# comparing knives to vehicles



## panda (Aug 18, 2016)

The obvious analogy here is that carbon being manual vs stainless automatic transmission. I'm 100% entrenched in the carbon manual camp. 

How about old school vs new school? Is it just me or are new cars feel too digital/stainless(y)? I prefer older cars because not only did they have clearer sharper lines in styling but they actually had road feedback. New ones all feel dull(lack feedback) and look the same cause everything is rounded. For example Lexus are extremely.boring to drive. I think they purposely engineer to feel dead.

In terms of knives, I think majority of new school aren't brining innovation, instead just being different for the sake of it and all cosmetic. My entire kit is made up of old school knives except a few. Those exceptions of new school knives that I actually do like are not like the rest of their generation, I think is because they still make knives like old school ones paying homage to who they trained under.


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## WildBoar (Aug 18, 2016)

In my eyes it is not as black-and-white. While the older cars *usually* had better road feel (Lincolns, Cadillacs, etc. surely did not -- they almost floated!), that did not necessarily translate to having good, responsive suspensions. Suspensions in general have improved tremendously. The knife analogy to me is heat treatment -- I suspect it is generally much better controlled with better overall results then a few years back. So in my mind some things are generally better on the newer products, and some are better on the older.


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## daveb (Aug 18, 2016)

I'll play.

My last vehicle was a 4wd Toyota Tundra. With auto. It wasn't 4wd cause it looked cool, it was so I could go where the ducks live. It was auto cause when I was using 4wd the last thing I wanted to do was dick with a clutch and be caught between gears. Also helpful when towing a trailer or boat. Been there done that in a previous truck.

It was also first truck (2006) with electric windows, door locks, compass and a host of other "digital" conveniences. I liked it. All was well in truck world until some effing crack head T boned me. Now I'm "stuck" with a 4Runner.

The auto transmission is analogous to stainless in that I can drive a clutch and I can keep carbon clean but life is to short to not evolve. The only thing carbon brings to the table (for me) is a reputation for being easier to sharpen, sharpening sharper and staying sharp longer. My own experience belies the reputation. For me.

My knives of choice are typically stainless clad carbon or stainless clad stainless. Not sure if I discern any difference in the core steel between them. I've owned carbon that will rust faster than you can get them to a drying cloth, I've been down the Shig road (still have one) and all points in between. And I've more than a few mono stainless. 

With steels like Ginsanko, SKD, SLD, and to a lesser extent AEBL, I don't need a knife that turns groovy colors or turns food groovy colors and requires continual babysitting.

Agree completely that a lot (most?) new knives try and offer something catchy to a market niche (Ken Onion kitchen knives) rather than offer any new performance considerations.

Vote for what you like with your wallet.


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## boomchakabowwow (Aug 19, 2016)

that's too far of a stretch for my feeble mind.

but i am a car freak. old cars have something for me..special. it ISNT how they drive better. it's about the magic of driving something vintage that needs my special attention to keep on the road.

the leaky oil smell of an old school AIR COOL porsche 911..wow. and we all know how the interior of a VW bug smells. 

new cars do it all better. better MPG, better AC, better brakes, better GO. better safety.


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## Bill13 (Aug 19, 2016)

Boom, don't you mean an old oil cooled Porche:biggrin:? At least those are the ones i lust after.


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## Dave Martell (Aug 19, 2016)

Martell Gyuto = Ford GT 


[video=youtube;iYPbnsRy7Lg]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iYPbnsRy7Lg[/video]


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## boomchakabowwow (Aug 19, 2016)

Bill13 said:


> Boom, don't you mean an old oil cooled Porche:biggrin:? At least those are the ones i lust after.



technically yes.

but still, "air-cooled" but the air is cooling the oil. the early 911's didnt have oil coolers. only air moving thru the cylinders. mine was a 1981.


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## panda (Aug 19, 2016)

masamoto ks = original acura nsx


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## alterwisser (Aug 19, 2016)

Kato = AMG Mercedes G-Class. Sturdy enough to plow through heavy terrain, yet elegant enough to drive to (in) a 3 star restaurant ...


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## zetieum (Aug 20, 2016)

panda said:


> The obvious analogy here is that carbon being manual vs stainless automatic transmission. I'm 100% entrenched in the carbon manual camp.
> 
> How about old school vs new school?



Definitively old school vs new school or more mechanic vs electronic. In Europe (at least France, Germany and Italy) manual transmission represent more than 85% of the market. We do not like automatic transmission here. However, the improvement in automatic transmission of the last 5 years may lead to change the picture.


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## alterwisser (Aug 20, 2016)

zetieum said:


> Definitively old school vs new school or more mechanic vs electronic. In Europe (at least France, Germany and Italy) manual transmission represent more than 85% of the market. We do not like automatic transmission here. However, the improvement in automatic transmission of the last 5 years may lead to change the picture.



I was always pro-Stick. And I still think it's more fun to drive. But 99.9% of the time, driving is a way of getting from A to B, in a convenient way... and automatic transmissions are a lot more convenient, especially when driving in stop and go traffic and for coffee addicts constantly drinking in the car 

With a heavy heart I opted for an automatic trans Volkswagen GTI last year. And while I still regret that decision on some days, I also know that for my stop and go commute the automatic is just better. Even though i often use the paddles to shift ...


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## panda (Aug 20, 2016)

the suffering during stop n go traffic doesn't come anywhere near being able to trump how much more i enjoy being able to control the car myself. just like the inconvenience of having carbon knives doesn't trump how much better carbons feel and easier to sharpen (both of which are characteristics that i value nearly as much as the cutting performance itself)


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## Ydj32 (Aug 20, 2016)

Takeda = vintage porsche


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## drawman623 (Aug 25, 2016)

Vysis said:


> Takeda = vintage porsche



I would go so far as to lament the passing of the "three on the tree" manual transmission of my old Pontiac Ventura, or Chevy pickup before it. I miss that process and equate it lovingly to my Fujiwara (T) carbon blades. 

The hammer marks on the sides are reminiscent of my fighting with the trucks linkage rods that seemed to lock up only when it rained. The slant 6 motor, held its edge like my Fujiwara gyuto for hundreds of thousands of miles


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## mise_en_place (Aug 25, 2016)

alterwisser said:


> Kato = AMG Mercedes G-Class. Sturdy enough to plow through heavy terrain, yet elegant enough to drive to (in) a 3 star restaurant ...



Do all my favorite rappers own Katos? :lol2:

What knife would be like a Yugo?


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## krx927 (Aug 26, 2016)

Should we try to turn around the question?

Ferrari = ?

BMW M = ?

Merc AMG = ?

...


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## LifeByA1000Cuts (Aug 26, 2016)

So a Takamura would some kind of motorcycle, and a Shun a rice rocket?


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## alterwisser (Aug 26, 2016)

krx927 said:


> Should we try to turn around the question?
> 
> Ferrari = ?
> 
> ...



Whatever the BMW M knife is, I'll buy it LOL


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## krx927 (Aug 26, 2016)

alterwisser said:


> Whatever the BMW M knife is, I'll buy it LOL



Me too! But honestly I cannot think of a knife to compare to my M3... All the nice ones I have are more in Merc category in my mind...


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