# Heiji love



## tk59 (Aug 2, 2013)

A few months ago, my wife left part of a 150 Heiji SS petty wet and it got a rust spot. I fixed it and sharpened it but it scared her enough she decided to stick with stainless (Suisin, Ashi, Masahiro pettys). A couple of days ago, she decided to pick up the Heiji petty again. When I got home from work, she made it a point to tell me that she used it and "It was a revelation." Heiji SS rocks. Just thought I'd share. :happy1:


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## JBroida (Aug 2, 2013)

glad you guys are having fun with it


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## G-rat (Aug 2, 2013)

They are my favorites. Use mine every single day.


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## bkdc (Aug 2, 2013)

Isn't it funny that with all the high quality knives we've seen and used, there are still knives that make our jaws drop with their sheer cutting performance? I really want to try one out.


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## unkajonet (Aug 2, 2013)

Still my favorite petty. "Revelation" is right.


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## Aphex (Aug 2, 2013)

My 240 SS Gyuto should be finished later this month, can't wait.


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## chuck239 (Aug 3, 2013)

This is funny. I was just telling Jon last week that I miss my Heiji and I am planning on buying a new one at some point. I loved it at first, didn't use it for a couple months (due to purchasing way to many knives) then sold it. Now I have to get a new one because I wish I had it these days....

-Chuck


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## Brad Gibson (Aug 3, 2013)

bkdc said:


> Isn't it funny that with all the high quality knives we've seen and used, there are still knives that make our jaws drop with their sheer cutting performance? I really want to try one out.



Heijis are insanely high end knives IMO. I've never seen or used one but with a price tag like that I would expect insane performance. I remember about a year ago I thought the tojiro I bought for 80 bucks was an insanely expensive knife. Now I own some really high end stuff and the Heijis are priced way above my current stash. I don't know if ill ever be on that level. I am extremely happy with things in the 200s rather than the 500s. You guys are really lucky.


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## Chuckles (Aug 3, 2013)

I remember when I thought that too. You ae on the edge of a precipice my friend. Wait until you use one. Then you will truly develop the fever.


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## chinacats (Aug 3, 2013)

Chuckles said:


> I remember when I thought that too. You ae on the edge of a precipice my friend. Wait until you use one. Then you will truly develop the fever.



lus1: yep


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## Keith Sinclair (Aug 3, 2013)

In the past when I spent coin on a knife if between Stainless or Carbon,the carbon knife always wins.I have bought a # of stainless knives in last couple yrs. all recomms. on this site,blades like Suisin Inox,Carbonext,Fujiwara,Pro-M,Gesshin Uraku.Most of these I have sold to students or cooks in the field.

I just got a Gesshin Ginga the most I have spent on a stainless so far.I am keeping this knife,it has alot of the things I like in a blade,thin behind the edge,ease of sharpening.I eased the edges a little on the octagon handle & put a mix of tung oil & amber bulls eye shellac.It helps waterproof the handle & gives it a slightly darker shade.

I have seen pictures of the Heijis.I am sure they are great knives.


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## Dardeau (Aug 3, 2013)

+1 on being precariously perched 'pon a perilous precipice. A heiji direct isn't that much...


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## JohnnyChance (Aug 4, 2013)

Maybe I will dig mine out and give it another shot.


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## pete84 (Aug 4, 2013)

I have to agree. Just got my first heiji gyuto, courtesy of Vinster here on the forums. It's a 210 SS ordered extra thin. An amazing knife. Construction is outstanding, cutting ability is even better. Worth every penny.


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## vinster (Aug 4, 2013)

Don't remind me. I'm having second thoughts already...


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## tk59 (Aug 4, 2013)

Tsk, tsk...


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## heirkb (Aug 4, 2013)

Selling my first Heiji 240 is the only sale I can think of that I regret. They're pretty amazing and unique.


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## mhlee (Aug 4, 2013)

I kept reminding myself to ask people at the WCG if anyone had a Heiji I could see or use a bit. But, I forgot.

I should have spent a little less time on the Gesshin Aoto instead, but, I was having fun giving that stone a go. :knife:


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## EdipisReks (Aug 4, 2013)

I've got 4 Heijis for a reason.


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## heirkb (Aug 4, 2013)

Now it's 4? 240, 270, 240 carbon...what else?


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## schanop (Aug 4, 2013)

Two 240 SS  Three for myself, so far.


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## tk59 (Aug 4, 2013)

mhlee said:


> I kept reminding myself to ask people at the WCG if anyone had a Heiji I could see or use a bit. But, I forgot...


I had a 240 gyuto in my bag... unish:


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## unkajonet (Aug 4, 2013)

Me too. And a 150 petty.


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## mhlee (Aug 4, 2013)

unkajonet said:


> Me too. And a 150 petty.



Dinner soon? :whistling:


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## unkajonet (Aug 4, 2013)

Sounds like a plan


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## EdipisReks (Aug 4, 2013)

heirkb said:


> Now it's 4? 240, 270, 240 carbon...what else?



270 SS, 240 SS, other 240 SS, 240 carbon.


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## tk59 (Aug 4, 2013)

unkajonet said:


> Sounds like a plan


Uh... Can I come?


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## unkajonet (Aug 4, 2013)

Do you really have to ask? I thought the rule was just to let you know location.


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## mpukas (Aug 6, 2013)

Hate to be the party pooper here, but I didn't get along with mine at all and have no regrets about selling it. I have other knives that I like better for a variety of reasons, primarily they are all much better cutters. The one good thing I'll say about it was the semi SS is outstanding. Also, the thinning and edge Jon put on it was unworldly.


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## labor of love (Aug 6, 2013)

why didnt you like your heiji? weight? grind? both?


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## mhlee (Aug 6, 2013)

tk59 said:


> Uh... Can I come?



We always hope you can join us. :hungry:

I'll bring some wine. :thumbsup:


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## tk59 (Aug 6, 2013)

mpukas said:


> Hate to be the party pooper here, but I didn't get along with mine at all and have no regrets about selling it. I have other knives that I like better for a variety of reasons, primarily they are all much better cutters. The one good thing I'll say about it was the semi SS is outstanding. Also, the thinning and edge Jon put on it was unworldly.


Judging from what you did to it, it's no wonder it didn't cut. What you aren't mentioning is Jon had to FIX what you did, THEN thin and sharpen that knife. Frankly, I question your ability to evaluate a knife at all.


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## mpukas (Aug 6, 2013)

tk59 said:


> Judging from what you did to it, it's no wonder it didn't cut. What you aren't mentioning is Jon had to FIX what you did, THEN thin and sharpen that knife. Frankly, I question your ability to evaluate a knife at all.



I know you saw what I did to my knife, and if you had followed any of my other posts about it since then, you'd have seen that I acknowledged what I did, and that Jon fixed it. 

Just because I dont yet possess the skills to thin a knife of this type like you and Jon do  or like the same things in a knife that you do, doesnt mean I cant evaluate a knife, or make my preferences invalid. Ill put my knife skills against you or anyone on this forum any day of the week. 

Even after Jon fixed it I still didn't like it. I get what the knife is supposed to be about, but it didnt do it for me. 

Heres what I didnt like about it; 

That handle was too small  both in length and thickness  for a knife of this size.
The handle was misaligned  it was not installed in line with the spine
The handle was titled up  which I CANT STAND
Jon tried to fix both of these issues for me, but because theres only so much he could do to the original handle, it was still slightly off-kilter. Thats when Jon and I decided to replace the handle.
The overall fit and finish of the blade was not up to what I expected from a knife of that price range.
All this is cosmetic and really not that important. But if a knife doesnt impress on me on these basic levels

The biggest issue I had was that it wasnt the best cutter  and yes TK  even after Jon fixed what I did  can I say that again any clearer??? 

Cutting anything that was shorter than the bevel height was fine. But cut anything taller than the bevel and it wedged and food stuck  apples, pears, onions, potatoes, etc. and god forbid a sweet potato/yam. 

Stiction was also a big issue  because the blade face above the bevel was dead flat with no convexing any food item that was not directed away by the shinogi got stuck. And yeah, TK, I get that having a crisp shinogi helps reduce stiction, and even after Jon fixed what I did to it I still had issues with food sticking to it. 

The blade thickness above the bevels had very little taper from the spine down, and was very thick above the bevel. As this area of the blade enter the food being cut, it got stuck. 

I get that theres a lot of Heiji love around here and that its warranted. But from the one knife I had my experience has been different. 

And once again TK just to make sure you get it, all of my impressions are AFTER Jon fixed it. Clear enough?


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## Mucho Bocho (Aug 6, 2013)

TK, MP is actually someone on this forum that I look to for advise about knives. So how about we all hug it out ok cause, like you TK, Mike P knows what he's talking about.


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## chuck239 (Aug 6, 2013)

Mucho Bocho said:


> TK, MP is actually someone on this forum that I look to for advise about knives. So how about we all hug it out ok cause, like you TK, Mike P knows what he's talking about.



And he also has the best knife skills in the world!

Mucho Bocho, TK59 is also an extremely well regarded member of the forum that many people look for advice about sharpening and knives to. Has been around a long time and has been highly respected my many. I think he was just saying it's not fair to judge a knife brand based off of a knife you have changed (screwed up and then had fixed from the initial knife still isn't what the knife was when it was first made.)

On a side note. One great thing about knives is we all have our own opinions, I think a lot of knives people like are garbage and knives that other people hate, I love. We all have our opinions about different knives. I am 100% sure that other people out there hated their experience with Heiji. Personally, as I stated before, I really miss mine.

-Chuck


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## EdipisReks (Aug 6, 2013)

TK is my sensei.


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## eshua (Aug 6, 2013)

shots fired


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## tk59 (Aug 8, 2013)

mpukas said:


> ...Cutting anything that was shorter than the bevel height was fine. But cut anything taller than the bevel and it wedged and food stuck  apples, pears, onions, potatoes, etc. and god forbid a sweet potato/yam...


I cut these things all the time with my Heijis without a problem. I've used other folks Heijis to do these same tasks, as well. I haven't met one that isn't excellent. Maybe you did get a lemon and in spite of your expertise (which I also question) it just won't cut. I'm saying I doubt it. 
@Mucho: You can ask whoever you want for advice but unless Mike P had a revelation, no, he doesn't always know what he's talking about but he likes to sound that way.


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## EdipisReks (Aug 8, 2013)

my Heijis are my prized rutabaga and sweet potato knives.


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## labor of love (Aug 8, 2013)

my kato falls through potatoes like butter. well, not quite....but its my root vegetable go to.


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## jaybett (Aug 9, 2013)

Out of curiosity, what makes the Heji such an excellent cutter? In past discussions, the comments were more mixed. The main criticism was that a Heji was too thick. 

Is this the kind of knife, where you need to be a fairly accomplished sharpener to unlock its potential?

Jay


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## Mucho Bocho (Aug 9, 2013)

Yea but you also sharpen your knives drunk. Are you kidding? LOL



EdipisReks said:


> TK is my sensei.


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## mhlee (Aug 9, 2013)

Mucho Bocho said:


> Yea but you also sharpen your knives drunk. Are you kidding? LOL



Have you seen EdipisReks's or Mike Pukas's sharpening? I have seen both.


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## Mucho Bocho (Aug 9, 2013)

Michael, Oh yea? How many drinks does it take EP to numb the pain in his thumb?


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## mhlee (Aug 9, 2013)

Mucho Bocho said:


> Michael, Oh yea? How many drinks does it take EP to numb the pain in his thumb?



Whatever he does, he does it well. EdipisReks is easily one of the better sharpeners I have seen from this forum. I've bought a Sabatier from him and seen a couple of other knives he's sharpened. He puts a consistent, even bevel, maintains the profile and can put a very nice, strong edge. He also knows how to sharpen Heijis.

And, I'm not just only person who has seen this. His sharpening ability has also been corroborated by others who are some of the best sharpeners on this forum. I would trust EdipisReks to sharpen my double bevel knives.


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## Mucho Bocho (Aug 9, 2013)

Mike, I'm with ya and have never doubted your or EP word on anything. I trust him to sharpen my knives too. I just think that its insensitive for TK to bash MP, that's all. 

I can sharpen bettter that you, Na Na Na Na. 

Mike, I can consistenly put a very sharp, long lasting edge on my knives too. Ask Zweifle. When he came to my house last month on his cross-country tour, he said that my edges raised his expectations of sharp is. 

That doesn't make me want to put him down. Know what i mean Mike?


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## JohnnyChance (Aug 9, 2013)

Everyone needs to give it a rest. Capisce?


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## mhlee (Aug 9, 2013)

Deleted out of respect to ER.


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## heirkb (Aug 9, 2013)

Now I'm curious to know what you're doing that your Heijis are your go-to knives for sweet potatoes, rutabagas, etc...Those are the only things I don't love cutting with my Heiji. No matter what I've tried, the first one or two cuts on a huge root aren't really all that smooth and there have been better knives for that. 

I stuck with the Heijis in spite of some troubles with huge roots, because they have some of the nicest cutting feedback (hard to describe) and cut everything else better than anything else I tried (again, it's that very precise feedback)...Now if I could get them to cut roots better, then they'd really be perfect for me.


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## Keith Sinclair (Aug 9, 2013)

:happy222:Main thing you get your knife sharp enough to do the job.Steering,Flex,Stiction,I've prefered thin J-Gyuto many yrs. cut all kinds of food never thought about these things,but they seem to be a major concern on knife forums:whistling:


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## labor of love (Aug 9, 2013)

im in the process of getting a heiji. considering 1 person here was unsafisfied with his but 14 other people say its the best knife they ever used or close to it im not worried.


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## mhlee (Aug 9, 2013)

Mucho Bocho said:


> Mike, I'm with ya and have never doubted your or EP word on anything. I trust him to sharpen my knives too. I just think that its insensitive for TK to bash MP, that's all.



If you have issue with what tk said, engage him in a discussion then, not EdipisReks. Your comments toward him are misdirected. 

And, you're guilty of exactly what you claim to be insensitive. You're basically bashing EdipisReks when he said absolutely nothing about mpukas.


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## Mucho Bocho (Aug 9, 2013)

Michael, I have nothing against ER or TK. ER said he liked to sharpen his knives when he drinks. I didn't say it. Just making light of it. 

ER if I have offended, I'm sorry as that was not my intention, but I can see how my words could be mis-construde and taken the wrong way. 

However, I've been reading/enjoying/laughing/learning your post for years and have a gut feel that you've got a good sense of humor, unlike others on this forum.


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## tk59 (Aug 9, 2013)

@jaybett: Heijis (and other similarly ground knives) do thicken up a little quicker as you get farther from the edge and in my hands, that does lead to a bit more resistance than a knife that is less "convex" but then there is less sticktion when cutting larger objects so I think that's a decent trade-off. While I am not a rutabaga guy, I do cut everything else with these knives and enjoy doing so. Perhaps the one exception would be cutting big chunks of large, fully hydrated carrots, which sometimes tend to crack before the cut makes it all the way through.


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## G-rat (Aug 9, 2013)

tk59 said:


> @jaybett: Heijis (and other similarly ground knives) do thicken up a little quicker as you get farther from the edge and in my hands, that does lead to a bit more resistance than a knife that is less "convex" but then there is less sticktion when cutting larger objects so I think that's a decent trade-off. While I am not a rutabaga guy, I do cut everything else with these knives and enjoy doing so. Perhaps the one exception would be cutting big chunks of large, fully hydrated carrots, which sometimes tend to crack before the cut makes it all the way through.




This is exactly my experience as well. I could be wrong but in my experience the most important part of maintaining the geometry of any double bevel heiji is to follow the bevels and thin well.


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## jaybett (Aug 10, 2013)

tk59 said:


> @jaybett: Heijis (and other similarly ground knives) do thicken up a little quicker as you get farther from the edge and in my hands, that does lead to a bit more resistance than a knife that is less "convex" but then there is less sticktion when cutting larger objects so I think that's a decent trade-off. While I am not a rutabaga guy, I do cut everything else with these knives and enjoy doing so. Perhaps the one exception would be cutting big chunks of large, fully hydrated carrots, which sometimes tend to crack before the cut makes it all the way through.



Thanks for the info. 

Jay


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## EdipisReks (Aug 10, 2013)

tk59 said:


> @jaybett: Heijis (and other similarly ground knives) do thicken up a little quicker as you get farther from the edge and in my hands, that does lead to a bit more resistance than a knife that is less "convex" but then there is less sticktion when cutting larger objects so I think that's a decent trade-off. While I am not a rutabaga guy, I do cut everything else with these knives and enjoy doing so. Perhaps the one exception would be cutting big chunks of large, fully hydrated carrots, which sometimes tend to crack before the cut makes it all the way through.



I use the front half of the knife, and find even big carrots to be fine.


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## heirkb (Aug 10, 2013)

EdipisReks said:


> I use the front half of the knife, and find even big carrots to be fine.



Really? I'm thinking our "fine" or "enjoyable" are probably different. All the Heijis I've used have been especially amazing at most things, so I love them. But for hard, huge roots, I've always felt they're just meh...not good, not horrible.


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## EdipisReks (Aug 10, 2013)

heirkb said:


> Really? I'm thinking our "fine" or "enjoyable" are probably different. All the Heijis I've used have been especially amazing at most things, so I love them. But for hard, huge roots, I've always felt they're just meh...not good, not horrible.



Entirely possible, but I love to cut very thin sections of rutabaga for making rutabaga fries. And I've found no better knives than my Heijis for it.


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## Chef Niloc (Aug 11, 2013)

In spreading the Heiji love I though I'd share the only level that he trumps the awe I have for his SS knives.
Heiji bone saws are works of art! Don't think there is a finer saw maker out there.


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## spaceconvoy (Aug 12, 2013)

Maybe that's how he expects you to get through carrots


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## heirkb (Aug 12, 2013)

EdipisReks said:


> Entirely possible, but I love to cut very thin sections of rutabaga for making rutabaga fries. And I've found no better knives than my Heijis for it.



I could see that. I should have clarified that only the first few large cuts (halving, quartering, etc) aren't great. As far as thinner cuts, I'd definitely agree, I haven't tried any gyuto that does it better than a Heiji.


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## EdipisReks (Aug 12, 2013)

Even the first few cuts are fine for me, but I find that almost any knife wedges in the first few cuts on a rutabaga, so I'm not saying that the Heiji doesn't, I'm just saying that it's not any worse than most anything else, and then once those are done it's just lovely.

I got a cortisone shot on my thumb, today, as well as. Thanks for reminding me of how much it hurts some times, Mucho Bocho, but if I'm lucky that will be a thing of the past.


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## Mucho Bocho (Aug 13, 2013)

ER, I hope the cortisone shot gives you some relief. Remember, even though you may not feel the pain as much, you can actually cause more damage to your digit as a result. Please keep us posted. Good Luck


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## EdipisReks (Aug 13, 2013)

Thanks for the reminder on that, it's certainly easy to forget that less pain does not necessarily mean less damage.


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## panda (Apr 22, 2019)

so i recenty got a heiji semi-stainless gyuto... let me tell you, this stuff is insane!! why havent i tried one of these sooner?? if i didn't know any better, i would have thought this was carbon. it feels like shirogami and ginsanko hybrid. in other words, a toothier white steel. love this knife. i wonder if he just added some chromium to iwasaki, lol.


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## dwalker (Apr 22, 2019)

panda said:


> so i recenty got a heiji semi-stainless gyuto... let me tell you, this stuff is insane!! why havent i tried one of these sooner?? if i didn't know any better, i would have thought this was carbon. it feels like shirogami and ginsanko hybrid. in other words, a toothier white steel. love this knife. i wonder if he just added some chromium to iwasaki, lol.


I just got one as well. A beast of a knife and I, too, have been very impressed by the steel. I don't know about your sample, but the core steel on my knife formed a patina as fast or faster than what I usually see. I think the emphasis is on SEMI-stainless.


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## refcast (Apr 22, 2019)

Yeah, semi-stainless when I've used it, both from Heiji and others, made a deep fast patina that wouldn't rust. Kinda weird but cool. I agree the heiji semi feels like ginsanko and shiro. I've been thinking about getting a western handled semi stainless. One day . . .


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## Jville (Apr 22, 2019)

panda said:


> so i recenty got a heiji semi-stainless gyuto... let me tell you, this stuff is insane!! why havent i tried one of these sooner?? if i didn't know any better, i would have thought this was carbon. it feels like shirogami and ginsanko hybrid. in other words, a toothier white steel. love this knife. i wonder if he just added some chromium to iwasaki, lol.


I recently i got a heji semi stainless cleaver, and we've only been on one date. But im in love .


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## Chicagohawkie (Apr 22, 2019)

Yo Panda, when you get sick of this Heiji, I’ll take it no questions asked!


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## panda (Apr 22, 2019)

dwalker said:


> I just got one as well. A beast of a knife and I, too, have been very impressed by the steel. I don't know about your sample, but the core steel on my knife formed a patina as fast or faster than what I usually see. I think the emphasis is on SEMI-stainless.


yep, instantly patina'd. 



Chicagohawkie said:


> Yo Panda, when you get sick of this Heiji, I’ll take it no questions asked!


haha, no dice, i'm planning on ordering a 240 in the same specs as soon as i have the funds. i was originally going to get iwasaki but i'm so impressed with the SS i'll stick with it.

forgot to mention, mine is a 210 and it is the only 210 ive ever been happy with. it makes sense because it's not really a 210, it runs long at 225-ish haha


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## Marcelo Amaral (Apr 22, 2019)

Heiji semi-stainless sharpens so easily. Great steel. I wish there were Heiji lasers!


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## dwalker (Apr 22, 2019)

I got the 270 and it makes my Toyama 270 feel slight.


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## refcast (Apr 22, 2019)

I have a recent 270 heiji and toyama feel smaller? Or does slight refer to something else. . I remember when I got my first 270, a tf, and that thing was huge. The heiji by comparison reminds me a lot of my 270 ginga, actually.


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## Eloh (Apr 23, 2019)

Steel is supposedly this btw
https://www.kitchenknifeforums.com/threads/a2-steel-history-and-properties.41418/


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## Moooza (Apr 23, 2019)

I'm getting some Heiji carbons - anyone had both? How do they compare. 
Also - Heiji saws are truly amazing.


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## Jville (Apr 23, 2019)

Eloh said:


> Steel is supposedly this btw
> https://www.kitchenknifeforums.com/threads/a2-steel-history-and-properties.41418/


Interesting, how did you find that out?


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## daveb (Apr 23, 2019)

Moooza said:


> I'm getting some Heiji carbons - anyone had both? How do they compare.



I've had the Gesshin Heiji gyuto and didn't love it - mostly a wide bevel thing. Don't remember anything remarkable, good or bad, about sharpening. Early on had a Gesshin Kurochi Dami petty that sharpened like a dream. And now a Heiji carbon suji that I like a lot and has made the keeper list. Sharpens well and not too reactive.

I've looked for other Heiji carbons, (albeit not very hard), where are you "getting" from?


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## dwalker (Apr 23, 2019)

refcast said:


> I have a recent 270 heiji and toyama feel smaller? Or does slight refer to something else. . I remember when I got my first 270, a tf, and that thing was huge. The heiji by comparison reminds me a lot of my 270 ginga, actually.


The Toyama is 250g , the Heiji is 285g. The handle on the Heiji is heavier, but it still has a more blade heavy balance than the Toyama. It feels completely different in the hand.


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## panda (Apr 23, 2019)

I knew heiji are extra heavy so I asked mine to be as light as he can make it. he did awesome job at fulfilling my request.


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## Jville (Apr 23, 2019)

My cleaver is not overly bulky. Its lighter and nimbler than i expected.


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## dwalker (Apr 23, 2019)

Don't get me wrong, I'm not complaining about the heft. This knife is truly something to behold. Out of the box, I thought it would wedge like crazy. It is certainly a heavyweight bruiser but it cuts dense produce better than I would have imagined. This is not to say it doesn't wedge, it does in some things. It will crack large carrots cutting perpendicular but glides through them lengthwise slices. It is a slaw machine. I'm not yet sure it is a keeper for me, but the steel quality and the performance surprises keep me coming back to it.


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## dwalker (Apr 23, 2019)

Good looking patina, too. 
The new puppy likes it as well.


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## Ryndunk (Apr 23, 2019)

Curious how the semi stainless compares to yoshikane skd. Anyone tried both? The descriptions seem to echo each other.


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## labor of love (Apr 23, 2019)

Ryndunk said:


> Curious how the semi stainless compares to yoshikane skd. Anyone tried both? The descriptions seem to echo each other.


Yoshi skd is Pretty good stuff. I prefer heiji....it’s been a few years since I used yoshi skd. 
Side note: I’ve owned Marko A2, which is nothing at all like heiji semi. I seriously doubt heiji uses A2.


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