# Burrfection's New Knives



## stringer (Apr 23, 2019)

Ok, so what do you all think? I normally try and pay as little attention to Ricky Tran as possible but his new knife pitch came up in my YouTube feed and I was too lazy to change it. It actually sounds pretty decent. He commissioned Sakai Takayuki to make 200 knives. They are 240 KS clones essentially. Half are blue 2 and half are aus-8. Choice of teak or black walnut handle with horn ferrules. I don't know if all the details are finalized, but in the video he said he was shooting for sub $200 all in. Sakai Takayuki obviously makes knives from a variety of smiths and from entry level up through insanely high end. But they generally have a good reputation for quality and value. 

Would you buy it?


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## chinacats (Apr 23, 2019)

Don't want a ks or a clone...too damn short in the heel for my tastes...also Sakai knives tend to run short in length and ks a bit long so no telling what you'd get.

Don't know what a burrfection or who a ricky tran is... to answer the ?, no.


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## Cyrilix (Apr 23, 2019)

stringer said:


> Ok, so what do you all think? I normally try and pay as little attention to Ricky Tran as possible but his new knife pitch came up in my YouTube feed and I was too lazy to change it. It actually sounds pretty decent. He commissioned Sakai Takayuki to make 200 knives. They are 240 KS clones essentially. Half are blue 2 and half are aus-8. Choice of teak or black walnut handle with horn ferrules. I don't know if all the details are finalized, but in the video he said he was shooting for sub $200 all in. Sakai Takayuki obviously makes knives from a variety of smiths and from entry level up through insanely high end. But they generally have a good reputation for quality and value.
> 
> Would you buy it?


I had this question too. Blue #2 is going for $240, aus-8 is sub $200. That said, it really takes a person to try and I'm not sure why I would try this one over the multitude of other knives.


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## Michi (Apr 23, 2019)

I suspect they are decent knives. Sakai Takayuki do quality work, and the handles look nice, too. I have no experience with AUS-8; from what I've heard, it's not a bad steel, although not that hard. (A bit better edge retention than a Wüsthof?) Blue #2 is definitely nice.

If you like the KS profile, these are probably not a bad deal.


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## rickbern (Apr 23, 2019)

There was an interesting discussion about Gesshin Uraku steel (AUS-10) in 2013

https://www.kitchenknifeforums.com/threads/gesshin-uraku-whats-the-steel.14064/

The bottom line was the steel was mostly of intellectual interest, the heat treat was really the point.

No way to tell how the knife preforms from steel spec alone.


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## Chicagohawkie (Apr 23, 2019)

I thought there was only one KS clone maker out there! Ha Ha!


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## Sharpchef (Apr 23, 2019)

funny discussion ! you really believe that hype guy ? And even if this man is reliable, why make a fuzz about ?? 

Steel will be steel and has to be sharpened.... 

Greets Sebastian.


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## Milkman420 (Apr 23, 2019)

I wish the blue 2 wasn’t stainless clad or I’d be interested. I’m a big fan of powdered steels lately so I’d just buy something of that variety instead. But price point seems reasonable on both options. I’d personally just get the mazaki I’ve been waiting to pull the trigger on but were all sold out during the jns sale. But all in all 170 for a Takayuki isn’t a bad price. He had them make it a true 240 not the 255 of the ks as well which imo is one of the best parts of the ks


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## daveb (Apr 23, 2019)

Why am I looking at a thread with Burr in the title? I thought this was a serious knife site, not a billboard for the pimp de jour.....

I'm kidding of course. A little bit. Sort of. And to answer the original question - No.


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## esoo (Apr 23, 2019)

For the money of the blue 2, I'd try a Heji first.


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## chinacats (Apr 23, 2019)

Or Tanaka...


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## labor of love (Apr 23, 2019)

Togo already carries konosuke branded KS clones for $240 or so. Also, the kashima is about the same w basic non neon colored handle. 
Infact, mark carries like a dozen cloned KS knives.
What’s this guys pitch? What does he have going for these knives that mark doesn’t already?


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## SeattleBen (Apr 23, 2019)

Not a chance. Regardless of the quality of the knife he'll be making money off it and thus I'd be supporting him.


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## Carl Kotte (Apr 23, 2019)

I thought the knives looked nice. I won’t buy them, but I wouldn’t mind having one. Not a big fan of Burrfection but I like his enthusiasm. And the fact that he had a knife produced by ST is pretty cool. Got to give him that.


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## chinacats (Apr 23, 2019)

Carl Kotte said:


> I thought the knives looked nice. I won’t buy them, but I wouldn’t mind having one. Not a big fan of Burrfection but I like his enthusiasm. And the fact that he had a knife produced by ST is pretty cool. Got to give him that.



Pretty sure you could have knives produced by st too if you wanted. Personally I'll pay a trusted vendor to have done the research as well as a final qc check.


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## Carl Kotte (Apr 24, 2019)

chinacats said:


> Pretty sure you could have knives produced by st too if you wanted. Personally I'll pay a trusted vendor to have done the research as well as a final qc check.



Haha, you might be right - but I won’t (sadly, but it is a good idea). The trusted vendor path seems like good methodology. 
At any rate, I hope to see an unbiased review of the Burr Ts sometimes soon.


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## Jville (Apr 24, 2019)

Ricky Tran, sounds like a character played by Will Ferrel. If you ain't KS your crap


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## Matus (Apr 24, 2019)

$240 for AUS-8 ... from Burrfection ... no, I would not.


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## Panamapeet (Apr 24, 2019)

labor of love said:


> Togo already carries konosuke branded KS clones for $240 or so. Also, the kashima is about the same w basic non neon colored handle.
> Infact, mark carries like a dozen cloned KS knives.
> What’s this guys pitch? What does he have going for these knives that mark doesn’t already?



Even more dumb followers


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## Marek07 (Apr 24, 2019)

stringer said:


> Would you buy it?


*No!
*
It's Burrfection/Ryky Tran... 'nuff said!


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## strikerrr (Apr 24, 2019)

Where does all the aversion to ryky stem from btw?


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## bryan03 (Apr 24, 2019)

Matus said:


> $240 for AUS-8 ... from Burrfection ... no, I would not.



nothing at any price in AUS-8 ... maybe the worst steel ever...


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## Marek07 (Apr 24, 2019)

bryan03 said:


> nothing at any price in AUS-8 ... maybe the worst steel ever...


Only have one - a 210 Gesshin gyuto from Jon. Very good knife for the price one of my wife's better beaters. Sure it's not a top tier steel but I have many stainless knife steels that I would consider far worse than AUS-8.


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## bryan03 (Apr 24, 2019)

I always exaggerate a little  
but it's cheap ...


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## lemeneid (Apr 24, 2019)

Well people could do worse, they could have gotten a Kamikoto at that same price.

Not praising Burrfection but I’m definitely no fan of his.


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## Sharpchef (Apr 24, 2019)

Is this just me, thinking "does this guy cut anything other then paper sheets ? " 

So is there a vid out there he is cutting food ? if not, i could not trust any spoken word  

Greets Sebastian.


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## Marek07 (Apr 24, 2019)

Sharpchef said:


> Is this just me, thinking "does this guy cut anything other then paper sheets ? "
> 
> So is there a vid out there he is cutting food ? if not, i could not trust any spoken word
> 
> Greets Sebastian.



Haven't seen him prep any food but I didn't look very far. He sure cuts a lot of rope though. Prepping for rope soup?


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## Michi (Apr 24, 2019)

Sharpchef said:


> So is there a vid out there he is cutting food ? if not, i could not trust any spoken word





Marek07 said:


> Haven't seen him prep any food but I didn't look very far. He sure cuts a lot of rope though. Prepping for rope soup?


There are a number of videos where he cuts all sort of veggies.

The paper cutting thing leaves me cold too, mainly because it's not a particularly good indicator. All I know is that, if a knife does not cut paper well, it won't cut food either. But a knife that cuts paper well may or may not cut food well…

The rope cutting is an indicator of edge retention. Again, I'd treat the results with caution. For one, unless a machine does the cutting, there is no guarantee that the test results are repeatable. And cutting rope is very different from cutting food because no food is as tough as rope; with food, the knife will never be used with as much force. This may (or may not) affect the conclusions. In other words, if a knife cuts rope well, it may or may not cut food well…

If I want to know how well a knife cuts food I should be cutting—yes, you guessed it—food.


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## Michi (Apr 24, 2019)

Personally, I don't see a problem with what he's done with this knife idea. A blue #2 stainless clad 210 mm Gyuto with a KS profile and a decent handle for USD 240 is very reasonable, IMO. I have a knife I'm happy with in that size already; if I hadn't, I'd give this one a serious look. With Sakai Takayuki making the knife, I expect quality and F&F to be good.

Sooner or later, people will be posting reviews. We'll learn more then. I'm not going to pre-judge without any actual data or experience reports.


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## Carl Kotte (Apr 24, 2019)

strikerrr said:


> Where does all the aversion to ryky stem from btw?



Exactly! Want to know that too!


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## Sharpchef (Apr 24, 2019)

who is ryky ? 

Greets Sebastian.


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## Midsummer (Apr 24, 2019)

strikerrr said:


> Where does all the aversion to ryky stem from btw?





Carl Kotte said:


> Exactly! Want to know that too!



I will take a stab. Perhaps its because he has presented himself as some sort of knife authority when in fact he appears to have minimal experience when compared to some at KKF. 

Perhaps, It is hard to swallow his self assuredness when you feel a need to constantly correct his views. 

I am guessing that maybe some of those who express animosity believe children should be seen and not heard...But this is all just a stab in the dark.

I have seen him a few times and found his video to be a waste of my personal time.


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## hititlong (Apr 24, 2019)

Im also of the opinion that people here are giving him a hard time. I no longer refer to his videos ever since I came across KKF, but Id be lying if I said that Burrfection's didnt help me build my interest when starting down this rabbit hole.

I do find his (sponsored) love for Dalstrong disturbing though, but it seems that he's been moving away from that as of late


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## Michi (Apr 24, 2019)

Midsummer said:


> Perhaps its because he has presented himself as some sort of knife authority when in fact he appears to have minimal experience when compared to some at KKF.


Do you have evidence for that? I don't recall him ever claiming that he is an authority or expert of any kind.


hititlong said:


> I no longer refer to his videos ever since I came across KKF, but Id be lying if I said that Burrfection's didnt help me build my interest when starting down this rabbit hole.


To me, his videos are a very mixed bag. I learned something from some of them and found those interesting and useful. Others, the signal-to-noise ratio was poor. (An hour's worth of watching video to get 10 minutes' worth of information.) Still others I thought were just plain bad or boring.

So what? By YouTube standards, he's actually doing an outstanding job, considering that something like 99+% of all videos are trash.

One thing I have to give him though: he likely has gotten more people interested in Japanese knives and sharpening than all the experts out there put together.


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## Sharpchef (Apr 24, 2019)

best wrote ......... ever.


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## Midsummer (Apr 24, 2019)

Michi said:


> Do you have evidence for that?



Had not realized that the discussion had elevated to the point of being evidentiary. 

So noted. Please provide your credentials that you are in fact who you say you are and all appropriate documentation for your representatives. We will need to determine any statutory issues potentially involving venue. I will then contact my lawyer and we can begin the chain of evidence procedure so as to avoid any potential compromise.


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## Midsummer (Apr 24, 2019)

We can discuss the fees for my time presently please pm.


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## Michi (Apr 24, 2019)

Midsummer said:


> Had not realized that the discussion had elevated to the point of being evidentiary.





Midsummer said:


> Perhaps its because he has presented himself as some sort of knife authority


I have watched many of his videos. I don't recall him ever presenting himself as a knife authority, which is why I asked where he might have done that. (After all, I could have missed it.)

And, no, I do not like trial by social media. It would really be nice if people would stick to facts when discussing public figures. (Not that they ever will.) We have way too many alternative facts already…


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## Sharpchef (Apr 24, 2019)

Michi said:


> I have watched many of his videos. I don't recall him ever presenting himself as a knife authority, which is why I asked where he might have done that. (After all, I could have missed it.)
> 
> And, no, I do not like trial by social media. It would really be nice if people would stick to facts when discussing public figures. (Not that they ever will.) We have way too many alternative facts already…




Just don`t believe these type of guys...... he don`t know nothing, (give him stones or knifes and he will advertise.....) . Just stupid marketing... 

Greets Sebastian.


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## Michi (Apr 24, 2019)

Sharpchef said:


> Just don`t believe these type of guys...... he don`t know nothing, (give him stones or knifes and he will advertise.....) . Just stupid marketing...


It's difficult to know for sure, isn't it?

There was a phase where he was all over Dalstrong. It suggests that, just maybe, there may have been some kind of commercial arrangement in relation to this. Or maybe not. No-one knows.

On the other hand, some of his stone evaluations seem to be spot on and very much line up with many recommendations here on this forum. Cerax 320, Shapton Glass 500, Chosera 800, Cerax 1000, Chosera 3000, Rika 5000, etc. These are good stones, and they deserve the recommendation.

Ryky has managed to create a successful channel about, of all things, _knife sharpening_! All by itself, that's quite an achievement, considering that, in most people's minds, the topic is about as exciting as watching paint dry…

He is very visible, and likely to be the first link that someone who is interested in Japanese knives and sharpening is going to click. So, he attracts a lot of attention and, with that, a lot of fans and haters.

There are thousands of other YouTubers who do the exact same thing. So what? It's YouTube. Mostly garbage, with the occasional gem thrown in. Move along, nothing to see here.


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## Sharpchef (Apr 24, 2019)

oh cool earning money with stone recommendations.... (of already known good stones) .... 

Just don`t know anything about it, this is not only Burrfactions problem! 

And i also don`t think recommending japanese knifes ist good at all .... btw. 

This is ot so live and let die.

Greets Sebastian.


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## minibatataman (Apr 24, 2019)

rickbern said:


> There was an interesting discussion about Gesshin Uraku steel (AUS-10) in 2013
> 
> https://www.kitchenknifeforums.com/threads/gesshin-uraku-whats-the-steel.14064/
> 
> ...


I have one, it's a very nice knife, it's pretty tough but hard enough as well, so I couldn't agree more.

But that said, is the aus-8 really worth it at that price when you can get the uraku or something else?


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## jmacie (Apr 24, 2019)

lemeneid said:


> Well people could do worse, they could have gotten a Kamikoto at that same price.
> 
> Not praising Burrfection but I’m definitely no fan of his.


I have Kamikoto knives. Not one thing wrong with them. I have plenty of expertise, so unless you hold one and use it, no real need to disparage it. Burrfection, on the other hand is a sales jockey.


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## Carl Kotte (Apr 24, 2019)

Michi said:


> It's difficult to know for sure, isn't it?
> 
> There was a phase where he was all over Dalstrong. It suggests that, just maybe, there may have been some kind of commercial arrangement in relation to this. Or maybe not. No-one knows.
> 
> ...



Great comments! Very spot on.


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## Carl Kotte (Apr 24, 2019)

Midsummer said:


> I will take a stab. Perhaps its because he has presented himself as some sort of knife authority when in fact he appears to have minimal experience when compared to some at KKF.
> 
> Perhaps, It is hard to swallow his self assuredness when you feel a need to constantly correct his views.
> 
> ...



Not sure I agree about the claim that he presents himself as an expert. I’ve seen some of his videos and if anything, I would say, it is the other way around (lots of ’I am not an expert’-talk).
At any rate, I can see why you find watching him a waste of time. If there were other people doing the kind of stuff he does (reviewing knives, stones, etc. etc.) with the same enthusiasm and update tempo (but with shorter videos) I would probably watch them instead. Haven’t found any alternatives in that exact category (I am not putting the Korin, Carter and Knife planet vids in the same category. When I want to learn something I primarily turn to them, not Burr).


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## Sharpchef (Apr 24, 2019)

Carl Kotte said:


> Great comments! Very spot on.


Like buttons where are though


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## ian (Apr 24, 2019)

Michi said:


> It's difficult to know for sure, isn't it?
> 
> There was a phase where he was all over Dalstrong. It suggests that, just maybe, there may have been some kind of commercial arrangement in relation to this. Or maybe not. No-one knows.
> 
> ...



This is well put, as long as you think that getting the word out about fancy knives is a good thing. I want them all for myself!

(Ok, ok, I suppose in the long run more demand means more makers means more options means more happiness, but in the short term stay away from my purchases, you pilfering public!)


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## Barashka (Apr 24, 2019)

whoa ... some unpopular opinions coming up:

re KS vs everything: some people like the aesthetic of KS-like / french-esque knives ... can't get away from liking what you like. Similar to Takeda-lovers and haters. Similar to zKramer lovers and haters etc. KS is a bit more polarizing these days as it has been way overhyped .. so most people that know that it's just a great knife (and not a legend of some kind) get ticked off by all the people putting KS on the pedestal.
re "enough ks clones": that's not nearly true ... there are plenty of side profiles like KS, but most are ether too thin, too fat, too short, or etc, I haven't found a KS-clone that actually did the taper right ... probably because they don't want to be pure clones and so try to change things up, sometimes for the better, sometimes for the worse. Ether case, see how many standard gyuto profiles there are and try to argue which aren't clones.
re actual Ricky knife: they look like very competitive knives at the price points, though I don't know about the taper / grinds. While I won't actually get this set, I'll really struggle to find a reason not to get a 260mm version, if one comes out. (I'm one of those suckers for long french profiles). Sakai quality tends to be pretty good too.
re why the hate: too many people think they know better than Ricky. While many actually might (!), none have youtube channels with 100k subscribers and/or produce competing content. So burrfection keeps getting the views because few other channels do what he does. He's had a subjective bias towards some companies, and has made some mistakes/imperfections in his tutorials .. so there are things to fix / improve, but haters take it to a whole new level. If you remember he's just a regular dude who likes experimenting with knives (he never presented himself as an expert, and said so many times) and not an actual metallurgy or knife expert, it's much easier to put his content into proper context. He appeals to people who aren't going to spend hours/days reading threads on here / other forums ... though many of his viewers may end up here eventually. He's done good by the knife community where rest of us are just too nerdy / into it to even talk to regular people, and people should give him some credit for that.
re his videos are a waste of time: is Top Gear waste of time for car lovers? Is Top Gear even meant for true car nerds? As mentioned above, by youtube standards, his content is pretty solid. His content might be too diluted for many people here though, but I'd argue it's not entirely for people here in the first place.


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## Interapid101 (Apr 24, 2019)

^perfectly stated


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## M1k3 (Apr 24, 2019)

strikerrr said:


> Where does all the aversion to ryky stem from btw?



My aversion started when I was just learning. Found jki, Murray Carter, korin, Peter nowlan, burrfection videos. 

Watching a burrfection video, 5+ minutes have gone by, still haven't started with what the video is supposed to be about. Never bothered to watch again. I just wanted to learn about sharpening, like the title of the video said, not how he picked winners for his raffle....


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## Matus (Apr 24, 2019)

M1k3 said:


> My aversion started when I was just learning. Found jki, Murray Carter, korin, Peter nowlan, burrfection videos.
> 
> Watching a burrfection video, 5+ minutes have gone by, still haven't started with what the video is supposed to be about. Never bothered to watch again. I just wanted to learn about sharpening, like the title of the video said, not how he picked winners for his raffle....



You nailed it. He just talks forever, trying to make the best expression, but it takes ages until some actual information leaves his mouth. And even if that information is relevant or even helpful - it still feels like it is second to the whole show. I think many of us simply expect information presented in a fairly condensed manner, not a single man talkshow. 

He is by nature a professional sales manager. I mean it in a positive sense of the word. He has qualities that most of us don’t. But watching his videos feels like watching moose grow in a real time.


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## chinacats (Apr 24, 2019)

Matus said:


> You nailed it. He just talks forever, trying to make the best expression, but it takes ages until some actual information leaves his mouth. And even if that information is relevant or even helpful - it still feels like it is second to the whole show. I think many of us simply expect information presented in a fairly condensed manner, not a single man talkshow.
> 
> He is by nature a professional sales manager. I mean it in a positive sense of the word. He has qualities that most of us don’t. But watching his videos feels like watching moose grow in a real time.



I went to see who this is...i feel like I'd prefer watching moose grow...from a safe distance!


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## inferno (Apr 24, 2019)

minibatataman said:


> But that said, is the aus-8 really worth it at that price when you can get the uraku or something else?



aus8 is probably one of the best steel ever to come out of japan. its just that people are too stupid to understand this. I'd choose this over vg-10, 19c27, vg1, ginsanko every day of the week. but thats just me. But i have tested it very VERY extensively myself. Since I simply could not believe what i was noticing when using the knives.


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## inferno (Apr 24, 2019)

Barashka said:


> re his videos are a waste of time: is Top Gear waste of time for car lovers?



my whole life is a waste of time it seems but i like top gear. or liked. Now i watch the grand tour.


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## btbyrd (Apr 24, 2019)

If you start a channel called "Burr-fection" then you're presenting yourself as an expert on perfect knife sharpening. And that guy is kind of a goon when it comes to the topic, even if he is accidentally able to somehow occasionally make good recommendations on synthetic stones --- recommendations that any of the experts here would have made.

I don't pretend to know more than Ryky about sharpening. In fact, I know very little. But I do know that Ryky is a pretender, and that he has a following that thinks he is more knowledgeable and skillful than he actually is. His real art is running a YouTube channel that creates the illusion of informativeness even as it tells us nothing we couldn't have learned better ourselves with KKF and the Google machine.


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## changy915 (Apr 24, 2019)

inferno said:


> my whole life is a waste of time it seems but i like top gear. or liked. Now i watch the grand tour.


I found season 1 to be a drag but season 3 is much better. And I would never buy a car from top gear.


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## inferno (Apr 24, 2019)

btbyrd said:


> If you start a channel called "Burr-fection" then you're presenting yourself as an expert on perfect knife sharpening. And that guy is kind of a goon when it comes to the topic, even if he is accidentally able to somehow occasionally make good recommendations on synthetic stones --- recommendations that any of the experts here would have made.
> 
> I don't pretend to know more than Ryky about sharpening. In fact, I know very little. But I do know that Ryky is a pretender, and that he has a following that thinks he is more knowledgeable and skillful than he actually is. His real art is running a YouTube channel that creates the illusion of informativeness even as it tells us nothing we couldn't have learned better ourselves with KKF and the Google machine.



like. since we cant have a like button here.


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## chinacats (Apr 24, 2019)

Best Top Gear ever was them trying to kill a Toyota pickup.


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## Carl Kotte (Apr 24, 2019)

M1k3 said:


> My aversion started when I was just learning. Found jki, Murray Carter, korin, Peter nowlan, burrfection videos.
> 
> Watching a burrfection video, 5+ minutes have gone by, still haven't started with what the video is supposed to be about. Never bothered to watch again. I just wanted to learn about sharpening, like the title of the video said, not how he picked winners for his raffle....



I see what you mean about Burrfection (sum up: long videos, little - sometimes even bad - content). Still, that doesn’t quite explain the aversion (not thinking of you in particular, so do not take it personally). The level of aversion is not quite proportionate to the level of his alleged inadequacies. If he is pretty bad, well go ahead and dislike him. Just don’t claim it has anything to do with some mistakes he has done in his excessively long videos!
Is it not simply the case that many of you guys picking on Burrfection simply do not like that he does what he does - end of story? That is of course fine! But at least I cannot see, from comments I read here, that anyone has managed to give any good reasons for dismissing him (yes Carter, Korin etc etc are all better, but so what?).


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## minibatataman (Apr 24, 2019)

inferno said:


> aus8 is probably one of the best steel ever to come out of japan. its just that people are too stupid to understand this. I'd choose this over vg-10, 19c27, vg1, ginsanko every day of the week. but thats just me. But i have tested it very VERY extensively myself. Since I simply could not believe what i was noticing when using the knives.



Even compared to aus-10? That's what the urakuas are supposed to be made of, and while obviously the treatment of the steel is more important, a "better" steel from Jon would seem better than most aus-8s I'd imagine. I only have the fujiwara fkm as a reference but I do prefer my uraku in comparison.


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## btbyrd (Apr 24, 2019)

Carl Kotte said:


> But at least I cannot see, from comments I read here, that anyone has managed to give any good reasons for dismissing him (yes Carter, Korin etc etc are all better, but so what?).



Carter, Korin, and Jon (et al) aren’t pretenders.


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## labor of love (Apr 24, 2019)

Mac Pro steel is good, it seems to do a decent job in all categories. I wouldn’t say I prefer it over some stuff on the market labeled “Swedish stainless” or ginsanko.


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## daveb (Apr 24, 2019)

chinacats said:


> Best Top Gear ever was them trying to kill a Toyota pickup.



Ha! It takes a crackhead to do that. Ask me how I know.


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## daveb (Apr 24, 2019)

Carl Kotte said:


> But at least I cannot see, from comments I read here, that anyone has managed to give any good reasons for dismissing him



My default is not to like something unless I have a good reason for dismissing it. Rather, I go in neutral and look for the good or the bad. With the kid all I see is slick video and content without merit. But it's not something I lose sleep over.


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## A cute angle (Apr 24, 2019)

Tall poppy syndrome hmmm ...Ricky’s harmless enough ... if it cuts wet newsprint , it’s good enough for me


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## M1k3 (Apr 24, 2019)

Matus said:


> You nailed it. He just talks forever, trying to make the best expression, but it takes ages until some actual information leaves his mouth. And even if that information is relevant or even helpful - it still feels like it is second to the whole show. I think many of us simply expect information presented in a fairly condensed manner, not a single man talkshow.
> 
> He is by nature a professional sales manager. I mean it in a positive sense of the word. He has qualities that most of us don’t. But watching his videos feels like watching moose grow in a real time.



I don't mind a little character dialogue, but, don't forget I'm here for the videos ti


Carl Kotte said:


> I see what you mean about Burrfection (sum up: long videos, little - sometimes even bad - content). Still, that doesn’t quite explain the aversion (not thinking of you in particular, so do not take it personally). The level of aversion is not quite proportionate to the level of his alleged inadequacies. If he is pretty bad, well go ahead and dislike him. Just don’t claim it has anything to do with some mistakes he has done in his excessively long videos!
> Is it not simply the case that many of you guys picking on Burrfection simply do not like that he does what he does - end of story? That is of course fine! But at least I cannot see, from comments I read here, that anyone has managed to give any good reasons for dismissing him (yes Carter, Korin etc etc are all better, but so what?).



He's a decent YouTube personality/salesman with some, some (from the videos I watched) actually useful tips sporadically thrown in. And for a lot of people, not on these forums, he works for them. Unfortunately for him, I think Helen Rennie is much better to learn from for more mainstream, less knife enthusiast types. Good character without a lot of unnecessary fluff.


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## esoo (Apr 24, 2019)

chinacats said:


> Best Top Gear ever was them trying to kill a Toyota pickup.


 That was my introduction to them...


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## Marcelo Amaral (Apr 24, 2019)

For $240, i would add another $60 and get a 210mm Watanabe.


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## Michi (Apr 24, 2019)

Marcelo Amaral said:


> For $240, i would add another $60 and get a 210mm Watanabe.


I _think_ this says "a 210 mm Watanabe costs $300"


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## Jville (Apr 24, 2019)

jmacie said:


> I have Kamikoto knives. Not one thing wrong with them. I have plenty of expertise, so unless you hold one and use it, no real need to disparage it. Burrfection, on the other hand is a sales jockey.



This is what i find most interesting about this thread. Someone with kamikoto knives. Tell me more about these and perhaps put some context into their prices and what you think about them.


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## refcast (Apr 24, 2019)

Since he's getting 100 of each, I think that the retail pricing is actually . . . ok. But I really don't like the KS profile (too suji like for a gyuto). Also I don't know how much QC he would do. He's generally ok. I mean. . . he's in the general right track and there are far worse things he could be shilling under his name. Like if he had a Ryky model Dalstrong. That would be gross. But Sakai Takayuki is a reputable company, even if the specific knives he's promoting aren't made by the certified dentou kokougeishi, and even if they were, they're probably not their best work. The price range is about right.

It's ok as a gateway wa-handle knife to a newbie. Not ideal. But ok. Maybe good for some people.

It's not super competitive as a knife a regular user on this forum would buy.

I imagine a whole bunch of people will find the ks profile too pokey and chip the tip, but oh well. I've handle the sakai takayuki grand chef wa gyuto, and that thing is thinner than a ginga at the same size (210). A tad softer, but much higher fit and finish. The handle seemed nicer too, and half rounded. Would I get it? I would still choose a ginga again, cause steel and I know the grind will probably be better convexed.

If anything, some of his background is here:
https://dailybruin.com/2012/01/25/s...ization_with_mission_to_help_feed_the_hungry/

Which is say, helps explain his social-first instead of knife-quality, culture, and-use sort of persona. A different category of folks.

Also yes, his first name is Ryky, not Ricky.


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## osakajoe (Apr 24, 2019)

Matus said:


> $240 for AUS-8 ... from Burrfection ... no, I would not.



My exact thoughts. LOL


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## labor of love (Apr 24, 2019)

Sakai Takayuki already makes sub $200 gyutos, this isn’t exactly a bargain.


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## refcast (Apr 24, 2019)

True dat. Forgot. Nvm. It's basically fundraiser pricing. You may continue egging on him.


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## labor of love (Apr 24, 2019)

I have no dog in this fight, just pointing that out.


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## Cyrilix (Apr 24, 2019)

I think people should stop picking on AUS8. The steel is quite good actually. It's durable and still takes a nice edge. Sure, the retention won't be the greatest, but I've never had a problem sharpening it either. I would most definitely buy another AUS8 knife if it's sold by top notch sellers like Jon.


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## stringer (Apr 24, 2019)

Wow. This one blew up. I mainly want to defend the original post a little. I wouldn't have posted if he seemed to be pushing crap. Or I would have posted in the knuckleheads thread. The fact that this wasn't Dalstrong but a genuine reputable quality producer makes it kind of interesting. 

I won't be buying one. I don't care about the KS one way or the other. I don't care about supporting Ricky/Ryky one way or the other. 

I also want to clarify a few things based on my remembrances from the video (which could be faulty). I think it's a 240mm knife for under $200US. The catch is he's giving his Patreon peeps first dibs. I wouldn't be surprised if he hasn't already pre sold them all to his loyal subscribers. 

Also interesting, I think this is probably a trial run for a Burrfection webstore. I know I wouldn't go through the trouble of negotiating with multiple companies, evaluating a bunch of prototypes, setting up shipping, distribution, web store for processing credit cards and all that goes into it and then just stop after 200 knives. He could be CK2G junior. Who knows?


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## Paraffin (Apr 24, 2019)

Carl Kotte said:


> Is it not simply the case that many of you guys picking on Burrfection simply do not like that he does what he does - end of story? That is of course fine! But at least I cannot see, from comments I read here, that anyone has managed to give any good reasons for dismissing him (yes Carter, Korin etc etc are all better, but so what?).



I can't speak for anyone else, but what I find annoying is that he's typical of a modern breed of YouTube "influencers" who gain a massive following by having an attractive personality, better than average video production skills, and at the same time only a halfway decent understanding of the topic. Not really a "master" level of understanding, although it's often presented that way.

Not just this particular channel or about knives. It's a plague of hyped information and instruction on YouTube for every possible hobby and interest, because it's so easily monetized by ads. With a popular channel, you get ad income no matter how good or bad the information is. 

It can get a little annoying for those of us who know something about a subject, not masters ourselves, but can recognize someone else who is basically winging it.


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## Marcelo Amaral (Apr 25, 2019)

Michi said:


> I _think_ this says "a 210 mm Watanabe costs $300"



Not only that, but if you have used a Watanabe 210mm (my favorite 210mm gyuto), you'd agree it's a lot of knife for that price. So why settle for something else that's probably worse in order to save $60?


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## Michi (Apr 25, 2019)

Marcelo Amaral said:


> So why settle for something else that's probably worse in order to save $60?


Yes. On the other hand, some people might have a budget of $200 and just be able to stretch that to $240. There is almost always something better for not that much more. I mean, why would I settle for the $300 Watanabe when, for just a few dollars more, I could get a TF or some such? Where does it stop?


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## slickmamba (Apr 25, 2019)

I used to watch burrfection when I first started, but stopped after he:
1. kept reusing videos/clips in multiple videos
2. Kept promoting dalstrong/yaxell stuff
3. clickbaity titles
4. rambled on a **** ton.
5. Does "top 10 _____/Best ___" videos when all the products are sponsored

Its true that he gives a disclaimer of "I"m not an expert," and he probably has a great deal of experience after years of daily sharpening, but it is irresponsible for him to do his "top 10" or "best knives" videos when he is only giving reviews on mostly sponsored items(shun, yaxell, dalstrong, suehiro, zwilling/henckels(miyabi, kramer), etc). Although its not a big deal to some, it does lead newer people into buying subpar or overly expensive products without giving a well rounded view into different products, steels, regional differences, etc. Nothing against him, and I'm glad hes doing well and getting more people into the hobby, just wish he would sell out less and use his exposure to explore more things besides mass produced knives.


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## Marcelo Amaral (Apr 25, 2019)

Michi said:


> Yes. On the other hand, some people might have a budget of $200 and just be able to stretch that to $240. There is almost always something better for not that much more. I mean, why would I settle for the $300 Watanabe when, for just a few dollars more, I could get a TF or some such? Where does it stop?



That, my friend, is why KKF'ers talk about "go down the rabbit hole". Our desires have no ceiling, really. Anyway, i have a 210mm Denka gyuto, and it's not, in my oppinion, better than a 210mm Watanabe pro in blue#2 although it costs $200 more. Opinions apart, i think we can agree that both are nice blades, but i feel that starting from something like Watanabe pro, the marginal gain won't be much. It doesn't mean we can't try a Kramer for $30,000 as long as our pocket is deep enough and we are aware that there's no performance justification for it.


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## Michi (Apr 25, 2019)

Realistically, I can get an absolutely superb knife for $200 to $300. It'll cut extremely well, hold its edge very well, have whatever profile I like, with any handle shape I desire, and be made from pretty much any steel I want.

Go above $300, and we are moving into the realm of collectibles, rarity, and vanity. I do own some knives that cost more than that, so I'm guilty as charged. Those knives are prettier, rarer, have special wood for the handle, whatever. But, in my experience, they don't noticeably _work_ better than a knife for $300.

Over $300, the law of diminishing returns kicks in with full force…


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## dsk (Apr 25, 2019)

Michi said:


> Realistically, I can get an absolutely superb knife for $200 to $300. It'll cut extremely well, hold its edge very well, have whatever profile I like, with any handle shape I desire, and be made from pretty much any steel I want.
> 
> Go above $300, and we are moving into the realm of collectibles, rarity, and vanity. I do own some knives that cost more than that, so I'm guilty as charged. Those knives are prettier, rarer, have special wood for the handle, whatever. But, in my experience, they don't noticeably _work_ better than a knife for $300.
> 
> Over $300, the law of diminishing returns kicks in with full force…



This sort of applies to a lot of hobbies. I feel like $300 is a magic diminishing returns number for usability to luxury.


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## Michi (Apr 25, 2019)

dsk said:


> This sort of applies to a lot of hobbies. I feel like $300 is a magic diminishing returns number for usability to luxury.


Try cars… Being addicted to knives is dirt-cheap in comparison!


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## dsk (Apr 25, 2019)

Michi said:


> Try cars… Being addicted to knives is dirt-cheap in comparison!



Haha ok, being fair, certain smaller, sometimes hand made things, I think the appropriate sweetspot for quality is when a layman expecting to spend 2 digits looks at the pricetag and gasps slightly, which is somewhere between 250 and 500.


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## Marcelo Amaral (Apr 25, 2019)

Michi said:


> Go above $300, and we are moving into the realm of collectibles, rarity, and vanity. I do own some knives that cost more than that, so I'm guilty as charged.



I can't blame you for that as i'm guilty as well. If cost/benefit is your goal, it would be hard to justify going much higher than $300. At that price point, Watanabe, Heiji, Gesshin Kochi, and Gesshin Gengetsu are amazing in my opinion. However, two of my favorite blades are above that limit. My main concern now is that i can tell the difference instead of imagine it. For wine there are blind tastings, but what do we have regarding knives? It's known our brain might perceive an experience as better only because we are told the products we use to have that experience are more expensive.

Anyway, back to OP's question, i wouldn't buy from burrfection right now mainly due to lack of confidence on his methods/knowledge. Maybe one day i will, but not now. In my logic, if i spend more, but the experience is nice, it was worth it. However, a bad experience is bad, it doesn't matter if you spend less.


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## Michi (Apr 25, 2019)

I'm really hoping that someone here will buy one of those knives, so we can get a first-hand account of how well they work. My prediction: pretty well, simply because of who makes them.


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## jmacie (Apr 25, 2019)

Jville said:


> This is what i find most interesting about this thread. Someone with kamikoto knives. Tell me more about these and perhaps put some context into their prices and what you think about them.


These were recommended to me by the exec chef of Bacchanalia in Atlanta. I bought a couple of kits and found them to be great knives. They hold an edge just fine and are a slightly softer steel, so easy to re-edge. As far as their marketing ploy, they try to hype the fact there is no middleman so they can use some inflated numbers to draw in buyers. This tactic puts people off. So, without even trying a knife, they get all commers deciding that 420J2 steel is ****, so therefore these are mass produced Chinese drivel. I certainly know the difference between these knives and a boutique knife. They are worth what I paid for them and I'm happy to recommend them


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## chinacats (Apr 25, 2019)

Michi said:


> Yes. On the other hand, some people might have a budget of $200 and just be able to stretch that to $240. There is almost always something better for not that much more. I mean, why would I settle for the $300 Watanabe when, for just a few dollars more, I could get a TF or some such? Where does it stop?



I'd pay more for the Wat any day than anything from tf...


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## Walla (Apr 25, 2019)

Don't know about the knives...but old Ricky sure does divide opinion...

My 2 cents...he's a shill...he has found a way to make money...and get plenty of toys...if there's a market for something someone will come along to fill it...

However he is turning a lot of people on to sharpening and Japanese knives...for better or worse...

Take care


Jeff


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## Cyrilix (Apr 25, 2019)

jmacie said:


> These were recommended to me by the exec chef of Bacchanalia in Atlanta. I bought a couple of kits and found them to be great knives. They hold an edge just fine and are a slightly softer steel, so easy to re-edge. As far as their marketing ploy, they try to hype the fact there is no middleman so they can use some inflated numbers to draw in buyers. This tactic puts people off. So, without even trying a knife, they get all commers deciding that 420J2 steel is ****, so therefore these are mass produced Chinese drivel. I certainly know the difference between these knives and a boutique knife. They are worth what I paid for them and I'm happy to recommend them



No offense, but softer steel tends to be a pain in the ass to deburr. Anyone doing this work day in day out by hand is going to lose their love of sharpening.

The fact that you would say this makes me question your exposure to good knives made out of well-heat-treated steels.


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## crockerculinary (Apr 25, 2019)

jmacie said:


> These were recommended to me by the exec chef of Bacchanalia in Atlanta. I bought a couple of kits and found them to be great knives. They hold an edge just fine and are a slightly softer steel, so easy to re-edge. As far as their marketing ploy, they try to hype the fact there is no middleman so they can use some inflated numbers to draw in buyers. This tactic puts people off. So, without even trying a knife, they get all commers deciding that 420J2 steel is ****, so therefore these are mass produced Chinese drivel. I certainly know the difference between these knives and a boutique knife. They are worth what I paid for them and I'm happy to recommend them


Im sorry if this comes across as harsh, but you don’t know what you’re talking about. Kamikoto is a fraud company with abhorrent and deceptive business practices and crap products masquerading as luxury goods. Please do some research and if you still want to after, feel free to come back and argue with me about it.


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## stringer (Apr 25, 2019)

A co-worker bought one of the 3 piece Kamikoto a couple years ago. A paring knife, a nakiri, and a 210 slicer. He thought that they were nice because they came in a velvet lined wooden case. They were "originally" priced at $1400. Then "marked down" to $475.
He thought he was getting a good deal because he bought them for "only" $300. The edge retention was ****, they were difficult to sharpen, the slicer was too short to be useful as a slicer. They were very handle heavy. But he really enjoyed that wooden case. Every night he would carefully clean his crappy knives and put them back in the case. And then remind us all how great a deal he got. I don't work with that guy any more. I think he drives a taxi now. Stay away from Kamikoto.


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## refcast (Apr 25, 2019)

One other thing about kamikoto is that on their website, they had a video of I believe a Yoshikane blacksmith forging his own knives, as if he were producing the western handle ones (they've since redesigned their site). Now, they did have some legitmate-looking japanese hammer forged stuff (nashiji) on there at one time, but the company is deceptive.


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## captaincaed (Apr 26, 2019)

YouTube incentivizes long videos for ad revenue, hence the insane amounts of filler. I think he's a sharp guy, seems to know which end of the knife to hold, but he's not selling what I'm buying.


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## lemeneid (Apr 26, 2019)

jmacie said:


> I have Kamikoto knives. Not one thing wrong with them. I have plenty of expertise, so unless you hold one and use it, no real need to disparage it. Burrfection, on the other hand is a sales jockey.


Look, I would take that Sakai Takayuki knife before Kamikoto. Heck I’d take those Yaxell or Dalstrong crap Burrfection is shilling before Kamikoto.


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## zizirex (Apr 26, 2019)

240 for the Blue 2 and 170 for the AUS-8, not that bad actually, but the grind is probably a bit too thick or normal grind for amateur knife user from what I see on his website. It's pretty interesting because of the profile, if not you can get Anryu for a slightly cheaper price...


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## aaamax (Apr 26, 2019)

I have no horse in this race, nor an informed opinion about said product.
What I find interesting in these kinds of threads is who is on what side of the debate. 
Looking at join date and/or post count leaves one possibly with the impression that some have a biased (read: shill) opinion.
Cheers.


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## Keith Sinclair (Apr 26, 2019)

stringer said:


> A co-worker bought one of the 3 piece Kamikoto a couple years ago. A paring knife, a nakiri, and a 210 slicer. He thought that they were nice because they came in a velvet lined wooden case. They were "originally" priced at $1400. Then "marked down" to $475.
> He thought he was getting a good deal because he bought them for "only" $300. The edge retention was ****, they were difficult to sharpen, the slicer was too short to be useful as a slicer. They were very handle heavy. But he really enjoyed that wooden case. Every night he would carefully clean his crappy knives and put them back in the case. And then remind us all how great a deal he got. I don't work with that guy any more. I think he drives a taxi now. Stay away from Kamikoto.



That's depressing

I thought the purpose for local newspaper rags was for a couple strops to remove any residual burr & to slice up. The less sound sharper the blade.

I tried to destroy a little red Datsun pickup back in the 70's. It got rusty being at the beach so much but refused to quit. One of the best vehicles ever had before or since.


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## Carl Kotte (Apr 26, 2019)

daveb said:


> My default is not to like something unless I have a good reason for dismissing it. Rather, I go in neutral and look for the good or the bad. With the kid all I see is slick video and content without merit. But it's not something I lose sleep over.



Your formulation of your default is ambiguous and hard to read (compare the outcomes you get when you put emphasis on ”is not” and ”not to”: which one was the intended one?)


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## Carl Kotte (Apr 26, 2019)

Paraffin said:


> I can't speak for anyone else, but what I find annoying is that he's typical of a modern breed of YouTube "influencers" who gain a massive following by having an attractive personality, better than average video production skills, and at the same time only a halfway decent understanding of the topic. Not really a "master" level of understanding, although it's often presented that way.
> 
> Not just this particular channel or about knives. It's a plague of hyped information and instruction on YouTube for every possible hobby and interest, because it's so easily monetized by ads. With a popular channel, you get ad income no matter how good or bad the information is.
> 
> It can get a little annoying for those of us who know something about a subject, not masters ourselves, but can recognize someone else who is basically winging it.



Oh, I see. So it seems fair to say that he somehow deserves the aversion because he gets loads of recognition (esp. in proportion to what he knows) whereas people here who often know more, but don’t produce tons of videos, do not get the same credit (though they actually deserve). Is that it? Sounds cute.


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## CTKC (Apr 26, 2019)

I agree that it seems like it will be a reasonable performer, from a quality source at a good enough price; Let’s see how they work once somebody posts a review.

Honestly, I think Ricky is all right. As somebody else mentioned, his enthusiasm is admirable, and some of his sharpening videos are actually quite useful for beginning to moderate sharpeners- mostly because he showed the process all the way through and without time delay. I don’t always agree with some of his simplistic pointers, but his attempts to demystify knives and knife sharpening can only help spread the knife love to a population that is less likely to visit a board with a bunch of knife nuts (like all of us). And more people being interested in quality knives can only be a good thing.

I don’t share his KS love though- decent knife but hardly the best choice, even if it were available at a price point uninflated by how much it’s overhyped. Just one man’s opinion though.


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## Carl Kotte (Apr 26, 2019)

CTKC said:


> I agree that it seems like it will be a reasonable performer, from a quality source at a good enough price; Let’s see how they work once somebody posts a review.
> 
> Honestly, I think Ricky is all right. As somebody else mentioned, his enthusiasm is admirable, and some of his sharpening videos are actually quite useful for beginning to moderate sharpeners- mostly because he showed the process all the way through and without time delay. I don’t always agree with some of his simplistic pointers, but his attempts to demystify knives and knife sharpening can only help spread the knife love to a population that is less likely to visit a board with a bunch of knife nuts (like all of us). And more people being interested in quality knives can only be a good thing.
> 
> I don’t share his KS love though- decent knife but hardly the best choice, even if it were available at a price point uninflated by how much it’s overhyped. Just one man’s opinion though.



I like!


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## Paraffin (Apr 26, 2019)

Carl Kotte said:


> Oh, I see. So it seems fair to say that he somehow deserves the aversion because he gets loads of recognition (esp. in proportion to what he knows) whereas people here who often know more, but don’t produce tons of videos, do not get the same credit (though they actually deserve). Is that it? Sounds cute.



That's not what I said, please don't put words in my mouth. It's about quality of information, not "credit." 

A forum like KKF has the usual mix of newbies and more experienced posters. It's up to everyone to figure out from the post history here, who are the more experienced people we can learn from, and who are the newbies we might be able to help. 

The main difference between Burrfection and KKF is that outside the vendor and user trading sub-forums, most of us here have nothing to push, hype, or sell. The information is presented without commercial self-interest, and you can take it or leave it. Nobody is claiming to be an expert, or demanding credit.


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## Carl Kotte (Apr 26, 2019)

Paraffin said:


> That's not what I said, please don't put words in my mouth. It's about quality of information, not "credit."
> 
> A forum like KKF has the usual mix of newbies and more experienced posters. It's up to everyone to figure out from the post history here, who are the more experienced people we can learn from, and who are the newbies we might be able to help.
> 
> The main difference between Burrfection and KKF is that outside the vendor and user trading sub-forums, most of us here have nothing to push, hype, or sell. The information is presented without commercial self-interest, and you can take it or leave it. Nobody is claiming to be an expert, or demanding credit.



Sure, but that does not adress the question. So let me reformulate: why do so many around here post pretty nasty comments about Burrfection and Ryky and do so as if they were fully justified in doing so? There is a difference between expressing lack of interest (or expressing criticism or concern or whatever) and bad-mouthing someone. And there is a lot of the latter in this thread. As soon as the topic Burrfection comes up, KKF suddenly transforms into something I find pretty unpleasant.
My point is not that Burrfection is great, or that he knows knives and stones much better than people around here: as far as I can tell neither is true. My point is simply that some claims made about him here, and some views expressed here, seem unfounded and way out of proportion. The fact that he is not an expert, that his videos are too long etc etc just do not justify those reactions. (About the claim that he pushes products I simply do not know, and I assume neither do you or anyone else here). And from what I have seen so far, as soon as anyone attempts to back up those claims or sentiments expressed, there is only more of the same hodgepodge of nastiness.


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## chinacats (Apr 26, 2019)

Simply put...calling bs when something is bs. It's not to be mean to ryky, it's to keep people from wasting their time figuring out who he is.


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## brooksie967 (Apr 26, 2019)

Threads like this are why he's going to sell out of those knives


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## daveb (Apr 26, 2019)

Carl Kotte said:


> Your formulation of your default is ambiguous and hard to read .....



not ambiguous to me buckwheat, and I think that's all that matters....


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## zizirex (Apr 26, 2019)

Carl Kotte said:


> Sure, but that does not adress the question. So let me reformulate: why do so many around here post pretty nasty comments about Burrfection and Ryky and do so as if they were fully justified in doing so? There is a difference between expressing lack of interest (or expressing criticism or concern or whatever) and bad-mouthing someone. And there is a lot of the latter in this thread. As soon as the topic Burrfection comes up, KKF suddenly transforms into something I find pretty unpleasant.
> My point is not that Burrfection is great, or that he knows knives and stones much better than people around here: as far as I can tell neither is true. My point is simply that some claims made about him here, and some views expressed here, seem unfounded and way out of proportion. The fact that he is not an expert, that his videos are too long etc etc just do not justify those reactions. (About the claim that he pushes products I simply do not know, and I assume neither do you or anyone else here). And from what I have seen so far, as soon as anyone attempts to back up those claims or sentiments expressed, there is only more of the same hodgepodge of nastiness.



I don't what's the beef with this forum and Burr, but in front of beginner's eyes, it is much more convincing to see a real video in youtube than believing on random people in the forum without real visual proof. I know some of his videos is a bit boring and cumbersome. At least his recommendation for whetstone is pretty spotted on.. other than that, KS Hype is basically just a tip of the iceberg of the world of knife hype.
At least I see a good comment on this thread where rest of 4 pages that I see is just bashing of hate and flame without a real concrete basis


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## Keith Sinclair (Apr 26, 2019)

Think the advantages Google and U Tube out weigh all the not so great stuff that comes with it. Learning how to do things from video's is easier for me than reading about it. It has helped me quite a bit to do things myself instead of paying some one else. 

Jon at JKI has some of the best sharpening vids in English. It is the exception rather than the norm. No hype just useful information. 

Guess I'll have to sit through some of the vids so hotly contested in this thread. As long as it is not counter productive and will make a dull knife sharp that's the main thing.


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## ian (Apr 26, 2019)

Summary of this thread:

1) some people have learned from and/or been inspired by him.
2) once you already know a bunch about knives, most of his vids aren’t an interesting watch.
3) he’s a business man.

Can we move on? Seems like nothing is being accomplished here anymore.


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## labor of love (Apr 26, 2019)

KKF is a public forum where thousands of people with varying levels of experience, opinions, attitudes and senses of humor meet to discuss knife related topics of the day.
I would be quite sad if the day came where we couldn’t spread false information, misleading opinions, trade insults and insist that other people buy the knives we like.
Such is human nature.


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## Midsummer (Apr 26, 2019)

labor of love said:


> KKF is a public forum where thousands of people with varying levels of experience, opinions, attitudes and senses of humor meet to discuss knives related topics of the day.
> I would be quite sad if the day came where we couldn’t spread false information, misleading opinions, trade insults and insist that other people buy the knives we like.
> Such is human nature.



like!


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## AT5760 (Apr 26, 2019)

So... I'm really new to knife sharpening, and really new to "nicer" knives. That said, after getting some stone recommendations here, I spent a few hours watching sharpening videos. I started with Jon's videos since folks here recommended them. I also looked at the Korin sharpening videos, Bob Kramer's videos, and Burrfection's videos. I came back to Jon's because I felt like he was teaching instead of merely showing (the Korin videos are also good). And I think that's what's lacking in the Burrfection videos. I just re-watched a couple of his videos. They have great visuals, editing, and lighting and have a ton of explanation. But they feel rushed and I left the videos feeling like I am supposed to be impressed. If you are looking for entertainment, maybe that's ok. But if you are looking to learn a skill, and potentially enjoy sharpening, then I don't think the Burrfection videos get the job done. 

I re-watched his "5 myths" video. A video like that makes me appreciate why so many people here have such a dislike for his product. Electric sharpeners are fine? Some chefs never sharpen their knives over a 20 year period so you don't need to either? No science, no methodology, just limited anecdotal evidence. Nothing negative against him as a person, he seems likable and enthusiastic, and I've never met him. But his product isn't for me.


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## slickmamba (Apr 26, 2019)

Carl Kotte said:


> (About the claim that he pushes products I simply do not know, and I assume neither do you or anyone else here).



This is just false. He states in his videos that he only reviews products that companies send him. So when all his "best knives" videos are of knives that are sent to him, he is indeed pushing them, regardless of any disclaimer he gives. That is simply how product placement and 'sponsorships' go. Nothing wrong with that, makes him a great businessman, but does get newer enthusiasts to buy these products. From what I remember, when he first started he reviewed all sorts of products and companies, but not anymore. In 2 minutes of looking I found these:

1. Best Utility knives 2018-2019

(Top picks for best performing utility knives from Miyabi, Yaxell, and Wusthof. Miyabi vs Yaxell vs Wusthof, this videos will break down everything you need to know about these knives.)

2. My top 5 knives

(Here are my current 5 favorite top picks of all the knives I have used.)

3. My top 5 best knife picks

(Here are my top 5 knife picks. These are essentials and must-haves knives in my kitchen. See which Enso, Yaxell Dragon, Dalstrong and Kramer made the cut.)

Here is a whole playlist of Top Picks the vast majority(maybe all?) of which are 'donated items' from mass produced knife companies. https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLMBkfuXBr-y8VAq2-tdwlixKgFsU3Gn0h

As far as I can tell from,when I used to watch him(1-2 years ago), the only non sponsored things he ever promotes is the naniwa stuff, but they might be now, unsure. In the gaming review world, you are required to state if you were given a game for free in your review video, I'm not sure Ryky does that anymore. I think he is doing lots of good stuff, getting people into the community, donating stuff, etc, but doesn't mean he isn't selling out to large companies. I'm pretty done talking about this tho.


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## StonedEdge (Apr 26, 2019)

Carl Kotte said:


> Exactly! Want to know that too!


he doesn't believe in keeping stones flat or thinning knives. Guy's a hack.


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## inferno (Apr 26, 2019)

does this mean that miyabi and dalstrong knives are actually not the best in the universe?? confused.


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## daveb (Apr 26, 2019)

Am I the only one that recalls the kid got a crap ton of KS's during the recent release? Gotta believe he had folks (that knew what they were doing) measuring everything on these samples so he could better knock them off.

Poor form to me.


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## slickmamba (Apr 26, 2019)

daveb said:


> Am I the only one that recalls the kid got a crap ton of KS's during the recent release? Gotta believe he had folks (that knew what they were doing) measuring everything on these samples so he could better knock them off.
> 
> Poor form to me.



Yeah, there was some businessman in japan that gave him 10, and wanted to start a knife brand with him.


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## Xenif (Apr 26, 2019)

labor of love said:


> KKF is a public forum where thousands of people with varying levels of experience, opinions, attitudes and senses of humor meet to discuss knife related topics of the day.
> I would be quite sad if the day came where we couldn’t spread false information, misleading opinions, trade insults and insist that other people buy the knives we like.
> Such is human nature.


Like +1 +10 +100 
Pour this man a virtual beer

Also pressing up, x, down, b, L, y, R, a, start, select. Thats the code to summon chef doom to a thread right?


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## inferno (Apr 26, 2019)

daveb said:


> Am I the only one that recalls the kid got a crap ton of KS's during the recent release? Gotta believe he had folks (that knew what they were doing) measuring everything on these samples so he could better knock them off.
> Poor form to me.



he got 10 of them for free. he also got them when they were not available on the regular places iirc


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## inferno (Apr 26, 2019)

regarding his channel. you basically have to see it for what it is. its some kind of intro info to better knives than wusthoffs for non knife people pretty much. no advanced user have anything to gain there.


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## Walla (Apr 26, 2019)

He is honest about it...


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## inferno (Apr 26, 2019)

i want to be an influencer too. i think i could influence about 7 people. easily.


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## Keith Sinclair (Apr 27, 2019)

Just watched his Top 5 Sharpening basics. Sharp like a pro. Only 9 min. so easy to sit through. Believe me I have seen much worse sharpening U-Tubes. He is trying to give a lot of information in a short time so it is rushed skipping around in both action and speech. There is some good information in those 9 min. just not to useful for a beginning sharpener to put it together.


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## A cute angle (Apr 27, 2019)

Walla said:


> Don't know about the knives...but old Ricky sure does divide opinion...
> 
> My 2 cents...he's a shill...he has found a way to make money...and get plenty of toys...if there's a market for something someone will come along to fill it...
> 
> ...


if its sharp enough to cut wet newspaper its sharp enough for me


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## chinacats (Apr 28, 2019)

A cute angle said:


> if its sharp enough to cut wet newspaper its sharp enough for me



You got a recipe?


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## Luftmensch (Apr 28, 2019)

Xenif said:


> Also pressing up, x, down, b, L, y, R, a, start, select. Thats the code to summon chef doom to a thread right?



Made me laugh twice in the one day....

.... are you sure we shouldn't bring back the like button!!


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## playero (Apr 28, 2019)

Seen worse videos on the tube. Now he is moving to expensive knives. This will be fun.


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## ian (Apr 28, 2019)

Luftmensch said:


> Made me laugh twice in the one day....
> 
> .... are you sure we shouldn't bring back the like button!!



Shame the keyboard sequence is Windows specific. I always thought Doom was an equal platform provocateur.


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## Luftmensch (Apr 28, 2019)

ian said:


> Shame the keyboard sequence is Windows specific.



Hmmm....

"x, down, b, L, y, R, a, start, select"

... Didnt work for me...

... I did chant @Chef Doom, @Chef Doom, @Chef Doom in front of a mirror... Not sure that is working either??


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## refcast (Apr 28, 2019)

I thought the chant was Doom, Doom, Doom.

He says that to announce his departure, to forebode future events, and for peons to summon him.


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## rick alen (Apr 28, 2019)

I have had several examples of AUS-10 and 440C, they are very much alike and I like them both. They are both wear-resistant on the stones, they both take a good edge, and they both have very decent edge retention. The Chinese seem to do a pretty good job with aus-10.

Ricky should do a video on eating rusty vintage razor blades.


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## JPizzle (Apr 28, 2019)

Hey guys, Ryky Here - just kidding 

When I found his channel a few years ago, I thought I had come across internet gold. I received some stuff from a few of his giveaways very early on and then I tried to troll him after his giveaways started to delay (around the time he was adding the pick a card and a suit etc) and I didn’t see any winners announced. His post schedule was pretty irregular then too. 

The final straw was some advice he had given that I felt wasn’t genuine. He had posted a video about a paring knife that he was raving about it for use on the board to chop stuff. Long story short, I told him he had a greater responsibility to public rather than just market knives (it felt like an ad) and he called me a troll. 

I feel like he plays the victim (maybe rightfully so) but since then I just avoided his channel. I mean if you tell your viewers you aren’t an expert or maybe even very knowledgeable regarding knives, why do it? Why make a knife (or a copy of a knife)? And why make videos calling out “scam” knife stores and then launch your own line. (I may have watched a few of his videos recently and now I need to pour some bleach in my eyes)


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## DainBramage1 (May 29, 2019)

hititlong said:


> Im also of the opinion that people here are giving him a hard time. I no longer refer to his videos ever since I came across KKF, but Id be lying if I said that Burrfection's didnt help me build my interest when starting down this rabbit hole.
> 
> I do find his (sponsored) love for Dalstrong disturbing though, but it seems that he's been moving away from that as of late



Maybe this thread is dead, but I'm going to jump in anyway. It's obvious that very few people here are going to start a Ryky Tran fan club, and I get it, but I just wanted to say that Ryky was single-handedly responsible for getting me excited about sharpening again after years of having no interest. I was a decent (not great) sharpener when I got back into it, so I still had more I could learn. I've watched videos by Murray Carter, Cliff Stamp, the kid from Korin, and whoever else I could find on YouTube, and honestly, I think that it would be impossible to learn to sharpen watching Cliff, not easy to learn watching Murray (because he skips over a lot), and I'm not sure that I'd want to learn from the Korin kid. I think Ryky meets a need, for people relatively new to knives, and/or for beginner to intermediate sharpeners. There's no doubt that some of his videos are long, but when people started complaining about that, he posted a shorter/edited version within a few days.

Did he push Dalstrong for a while? Yes, but he stopped abruptly, seemingly at the same time the company started moving from VG-10 to AUS-10V. He recently did a video about VG-10 vs VG-MAX that made me think the VG-10 embargo against Chinese knife makers had something to do with him dropping Dalstrong. Does that speak to his integrity? Maybe, I don't know.



Midsummer said:


> Perhaps its because he has presented himself as some sort of knife authority when in fact he appears to have minimal experience when compared to some at KKF.



More often than not, it seems that he says that he's not an expert, and his sharpening style is constantly evolving because he's always trying different things.

But as his channel grows, he's unquestionably had the opportunity to use a MUCH wider variety of knives and stones than most people.



Michi said:


> There are a number of videos where he cuts all sort of veggies.
> 
> <snip, snip>
> But a knife that cuts paper well may or may not cut food well…
> ...



I do know that your post discussed his cutting of paper and rope pretty well, and I'd just like to say that depending on your testing technique, there may be no reason to cut anything to know it's sharp. Also, it seems to me that his rope test was much more efficient for testing edge retention than cutting food could ever be. Yes, he's done at least two where he cut lots of food.



StonedEdge said:


> he doesn't believe in keeping stones flat or thinning knives. Guy's a hack.



Murray Carter doesn't believe in flattening stones either.

----------
Do I think he's an expert or master? No, but neither does he. I'll say it… I like the guy. He seems to be a hard-working, humble, articulate guy who has a genuine interest in knives and stones, and he's sharing that interest with others, oftentimes better than the experts. Is that so terrible?


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## rick alen (May 29, 2019)

DainBramage1 said:


> ----------
> Do I think he's an expert or master? No, but neither does he. I'll say it… I like the guy. He seems to be a hard-working, humble, articulate guy who has a genuine interest in knives and stones, and he's sharing that interest with others, oftentimes better than the experts. Is that so terrible?



DainBramage = BrainDamage?


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## Elliot (May 29, 2019)

DainBramage1 said:


> Maybe this thread is dead, but I'm going to jump in anyway. It's obvious that very few people here are going to start a Ryky Tran fan club, and I get it, but I just wanted to say that Ryky was single-handedly responsible for getting me excited about sharpening again after years of having no interest. I was a decent (not great) sharpener when I got back into it, so I still had more I could learn. I've watched videos by Murray Carter, Cliff Stamp, the kid from Korin, and whoever else I could find on YouTube, and honestly, I think that it would be impossible to learn to sharpen watching Cliff, not easy to learn watching Murray (because he skips over a lot), and I'm not sure that I'd want to learn from the Korin kid. I think Ryky meets a need, for people relatively new to knives, and/or for beginner to intermediate sharpeners. There's no doubt that some of his videos are long, but when people started complaining about that, he posted a shorter/edited version within a few days.
> 
> Did he push Dalstrong for a while? Yes, but he stopped abruptly, seemingly at the same time the company started moving from VG-10 to AUS-10V. He recently did a video about VG-10 vs VG-MAX that made me think the VG-10 embargo against Chinese knife makers had something to do with him dropping Dalstrong. Does that speak to his integrity? Maybe, I don't know.
> 
> ...



I actually don't disagree with some of what you say, but, just to toss it out there: Sharpening videos from Broida taught me. Just give 'em a look. Good info.


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## Barashka (May 29, 2019)

@DainBramage1 Let the haters hate, this thread didn't seem to change any opinions ... but I'll join the fan club, I think there will be 5 or 6 of us here : )


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## chinacats (May 29, 2019)

you guys are funny...

https://www.japaneseknifeimports.com/blogs/media/63836741-knife-sharpening-playlist


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## Barashka (May 29, 2019)

Find me a JKI video on Kramers vs KS or the like (or pick whatever else that burrfection covered that no one else did) and I'll laugh with you ...

edit: that is not to diss JKI sharpening videos, those are actually really good, but we're discussing entire content library here.


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## rick alen (May 29, 2019)

Barashka said:


> Find me a JKI video on Kramers vs KS or the like (or pick whatever else that burrfection covered that no one else did) and I'll laugh with you ...
> 
> edit: that is not to diss JKI sharpening videos, those are actually really good, but we're discussing entire content library here.



Even though it's off my diet I'm going out and getting some popcorn right now.


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## chinacats (May 29, 2019)

yeah i guess im only talking about how to make a knife sharp (regardless of brand)...and if you want to learn then you'll do better to watch jki vids...if you want smack talk from someone who doesn't know then guess you can find it wherever you like on internet...here included...


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## Barashka (May 29, 2019)

We're talking about more than just how to sharpen knives ... you should know the content before complaining about it.

You have 5 pages here plus another few in the other thread ... you're waay of your diet.


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## Paraffin (May 29, 2019)

Elliot said:


> Sharpening videos from Broida taught me. Just give 'em a look. Good info.



Same here. It's interesting because Jon has something to sell just like the Burrfection guy, but (to me anyway) he comes across more as someone who knows what he's talking about from deep experience, and not just pushing the flavor of the month based on the latest business deal. 

It's not just sharpening vids on the JKI channel, there is some good info on knife steels and technique as well. He doesn't compare other knife brands than the ones he carries (obviously), but the channel is still a good general resource.


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## chinacats (May 29, 2019)

im not off my diet...u def dont know me...my diet rocks...ive read this entire worthless thread 3x over...still worthless


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## Chicagohawkie (May 29, 2019)

Ricky’s a hustler, an influencer who makes a living off naive people. Do your own research or believe his smoke.... he’s no different than any other car salesman. Who cares........ If he were the North American sole retailer for Konos, Shigs and Katos - you’d all love him!


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## rick alen (May 29, 2019)

I went for potato-based crackers instead of the popcorn, my diet still rockin too.


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## Barashka (May 29, 2019)

I agree, JKI videos are great (as many said many times), I watched most, if not all. Unfortunately, they do miss content I'd like to watch / know about, and so I get it somewhere else.


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## Barashka (May 29, 2019)

Chicagohawkie said:


> Who cares........ If he were the North American sole retailer for Konos, Shigs and Katos - you’d all love him!


That's an excellent point, to each his own ... maybe if he does eventually get to Konos etc, this thread will finally implode?


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## ian (May 29, 2019)

Ok, so what do you all think? I normally try and pay as little attention to Ricky Tran as possible but his new knife pitch came up in my YouTube feed and I was too lazy to change it. It actually sounds pretty decent. He commissioned Sakai Takayuki to make 200 knives. They are 240 KS clones essentially. Half are blue 2 and half are aus-8. Choice of teak or black walnut handle with horn ferrules. I don't know if all the details are finalized, but in the video he said he was shooting for sub $200 all in. Sakai Takayuki obviously makes knives from a variety of smiths and from entry level up through insanely high end. But they generally have a good reputation for quality and value.

Would you buy it?


(Here’s the new plan: each of us now reposts all the previous posts in this thread, as I have done with Stringer’s original post above. After we finish, we repeat again. Easier than generating new identical content!)


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## DainBramage1 (May 29, 2019)

chinacats said:


> you guys are funny...
> 
> https://www.japaneseknifeimports.com/blogs/media/63836741-knife-sharpening-playlist



OK, I've seen him too, but it's been a while so I watched the first three of his videos that auto played. He sure seems to mention Gesshin stones and knives a lot. Oh, they're made for him? From those three videos it would be impossible to tell that he sold anything else. Maybe Ryky's not the only one you guys should be calling a shill?

I'm not saying Ryky's the best, just saying that if it weren't for him my stones would still be gathering dust, and that I like him. Perhaps opposing opinions are discouraged here.


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## chinacats (May 29, 2019)

I'm not so sure marketing your own products makes you a shill...perhaps a dictionary would be in order?


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## CoteRotie (May 29, 2019)

chinacats said:


> I'm not so sure marketing your own products makes you a shill...perhaps a dictionary would be in order?



Yeah, if that's the only thing he did, but there's definitely the possibility of some shill-like behavior in his videos. But I have nothing against the guy for what he does, caveat emptor and all that. There are far worse things to worry about on the internet. (Straight line, please add your joke here.)


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## chinacats (May 29, 2019)

Again, YOU CANNOT SHILL YOUR OWN PRODUCTS!!! It's called a ****ing dictionary...


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## rick alen (May 29, 2019)

I'm getting a little concerned, can a post cause brain rot?


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## CoteRotie (May 29, 2019)

chinacats said:


> Again, YOU CANNOT SHILL YOUR OWN PRODUCTS!!! It's called a ****ing dictionary...



Of course you can't. But doesn't he do videos praising Dalstrong and possibly other suspect stuff? (Maybe I'm wrong, I haven't watched much of his stuff.) And IS it his own product? He doesn't make them, and a clever shill could claim to have "designed" a product that he's selling to rope in customers.


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## DainBramage1 (May 29, 2019)

chinacats said:


> Again, YOU CANNOT SHILL YOUR OWN PRODUCTS!!! It's called a ****ing dictionary...



shill: a person who pretends to give an impartial endorsement of something in which they themselves have an interest.

The only reason I got suspicious about Gesshin was the number of times he mentioned them.


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## JBroida (May 29, 2019)

CoteRotie said:


> Of course you can't. But doesn't he do videos praising Dalstrong and possibly other suspect stuff? (Maybe I'm wrong, I haven't watched much of his stuff.) And IS it his own product? He doesn't make them, and a clever shill could claim to have "designed" a product that he's selling to rope in customers.


wait... are we talking about me or Ryky here?


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## JBroida (May 29, 2019)

DainBramage1 said:


> shill: a person who pretends to give an impartial endorsement of something in which they themselves have an interest.
> 
> The only reason I got suspicious about Gesshin was the number of times he mentioned them.


Gesshin is our house brand, and we work together with a number of different craftsmen and manufacturers to have things made for that series. But aside from that, I think its pretty clear that I'm the person selling the things i am talking about.

also- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shill

If i had secretly paid someone to talk about our products, that person would be a shill for us. However, me talking about products i directly sell is normally just considered marketing. Aside from how this pertains to me and my business, i would prefer to stay out of this conversation though.


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## ian (May 29, 2019)

I wonder if @CoteRotie thought that @chinacats was referring to Ryky. I think there are some crossed wires here.


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## chinacats (May 29, 2019)

Edit: defer to Jon


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## chinacats (May 29, 2019)

Edit: see above...


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## rick alen (May 29, 2019)

Who would ever have thought that a company called "Japanese Knife Imports" actually sells knives and knife accessories, let alone prefer to promote their own products?


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## CoteRotie (May 29, 2019)

Oh, wait, I was certainly NOT referring to Jon, I thought we were talking about Ryky/Ricki being a shill. I've never heard anyone accuse Jon of being any type of shill and consider him one of the most valuable resources in the community.


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## Stonetherapy (May 29, 2019)

rick alen said:


> Who would ever have thought that a company called "Japanese Knife Imports" actually sells knives and knife accessories, let alone prefer to promote their own products?



How dare they!


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## chinacats (May 29, 2019)

CoteRotie said:


> Oh, wait, I was certainly NOT referring to Jon, I thought we were talking about Ryky/Ricki being a shill. I've never heard anyone accuse Jon of being any type of shill and consider him one of the most valuable resources in the community.


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## CoteRotie (May 29, 2019)

I just went back and read the thread again, and it's kind of ambiguous because it started out with Ricky introducing his own knives. So I thought the "can't shill your own products" was about him. Rereading it I can see where it's not clear who I was commenting on. Sorry Jon!


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## daveb (May 29, 2019)

Barashka said:


> Find me a JKI video on Kramers vs KS or ........



I don't think Jon makes vids for the highest bidder.

If you think the kid is worthwhile or fills a niche, then by all means watch his stuff. With apologies to those with fresh popcorn, we're going to end this show - it's going nowhere fast.


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