# How would you customize a Watanabe gyuto?



## Pirendeus (Jun 9, 2016)

I'm considering ordering a 240 Watanabe gyuto from the source. Some forum members have mentioned his blades are generally hefty...so, given the option, how would y'all change the knife for optimal home general use?


----------



## IndoorOutdoorCook (Jun 9, 2016)

If you're looking for a laser just buy a laser. What's the point of buying a Watanabe if you want to change it out of the box?


----------



## panda (Jun 9, 2016)

pointier & flatter tip, round spine & choil


----------



## chinacats (Jun 9, 2016)

IndoorOutdoorCook said:


> If you're looking for a laser just buy a laser. What's the point of buying a Watanabe if you want to change it out of the box?



+1 love my Watanabe as is...well, I changed the handle and scrubbed the original finish but grind/weight is why I bought it.:knife:



panda said:


> pointier & flatter tip, round spine & choil



Yeah, it's kind of like a big santoku :biggrin:, but I don't mind rounding spine and choil myself.


----------



## labor of love (Jun 9, 2016)

The tip. Just the tip.


----------



## Godslayer (Jun 9, 2016)

Raise the tip, round spine and choil, after that it's all preference. Dont buy a saya or handle upgrade from him. Crazy $$$$$$. His knives are defiantly worth a custom handle/saya. Other upgrades if your looking to spend some $$$ are honyaki and damascus. Both of which have a unique rustic charm.


----------



## aboynamedsuita (Jun 9, 2016)

Honyaki and Mirror Polished Blade:





I used uchigomori powder to put the hazy finish on the jigane, before it was all a mirror that only the correct angle and lighting would give the slightest sense of a Hamon.

I also removed the deep grind marks in the choil/emoto, but didn't radius it as that makes it too slippery. Not sure if he'd do that (I tried to ask but may have not been clear enough). Here's my 240 gyuto with 270 suji for comparison:


----------



## aboynamedsuita (Jun 9, 2016)

Godslayer said:


> Raise the tip, round spine and choil, after that it's all preference. Dont buy a saya or handle upgrade from him. Crazy $$$$$$. His knives are defiantly worth a custom handle/saya. Other upgrades if your looking to spend some $$$ are honyaki and damascus. Both of which have a unique rustic charm.



In hindsight I would've passed on the saya


----------



## Godslayer (Jun 9, 2016)

The sayas nonesense for $100 you can buy a custom from sharp and shiny shop or mozuko that would be mind blowing. Matching wa or hidden tang western. Honyaki mirror polished is sick but not exactly budget friendly. Still amazing. I regret not buying your k tip


----------



## ecchef (Jun 9, 2016)

Watanabe offers some bad-assed engraving.


----------



## Ruso (Jun 9, 2016)

Would not do anything with it. Not even buying it. 
Save your money and buy something from a better source.


----------



## preizzo (Jun 9, 2016)

Watanabe are good knives for the price &#128521;


----------



## daveb (Jun 9, 2016)

They deserve more handle than they are delivered with. Best done aftermarket.


----------



## Pirendeus (Jun 9, 2016)

Ruso said:


> Would not do anything with it. Not even buying it.
> Save your money and buy something from a better source.



I'll bite. To what do you refer?


----------



## Ruso (Jun 9, 2016)

Pirendeus said:


> I'll bite. To what do you refer?


I had a bad experience with Shinichi Watanabe especially in a customer service area. Never again. I usually stay away from Watanabe threads, this one just caught me in an angry mood.


----------



## krx927 (Jun 10, 2016)

Based on my experience and what others are writing you are the only one who had bad experience with Shinichi... My experience of his customer service was just opposite!

About customization, definitely rounding the spine. The choil on mine was rounded slightly/enough. Handle upgrade, albeit a bit pricey but keyaki octaqgon handle is great, it just sits in the hand like it should. In my opinion much better feel that fancy custom handles that we see a lot around here. 
And then there is engraving if you dig this. The pictures like dragons etc. will double the price of the knife but for next to nothing you can engrave your name on it...


----------



## Pirendeus (Jun 11, 2016)

Stupid question: if I had my last name engraved on the knife, is it customary to use the roman alphabet or japanese? 
Also, when ordering from japan, what is the most cost-effective method for a ~$400 order? paypal, postal money order, bank transfer?


----------



## aboynamedsuita (Jun 12, 2016)

Pirendeus said:


> Stupid question: if I had my last name engraved on the knife, is it customary to use the roman alphabet or japanese?
> Also, when ordering from japan, what is the most cost-effective method for a ~$400 order? paypal, postal money order, bank transfer?



I wouldn't have my name engraved in a knife good luck IF you ever had to sell it for whatever reason.

I'd just use PayPal in ¥JPY as goods and services, probably 4% (paid by the seller) due to the currency conversion and international payment, but easy; it's what i did. You'll notice the shipping quote may be a bit higher than postage on the label and I imagine this is where the PayPal fee is recouped compared to other methods (in Canada anyways, the postage paid doesn't include cost of insurance either).


----------



## Casaluz (Jun 12, 2016)

I have ordered more than a few things directly from Japan (knives, martial arts gear and uniforms) always using Paypal regardless of the amount. So far never had any problems and always had a very good experience, including working directly with Shinichi Watanabe, Shosui Takeda, and Yasha Yukawa. Customary for engraving names is in Japanese, I suggest to use google translate. 




Pirendeus said:


> Stupid question: if I had my last name engraved on the knife, is it customary to use the roman alphabet or japanese?
> Also, when ordering from japan, what is the most cost-effective method for a ~$400 order? paypal, postal money order, bank transfer?


----------



## mikedtran (Jun 12, 2016)

When is that Yasha Yukawa coming in? =)



Casaluz said:


> I have ordered more than a few things directly from Japan (knives, martial arts gear and uniforms) always using Paypal regardless of the amount. So far never had any problems and always had a very good experience, including working directly with Shinichi Watanabe, Shosui Takeda, and Yasha Yukawa. Customary for engraving names is in Japanese, I suggest to use google translate.


----------



## panda (Oct 30, 2016)

does anybody know if he can make honyaki blades from white steel? i picked up one of his white steel paring knives and now i want a custom ks shaped honyaki gyuto from him


----------



## alterwisser (Oct 30, 2016)

Just ask him ... he's great to communicate with, and usually answers pretty quickly.


----------



## labor of love (Oct 30, 2016)

panda said:


> does anybody know if he can make honyaki blades from white steel? i picked up one of his white steel paring knives and now i want a custom ks shaped honyaki gyuto from him



Haha! Lemme know how that works out!


----------



## supersayan3 (Oct 30, 2016)

I think that has already been made for you, and for everybody else, it is the Sukenari white 1, 27cm gyuto. 25,5cm cutting edge, just like the Masamoto KS 24cm, same height 48-49mm, with a little lesser tip than the KS maybe (different tip the 27cm has compared to the 21/24cm editions), but I don't know if the Masamoto Honyaki will have as good tip as the KS or the Dragon as well
Also it comes cheaper than a Masamoto white 2 or a Watanabe blue (2?)
Sukenari father used to work for Masamoto


----------



## panda (Oct 30, 2016)

You should try it out and let us know for sure instead of it sitting in your drawer!


----------



## supersayan3 (Oct 30, 2016)

panda said:


> You should try it out and let us know for sure instead of it sitting in your drawer!




Hahahaaa, even if I try it, it will not change profile [emoji4]

I have tried the 21/24cm, that's why I recommend it [emoji111]&#65039;

Comes with a saya as well, wavy wood-water patterns, wait for x-mas discounts


----------



## chinacats (Oct 30, 2016)

panda said:


> does anybody know if he can make honyaki blades from white steel? i picked up one of his white steel paring knives and now i want a custom ks shaped honyaki gyuto from him



he used to offer white or blue as an option for the honyaki iirc...would definitely not hurt to ask though my understanding is that he prefers working with blue...


----------



## supersayan3 (Oct 31, 2016)

So, if Watanabe agrees, he will have to go buy a KS to copy the profile?


----------



## panda (Nov 1, 2016)

I can send him mine, or just email a trace.
Think I will save for a sukenari 270 tho, I like that the dad used to work for masamoto.


----------



## supersayan3 (Nov 1, 2016)

It was a joke, haha

I have now in front of me the Sukenari as, Honyaki 24/27 and I can tell you that best tip goes to suk 27, second(very very close) best to suk 24(very different profile and tip compared to suk as), 3rd goes to Hiromoto, 4th goes to suk as and very very close comes the Mizuno tip

Remember, if you order Sukenari, specify that you want a perfect perfect mirror polish, not mirror polish with traces of lines. As I wrote above, different batches come with different levels of mirror polish

And most likely the dad must had been making honyakis, that's why Sukenari honyakis have more Masamoto ish profiles, compared to the other lines

Nothing against the Mizuno, I don't sell it [emoji4]


----------



## doudou (Nov 1, 2016)

i have trouble to chosing a Sukenari, i really like it's profle. ZDP189 is a great steel, but i head a lot of comments that it would be a brittle steel. i own a Kurosaki R2, and i found the R2 steel is really chippy. AS vs. ZDP189, which one is tuffer?


----------



## supersayan3 (Nov 1, 2016)

supersayan3 said:


> It was a joke, haha
> 
> I have now in front of me the Sukenari as, Honyaki 24/27 and I can tell you that best tip goes to suk 27, second(very very close) best to suk 24(very different profile and tip compared to suk as), 3rd goes to Hiromoto, 4th goes to suk as and very very close comes the Mizuno tip
> ]



All these concerning the tip profile.
Thinnest tip, concerning spinal tapering, the Hiromotos, Sukenari honyakis second


----------



## supersayan3 (Nov 1, 2016)

doudou said:


> i have trouble to chosing a Sukenari, i really like it's profle. ZDP189 is a great steel, but i head a lot of comments that it would be a brittle steel. i own a Kurosaki R2, and i found the R2 steel is really chippy. AS vs. ZDP189, which one is tuffer?



Have no clue about ZDP. My R2/SG2 Blazens are chippy if you cut bones, sate sticks etc..., but on veggies, pumpkin, finokio etc., they are not and they cut like a breeze. They are excellent for use, but delicate for abuse, no beaters.
A member here, posted some videos, at a Sukenari ZDP thread, his knife had a real big chip from Parmesan, but after that he abused it on steel, bones, etc., and it was tough, no problems if I remember correct.

But as far as I have read here in the forums, concerning sharpness SG2/R2> SRS-15> ZDP-189

At some thread I posted a video from a Sukenari Honyaki ZDP yanagiba, they were cutting newspapers rolled, outstanding edge retention.
But you need it for food, not newspapers


----------



## DanHumphrey (Nov 1, 2016)

supersayan3 said:


> Have no clue about ZDP. My R2/SG2 Blazens are chippy if you cut bones, sate sticks etc..., but on veggies, pumpkin, finokio etc., they are not and they cut like a breeze. They are excellent for use, but delicate for abuse, no beaters.
> A member here, posted some videos, at a Sukenari ZDP thread, his knife had a real big chip from Parmesan, but after that he abused it on steel, bones, etc., and it was tough, no problems if I remember correct.
> 
> But as far as I have read here in the forums, concerning sharpness SG2/R2> SRS-15> ZDP-189
> ...



"A real big chip from Parmesan" ...after being dropped on cement, as I recall.


----------



## aboynamedsuita (Nov 1, 2016)

DanHumphrey said:


> "A real big chip from Parmesan" ...after being dropped on cement, as I recall.



Yes, the thread was called something like macro chip on a pricey knife


----------



## toddnmd (Nov 1, 2016)

tjangula said:


> Yes, the thread was called something like macro chip on a pricey knife



The owner of that ZDP knife did some interesting toughness tests on video before he started the chip repair. Very interesting. The ZDP turned out to be tougher than I expected. But still not recommended to drop it on cement! ;-)


----------



## labor of love (Nov 1, 2016)

Getting pretty off topic.


----------



## daveb (Nov 1, 2016)

Best way to customize a Watanabe? Tell him what knife you want. Give him money. Put knife in a bag of your choice.


----------



## Marek07 (Nov 2, 2016)

daveb said:


> Best way to customize a Watanabe? Tell him what knife you want. Give him money. Put knife in a bag of your choice.


 lus1: 
Sage (& funny) advice Dave.


----------

