the euro-style knives has really diminshed. I'm a more efficient and relaxed chef now the knives are doing more work for me and keeping even a high carbon knife clean and dry is just part of the routine. Sharpening - if you're in the US, Dave @ DR Sharpening can probably even put an edge on an orange - he's the best sharpener I've come across and I ship my knives to him before I touch them myself
The wustofs etc I chop with in more of a rocking motion while the Jap knives you'd usually work off the heel - but they're so much better balanced that even my wife can use a 270mm without a problem, while she'd struggle with a 210mm german/french chef's knife. Give one a go in my opinion!
And for those with nearly $800 to spend......
try that
What is the name of the 800 dollar knife? Also what is the second knife in the original post? Those are some gorgeous examples of damascus.
I only have one knife each for different purpose, and I think the only knife that I might be getting is the slicer, after that I'm done. I am not good at sharpening with stones and cutting technique, that's why I don't really have so many knives, and as you can see I made a mess out of the santoku when I sharpened it, haha...
But so far the one that impresses me most is the Watanabe nakkiri. It's one sharp sonofagun - highly recommended if you want to know how real japanese knife feel like. Plus the guy is really nice. As a matter of fact, all the Japanese knife makers have been very polite, that's why I like dealing with them. Much rather support small family business than buying from big companies.
Originally Posted by dj_mocok /img/forum/go_quote.gif I only have one knife each for different purpose, and I think the only knife that I might be getting is the slicer, after that I'm done. I am not good at sharpening with stones and cutting technique, that's why I don't really have so many knives, and as you can see I made a mess out of the santoku when I sharpened it, haha...
I scuffed mine a bit, not quite as bad as that though, the first few times i used a whetstone. I don't think i've yet got it as sharp as it was when new, but it's still miles sharper than any of the cheap mass produced knives i've used before.
There are some good kitchen knives here... personally, I have a pair of Hattori FH gyuto & boning knife. I like them quite a bit... might get a good carbon steel gyuto soon though.
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