# Knife Progression



## Cadillac J (Mar 27, 2011)

This is inspired by my response to jaybett's "what keeps you going thread" as it got me thinking.

We are all at different stages of this 'hobby' of ours...some just opening their eyes to the world of j-knives and sharpening, others building their collections by trying every maker and style they can, several reducing and simplifying their kit, others completely content with what they have, etc, etc.

Lately I've been in the simplifying/content camp in both knives and sharpening setup. I have already figured out what I like and what works for me, so I no longer have that itch and curiosity to just keep buying more...but like I've said before, that experience is what has gotten me to the state of mind I have today, so I would not change it for anything.

With this in mind, I searched my computer to find pictures that I've taken at different points in my j-knife 'career', as I thought it would be interesting to see how things have changed. Although each 'group' picture doesn't include every knife I've owned, it still shows the progression of how this obsession and grown and matured over time. 

This was my set back in mid-2009 which isn't that long ago--I thought I was complete baller at the time, hence taking a picture of my kitchen knives with my cell phone seriously, who else does that but us?






Sorry this picture is horrible, but I had no idea how to use my camera back then and there was zero natural light in the roombut as you can see, I found JCK and got my Hiromoto and Suien VC shortly after.





This was really when the bug was biting hardreading on the KF/FF forums everyday and what seemed like placing a new order online every other week. I wanted to try everything within reason to find what would work best for me. Told myself I was never letting any of these go.





A decent amount of experienced gained thus far, but a few more additions that I had to have from my curiosity. At this point I already knew what I liked, but I was just trying to fine-tune everything...this is when I started to think about selling some that I didn't use often anymore.





Ive sold 6-7 knives in the past several months, and this is my current setup that I am absolutely in love with. I do have a 270 Konosuke HD suji with ebony handle on the way as my final piece of the puzzlebut I dont think I want to let anything else go. However, I never thought Id sell any of my knives, but obviously that has changed, so Im sure my state of mind in the future will be different than it is today.





Anyone else have any pictures that kind of tell their story? I think would be very interested to see them, as I think it is kind of a cool way to see your progressive buying/selling habits.


----------



## JohnnyChance (Mar 27, 2011)

Now all you need is some custom handles...and then its on to single bevels! Nice timeline. What is the suji/petty between the cleave and nakiri?


----------



## EdipisReks (Mar 27, 2011)

no pics of the progression, but i started out with all Shuns: 5.5 santoku, 6 chef, 8 chef, 5 utility, and the paring. i then bought a Tojiro DP 210 gyuto. then a Hattori FH 240 gyuto. then an unknown make seki city VG-10 damascus western deba beautifully handled in buffalo horn by a man named Hal Farren. that was packed with a paring knife. the western deba was advertised as a gyuto, but it ain't. anyway, then an Akifusa 240 gyuto. then a Takeda 270 gyuto. then a Konosuke 270 white gyuto. then a Yoshihiro 270 gyuto. then a Yoshihiro 330 yanagi, for practice sharpening (i think i'm ready for an expensive yanagi, as i'm pretty good at polishing and sharpening it, now, and the Yoshihiro was really out of whack, so that's saying something). then a Yoshihiro 180 usuba. then an incredibly cute Ikeuchi 120mm white deba which i bought for chicken and which works perfectly for it. then a Mizuno blue 270 gyuto, which is my favorite knife and which wears a Keller handle. i want to get a better yanagi (the 330 kiritsuke yanagi that Monzaburo makes has caught my eye) and a honyaki gyuto of some kind, but my girlfriend would cut me up with one of my knives if i spent any more money on cutlery any time soon. there will at least be one big vacation before i can buy anything new, i think. win/win, really. 

i don't have the Shun Santoku or 6 inch chef, the Farren handled paring, or the Takeda, anymore. the Takeda was one of the CKtG special editions, and it was way too long (being 300mm, really) for a gyuto, but i'd love to try a regular Takeda gyuto, as i liked it other than the length.


----------



## Cadillac J (Mar 27, 2011)

JohnnyChance said:


> Now all you need is some custom handles...and then its on to single bevels! Nice timeline. What is the suji/petty between the cleave and nakiri?


 
I've thought about a yanagi, but I really never cut raw fish so it really isn't necessary. I'll tackle that bridge, if it ever comes.

210 Suisin Inox Honyaji petty...one of my current favorites


----------



## jaybett (Mar 27, 2011)

Cool! I like the photo history. 

I never took pictures of my knives. The cameras in my cell phones, have all been poor. I need to bite the bullet and buy a camera. 

Jay


----------



## Andy777 (Mar 28, 2011)

This is a cool thread. Sometime when I have a couple hours free to go through all my old pics I'll find this thread and post. :biggrin: (I'm not joking either, I'll probably do it next weekend.)


----------



## Cadillac J (Mar 28, 2011)

Cleaver City here we come!


----------



## Andy777 (Apr 2, 2011)

OK here we go. My progression has been over 7 or 8 years now, so I don't remember that much. But I did find a lot of pictures.

I used to sell German knives (mostly via eBay) and in the process I was always keeping and trying different knives as well as purchasing knives to try. I had up to 40 or so at any given time. See here for my knife wall. 






I never actually planned on always having that many knives in the collection, but with my rotation of what I was selling got up there sometimes. 

I'm just a home cook, but I am obsessed with having the best high performance tools, so of course I found my way to Japanese knives. Here is a pic of my first few Japanese knives. I think I got most of these around Christmas 2004?






I think there is a Watanabe nakiri, Tojiro DP gyuto, and two Nenox's include my Iron chef Sakai special edition.

I was always a cleaver fan, you can see several on my "knife wall" but of course my favorites were the CCK's






I went to knife forums and posted how much I loved my CCK's. Up to that point Dexter were the only cleavers every discussed. As many of you know, CCK's were pretty hard to come by, which makes it funny that a small Chinese market in Salt Lake had a stock of them. They had been there for a while. I ended up buying all they had over the next year as I "hooked up" forum members with the elusive CCK. Someone on egullet posted a link to my CCK posts on KF and that is when the craze really took off. Everyone and their dog was trying to find them.

here is a Watanabe cleaver my wife got me for Valentines day.






Here is a picture of my sized down collection (I still hadn't phased out/sold off all my German knives.






here is a cleaver family shot






Here is a pic of the long discontinued Suien VG-10






Here is a pic of my Masahiro M3 custom cleaver, my first really quality high end cleaver that I totally fell in love with. It has a custom handle made by Fish N Poi






I tried several gyutos over the years but always came back to my cleavers.









After trying dozens of knives, both cleavers and not, my favorite maker was Takeda:

Here are some various pics



















I have a million more pics, but I'm getting worn out. To close these are two of my most favorite knives. My Masamoto KS wa-gyuto, by far my favorite gyuto ever, I used it today in fact. and probably my favorite cleaver, my Tadatsuna, which of course is discontinued.


----------



## SpikeC (Apr 2, 2011)

My head is spinning!


----------



## Cadillac J (Apr 2, 2011)

Absolutely awesome Andy! That KS is stunning and looks brand new (can't see any patina in pic)...was that handle also done by Fish? (RIP) 

Do you still have your Takeda cleaver? Based on the two Takedas I've had, I can't even imagine one with more weight behind it, as it would completely massacre anything put in front of it!

Glad you are here, as your posts are what got me motivated for cleavers and to purchase the Suien early on. Didn't you also have the Tojiro F631 at some point?


----------



## kalaeb (Apr 2, 2011)

Wow, I assumed you had a nice collection, I was just not prepared fo that. Awesome!


----------



## Andy777 (Apr 3, 2011)

Thanks everyone,

That Masamoto has plenty of patina now. All these pics are old from when I first got them. And yes, it is a Fish handle. I had two Takeda cleavers and I did sell off one. and yes, they are badass. :biggrin: I did have the Tojiro, that one was hard to sell. The one I had was REALLY awesome, I've heard some other people have bought them and not been quite as impressed, but I think it's probably due to inconsistencey of production, because the one I had was thin, light, and all around awesome.

This is just a small smattering of old pics, I have TONS of pics I've taken over the years. I should start a gallery, or maybe just start posting pics in random threads :wink: 

I should add this is the progression of knives, I don't still have all these. I have about 8 or 9 high end cleavers left, 3-4 nakiris, a couple gyutos and some petties etc. It's been a painful process, but I've really been trying to pair down my collection. I use all my knives and don't have any drawer queens, but there are still so many that they only show up in the rotation every six months. I hate having these awesome knives that don't get to see as much action as they deserve. There are still more I'm going to sell off, some great famous cleavers :what: If there is anything someone has been eyeing let me know. :biggrin2:


----------



## Andy777 (Apr 3, 2011)

Hey Kaleb, I just noticed you are a Salt Lake City brother from another mother. :moonwalk:


----------



## Eamon Burke (Apr 3, 2011)

Holy cow. :Ooooh:

That is a lot to take in at one time.:cheeky:


----------



## jaybett (Apr 3, 2011)

Cadillac J said:


> Glad you are here, as your posts are what got me motivated for cleavers and to purchase the Suien early on.


 
Andy along with my addictive personality, has made for a large cleaver collection. 



Andy777 said:


> There are still more I'm going to sell off, some great famous cleavers :what: If there is anything someone has been eyeing let me know. :biggrin2:



If you really don't want your Sugimoto #6 with saya, then I'd be willing to take it off your hands. :wink:

Jay


----------



## malacara (Apr 3, 2011)

Nice pics and awesome knives Andy.



> I did have the Tojiro, that one was hard to sell. The one I had was REALLY awesome, I've heard some other people have bought them and not been quite as impressed, but I think it's probably due to inconsistencey of production, because the one I had was thin, light, and all around awesome.



I bought this cleaver because of your review. I didn´t like it too much at first as it was heavier than the ones I had Handled by then and not as thin as I thought it would be but right now I absolutely love it. I wouldn´t sell it for the world.



> This is just a small smattering of old pics, I have TONS of pics I've taken over the years. I should start a gallery, or maybe just start posting pics in random threads



I would really love to see pics of your current cleaver collection Andy. :lol2: Oh yeah



> Quote Originally Posted by Andy777 View Post
> There are still more I'm going to sell off, some great famous cleavers If there is anything someone has been eyeing let me know.
> If you really don't want your Sugimoto #6 with saya, then I'd be willing to take it off your hands.
> 
> Jay



I think you already have one Sugimoto #6. I imagine you woudn´t need two, would you? I´d be willing to take yours off you hands then :wink: :lol2:


----------



## jonnachang (Apr 3, 2011)

Thanks for the pics Andy,you are one of the reasons I too became a cleaver nut,from Suien to Takeda,then Moritaka. Have you handled or tried any of Konesuke's Chuka's?


----------



## Andy777 (Apr 3, 2011)

I'm glad to hear that I have contributed so much addiction. :happy1:

I always swore I'd never sell that Sugimoto, but I've already sold off about a dozen knives I swore I'd never sell. It's so painful every time. I'll keep you guys in mind if I ever do decide to part with it. Ideally I'd like to get down to only two or three slicers - I think I currently have 7 - Takeda, Masahiro M3, Tadatsuna, Suien VG-10, CCK 1103, Mizuno, Sugimoto #6, plus Sugimoto #7, antique Sugimoto #30, and Sugimoto #22 bone chopper. I'll get around to taking new pics of the collection one of these days.

@Malacara - I'm glad to hear you like your Tojiro, I was a huge fan of mine, and it wasn't too heavy ~ 470g or so if I remember correctly. I definitely miss that one. 

@Jonnachange - I haven't tried (or even seen unless I forgot) a konesuke chuka, I'd like to though :jumpy:

Here are some more pics just for the fun of it:


----------



## mainaman (Apr 3, 2011)

I started with 270 Hiromoto AS gyto, but did not like the geometry.





I moved on to 270 Aritsugu A, it was a bit on the heavy side for me also too thick.








Next I got Mizuno Tanrenjo Stainless, it was not advertised by Koki back then, but I asked and he got me one. It was a laser type gyuto with great geometry and steel.





After the Mizuno I got Konosuke White 2 240mm, and Moritaka AS 240mm gyuto.
Finally a custom spec Shigefusa is my current favorite knife.

I also like cleavers, I started with Suien VC, moved on to Misono, and now I have Tadatsuna Inox.
I have a custom spec Yoshikane in V2 on order.

Suji :so far I have owned only Tojiro DP, but I have a custom spec 300mm Shigefusa on order.
Yanagiba- my first one was Shimatani blue 2, I substituted with Masamato KK. Now I have only one Shigefusa 300mm kasumi.
Deba : I have had only one Honkasumi 180mm in white 2.

Paring/Petty: 120mm Mac petty, Shun paring. I am looking to upgrade the position by getting a 180 mm petty.
Bread knife: I have always used the Mac bread knife


----------



## spaceconvoy (Apr 3, 2011)

I don't have a picture of it, but the first 'nice' knife I ever bought was a Misono swedish 180 gyuto. Weird choice, I know, but I was comfortable using my crappy $20 santoku so I thought it would be the right size. Out of all the knives I handled in the store, the Misono felt the nicest, and I got the swedish steel because I thought carbon was cool  

But man did it react to onions. Not only stank, but I could taste it slightly in the food too. Also, it felt way too small, maybe because of the short heel height compared with my old santoku. So....






I don't have a picture with the handle on (I deleted it after I sold it because I was paranoid someone would use it for an ebay scam or something)... Konosuke stainless 240. I did a whole bunch of research and convinced myself a 240mm wa-gyuto was going to be the perfect knife, but it felt really awkward - too tall, too long, and too much belly.

I was in Japan at the time, so I picked out the handle in person and got to watch them install it too. It hurt to sell, but I knew it was wrong for me. 






In the meantime I bought an Aritsugu-A 155mm petty and Mac bread knife, both of which I still have today. On a whim and because it was super cheap, I picked up a 8" Wusthof from another forum member. It was fun pretending to be Jacques Pepin, rough chopping everything and smashing garlic left and right.

But I noticed I began to use the petty more and more, for almost everything in fact. For all the obvious reasons, I quickly outgrew the Wusthof, so I sold it to some sucker on ebay for a profit and lived with just the petty and bread knife for a while. 






Then I got a wild itch to try a single bevel knife, so I ordered this 195mm usuba relatively cheap from Blueway. Of course I sold it pretty soon afterwards, but it was interesting to try... Back to the petty & bread knife.






With some birthday money and a better idea of what I was looking for, I custom ordered a Konosuke HD 210 petty/suji with a rosewood handle from Jon. Still have it, but contemplating selling it, mostly because of...






The circle is complete  I had convinced myself I didn't want a western handle, carbon steel, or a typical gyuto profile. But on a whim, because the prices were being raised, I bought this Misono swedish 210 from Korin. And because I read they might have changed the steel, or at least it's less reactive than I remembered. 

Hard to say why, but I find myself reaching for this knife over the Konosuke. Maybe just because it's new, but I think there's more to it... the Konosuke feels sleek and exciting, but the Misono feels more natural. For now I'm still evaluating, but eventually one of them will have to go, because I'm the opposite of a compulsive hoarder (yet still compulsive).


----------



## Cadillac J (Apr 3, 2011)

@mainaman - you have to make a thread and post pics when you get your 300 Shig suji...I'm dying to see that!

@spaceconvoy - I can't believe you are going to sell your 210 petty! There is no way I would let my Suisin go (said that before). Also, I kind of know what you mean about the feel of your Misono. I'm a wa handle and longer blade guy myself, but I remember the feel of the western handle and profile of the 210 Fujiwara FKH gyuto just seemed really natural to me...but it still couldn't replace my all-around knife 300 Konosuke suji vg:


----------



## spaceconvoy (Apr 3, 2011)

Haven't decided yet... I still think it's the best single all-purpose knife you can have, but it's starting to feel like a jack-of-all-trades-master-of-none type deal. And I might need to pay for a new potential custom order


----------



## Andy777 (Apr 3, 2011)

> Next I got Mizuno Tanrenjo Stainless, it was not advertised by Koki back then, but I asked and he got me one. It was a laser type gyuto with great geometry and steel.



That is one sexy looking knife. I've always loved the Mizuno wa-gyutos. I've used a couple of the hontanren blue ones and always wanted one. But alas I just love my Masamoto so much I don't want to muddy the waters with another, I'm trying to cut down, (even as I write this I'm wishing I had one.) How do you like your stainless one? How does that swedish steel perform? Are the stainless ones made in the same hontanren fashion as the carbon?



> I also like cleavers, I started with Suien VC, moved on to Misono, and now I have Tadatsuna Inox.
> I have a custom spec Yoshikane in V2 on order.



I LOVE my Tadatsuna. How do you like yours? How is the handle on it? Mine was borderline terrible but the blade is super badass. It's such a shame all the high end cleavers need new handles. it's a big commitment after laying down $300-400. You'd better post some pics of that Yoshikane. Do you have an ETA?

@Spaceconvoy, that would kill me to sell a knife that I bought in Japan. I will make the pilgrimage some day. :notworthy:


----------



## l r harner (Apr 4, 2011)

andy i ll pay you an extra 100$ for that old harner cleaver you have


----------



## mainaman (Apr 4, 2011)

Andy777 said:


> That is one sexy looking knife. I've always loved the Mizuno wa-gyutos. I've used a couple of the hontanren blue ones and always wanted one. But alas I just love my Masamoto so much I don't want to muddy the waters with another, I'm trying to cut down, (even as I write this I'm wishing I had one.) How do you like your stainless one? How does that swedish steel perform? Are the stainless ones made in the same hontanren fashion as the carbon?


the stainless is hontanren too, it is very thin very light 168g for 270mm I believe.
Mizuno were also open to making a custom spec blade so not OEM knife which I liked too.
It took thinning easy and has nice edge retention.




> I LOVE my Tadatsuna. How do you like yours? How is the handle on it? Mine was borderline terrible but the blade is super badass. It's such a shame all the high end cleavers need new handles. it's a big commitment after laying down $300-400. You'd better post some pics of that Yoshikane. Do you have an ETA?


 the tadatsuna is very nice and the handle actually is good. Steel is great and easy to sharpen and holds good edge. The geometry is great too.
The youshikane is ready and will ship soon.


----------

