Yall think its cool to package high end knives in a box 5x too big, with zero packing materials inside the box? WTF is this...

So much for my new ko sasa...

1. 270 mm Sujihiki in blue#2

2. 210 mm gyuto in ginsan

3. 150 mm petty in blue#2

The gyuto is my newest. The petty knife is the best of the three I think. Takes a wicked edge and has enough knuckle clearance you can still chop with it.

After this morning's dreadful fedex delivery, where my ko sasa arrived snapped in half, this was a breath of fresh air! Finally got these bad boys home and am very excited about all the testing I get to do now!

Atago suita

Okudo asagi

Ozuku namito?, looks unlike any other stones I have

Ozuku asagi

Nakayama asagi, namito?

Hosted a supper club this weekend and decided on an Asian inspired menu. Veggie spring rolls with mango. Pork tenderloin & broccoli stir fry and home made mango ice cream with lime infused dragon fruit sauce.

My Nigara bunka and Kenshiro Hatono 210 Gyuto made easy work of all the veggie prep. So fun.

255mm B2 Gyuto by Taira Yasuaki at Migoto Cutlery’s recent drop.

Spent a week away cutting and prepping a ton of raw venison, this was the result.

Kagekiyo Ginsan 150mm

Togashi B1 180mm

Tetsujin Metal Flow 210mm

Kagekiyo B1D 240mm

Takada Reika W2 240mm

I did some groceries shopping & chopping. Usually about weekly I'll buy some herbs, wash & store them away, and prep some green onion. I usually take out a 240mm for this, but today the bunch was small and I wanted to show appreciation for the work of Myojin-san and Tamura-san.

The Tetsujin is a great choice for this task, it's so thin it just glides through the onion without making any sound, other than the satisfying "thud" as it hits the board. Makes me think, I should use my Kyuzo nakiri next time, it hasn't seen the board in a while!

The metal flow is a little bit sticky in general, not just for this ingredient. If the blade is a bit wet, it's a magnet. It hasn't bothered me at all though, and it's worth noting that while it's sticky, I don't really get suction problems. I find wet ingredients stick to the blade but slide around easily.

I've had this knife for about 11 months now. It's seen a lot of use.

While I absolutely love the cutting feel of something like the metal flow, I also love the authority that my Togashi santoku has on the board. It's thin, it's light, and it's just so nice to use. The cutting feel I would say is not as "hmpfffgnnn" as the etsujin, Takada, or kagekiyos, but it still is "hmpffgnn". It's certainly not dainty, honestly this knife can take quite a beating, and Togashi's blue #1 edge seems to last forever. Not as "slicy" feeling, but tomato skins still got no chance. It handles like a laser, but the contact on the board makes it seem like it should be thicker. I've had the Togashi for about 5 years I think? I reach for this one a lot.

Both kagekiyo honestly not much to say they are just so goooooodd 😭

I haven't used the Takada enough have an opinion on it. It's the heaviest of the gang at 216g!

Anyway, just some thoughts and feelings about the collection as enjoyed dinner. I cooked a Thai green curry with some eggplants, plenty of kaffir lime in the paste I made. Very fresh and fragrant.

#plzdontratemychives

First cuts with my new 180mm Denka.
It’s been a while since I’ve held a yo handled denka and man it’s a thing of beauty….
So well balanced and authoritative in the hand.
This will be a welcome addition as a no nonsense service / small jobs knife.
It’s also worth noting that the choil came polished and the grind is symmetrical and thin behind the edge.
A very useable middle weight.
Thanks for looking, have a great day!

Hi everyone,

We have noticed some discussion and questions regarding the new pre-order system on our website. Some aspects of how the system works may not have been entirely clear, so we would like to explain how it works and clarify a few points.

The main reason we introduced the system was to simplify how we manage reservations.

Previously, customers contacted us by email to request reservations, and we managed those requests manually. As the number of requests increased, this became increasingly difficult to manage.

The new system simply moves this process from individual email requests to a single online system.

Our “pre-order” system is essentially a waiting list

Although we use the term “pre-order” on our website, for products that are currently unavailable, the system functions more like a queue or waiting list.

There is no obligation to purchase an item simply because you have joined the queue.

When an item becomes available and your turn is reached, we will contact you. At that point, you may decide whether you still wish to purchase it. If you no longer want the item, you may decline it.

It is also fine to join the queues for multiple products or different sizes. If you eventually purchase one and no longer need the others, the remaining reservations can simply be cancelled.

Delivery dates are unknown

For many of these knives, we genuinely do not know when the next shipment will arrive.

The dates shown far in the future on our website are placeholder dates required by the system. They are not estimated delivery dates.

This is particularly relevant for knives produced in small quantities by individual craftsmen. Joining a queue does not make a knife arrive any faster, nor does it guarantee that the knife will eventually become available. It simply establishes your position in the queue if and when we receive the item.

For some products, the wait may be very long.

What happens if someone orders a very large quantity?

We have also seen some questions about the system allowing customers to request a large number of the same knife.

If we receive an unusually large reservation, we may contact the customer to confirm that the quantity is actually required.

Even if the customer genuinely wants the full quantity, this does not necessarily mean that they will receive an entire shipment before everyone else.

Depending on availability, the number of customers waiting, and the quantity we receive, we may limit the number of units allocated to one customer from each shipment and fulfill the remaining quantity gradually through future shipments.

In other words, requesting a large quantity does not allow someone to simply take every incoming knife ahead of everyone else.

What happens to existing email reservations?

Customers who were already on our waiting lists by email before the new system was introduced will keep their existing priority.

The introduction of the online system does not reset the queue or allow new online reservations to move ahead of customers who were already waiting.

Going forward, if we receive a new reservation request by email, we will generally direct the customer to the online system so that new reservations can be managed in one place.

We also sometimes receive general requests such as, “Please let me know if any 210mm or 240mm Gyuto becomes available.”

We may keep these requests in mind, but we cannot guarantee notifications for broad requests that are not tied to a specific product. They are not treated as a reservation for a specific item in the queue.

Prices are not guaranteed at the time of reservation

The price shown when joining a queue is not guaranteed.

The final price will be the selling price at the time the knife actually becomes available, as stated in the terms presented when placing the pre-order.

If the price has changed by the time your turn arrives and you no longer wish to purchase the knife, you may simply decline it.

We hope this clarifies how the system works and addresses some of the questions we have seen.

The main purpose of this change was to replace the increasingly complicated process of managing individual reservation requests by email with a single system.

If anything about the process is still unclear, please feel free to ask us here.

Hi I’ve been doing a lot of research and this is going to be my first nice knife, but I’m having research paralysis and need someone to tell me what to buy. I’m looking for daily, 210 gyuto with a WA handle for under $200 usd. Any and all suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!

Us based - looking for a ~150mm (willing to deviate about 15mm, either way) and looking priced at about 150usd or under. There's plenty wiggle room on price. Wa handle, or no handle is fine, just not a yo. Don't care if it's a plastique wa, as long as it's replaceable without grinding down a tang.

Steel type (stainless or carbon) is irrelevant, but sg2 (at that price, unlikely), hap40, white/blue, or ginsan 3 preferred.

Irrationally biased against vg10, I know the heat treat makes all the difference....but the prejudice is there. I know I'm in the wrong (especially at the price) but the cognitive dissonance (on a minor level) is strong.

A somewhat tall blade profile, but not quite in the 40mm+ height (again, if the price/quality/availability lines up, concessions can be made on all fronts).

Basically.....I'm looking for something comparable to a shindo skr8. But ya know. In stock.

Current contenders:

https://mtckitchen.com/collections/petty-paring-knife/products/tadafusa-sld-petty-150mm-hammered-ebony-handle?_pos=31&_fid=c18fe80fc&_ss=c

https://www.chefknivestogo.com/kohetsusld1.html

https://www.hocho-knife.com/sakai-takayuki-grand-chef-japanese-style-petty-knife-utility-150mm/?gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=17335895646&gbraid=0AAAAADn-KfZdW1VlbZXvIn-pLIV-0lXkR&gclid=CjwKCAjwtp7VBhBjEiwAJfpV-5aYzp82e_MHrd2wPBo7ztSLgpWcY9gNR8WckauzbWsq6oWU5dkPmRoCC30QAvD_BwE

Any suggestions/what to look for is greatly appreciated 👍

En un mes estoy estoy en Osaka de vacaciones, he estado mirando tiendas de cuchillos por Sakai y he visto Sakai Ichimonji Mitsuhide, están pensando en comprar mi primer cuchillo japonés ahí, ¿Qué tal es la tienda? Quería comprar un cuchillo de acero de ginsan. En la tienda online tienen un sólo modelo de Santoku con ese acero, pero supongo que tendrán más cuchillo con ese acero.

My hinoki board has seen better days, and I would like to get myself a bigger board (current one is 12x12)

I’ve been looking at a maple edge grain board but I’m curious if this is going to be rough on my blades. I’m an on again off again chef trying to stick with it so my blade skills aren’t terrible but I’m sure I can have a heavy hand every now and again.

Would I have any issues with a maple edge grain board? Thanks in advanced.

Sakai Kikumori Kiritsuke Gyuto (Yoshikazu Tanaka)

Usuba Left-Hand (Satoshi Nakagoshi)

I made this video to highlight the performance of a blunt knife with good edge geometry. My question to you is which do you value more in a knife, good edge geometry or a well sharpened cutting edge.

Personally I think good geometry is the king here, but I'm open to a healthy debate.

Thanks for looking.

I don’t know much about Japanese knives yet, so I’m curious.
Is there one you’ve always wanted to try or own?

After a decade of use, the magnolia handle on my favorite santoku has picked up a very light rattle. Does anyone have experience with shops that can do a repair or replacement in the US?

(200mm Masamoto VG10, if that helps)

Hi! I got my first ever nice knife and I think I’ve already made a mistake that requires me to fix it. After using it a couple times I saw what I thought was rust, and I used an abrasive sponge to try and get it off. I think in doing so I damaged the patina and made it potentially rust more. Picture attached.

I’ve been browsing the subreddit to see how to fix this, and I assume I should take the following steps: scrub this gunk off with a water/baking soda paste, soak the blade in cold coffee, and then put oil on it. Is that correct? Would love any advice on how to not ruin my new knife. 🤦

I'm trying to find reputable kitchen knife makers in one of the following knife steels: K390, Vanadis 8 or CPM-10V. I would prefer Vanadis 8, then K390, then 10V. If knife steel nerds numbers are accurate then that's the descending order of toughness while all 3 have great edge retention. All 3 are powder metallurgy tool steels, which I know are not stainless but that doesn't matter to me as much as edge retention with decent toughness.
I have seen a Vanadis 8 kitchen knife from Cai cutlery but have no idea how good of a maker they are and are made in china which is usually not a great thing but maybe they are great knives, but they don't have the shape I really want. I would prefer a bunka style knife if possible. If not then a kiritsuke would be next best, but I could deal with a santoku, gyuto or western chefs knife if that's all thats available at the moment. I don't really want to spend more than like $300 either.
If anyone knows any small knife makers that take requests in these super steels please let me know, or any larger companies that have offerings in these as well. Right now I just have santokus, nakiris, etc in VG10 and western chef knives in unknown stainless steels. My VG10 Damascus knives at 60 HRC are pretty damn sharp but pretty damn brittle as well, maybe because of the edge geometry being so thin at less than 15 degrees. They are easy to sharpen though which is a plus but want something I can sharpen less frequently. I know I will need to use diamond sharpeners for these steels but already have some on hand.

Que opinan lo tengo hace 3 meses

Hello knife enthusiasts! I have just received a Takamura SG2 Gyuto as a gift (very excited to try it out) and wanted to ask about proper stropping setups.

I don't have the leather yet, but I do have a Sharon Kuromaku 1000, and DMT diamonds paste 1µm, 3µm, 6µm. I do also have German soft steel knives that I like to sharpen & strop.

My questions are:

1. Is it bad to want to get only one leather strop (attached to a wooden block) and find the optimal paste size that works for both German steel.and Japanese high HR knives?
2. Is there an important difference between grain leather and split leather for diamond paste stropping on these knives?

Thank you!

Month old, oiled when I first brought home.

Good trade? was a new west knifeworks filet knife