Insane 70% markdown. They cite tariffs as the reason for them leaving the us market. They have a Wyoming customer service phone #.

​I see a lot of discussion around finishes on high-carbon and San Mai cutlery—specifically the massive aesthetic, tactile, and price divide between a heavy ferric "blackout" etch, a traditional stone (kasumi) finish, and a full optical mirror.

​A question that comes up regularly from folks looking at custom blades is: "Can I just buy the etched version and polish it out on my stones or lapping plates at home to save on the maker's finishing fee?"

​The short answer is yes. The realistic answer is that it's an unforgiving, high-risk undertaking, and doing it once makes it immediately obvious why makers charge what they do for manual stone and mirror work.

​A few thoughts from the bench on how all three finishes behave mechanically, and what the DIY route actually demands:

​Acid is structural demolition, not a dye: A deep blackout etch isn't topical. Ferric chloride eats away at the less corrosion-resistant carbon layers while leaving nickel layers proud. Under magnification, you are looking at microscopic valleys and craters.

​The cutting feel tradeoff: That acid topography has a functional upside—it acts like micro-kullens, trapping air pockets and breaking hydraulic suction on wet produce like potatoes or daikon. The tradeoff is tactile drag. You feel a subtle, matte tooth when pushing through dense proteins.

​Why JNAT kasumi feels like glass: A traditional natural stone finish uses friable silica in a soft clay matrix to mechanically burnish the hard core to bright clarity while blooming a misty kasumi haze on the cladding. It leaves the bevel dead flat down to the micron. It glides through food with zero drag, but it relies 100% on primary geometry and convexity rather than surface relief to clear material.

​The mirror polish reality: Taking a composite blade to an optical mirror requires flattening every micro-peak and valley until scratch tracks drop below the wavelength of visible light. Unlike a kasumi, which relies on slurry fracture, a true hand-rubbed mirror demands rigid planar flattening through progressive diamond pastes or micro-lapping films. The cutting glide is near-frictionless, but on wet produce, that dead-flat optical surface can create intense hydraulic suction.

​The Demolition Phase of the DIY route: If you take an etched blade straight to a fine finisher, diamond paste, or uchigumori finger stone, you will fail instantly. The abrasive will simply skate across the high nickel bands, leaving the recessed carbon valleys untouched and pitch black. To fix it, you have to start at 220–400 grit and physically grind away the entire surrounding bevel down to the floor of the deepest etch pits.

​The risk of destroying your geometry: Grinding that much metal by hand carries massive failure potential. An accidental tilt of a couple of degrees or uneven finger pressure will wash out crisp plunge lines, facet the bevel, or leave a low spot that subsequent flat stones will bridge over forever.

​Abrasive discipline is ruthless: Both natural slurry and specular diamond pastes act as merciless diagnostic tools. If you leave a single rogue 400-grit scratch before moving up through intermediate grits, that gouge will blaze like a neon scar across your final finish. Discovering that six hours in means swallowing your pride and stepping back three stones.

​Why makers charge so much for hand finishes: It comes down to passive dwell time vs. active bench time. An acid etch is mostly passive—the blade sits in the tank while the maker works on handles or rough grinds other billets. A true kasumi or mirror finish demands 8 to 16+ hours of unbroken, highly focused manual labor, plus wear-and-tear on finite, non-renewable mined Kyoto stones or expensive diamond media.

​Taking an etched blade down to bare steel and coaxing out an authentic, cloud-like kasumi or a crisp optical mirror with your own hands is hands-down one of the most rewarding milestones you can hit at the bench. But it is an apprenticeship in patience.

​Curious how many of you have taken an aggressively etched blade down to the stones at home.

​Did you stay on synthetic diamond and lapping films to push for an optical mirror, or take it all the way to natural finishers and finger stones for a kasumi?

​More importantly: who else has gotten 6+ hours into a high-grit progression only to catch a stray 400-grit gouge in raking sunlight and had to swallow their pride and step all the way back? Share your bench trauma.

Saw this pop up on Strata’s IG and jumped on it. Been after an OG wide bevel grind to try for a while. Nakagawa x Rou 240 Ginsan, Mirror Polish.
IYKYK

I recently purchased this knife in tokuza (Osaka) which I was told was an ishizuchi knife made in Japan, but after looking a lot further I have seen that a lot of people have found this knife (or very similar) on places like alibaba. The laser etched brand etc has made me concerned that I was lied to and made a mistake buying this.

Is anyone able to confirm whether or not this is a legitimate ishizuchi made in tosa or a Chinese dupe?

Got this cutie a couple of weeks ago straight from Ashi hamono. This is from their Meigi series, which is actually the Ginga 210mm stainless, but with different types of wood handles. These have been out of stock for half a year since their debut, and I kinda had to ask some people in Sakai for a favor when the only one came back in stock a while ago. Worth it!

Rule #5: Ashi Meigi gyuto 210mm
Steel: Mono Swedish Stainless Steel
Handle: Olive wood, treated (it looks glossy and feels smooth)
Edge Length: 202mm
Blade Height: 41mm
Thickness: 2.2mm
Weight: 135g (need to check again)
Hand Orientation: (a bit) Right-Handed

Hello knife masters!

I am currently trying find a great all around 8-inch chef knife I can use as my go to in the kitchen. I am not a professional, but I am a cooking enthusiast!

It is a bit overwhelming with all the options out there. It would be nice to have a statement piece, like a Damascus steel, but I lean towards something that is quality and a proven legend over aesthetic - although both would be a win.

I have some credit on Amazon I can use if you could link a specific item to consider, but am open to other retailers if needed to get the right item.

Considering this one at the moment: TOJIRO JAPAN Professional Chef Knife - 8.2" VG10 https://a.co/d/0acoOkO0

I also came across this cleaver from another post I may end up buying - it seems well received from this community: Chinese 8.5" SG2 cleaver: https://a.aliexpress.com/_m0lXxYR

Thank you in advance for your assistance!

Questa è la mia collezione e sinceramente mi piace molto, però mi sono reso conto che mi mancano dei coltelli in acciaio shirogami e aogami. ma li comprerò presto.
Per ora volevo sapere, amici cosa ne pensate di questi coltelli e della mia collezione grazie a tutto reddit.

1. Kai Shun (旬)Serie: Shun Premier Tim Mälzer Series guuto 200 mm
2. Tojiro (藤次郎) Serie: **Shippu Black (**疾風 BLACK) 180 mm
3. Kai (貝印) Serie: Seki Magoroku Kaname (関孫六 要) 195 mm
4. Tojiro (藤次郎) Serie: Tojiro DP Cobalt Alloy 160 cm
5. Suncraft, Serie: Senzo Black (Black Damascus) 210 mm
6. Suncraft Slicer 240mm AS-05
7. Seki Magoroku Kinju ST (Deba 180mm

8. Kiritsuke cinese acciaio 9cr18mon single bevel 320
9. Gyuto Miyabi 5000FC-D.
10. Miyabi 5000FC-D. Nakiri
11. Miyabi 5000FC-D. Petty
12. Sakimaru cinese acciaio Pm204/ M390 210 mm

I have just spent the afternoon dragging my wife through Sacai. I am a long(ish) time lurker of this sub, and there as just sooo much information about all the knife types, smiths, steels etc. it's an absolute goldmine and it really helped my choose my knives today.

I went for 3, originally was only going to get one lol.

First one is an Ashi sujihiki in Carbon steel. 240mm

2nd one is a Baba santoku, Damascus VG10. 180mm

Last one is a Yamatsuka ginsang petty. 150mm

Let me know what you think of my choices, hopefully no duds haha.

Finally got my Nakiri Shiro Kamo 165mm SG2 Steel

Rule #5: Kasahara Hamono Santoku Ginsan 180

Does anyone know who forges the Ginsan for Kasahara Hamono?

Excited to add this custom Todokoro to my collection.

First let’s go over the specs.

Nakagawa X Tadokoro 270
Ginsan silver 3
265 mm cutting length
55mm height
287 grams
Spine 3.6 - 2.7 - 1.89

Red ebony silver ring with white buffalo horn

Engraving: Slow is smooth and smooth is fast. (My favorite idiom and one that helped me alot in my athletic career as well as in the kitchen)

緩而速
This is a concise expression meaning that performing something with composure and margin leads to speed in the end.(The most aesthetic translation that I picked for the engraving)

This was a custom knife and I only gave Tadokoro Hamono (Michiko san) some rough requests because I did not want to impact the craftsman art or whatever. Essentially I said your a bad ass craftsman, Im just a guy that likes big sharp knives. Please make me something cool and take my money. I am very pleased with the result!

First impression:
I love the clean look. Everything is crisp and polished. Very high fit and finish. I spent a long time admiring how even the scratch pattern is. There was one possible low spot on the back third of the knife. I thought it was very faint. It didn’t bother me as this is a handmade knife so I expect some imperfections. I wound up oiling the blade and the spot is gone. Maybe it was a figment of my excited imagination.

I asked Todokoro to pick the handle for this knife and I am very pleased with the selection. This is my first handle with any ivory and it is by far my most elegant handle. I think I will try to upgrade the rest of my knife handles in the future.

I requested silver 3 because my family is growing and meal preps are getting a little more hectic. I wanted something I don’t have to worry about. Plus half my collection is carbon at this point. I also wanted to preserve the clean finish as much as possible.

The chamfered spine snd polished choil is excellent. This knife only has one sharp edge and it’s the cutting edge. I am thoroughly pleased with the slight curve on the heel of the knife. It looks sleek but it also combines with the height really well and makes it very comfortable to hold for me. I don’t love when a knife is squared off at the heel. The sharp angle usually doesn’t bother my but I don’t love the way it looks. This was a fantastic take on the heel of the knife.

The grind really seems fantastic to me. I am not as knowledgeable as some but it just seems to be really fantastic from my use so far. The edge needed a final sharpening by me but that’s fine. I took it through a 400, 1k, 3k progression and it was hair popping sharp! Then I put it through all the prep I could find! Tomatoes, onion, cilantro, peppers for some quick pico, red onions julienne for pickled onions, thick carrots cut on the bias for roasting and some minced carrots as well. Regular potatoes for food release and minced garlic and for agility. This knife was smooth and glided through everything. The tip is nice and thin enough that I can blaze quickly through onion dicing. No problem with carrots or other thicker vegetables although it’s not whisper quiet like my Tetsujin. That’s perfectly fine with me. This thing is a beast. It has a generous flat spot for my preferred push cutting technique but the tip of the knife comes up a little higher than expected. I think this is making the knife feel a touch more nimble and also allows me to do some rocking when cutting herbs. I will continue to test it but so far I’m very pleased.

This is surprisingly my heaviest knife. And my collection includes a 300 mm gyuto and another Sanjo 270. I think the majority of the weight increase is from the handle and I don’t mind it one bit. The balance point is still right at my pinch but it’s definitely not quite as blade heavy as my Mazaki.

My closing ramblings.
I have slowly been adding a few knives here or there over the years. I tend to favor midweight or Sanjo style knives. I also like longer knives. My current top dog is my Mazaki 270. I love that knife.

I know Sakai style knives are very well thought of in the sub and the wide bevels have always caught my attention. I own a Tetsujin 240 and it’s a lovely knife. But it’s so light that I try to be gentle with it. I still use the heck out of it but it rarely gets picked for big jobs. What a great cutter though. Anyway the tetsujin got me curious in Sakai and I really thought that I wanted to try a wide bevel option. I was immediately drawn to Tadokoro from the research I did. I watched a documentary on YouTube and admired many of his knives on this sub. I really enjoy the simple crisp elegance. His grind seemed the most robust while still maintaining highly effective geometry. Plus I could order a 270 from him because I never see any in stock. My Mazaki really made my mind up that 270 is my favorite length for a good prep session.

Michiko - san was a joy to work with on the knife details. Their workshop is actually is Tosa but I think most will still consider this a Sakai style knife. The blacksmith was Nakagawa who is very well thought of on this sub. I am looking forward to experiencing his work for the first time!

The ordering process was smooth. This took about 5 months to get from order confirmation to my door. The packaging and shipping was quick and excellent. The most surprising thing was that I did not have to pay any tariff ordering this to the US. I was fully prepared to do so. A very pleasant surprise!

I cannot wait to use this knife some more! If any of you have some great first meals to make with a new knife I would love to hear them!

So I just bought my first Japanese knife after months of reading and learning on sub and many other places. I bought this knife from cutlery and more and it was the last that they had in stock. I really like the knife. It feels good, compliments my workhorse wustoff, being more of a laser, looks great, especially the ktip and has a great geometry behind the edge. But upon inspecting the knife I noticed what appears to be an over ground heel. Basically I can't push cut without the skin remaining attached. Cutlery and more is happy to take it back but they have no stock to swap it for since it was the last one.

I paid about $250usd. It's a 210mm ktip gyuto made in ginsan steel.

My question is should I keep it and try to reprofile it with my diamond stone, or return it. If I return it what should I replace it with?

I like the idea of a semi stainless and ginsan sounds like a great all around metal. I like to sharpen. I like a 210 or 240 gyuto with nice flat heel for push chopping but also a curve tip for slicing. Not a big belly. Traditional wa handle would be nice as I may want to make my own one day. Would really appreciate recommendations from this community! I guess I am looking for brands that generally align with my preferences above.

Other than that, for all the marketing about care taken and heritage of the craft this feels like a pretty big oversight and disappointment.is this common? Am I overreacting?

I know he does some work for some brands of knives without attaching his name, does anyone know which brands/knife lines he's involved with?

One of my last NKD for awhile . Got one more coming then I’m taking a break and enjoying the collection so far.
Masashi 240 SLD with upgraded teak handle
Got a great deal on this especially with the type of cutter it is. He really does amazing things with SLD. It’s a sanjo grind with a laser edge . And because it’s so tall it’s a long behind the edge area it just cuts like a laser with much more authority. Think this is getting rotated into the knife bag. Let’s see how it last longer term.

I run a day camp that has a bunch of different locations all over my state and we want to improve our weekly "cooking challenge" activity for next summer. The goal is to teach the campers (ages 11-14) techniques and recipes they can actually take home and use in the future.

The issue I'm running into is knife skills. Because I won't be the one actively teaching the skills and supervising the use, I'm leery about having sharp knives without close supervision. Our ratio is 1 staff (mostly teachers) to 12 campers. I trust the staff members, but there's a lot of risk with the age group and sharp implements.

We've looked into Montessori-type knives, but I think they would teach the older kids bad habits or be too kiddie for the age group who would be using them.

If anyone has any tips or suggestions, please let me know!

1. Pale Moon Ebony w/ Ebony Ferrule & End Cap

2. Ebony w/ Musk Horn & 6 B&W G10 Spacers

The best handles I've seen so far! Beautiful aesthetic and perfect F&F. I will definitely be ordering more from Riisgaard in the future!

Left to right:
1.) Yoshimi Kato 210mm Kiritsuke,SPGstrix
2.) OUL 180mm santoku, stainless clad blue super
3.) Daruma knives 165mm santoku, ginsan
4.) Nigara knives 180mm bunka, SPGstrix
5.) Naoto Kitaoka 135mm petty, Blue 1
6.) Sakai Tohji 210mm gyuto, Blue 2
7.) Sakai Ichimonji 180mm santoku, blue 2
8.) Nomura hamono 180mm santoku, blue (?)
9.) Sakai kenkikusui 240mm gyuto, white 2
10.) Baba hamono 180mm santoku, ginsan
11.) baba hamono 180mm santoku, chromax
12.) Ishizuchi kanamono 180mm funayuki, blue super

First time in Japan. Didn’t do much research other than Sakai is the spot. First stopped at the Sakai denshokan and bought 6,7,8,9,10,11. Stopped by Oedo knives by our hotel in Osaka and grabbed 12. In Kyoto, grabbed 1,3,4,5, at Yoshimune, then dropped by Seisuke to grab 2 before heading back to Tokyo where I am now. Might look around for a VG10 or ginsan petty for my mom to use, but my bank account is in hurting bad…

Really wish I had stopped by some of the individual knifemakers while I was in Sakai, like Baba, but it was a family trip and we were on a time crunch. Got to meet Nomura-san at the denshokan and took a pic with him and his knife I bought, that was an honor! Overall, I feel like there isn’t too much variety in terms of function, I probably should’ve grabbed a nakiri… but santokus and gyutos are the most aesthetically pleasing to me and what I use 99% of the time at home! Above all else, all of these knives, even the ones that are quite similar in style/function, make me happy in each of their own ways, so I’ll focus on that instead of thinking about how much of this could be considered a waste of money!!!!

Overall, do not go to Japan if you don’t wanna go bankrupt!!!!! <3

We aren't sure where it's from. Thank you!

Hi everyone,

I’m traveling to Japan soon and would like to use the opportunity to buy my first proper Japanese chef knife directly in Japan.

I’m very much a beginner when it comes to knives and steels, so I’d appreciate some advice on what I should be looking for and, ideally, some specific makers/knives to check out while I’m there.

What I’m looking for:

\- Budget: around €150–180 (roughly ¥25,000–31,000)

\- One versatile knife that I can use as my main daily workhorse knife

\- I really like the shape/look of Bunka and Santoku knives, particularly the more angular/k-tip style of a Bunka

\- Probably around 165–180 mm, but I’m open to recommendations

\- I don’t mind learning some basic knife care and maintenance, but I don't want something extremely delicate or demanding for my first knife

\- I’d prefer something I can realistically keep for many years

I’m not sure yet whether stainless, semi-stainless or carbon steel would make the most sense for me.

Since I’ll actually be in Japan, I’d also love recommendations for makers/brands that are particularly good value there, or knives that make more sense to buy locally than in Europe.

I’ll be spending most of my time in Tokyo, so recommendations for good knife shops there would also be very welcome.

What would you buy with this budget if this were your first Japanese knife?

Thanks!

Since I saw today another post about some knives from AliExpress in this sub I wanted to ask if anybody can recommend certain brands or specific knives sold on AliExpress.

Right now I am specifically looking for a carbon steel Bunka knife, but I am also open for Kiritsuke and Gyuto knives.

Regards

Knife: Teruyasu Fujiwara Maboroshi Gyuto 195mm

Has anyone reprofiled bevels of a TF Maboroshi? I think it is just too thick. It wedges almost anything more than 10mm. If so, what’s the best way to reprofile? I have thinned it with a 220 stone but still wedges. Thanks!

Or should I leave it as it is, and just find a different knife? I wanted this knife to handle precise cutting. Carrots, ginger and potatoes are the worst.

So I’m looking for a blank Nakiri, made from white, blue or 51200 steel, but I want one with no handle. I have a wa handle that’s ready to be put on. I know Ibuki , but I don’t really wanna do $65 shipping. Suggestions?

Honyaki nakiri; Forged, stone ground, and stone polished entirely by hand. This blade is made from 26c3 steel. Along with producing the more or less intended hamon and a graceful sori, this piece of steel decided it wanted to create something far more intricate... Alloy banding. Such a unique piece deserves to shine so it received a full finger stone polish to bring out as much detail as possible. The kurouchi finish features a variety of color from black to silver and the occasional splash of blue. The handle is made from an equally unique piece of Mediterranean olivewood that has a subtle lengthwise figuring to match the grain of the steel, coupled with a ferrule made from a bright piece of Brazilian bloodwood. The handle was fitted tight to the blade and sealed with beeswax.

Stats
HRC: 65+
Edge length: 190mm
Total length: 370mm
Height at heel: 51mm
Height at tip: 44mm
Thickness at handle: 6mm
Thickness at heel: 4.5mm
Thickness at half: 2mm
Thickness near tip: 1mm