# Teruyasu Fujiwara



## Badgertooth (Nov 12, 2015)

Anybody had any experience ordering direct? Does it take a few weeks or a few months?


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## XooMG (Nov 12, 2015)

Usually a few weeks, depending on what you get. For some popular items, he'll hook you up in a few days.


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## Badgertooth (Nov 12, 2015)

Thanks man, ordered a 180mm Maboroshi gyuto about two months ago so I'll let it go for a few more weeks before I follow up. I'm jonesing for it.


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## XooMG (Nov 12, 2015)

Check his show schedule and stuff...sometimes he does tours or demos, and that can get in the way. Drop them an email with simple English or Japanese if possible and ask if they have processed your order.


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## Marcelo Amaral (Nov 12, 2015)

It was within a reasonable timeframe for me.


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## Asteger (Nov 12, 2015)

2-3 weeks, maybe, for me


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## OneS (Nov 12, 2015)

I ordered a 180 maboroshi gyuto earlier this year and it took a month, all up. He emailed after 2 weeks, if I remember right.


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## rhymeswithoranj (Nov 12, 2015)

Took closer to 5 or 6 weeks for mine, but good communication. Also, pretty sure the first message from TF went to spam, so I didn't see it for a week or two, which slowed things up.


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## Corradobrit1 (Nov 12, 2015)

Communication has gotten significantly worse over the last 3-4 weeks. Not sure why but I do know he travels a bit. Several emails have gone unanswered when he usually replies at least within a few days of contact.


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## toddnmd (Nov 12, 2015)

I think I got my 135 petty in about a week.


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## Badgertooth (Nov 12, 2015)

Hmmmm.. I don't wanna hassle the guy but it seems like this taking a little longer than it should. Thanks guys, keen to see whether ordering direct without the interceding quality control from a reputable vendor results in a sublime cutting experience from an imperfectly finished, characterful knife. Or I get an inconsistently ground lemon.


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## Keith Sinclair (Nov 13, 2015)

Teruyasu Fujiwara never even heard of these knives, cook I know bought one 240mm gyuto. Treated the Ho handle trade winds are strong coats dried fast now using the knife. Took it all the way to 8K gesshin just for the heck of it.

This gyuto is a beast, at the spine thickest carbon core I have seen. It is blade heavy balance point at middle of Kanji. the white 1 core is taking a light color after several days cutting all kind vegetables, some fruit & proteins. Like the pear finish. This hand forged knife has a lot of character. Granted I am cutting on a end grain board but after 3 days of home cooking this blade sails through tomato's with no effort


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## Corradobrit1 (Nov 13, 2015)

Badgertooth said:


> Hmmmm.. I don't wanna hassle the guy but it seems like this taking a little longer than it should. Thanks guys, keen to see whether ordering direct without the interceding quality control from a reputable vendor results in a sublime cutting experience from an imperfectly finished, characterful knife. Or I get an inconsistently ground lemon.



No guarantee the knife won't be without issues even if purchased through distributor. It really is a crap shoot either way. I posted my experiences in the 'new knife' thread if you want to read about my recent purchase. Bottom line is if you order direct be prepared to wait several months unless the knife you want is off the shelf. I had some specific requirements like eased spine, thin and lightweight, one of the two with a machi. After 50 emails and several months the knives eventually arrived in the US.


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## rhymeswithoranj (Nov 13, 2015)

My gyuto was and is a brilliant cutter. Thick spine, but very thin behind the edge. Minor imperfections - you can feel some rough bits when you wash the knife, but not an issue when using it. And it's a beautifully balanced, sharp


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## rhymeswithoranj (Nov 13, 2015)

Cutter, obviously. Hit post too soon.


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## Badgertooth (Nov 13, 2015)

keithsaltydog said:


> Teruyasu Fujiwara never even heard of these knives, cook I know bought one 240mm gyuto. Treated the Ho handle trade winds are strong coats dried fast now using the knife. Took it all the way to 8K gesshin just for the heck of it.
> 
> This gyuto is a beast, at the spine thickest carbon core I have seen. It is blade heavy balance point at middle of Kanji. the white 1 core is taking a light color after several days cutting all kind vegetables, some fruit & proteins. Like the pear finish. This hand forged knife has a lot of character. Granted I am cutting on a end grain board but after 3 days of home cooking this blade sails through tomato's with no effort



Yeehawww, it's that edge potential, heat treat and retention that has me primed to forgive an awful lot by way of finish. I also plan to sharpen to levels probably superfluous to needs... 
Because.. 
Because... 
SHARP!!


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## Badgertooth (Nov 13, 2015)

Corradobrit1 said:


> No guarantee the knife won't be without issues even if purchased through distributor. It really is a crap shoot either way. I posted my experiences in the 'new knife' thread if you want to read about my recent purchase. Bottom line is if you order direct be prepared to wait several months unless the knife you want is off the shelf. I had some specific requirements like eased spine, thin and lightweight, one of the two with a machi. After 50 emails and several months the knives eventually arrived in the US.



Cool, thanks for that, I'm going to head over to find it now. Keen to read about your experience. This really is a cool community.


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## alterwisser (Nov 13, 2015)

rhymeswithoranj said:


> My gyuto was and is a brilliant cutter. Thick spine, but very thin behind the edge. Minor imperfections - you can feel some rough bits when you wash the knife, but not an issue when using it. And it's a beautifully balanced, sharp



I second that. Have a Nakiri and the F&F absolutely is on the rough side. It gets frickin sharp though, very thin behind the edge...

Ordering was a bit cumbersome, but not THAT bad. He sent me one without the finger rest, which I traded at BST, then gave me a discount for a new one with finger rest.

So all in all a decent experience.

Bought direct from Ashi Hamono, Watanabe and him so far. I would rank Ashi first, Watanabe second and then TF...

Ashi was a pleasure to deal with, but I heard they stopped selling direct?!?


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## mark76 (Nov 13, 2015)

Yeah, 2 weeks or so. Pretty fast. Only their customer communication is bad: rather non-existent. They never answered my emails. Eventually I phoned them and got someone on the line who spoke a little English  . They told me my knife was under way.


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## eugen_onegin (Nov 13, 2015)

No experience with ordering direct, but I do have (2) gyutos. One of the Nashiji and Maboroshi. They both are ridiculous and there is a damn good reason I bought 1 then another. It will be well worth the wait.


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## Asteger (Nov 13, 2015)

For what it's worth, having telephoned them a few years stumbling with Japanese, and also having a Japanese friend telephone them too, in addition to a few email exchanges, my impression is that the maker's wife is involved in the communications, and there isn't always a close communication between you, her, and Fujiwara, and he might not always be around. 

Sorry as I'm trying to recall this without double-checking before writing, but while their shop/base is in west-ish Tokyo (Meguro-ku?) I think the actual workshop is nowhere near and out in Ibaraki or in that direction, quite some distance from where business is done. This has to lead to some inefficiencies, I guess. Perhaps they have a following and are used to trusting patient (local) customers, assuming things will work out, which they most certainly can and will? 

On the other hand, I recently got an email from them in connection to a purchase a quite while back asking for a review. And so it seems they're re-visiting their web presence and how they might better deal with international sales, etc. Communication improvements? (For the record, I gave 4/5 stars for my gyuto review, which hasn't been listed. Wouldn't be the first time this has happened to me, although previously it has been with well-known foreign sellers here instead and not Fujiwara.)

In the end, there could always be a mistake and a delay, but I wouldn't worry about not receiving an order. If you're in NZ, you have to be used to wait and isolation!


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## Keith Sinclair (Nov 13, 2015)

Since this is the only one I have seen I can only compare it to other knives not by same maker. As mentioned the carbon core at spine is thick, going along the spine toward tip, the core is at least same thickness as stainless clad. One of the first things I look for in a knife is the grind, looking at choil against contrasting background ( the core steel is quite visible in choil area too). The grind on this knife starts right below the pear finish. Felt the edge could use some refining, it was not taken to a polished edge. I started with a 600 gesshin several progressions taking off a little steel behind the edge but still below the clad line. Then put on a higher bevel with Gesshin 4K. The 4K is capable of forming a nice bevel on quality steel. I finished off with 8K not needed on a DB. 

At the horn spine is 4.15mm, at heel 3.67mm near tip where it is affected by grind .38mm. The pear finish looks rustic and durable. Looking from choil after grinding the blade the stainless clad esp. on flatter backside of knife is super thin. IMO this knife does not need major thinning anyway which might expose the core.

Blade heavy & put a sharp refined edge it just falls through food. Because of this extra weight I find it fun to cut with. My friend bought the last 240mm off CKTG at a discount. He will pick it up Monday, I'll use it till then. I will check with him in a couple months, think this will make a great work horse knife.


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## OneS (Nov 15, 2015)

Interesting perspective from keith regarding the weight. After reading what he said it certainly resonated with me about the heft of the TF - I do find that its a great cutter and perhaps its as much a function of its weight as its sharpness. This thing's become my petty-killer; I can't imagine going back to some anorexic 150 little'un when this does all she can, and is tall enough to half-pretend she's one of the older girls and gain entrance to the adult's playing fields when chopping time comes around. Edge retention isn't fantastic - but I suppose that's White steel for you ! Giving me an excuse to take her to the stones regularly is not such a negative, in my book.


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## eugen_onegin (Nov 17, 2015)

Here's a few photos showing both a Nashiji and a Maboroshi gyuto. As you can see on the spine shot, the maboroshi is more refined. Honestly, there's no difference in performance. Love what Terayasu is putting out. The knives a crazy sharp and cut like a lightsaber.


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## Badgertooth (Nov 17, 2015)

keithsaltydog said:


> Since this is the only one I have seen I can only compare it to other knives not by same maker. As mentioned the carbon core at spine is thick, going along the spine toward tip, the core is at least same thickness as stainless clad. One of the first things I look for in a knife is the grind, looking at choil against contrasting background ( the core steel is quite visible in choil area too). The grind on this knife starts right below the pear finish. Felt the edge could use some refining, it was not taken to a polished edge. I started with a 600 gesshin several progressions taking off a little steel behind the edge but still below the clad line. Then put on a higher bevel with Gesshin 4K. The 4K is capable of forming a nice bevel on quality steel. I finished off with 8K not needed on a DB.
> 
> At the horn spine is 4.15mm, at heel 3.67mm near tip where it is affected by grind .38mm. The pear finish looks rustic and durable. Looking from choil after grinding the blade the stainless clad esp. on flatter backside of knife is super thin. IMO this knife does not need major thinning anyway which might expose the core.
> 
> Blade heavy & put a sharp refined edge it just falls through food. Because of this extra weight I find it fun to cut with. My friend bought the last 240mm off CKTG at a discount. He will pick it up Monday, I'll use it till then. I will check with him in a couple months, think this will make a great work horse knife.



Keith, I can't wait to compare notes on sharpening when it arrives


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## Badgertooth (Nov 17, 2015)

eugen_onegin said:


> Here's a few photos showing both a Nashiji and a Maboroshi gyuto. As you can see on the spine shot, the maboroshi is more refined. Honestly, there's no difference in performance. Love what Terayasu is putting out. The knives a crazy sharp and cut like a lightsaber.



Great comparison and photos. Is that 195mm you're rocking there? Great to hear the performances are comparable. Do they feel the same on the stones?


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## Badgertooth (Nov 17, 2015)

OneS said:


> Interesting perspective from keith regarding the weight. After reading what he said it certainly resonated with me about the heft of the TF - I do find that its a great cutter and perhaps its as much a function of its weight as its sharpness. This thing's become my petty-killer; I can't imagine going back to some anorexic 150 little'un when this does all she can, and is tall enough to half-pretend she's one of the older girls and gain entrance to the adult's playing fields when chopping time comes around. Edge retention isn't fantastic - but I suppose that's White steel for you ! Giving me an excuse to take her to the stones regularly is not such a negative, in my book.



I bought the 180mm to be like a grunty petty with a bit more ballast than any of my 150mms, so it's great to hear your comments


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## wbusby1 (Nov 18, 2015)

Badgertooth, FWIW I ordered a custom knife from him in early May this year and still don't have it. I have ordered two other knives from him since, one he shipped the very next day, the other I'm still waiting for. He has been pretty sparse with e-mailing and not so logical or organized. As to edge retention, my experiences with his W1 steel are different than OneS's: my T-F's hold an edge equal if not better than my Aogami Super knives and at least 3x as long as other W1 knives I've used.


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## Badgertooth (Nov 19, 2015)

wbusby1 said:


> Badgertooth, FWIW I ordered a custom knife from him in early May this year and still don't have it. I have ordered two other knives from him since, one he shipped the very next day, the other I'm still waiting for. He has been pretty sparse with e-mailing and not so logical or organized. As to edge retention, my experiences with his W1 steel are different than OneS's: my T-F's hold an edge equal if not better than my Aogami Super knives and at least 3x as long as other W1 knives I've used.



Ah man, May!! That's an awfully long time


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## wbusby1 (Nov 20, 2015)

Yeah what's worse is he keeps giving me deadlines and blowing them. He had the blade finished pretty much when he said he would (July) but couldn't get a handle. I guess handles are pretty hard up because after a few e-mails (and months of) telling him I'd take it without the handle he finally e-mailed me back 9 days ago saying he would ship it without the handle and he kindly offered to "discount" it since he was shipping w/o the handle now and because it took so long and said he'd ship the knife I paid for already too. Except the discounted quote he gave me was about 50% MORE than the original quote he gave me. I asked him to clarify this (maybe he was including the knife I'd already paid him for in the cost???) But as usual, it looks like I'm in for another long wait to hear from him again.


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## Badgertooth (Nov 20, 2015)

wbusby1 said:


> Yeah what's worse is he keeps giving me deadlines and blowing them. He had the blade finished pretty much when he said he would (July) but couldn't get a handle. I guess handles are pretty hard up because after a few e-mails (and months of) telling him I'd take it without the handle he finally e-mailed me back 9 days ago saying he would ship it without the handle and he kindly offered to "discount" it since he was shipping w/o the handle now and because it took so long and said he'd ship the knife I paid for already too. Except the discounted quote he gave me was about 50% MORE than the original quote he gave me. I asked him to clarify this (maybe he was including the knife I'd already paid him for in the cost???) But as usual, it looks like I'm in for another long wait to hear from him again.



That clunking thud is the sound of my heart sinking. But its got me to thinking now that I might want a custom handle. Maybe one of James at K&S bubingas with the brass cap.


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## OneS (Nov 20, 2015)

Wow, that is painful. Stuff like that does nothing for his rep. I hope it works out ultimately Badger....


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## Badgertooth (Nov 20, 2015)

Thanks dude, but you see, conversely, I think it may be stoking the fire of his popularity. The harder he makes it to get one, the more people are going to want one. Fingers crossed, I've bit the bullet and sent him a friendly nudge.



OneS said:


> Wow, that is painful. Stuff like that does nothing for his rep. I hope it works out ultimately Badger....


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## RobinW (Nov 20, 2015)

eugen_onegin said:


> Here's a few photos showing both a Nashiji and a Maboroshi gyuto. As you can see on the spine shot, the maboroshi is more refined. Honestly, there's no difference in performance. Love what Terayasu is putting out. The knives a crazy sharp and cut like a lightsaber.




Hmmmm, I have a nashiji and a maboroshi 240 gyuto. not used them a lot but the Nashiji is at least sharpened once...

Looking at the spine of the nashiji of the one above it appears the core steel placement is very uneven within the cladding. Will this become a problem in a hundred years when it is sharpened down to a suji? I have never thought about it, but wouldn't this cause the cladding to become the cutting edge sooner or later? As long as the cutting edge is kept straight and not moved sideways.


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## Corradobrit1 (Nov 21, 2015)

wbusby1 said:


> Yeah what's worse is he keeps giving me deadlines and blowing them. He had the blade finished pretty much when he said he would (July) but couldn't get a handle. I guess handles are pretty hard up because after a few e-mails (and months of) telling him I'd take it without the handle he finally e-mailed me back 9 days ago saying he would ship it without the handle and he kindly offered to "discount" it since he was shipping w/o the handle now and because it took so long and said he'd ship the knife I paid for already too. Except the discounted quote he gave me was about 50% MORE than the original quote he gave me. I asked him to clarify this (maybe he was including the knife I'd already paid him for in the cost???) But as usual, it looks like I'm in for another long wait to hear from him again.



Why not just have a free D-shape Ho handle installed. I did this so I could test the blades before making a commitment to a better quality octagonal Wa handle.


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## wbusby1 (Nov 21, 2015)

I asked him to ship the blade anyway, whichever was fastest: I'd pay for the ebony, be fine with downgraded D, skip the handle altogether. I said this in 3 different e-mails over 3 months, and just 9 days ago he got back to me, saying he would ship without the handle. 

But that's all beside the point. I have extra handles floating around and I can always make another one. I just want that darn man to ship me the blade already or tell me straight up that he's never going to.


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## Corradobrit1 (Nov 21, 2015)

wbusby1 said:


> I asked him to ship the blade anyway, whichever was fastest: I'd pay for the ebony, be fine with downgraded D, skip the handle altogether. I said this in 3 different e-mails over 3 months, and just 9 days ago he got back to me, saying he would ship without the handle.
> 
> But that's all beside the point. I have extra handles floating around and I can always make another one. I just want that darn man to ship me the blade already or tell me straight up that he's never going to.



I understand the frustration. Seems everyone has had very poor experiences with communication that go way beyond mere language differences, me included. If the item isn't an off the shelf product then thats when the issues begin. Not sure if I'd go through this again knowing now the time and energy needed to get two gyuto's and a petty.


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## Corradobrit1 (Nov 21, 2015)

Can't edit my reply but I want to clarify what I meant, as it comes across as an unfair representation that everyone has had a poor experience, which is obviously not the case. What I really meant was that issues seem to arise more often than not for special requests or if a blade is custom made.


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## eugen_onegin (Nov 23, 2015)

I agree it can be frustrating but I think we have to remember that not all people are as computer/internationally communication savvy as we probably want. I totally agree that it is definitely annoying to wait that long for anything. We just have to remember sometimes that the world outside of our own may be a lot slower than we may like. I think AmazonPrime and delivery pizza in 30 minutes has really spoiled us in the fact that we can get things unbelievably fast. How old is Terayasu? Does he have apprentices? Who helps him? If it's just him and his wife, that's a tremendous amount of work and time. Jus sayin. I'm sure he comes from a much different time and era. Again, it sucks to wait...:dazed:

BTW, DC Sharp has many of his fine bldes availalbe. Petty/Nakiri/Gyuto/Santoku. Check'em out!
http://www.dcsharp.com/


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## RobinW (Nov 24, 2015)

RobinW said:


> Looking at the spine of the nashiji of the one above it appears *the core steel placement is very uneven within the cladding. Will this become a problem in a hundred years when it is sharpened down to a suji?* I have never thought about it, but wouldn't this cause the cladding to become the cutting edge sooner or later? As long as the cutting edge is kept straight and not moved sideways.



Nobody has any opinions on the above?

thanks


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## eugen_onegin (Nov 24, 2015)

Sorry Robin, I meant to comment. Thanks for reminding me though.

I noticed that too when I purchased. IT does waver a little near the handle then as it passes over the heel it goes back to relative center. I will say, when this gets passed down to my great-great grandkids, it's more then likely to not be problem - only a paring knife...


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## eugen_onegin (Nov 24, 2015)

The picture is actually somewhat deceiving. With the picture, it almost looks like the core steel is a few mm away from the face but I assure you it's not. The stainless steel on the bottom portion, relative to the picture, does not actually come that close to the face of the blade. On the (top) part of the blade on the picture, there is a burr that overlaps a little of the core steel. 

I'll add a picture of the choil so you can see how the core steel and the cladding match up at the heel. And this is the nashiji, He leaves the blade a little more rustic which honestly I kind of enjoy. It adds a little character to each blade. It's almost like a custom shop Fender Relic - if you catch my drift.


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## eugen_onegin (Nov 25, 2015)

Unfortunately my camera phone can not get a great shot of the choil. Regardless, yes there is some fluctuation in the core steel with the cladding but honestly it has no effect on performance or doubts that it will be a cause for concern in the future. The blade receives daily use and in the last 6 months its received only 1 sharpening in that time. The edge has been very stable and almost no micro-chips. In comparison to the Takeda I just purchased, That edge has 2 chips in the last 3 weeks. Granted, they're at the tip and heel. This Fujiwara has been a great workhorse gyuto on the kitchen.


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## Badgertooth (Nov 26, 2015)

eugen_onegin said:


> I agree it can be frustrating but I think we have to remember that not all people are as computer/internationally communication savvy as we probably want. I totally agree that it is definitely annoying to wait that long for anything. We just have to remember sometimes that the world outside of our own may be a lot slower than we may like. I think AmazonPrime and delivery pizza in 30 minutes has really spoiled us in the fact that we can get things unbelievably fast. How old is Terayasu? Does he have apprentices? Who helps him? If it's just him and his wife, that's a tremendous amount of work and time. Jus sayin. I'm sure he comes from a much different time and era. Again, it sucks to wait...:dazed:
> 
> BTW, DC Sharp has many of his fine bldes availalbe. Petty/Nakiri/Gyuto/Santoku. Check'em out!
> http://www.dcsharp.com/



Yeah part of the joy of Japanese knives is that it is a testament to an older set of values and not the entitlement that comes with instant access culture. I don't mind waiting at all.. I'm on Bloodroot's list till 2018, its just that I want to be apprised of how long I'm to wait which shouldn't be too tough. I definitely don't want to give him a hard time, that's a d!ck move.


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## alterwisser (Nov 26, 2015)

Badgertooth said:


> Yeah part of the joy of Japanese knives is that it is a testament to an older set of values and not the entitlement that comes with instant access culture. I don't mind waiting at all.. I'm on Bloodroot's list till 2018, its just that I want to be apprised of how long I'm to wait which shouldn't be too tough. I definitely don't want to give him a hard time, that's a d!ck move.



I agree! And it's tough for me, patience isn't my strength!

Just started the process with bloodroot for a 2018 knife. Love it so far, they're great!


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## Badgertooth (Dec 22, 2015)




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## spoiledbroth (Dec 22, 2015)

Badgertooth said:


>


flickr

nice chucks bru :razz:


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## Badgertooth (Dec 22, 2015)

People giving me massive side-eye in the office. God she's purdy.


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## jacko9 (Dec 23, 2015)

I have ordered twice directly from Teruyasu Fujiwara both times with upgraded ebony handles. I received my first knife around Christmas time in 6 weeks after getting a email reply from him mentioning that he was having difficulties with ebony procurement (being a woodworker I understand that). The best way to communicate with him is through his web site under the Inquiry pull down tab at the top of the page which brings up a Contact Us Form. At first I tried emails directly and didn't get any response but filling out the Contact Us form always gets a quick response. My 240mm Nashiji Gyuto with ebony handle took six weeks, my 150mm Nashiji Petty with ebony handle took three weeks and both arrived excellently packaged with micro fiber towel and care instructions. Both knives were amazingly sharp out of the box but given the high hardness heat treatment the Gyuto got micro chips during the first week (edge effects from forging and heat treatment I think). After sharpening the knife I have seen no other issues with the edge which last a long time between touch up's on the strop.

Jack


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## Chicagohawkie (Dec 23, 2015)

TF knives direct with upgraded handles are pretty good knives. Paying huge markups through vendors in the US makes them not attractive. My knives were delivered to my Door in 1-4 weeks with no issue. Knives are sharp as hell and I've experienced no chippyness that others have spoke of.


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## jacko9 (Dec 23, 2015)

Chicagohawkie said:


> TF knives direct with upgraded handles are pretty good knives. Paying huge markups through vendors in the US makes them not attractive. My knives were delivered to my Door in 1-4 weeks with no issue. Knives are sharp as hell and I've experienced no chippyness that others have spoke of.



I should mention that the micro chips I found after use were just that small chips that could have been caused by my inexperience using a knife with such a thin sharp edge. I haven't seen anything since on either of my knives and I agree buying direct from TF makes these knives a bargain compared to similar quality knives.

Jack


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## bonestter (Dec 23, 2015)

I've been looking at the cautionary notes on Chef's Armoury 

_'This blade is sharpened to a fine edge and will chip if mishandled
Use only on foods with no hard seeds, bones or tough parts
Do not slice through the caramelized parts of meat or crackling
Don't chop roughly on the board, use a smooth slicing action'_

This would make me hesitant to go ahead and order

Do these knives 'differ' at all to other gyuto's in their use/action?

Do they really need to be baby'd as per above?


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## playford (Dec 23, 2015)

bonestter said:


> I've been looking at the cautionary notes on Chef's Armoury
> 
> _'This blade is sharpened to a fine edge and will chip if mishandled
> Use only on foods with no hard seeds, bones or tough parts
> ...



They are what 64-65 rockwell? I'd go easy on them as you would with any gyuto, crackling is a bit overboard imo.


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## jacko9 (Dec 23, 2015)

I haven't been babying my T-F 240 Gyuto but so far as a home cook I have only used it on veggies including hard root veggies with no issues.


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## bonestter (Dec 23, 2015)

jacko9 said:


> I haven't been babying my T-F 240 Gyuto but so far as a home cook I have only used it on veggies including hard root veggies with no issues.



Ooh, you managed to get hold a 240

Any pics, and how do you find it?


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## Chicagohawkie (Dec 23, 2015)

Mine get used like all other knives and have had zero issue. I have had 4 of his knives so I don't think I got lucky and got one with no issues....... All have been free of issue.


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## jacko9 (Dec 23, 2015)

bonestter said:


> Ooh, you managed to get hold a 240
> 
> Any pics, and how do you find it?



I bought my 240 Gyuto last December and when I went to T-F's web site today looking for a 150mm Gyuto I noticed that the handles were out of stock? I haven't taken any pictures yet but after the holiday I post pictures of it along with my Konosuke HD2 240 Gyuto and my Konosuke Fujiyama Blue #2 210 Gyuto.

Jack

Jack


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## Badgertooth (Dec 23, 2015)

bonestter said:


> I've been looking at the cautionary notes on Chef's Armoury
> 
> _'This blade is sharpened to a fine edge and will chip if mishandled
> Use only on foods with no hard seeds, bones or tough parts
> ...



No need to baby, just get an end-grain board and apply the same caution you would with any Japanese carbon blade


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## Badgertooth (Dec 23, 2015)

Having had it for just the one dinner prepping session I can safely say that I am in love. This is a knife with a soul. It's kinda hard to articulate but you can feel the platonic ideal of a cutting tool pulsing through the rustic form.


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## Asteger (Dec 23, 2015)

bonestter said:


> _'This blade is sharpened to a fine edge and will chip if mishandled
> Use only on foods with no hard seeds, bones or tough parts
> Do not slice through the caramelized parts of meat or crackling
> Don't chop roughly on the board, use a smooth slicing action'_
> ...



These are just the normal cautions Japanese sellers/makers give paraphrased by CA. With its rough finish, the TF is probably overall less delicate than other carbon knives of the same type.


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## bonestter (Dec 24, 2015)

Great feedback, thanks

Still feeling the lust for a 240 then  (or maybe a 210)


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## jacko9 (Dec 24, 2015)

I used my T-F 240 to put together a potato/onion/garlic/cheese dish for company this evening and potato and onions just fall off that blade. I also have the Kono 240 HD2 and 210 Kono Fuji B2 but the T-f just feels right sometimes ;-)


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## Badgertooth (Dec 24, 2015)

Yeah, my prep was potato last night and there is a weird and exhilirating feeling of the knife accelerating through the cut. 

One observation: there is a bit of overgrind about 5cm from the tip, I'm not overly fussed and Tom from
Artisan Knives is a 5 min drive from mine so I might get him to sort that out


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## adam92 (Nov 28, 2019)

eugen_onegin said:


> No experience with ordering direct, but I do have (2) gyutos. One of the Nashiji and Maboroshi. They both are ridiculous and there is a damn good reason I bought 1 then another. It will be well worth the wait.


You prefer nashiji or maboroshi?

I'm planning to get one.


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## Corradobrit1 (Nov 28, 2019)

adam92 said:


> You prefer nashiji or maboroshi?
> 
> I'm planning to get one.


Easy. Maboroshi all day. Its fully forged in house and has a higher C content in the core steel. The Mab also tends to be heavier, which I prefer.


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## adam92 (Nov 28, 2019)

Corradobrit1 said:


> Easy. Maboroshi all day. Its fully forged in house and has a higher C content in the core steel. The Mab also tends to be heavier, which I prefer.


All right, I'll go for maboroshi 210 because of higher C content in core steel .

I've already have takamura R2 210 laser which is very light weight.

Maybe heavier is better for me to cut potato


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## captaincaed (Nov 28, 2019)

The top two lines are the way to go. It's a silly good knife, but plenty of warts


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## ian (Nov 28, 2019)

captaincaed said:


> The top two lines are the way to go. It's a silly good knife, but plenty of warts



I think those are usually called hammer marks.


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## adam92 (Nov 28, 2019)

ian said:


> I think those are usually called hammer marks.


Yes is the design of the knife..


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## captaincaed (Nov 28, 2019)

I think Ian is teasing me


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## Corradobrit1 (Nov 28, 2019)

captaincaed said:


> I think Ian is teasing me


Yes, they would be pock marks not warts.


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## lemeneid (Nov 28, 2019)

captaincaed said:


> The top two lines are the way to go. It's a silly good knife, but plenty of warts


nashiji is actually better finished. its prelaminated so you will have less issues of uneven cladding you get from their self-forged billets.


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## adam92 (Nov 28, 2019)

lemeneid said:


> nashiji is actually better finished. its prelaminated so you will have less issues of uneven cladding you get from their self-forged billets.


But i heard maboroshi come with higher f&f, higher c content


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## Corradobrit1 (Nov 28, 2019)

Not sure what lemeneid means by better finished. I have examples of all 3 styles and they all leave a lot to be desired in the F&F dept, especially the western handle versions. I would not even look at a Yo handled Nashiji, def would need a rehandle. The choil and spine on my Wa Nashiji were eased so the rough edges are no longer an issue. If budget allows get the Mab.


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## adam92 (Nov 28, 2019)

Corradobrit1 said:


> Not sure what lemeneid means by better finished. I have examples of all 3 styles and they all leave a lot to be desired in the F&F dept, especially the western handle versions. I would not even look at a Yo handled Nashiji, def would need a rehandle. The choil and spine on my Wa Nashiji were eased so the rough edges are no longer an issue. If budget allows get the Mab.


I've checked the website, maboroshi 210 price similar with nashiji 240, I'll go for maboroshi because the finger rest looks cool.


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## captaincaed (Nov 28, 2019)

At some point, you're paying a premium for happiness. Buy what makes you happy


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## Corradobrit1 (Nov 28, 2019)

The finger notch is a TF signature design feature.


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## adam92 (Nov 28, 2019)

Yes, my final decisions is maboroshi 210mm with finger rest.

I love white one steel.


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## toddnmd (Nov 29, 2019)

Personally, I like the finger rest more with the western handle. As did my wingman on the shopping trip— he bought a western Denka as his first J-knife.


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## lemeneid (Nov 29, 2019)

Corradobrit1 said:


> Not sure what lemeneid means by better finished. I have examples of all 3 styles and they all leave a lot to be desired in the F&F dept, especially the western handle versions. I would not even look at a Yo handled Nashiji, def would need a rehandle. The choil and spine on my Wa Nashiji were eased so the rough edges are no longer an issue. If budget allows get the Mab.


I saw 20-30 blades at TF’s store, overall, the Nashiji were better than the Maboroshi, not counting the archaic handles.

The higher carbon content isn’t going to do much for sharpness or edge retention imo. Both knives perform almost similarly. If you're looking for that quantum leap forward, Denka is the way to go. Only real benefit Mab has over the Nashiji is the finger rest.


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## lemeneid (Nov 29, 2019)

toddnmd said:


> Personally, I like the finger rest more with the western handle. As did my wingman on the shopping trip— he bought a western Denka as his first J-knife.


Yup, western handle Denka is definitely the way to go, if you have the cash to blow. To be fair, my Maboroshi does outperform most of my knives, but the Denka just takes things to another level.


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## J.C (Nov 29, 2019)

adam92 said:


> Yes, my final decisions is maboroshi 210mm with finger rest.



please share your experience later when you get the knife..

i have been wanting a denka for awhile, but given the price i am not willing to take on the risk of having a “dud” when order direct from TF.


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## Barmoley (Nov 29, 2019)

toddnmd said:


> Personally, I like the finger rest more with the western handle. As did my wingman on the shopping trip— he bought a western Denka as his first J-knife.


Agreed. makes little sense on WA, looks cool though and sort of TF signature.


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## Corradobrit1 (Nov 29, 2019)

lemeneid said:


> I saw 20-30 blades at TF’s store, overall, the Nashiji were better than the Maboroshi, not counting the archaic handles.
> 
> The higher carbon content isn’t going to do much for sharpness or edge retention imo. Both knives perform almost similarly. If you're looking for that quantum leap forward, Denka is the way to go. Only real benefit Mab has over the Nashiji is the finger rest.


Thats not been my experience. My Mab's will hold a toothier, sharper edge for longer compared to the Nashiji. It feels harder on the stones and the board. That's from over 3 years constant use in home environment. Of course, YMMV


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## adam92 (Nov 30, 2019)

Corradobrit1 said:


> Thats not been my experience. My Mab's will hold a toothier, sharper edge for longer compared to the Nashiji. It feels harder on the stones and the board. That's from over 3 years constant use in home environment. Of course, YMMV


You're right, i got email from TF Yesterday.

they told me Maboroshi hold edge much better than nashiji .


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## adam92 (Nov 30, 2019)

J.C said:


> please share your experience later when you get the knife..
> 
> i have been wanting a denka for awhile, but given the price i am not willing to take on the risk of having a “dud” when order direct from TF.


I'll catch up some review and photo after i get my Maboroshi.


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## lemeneid (Nov 30, 2019)

Corradobrit1 said:


> Thats not been my experience. My Mab's will hold a toothier, sharper edge for longer compared to the Nashiji. It feels harder on the stones and the board. That's from over 3 years constant use in home environment. Of course, YMMV


Yes, but its not that much better to justify the price difference. 
TBH, if I were looking at TF knives now, I'd be picking only Nashijis or Denkas, after what I've seen and used at TF's store.


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