# What knife purchase do you regret?



## Whit3Nitro (Jun 27, 2022)

We always talk about our new purchases and how great they are but what about the ones we don’t shout about, what have you bought that failed to impress? 

I’ll go first… my Saji R2. For the price of it the F&F was terrible; very angular spine and choil that made it uncomfortable to use, wa handle did not have a smooth transition between the ferrule, spacer and main body. Total ***** to sharpen.


----------



## chefwp (Jun 27, 2022)

I feel very fortunate that I've managed to recoup most of the cost of knives I haven't been thrilled with by selling them. I've been extra lucky in that 2 of the last 3 turned out to be local, so I didn't even have to deal with shipping. That being the case I can't say I regret them, they didn't suit me, but I've learned a lot from my "mistakes."


----------



## Ruso (Jun 27, 2022)

The first one.


----------



## esoo (Jun 27, 2022)

There have been many knives that I've bought that I decided that didn't meet my criteria and I sold. Of those, there has only been two that I was truly disappointed in. One I disliked just handling it out of the box. The other was a nice knife decently executed by a well known maker - it however missed the mark in in several ways in my opinion of what it should've been.

As both knives are in the hands of other KKF members now and they seem to like them, I don't want to disparage a knife in someone else's collection, so I'm not going to comment on what they actual were.


----------



## Whit3Nitro (Jun 27, 2022)

esoo said:


> There have been many knives that I've bought that I decided that didn't meet my criteria and I sold. Of those, there has only been two that I was truly disappointed in. One I disliked just handling it out of the box. The other was a nice knife decently executed by a well known maker - it however missed the mark in in several ways in my opinion of what it should've been.
> 
> As both knives are in the hands of other KKF members now and they seem to like them, I don't want to disparage a knife in someone else's collection, so I'm not going to comment on what they actual were.



Fair comment. I’m aware this could turn in to a bashing post which was not my intention.


----------



## superworrier (Jun 27, 2022)

Kikumori Asagiri. Part of this is kind of atypical - the listed specs online were 54mm height but mine came in at only 51, which is fairly significant. Part of this is the classic "buy once cry once": I actually wanted the Yugiri but it was OOS and this was significantly cheaper. I eventually sold the Asagiri (buyer knew the actual specs of course) and bought the Yugiri (which did have the expected height) and now I'm happy. Lesson learned: wait for the thing you actually want (and one was on BST for a really low price later, so maybe I should've just made a WTB...)


----------



## ian (Jun 27, 2022)

Every knife I’ve bought new, since I invariably lost a bunch of money on them in resale. (Exceptions: the Tanaka 150 petty and the Gesshin Uraku that I still own.)


----------



## SirCutAlot (Jun 27, 2022)

All this Sobakiri, Menkiri stuff i have never used. Some from EU makers that was were nice but had some terrible unhygienic handles not usable at work like brushed bok oak, screws, wrought iron ferrules and stuff like that. And of coarse a Sabatier, bent thick, sorry not thick fat behind the edge and a steel that lost sharpness while looking at it.

SirCutALot


----------



## esoo (Jun 27, 2022)

Whit3Nitro said:


> Fair comment. I’m aware this could turn in to a bashing post which was not my intention.



Yeah, the one knife I could probably say and not cause an issue. My opinions on the other would be divisive.


----------



## Jason183 (Jun 27, 2022)

Tojiro 270mm Yanagiba-I found multiple low spots after first sharpening.

Burffection 240mm KS clone gyuto-It refused to get sharp doesn’t matter how much time I spend on sharpening. Some ppl said it’s easy for them to sharpen so maby the one I received have very bad heat treatment. It also making this weird sound at the handle.


----------



## Naftoor (Jun 27, 2022)

Have one from a western maker, same situation as above won’t name names just because it isn’t to my taste.

The profiles wonderful, the handle is awesome, the steel is great. But the grind is so disappointing for its price point. It’s…fine. By far the weakest part of the package. I got it when I was starting my BST rampage some months ago so it was one of my more expensive knives at the time, and even then it was my most disappointing.


----------



## Delat (Jun 27, 2022)

Naftoor said:


> Have one from a western maker, same situation as above won’t name names just because it isn’t to my taste.
> 
> The profiles wonderful, the handle is awesome, the steel is great. But the grind is so disappointing for its price point. It’s…fine. By far the weakest part of the package. I got it when I was starting my BST rampage some months ago so it was one of my more expensive knives at the time, and even then it was my most disappointing.



After trying a couple knives where the cutting feel wasn’t to my preference, I’ve learned to be much better about my research and not make buying decisions solely on the name/rep of the maker. Sometimes I’ll buy a knife just because it’s gorgeous and I can’t resist, but I view those more as collectible art where I don’t care as much about the cutting performance.


----------



## Bico Doce (Jun 28, 2022)

About 50% of my Instagram purchases. Too easy to be seduced by pics with awesome lighting. I try to avoid knives I see on IG if I’m not already familiar with the maker and know what to expect


----------



## daddy yo yo (Jun 28, 2022)

Bico Doce said:


> About 50% of my Instagram purchases. Too easy to be seduced by pics with awesome lighting. I try to avoid knives I see on IG if I’m not already familiar with the maker and know what to expect


This!!! And sometimes it helps to wait 24 hours before you buy…


----------



## Jarrod12345 (Jun 28, 2022)

hands down my biggest knife buy regret was a hitohira futana aogami super 165mm bunka


----------



## Pie (Jun 28, 2022)

I regret my y. Kato honesuki. I actually really like it both in use and on the stones, but I wish I had waited for something with better edge retention. Or get better at breaking down chicken. 

I’m guilty of impulse buying and this one haunts me like 3 times a week.


----------



## mk4pi (Jun 28, 2022)

For me would be the Moritaka cleaver, the profile was just dead flat. As I don't have power tool, it take ages to correct the profile on stones.


----------



## Whit3Nitro (Jun 28, 2022)

daddy yo yo said:


> This!!! And sometimes it helps to wait 24 hours before you buy…


I need to try and practice this more often, on the few times I have, I’ve completely lost interest the next day.


----------



## Moooza (Jun 28, 2022)

Let's just say I don't regret any Japanese makers...


----------



## Se1ryu (Jun 28, 2022)

Thank God I never regret all of the knife I bought because I did some research before buying it. 

Some knives that I sold simply because I bought a new knife or maybe I just over bought LOL.


----------



## ian (Jun 28, 2022)

I had a dream last night (no joke!) that I bought a Moritaka 270 suji and a Misono UX10 santoku from Evan (@Smashmasta) at what I think was supposed to be Strata, but which looked a lot like a big box store. The knives were next to the nerf guns. I regretted both purchases, despite the excellent customer service.


----------



## tostadas (Jun 28, 2022)

Whoever bought this is probably regretting it





Flipper alert


The Kilgoretrout guy is flipping handles like he made them and admitted it? Exactly. As stated by Mr 🐟 "I dont know if This is kosher(the mods are very nice but also seem particular about the rules) but I just made some 100% horn handles that came out really nice so I’m making more that should...




www.kitchenknifeforums.com


----------



## Naftoor (Jun 28, 2022)

tostadas said:


> Whoever bought this is probably regretting it
> 
> 
> 
> ...




Funnily I enough I almost bought one of those a few weeks ago before I googled it to see if anyone on the here on the forums had used one; to my eye it looked like a tinker tank without the several months of waiting

Edit: I should add I avoided going through with it after seeing the controversy here on the forums


----------



## mgardiner (Jun 28, 2022)

Ruso said:


> The first one.


By some miracle my first knife purchase was an excellent one: An old Sabatier. It is still one I love using today.


----------



## mgardiner (Jun 28, 2022)

On the other end of the spectrum, the worst was unquestionably the Kamikoto. That thing is damned near fraud. The Misen set I bought when it first came out is decent for what it is (albeit not, perhaps, all they claim it is) however I still use the bread knife. So it wasn't a total waste. Just mostly.


----------



## EricEricEric (Jun 28, 2022)

None, all different experiences


----------



## mpier (Jun 28, 2022)

I don’t really regret any of the knives I’ve bought but I will say thanks to KKF my last few were much better than my first couple, and they just seam to get better and better as time goes on. With that said if I new at the beginning what I know now I would have chosen differently, but still no regrets!


----------



## mgardiner (Jun 28, 2022)

Jarrod12345 said:


> hands down my biggest knife buy regret was a hitohira futana aogami super 165mm bunka


Why? How was it disappointing?


----------



## Hockey3081 (Jun 28, 2022)

Bico Doce said:


> About 50% of my Instagram purchases. Too easy to be seduced by pics with awesome lighting. I try to avoid knives I see on IG if I’m not already familiar with the maker and know what to expect



Name names.


----------



## chefwp (Jun 28, 2022)

Jarrod12345 said:


> hands down my biggest knife buy regret was a hitohira futana aogami super 165mm bunka


Tell us more about this please. I've always been tempted to recommend these to folks on a super tight budget because the look so good and are very affordable. However I usually don't because I've never held one in my hand and used it. I'd like to know your experience.


----------



## Tler (Jun 28, 2022)

sukenari zdp189 damascus. great looking knife, but it wedged and I didn't want to thin it since it would mess up the damascus. Additionally, the zdp189 held a good edge for a long time, but being a home cook and someone who mostly enjoys sharpening, I'd rather touch up a steel more often to maintain an amazing edge. Luckily I was able to sell it without losing too much.


----------



## Hassanbensober (Jun 28, 2022)

Jiro 
Ground too thin for its own good. KU finish literally rubs off with a wet towel. 
Just my experience I’m sure there are amazing ones around.


----------



## timebard (Jun 28, 2022)

The only purchases I regret are the false economy ones where I really wanted something else but bought a cheaper alternative, or a knife I wasn't really excited about but pulled the trigger on because it was a good deal.

No real regrets with the knives I haven't enjoyed - my loss was someone else's gain.


----------



## HSC /// Knives (Jun 29, 2022)

Bico Doce said:


> About 50% of my Instagram purchases. Too easy to be seduced by pics with awesome lighting. I try to avoid knives I see on IG if I’m not already familiar with the maker and know what to expect


Before I was a fulltime maker and I had money, my journey started with collecting high end customs folders. Maybe I went through 50 of them buying and selling. 
What I learned is that a knife in the hand is often very different than the pictures. Probably more so with a kitchen knife because it is performance based. Whereas folders that are $700 and up are mostly just looked at. 

I think it would be interesting if you (or anyone) care to document your journey in a post and maybe with some of the attributes that you learned about, that could help other buyers and also makers


----------



## blokey (Jun 29, 2022)

timebard said:


> The only purchases I regret are the false economy ones where I really wanted something else but bought a cheaper alternative, or a knife I wasn't really excited about but pulled the trigger on because it was a good deal.
> 
> No real regrets with the knives I haven't enjoyed - my loss was someone else's gain.


I can definitely relate to that in many aspect, if you want something don't buy the cheap "equivalent" just go for the real one.


----------



## Marcelo Amaral (Jun 29, 2022)

I mostly regret not buying some blades when they were readily available.
The ones i didn't like were sold a long time ago.


----------



## Bico Doce (Jun 29, 2022)

HSC /// Knives said:


> Before I was a fulltime maker and I had money, my journey started with collecting high end customs folders. Maybe I went through 50 of them buying and selling.
> What I learned is that a knife in the hand is often very different than the pictures. Probably more so with a kitchen knife because it is performance based. Whereas folders that are $700 and up are mostly just looked at.
> 
> I think it would be interesting if you (or anyone) care to document your journey in a post and maybe with some of the attributes that you learned about, that could help other buyers and also makers


I’ve definitely learned some things over the last 2 years as I’ve bought/sold just over 50 knives. I’ve probably learned about myself and my preferences than more anything else. In the past I’ve been hesitant to share part of the journey because of it’s subjectivity. My knife collection in someone else’s hands could render a completely different assessment. With that said I accept the assignment, I think it would be interesting to do a retrospective and see if I could make a concise summary highlighting some of the things I wish I had known sooner or learned only after spending way too much money.

I feel like I should state now though I absolutely don’t regret buying anything from @HSC /// Knives on IG


----------



## henkle (Jun 29, 2022)

The few knives I bought because I was too impatient to wait for the ones I really wanted to become available. Nothing against the knives themselves, just disappointed in my lack of discipline.


----------



## adam92 (Jun 29, 2022)

I think is moritaka deba & lefty sekizo yanagiba. Basically waste of money. I find myself single bevel deba is much easier for me to sharpen & use. Sekizo yanagiba have uneven ura, also took me forever to even the blade road,make me doubt against my sharpening skill, it was my first single bevel, after I got my first quality yanagiba, which is Furinkazan. I know my skill don’t have problem, just the ****ing sekizo knife problem.


----------



## AFKitchenknivesguy (Jun 29, 2022)

HSC /// Knives said:


> Before I was a fulltime maker and I had money, my journey started with collecting high end customs folders. Maybe I went through 50 of them buying and selling.
> What I learned is that a knife in the hand is often very different than the pictures. Probably more so with a kitchen knife because it is performance based. Whereas folders that are $700 and up are mostly just looked at.
> 
> I think it would be interesting if you (or anyone) care to document your journey in a post and maybe with some of the attributes that you learned about, that could help other buyers and also makers


I'm doing that now. Don't get me started on my Shirogorov's.


----------



## Jovidah (Jun 29, 2022)

Pretty much all my J-knife purchases had significant research behind them so I pretty much always knew what I was getting; no real regrets there. I always avoided 'lottery knives' so almost everything was a sure thing.

What I do regret is all the cheap junk I bought early on in my journey. Generic brand made in China German steel crap knives... only slightly better made in China VG-10 knives. Sure they were perfectly usable and helped me understand and learn but all of them ended up dissapearing from my house because they served no purpose longterm and were just too inferior to keep around. 
While they were cheap enough individually, putting them all together would still have bought a pretty good J-knife, especially at the time (~10 years ago). Hence why my biggest regret is not what I bought but didn't buy. I could have been buying gingas for 150 bucks, Masamotos for 250, Hiromoto honyakis for dirt cheap, etc... 

In recent times the only knife that really dissapointed me - even though I bought it at a sale for just half the normal price, was my Wüsthof 23 cm chef knife. I bought it going in with very low expectations on performance since it was intended as a beater knife to cut chocolate, frozen stuff and basically do abuse jobs... but man is that knife unergonomical. Should have just bought a Vnox instead.


----------



## Heckel7302 (Jun 29, 2022)

Miyabi Koh. It was the first "nice" knife I bought after using Vics for many years. As soon as I got it, realized it was a total POS. Immediately returned it, took KKFs advice, and bought a Wakui. 10 Japanese knives later, haven't had a regret since (thanks KKF).


----------



## jedy617 (Jun 29, 2022)

AFKitchenknivesguy said:


> I'm doing that now. Don't get me started on my Shirogorov's.


Can never regret a good shiro


----------



## WellLikedTurtle (Jun 29, 2022)

Definitely feel the folks saying false economy purchases. I got Miura Itadaki Tanaka and Hitohira Nakagawa Ren white 2 240 gyutos since they were cheap and from popular Sakai blacksmiths. Sold the Itadaki and now I'm putting in far too many hours trying to get the ren's shinogi line sorted out.


----------



## Jovidah (Jun 29, 2022)

I actually don't include my Itadaki among my mistakes. Yes it's reactive as hell when you get it but beyond that I quite like it; it's a nice cutter. Reactivity goes away once it gets a nice patina.


----------



## WellLikedTurtle (Jun 29, 2022)

Jovidah said:


> I actually don't include my Itadaki among my mistakes. Yes it's reactive as hell when you get it but beyond that I quite like it; it's a nice cutter. Reactivity goes away once it gets a nice patina.


Mine was fantastic in the back 2/3 but the tip was too thick for me. I didn't have the time to take on another thinning project, so my loss was someone else's gain.


----------



## bsfsu (Jun 29, 2022)

mgardiner said:


> On the other end of the spectrum, the worst was unquestionably the Kamikoto. That thing is damned near fraud. The Misen set I bought when it first came out is decent for what it is (albeit not, perhaps, all they claim it is) however I still use the bread knife. So it wasn't a total waste. Just mostly.


I had one come in for sharpening....






It was not the nicest sharpening experience.


----------



## btbyrd (Jun 29, 2022)

Single bevels. If I worked a restaurant gig, it might be different. If I could locally source fish I'd like to eat raw, it might be different. Part of me will always want a 300 yanagi and an usuba, but when I actually own them they *never* get used.


----------



## Jovidah (Jun 29, 2022)

WellLikedTurtle said:


> Mine was fantastic in the back 2/3 but the tip was too thick for me. I didn't have the time to take on another thinning project, so my loss was someone else's gain.


I had the same initial underwhelmingness about it's lack of taper, especially since the knife before it was a Masamoto KS, but I have to say the Itadaki cut much better than I expected just based on looking at it's spine. Was actually a non-issue in practise, and didn't really feel worse than for example my Yoshikane.
Not sure the more expensive Tanakas are very different in this regard? Most spine shots I saw looked similar-ish.


----------



## Rangen (Jun 29, 2022)

Every Global. They're not bad in use, but I dread the moment when I realize they need sharpening. Vitrified diamond has improved that situation.

The Shun cleaver. I dislike pretty much everything about it except the edge retention -- too slick, too curved, slippery round handle, just irritating to hold.

And, not the maker's fault, but a Takeda cleaver. Awesome steel that takes an awesome edge. The thing could probably split the larger molecules. But I wanted a Chinese cleaver, not a super-tall Nakiri. I'd start chopping with it, and the vibrations would go all the way to my funny bone.


----------



## AFKitchenknivesguy (Jun 29, 2022)

jedy617 said:


> Can never regret a good shiro
> View attachment 186375


True, I own 38.


----------



## AT5760 (Jun 29, 2022)

None. There are a couple that I don’t really use, but I learned about my preferences through them. The only purchase that I sort of regret, I was able to make a good trade when I decided that it wasn’t for me.


----------



## Lezza (Jun 29, 2022)

Biggest regret was my set of Shun knives, which was the beginning of my venture to "high end" knives. A grand rip-off for the amount of money they charge. The wicked advertising and the false 5 star reviews will surely rake in new suckers continuously. The steel is nothing to proud of, yes its easy to sharpen but it also dulls quickly, and as everybody into knives know, it chips like hell. The damascus pattern is laminated, comes off after a few washes. Con Artists....Truly unhappy.

But this sad experience lead my journey to good knives and good stones that I am truly happy with.


----------



## Smashmasta (Jun 30, 2022)

tostadas said:


> Whoever bought this is probably regretting it
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Haha, this freaked me out for a second because I saw the thread title first, and I was like, "oh ****, what did I do this time?!" You're killing me, man


----------



## tostadas (Jun 30, 2022)

Smashmasta said:


> Haha, this freaked me out for a second because I saw the thread title first, and I was like, "oh ****, what did I do this time?!" You're killing me, man


Haha no need to worry, I've been very happy with all my purchases from you Evan! The Tanaka cleaver is one of my favorites


----------



## Smashmasta (Jun 30, 2022)

tostadas said:


> Haha no need to worry, I've been very happy with all my purchases from you Evan! The Tanaka cleaver is one of my favorites


Phew  

Glad you dig the cleaver - that was a fun one!

Always open to constructive criticism or suggestions, though. Cheers!


----------



## djacobson (Jul 1, 2022)

Probably a Heiji direct 240 swedish Gyuto as my first serious Japanese Knife. F&F was just not there. It's also bigger than I really need (it's 240++ and thick).

Has gotten no use in a couple years.

Finally getting around to doing some work on it. It has potential but just not a great starter. The JKI route or just something not as big would've been wiser.


----------



## M1k3 (Jul 1, 2022)

djacobson said:


> Probably a Heiji direct 240 swedish Gyuto as my first serious Japanese Knife. F&F was just not there. It's also bigger than I really need (it's 240++ and thick).
> 
> Has gotten no use in a couple years.
> 
> Finally getting around to doing some work on it. It has potential but just not a great starter. The JKI route or just something not as big would've been wiser.


I can dispose of it free of charge for you.


----------



## labor of love (Jul 1, 2022)

Shiraki branded Honyaki made after his retirement. Heat treat was fine but the grind was an absolute sh*tshow.


----------



## WellLikedTurtle (Jul 1, 2022)

Jovidah said:


> I had the same initial underwhelmingness about it's lack of taper, especially since the knife before it was a Masamoto KS, but I have to say the Itadaki cut much better than I expected just based on looking at it's spine. Was actually a non-issue in practise, and didn't really feel worse than for example my Yoshikane.
> Not sure the more expensive Tanakas are very different in this regard? Most spine shots I saw looked similar-ish.


I think mine had more of a grind issue since it did not get that thin behind the edge at the tip.


----------



## enrico l (Jul 4, 2022)

Wasn't a fan of my Masakage bunka. Not a bad knife overall but F&F just wasn't there for that price point. Sold it a few weeks later


----------



## Ethan (Jul 7, 2022)

I’m still on the fence about a Tinker Tank I got direct from Ironclad. It’s very clunky to wipe down. I still dig the idea of unconventional knives for fun, but using them is a separate matter entirely.


----------



## Whit3Nitro (Jul 8, 2022)

Ethan said:


> I’m still on the fence about a Tinker Tank I got direct from Ironclad. It’s very clunky to wipe down. I still dig the idea of unconventional knives for fun, but using them is a separate matter entirely.



Yeh I recently sold mine. It sat in a drawer for most of its life. Great knife but I am Gyuto.


----------



## DitmasPork (Jul 8, 2022)

No regrets with any of my kitchen knife purchases. Each one a step in my knife collecting journey.

"A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step." —Lao Tzu


----------



## HappyamateurDK (Jul 10, 2022)

Konosuke HD2 210 mm gyuto. 

Was pretty hyped at the time at bought it with high expectations. But the knife just never impressed me. It wasn't bad at all. Just nothing special. But of course that's just my opinion. And other people seems to love them.


----------



## Ethan (Jul 11, 2022)

Whit3Nitro said:


> Yeh I recently sold mine. It sat in a drawer for most of its life. Great knife but I am Gyuto.


Were you able to recoup your funds for the most part? Call me a dirty flipper but I would be lying if there wasn’t a small part of me that wished that they were soon no longer manufactured so that I could make a slight profit. Of course, that won’t happen anytime soon, since both Ikeda and Shibata are quite young, as far as people in their line of work are concerned.


----------



## Matt Jacobs (Jul 11, 2022)

mine was not a purchase but a Sakon Ginga 180mm knife that I won. I was going to sell it or give it as a gift but my kids wanted me to keep it for them. It is actually a great knife for them but it takes up a space on my limited knife rack.....


----------



## Jovidah (Jul 11, 2022)

Simple solution: more racks.


----------



## Whit3Nitro (Jul 11, 2022)

Ethan said:


> Were you able to recoup your funds for the most part? Call me a dirty flipper but I would be lying if there wasn’t a small part of me that wished that they were soon no longer manufactured so that I could make a slight profit. Of course, that won’t happen anytime soon, since both Ikeda and Shibata are quite young, as far as people in their line of work are concerned.



I got backed what I paid. Bought from Australia sold to someone in America.


----------



## Jarrod12345 (Oct 29, 2022)

mgardiner said:


> Why? How was it disappointing?





chefwp said:


> Tell us more about this please. I've always been tempted to recommend these to folks on a super tight budget because the look so good and are very affordable. However I usually don't because I've never held one in my hand and used it. I'd like to know your experience.


So sorry guys, only saw this now that I have been replied to.

The reasons I absolutely hate the knife:

The knife feels completely lifeless and has no character. I could use a 30 dollar fibrox and it feels like it has more character, and also cuts better.

The Futana I received is SUPER thick behind the edge and the geometry is whack. I have dished and 15mm off a Cerax 320, have dishes about 5mm off a Debado md180 and also ground the knife against a Norton IB8. All in all I have spent hours and hours trying to thin and improve the geometry of this knife, and it is still super thick and cuts like a dog. A dp3 that costs half the amount cuts way better and is just far superior in my opinion.

This is going to sound weird and I doubt anybody will understand what I mean, but the knife just feels fake. It doesn’t feel anything like a real knife, and I’m hugely skeptical that it is even a real knife. This sounds ridiculous, but It just feels weird in every way. A 10 dollar Wiltshire knife that has been sharpened in a pull through would honestly perform better. I’d love to know who actually makes this Futana aogami super line, but haven’t managed to figure it out. The kurouchi finish feels odd and it honestly just gives off painted vibes. Maybe it was. I know the knife wasn’t a fake because the vendor I purchased it from is highly credible, so I know it wasn’t a scam or anything like that. I continue to use this vendor, as they are fantastic! But I’d never touch another Hiroshima Futana model knife. Maybe the others are amazing?

The handle absorbs every bit of garbage that you could imagine and stains really badly. Obviously this could be remedied with a coating of some sort of varnish to seal it better, but even then, the handle is still cheaper and nasty.

All in all, maybe I just got a dud knife? Who knows. Ultimately I have given up on the knife. It just sits in its box, gathering dust. I have spent hours thinning it, and have split it up into multiple different sessions to break up the monotony but I have made little to no progress even though I’ve taken off lots and lots of metal and stone. I have plenty of other knives and I like the rest. I paid approx 230 AUD for this and knives of much less value blow it out of the park. I honestly don’t think I’ll ever do anything with this knife. I’ll probably one day just throw it in the bin as I couldn’t imagine anybody would want to buy it off me, and I couldn’t ever see myself liking the knife. The problems with it, and I just don’t like the length or profile of the knife (the length and profile I have completely left out as it’s personal preference and has nothing to do with the knife itself, it is just something that I discovered myself that I don’t like k tip or that length).

Anyway I hope this helps to clear things up. Maybe I just got a bad one, and the others are amazing? Who knows. I hope this doesnt come across as just somebody having a whinge because the knife doesn’t perform like a 1000 usd knife, and just looking for random things to knit pick


----------



## Keith Sinclair (Oct 29, 2022)

CKTG AEB-L vegetable cleaver.


----------



## chefwp (Oct 29, 2022)

Jarrod12345 said:


> So sorry guys, only saw this now that I have been replied to.


No worries, thanks for replying!


----------



## coxhaus (Oct 29, 2022)

I bought one Japanese made knife with a western handle. The picture looked good, and I had good reports on it. However, when I received it, I realized the handle was too small for me. I hold shake hand style. So now I don't want to buy any more unless I can hold it.

There was not a place close that I could see and hold one.


----------



## jaydee (Oct 29, 2022)

HappyamateurDK said:


> Konosuke HD2 210 mm gyuto.


Guess i had it similarly with a Aoki Grand Chef Wa. A laser but too thin and wobbly. Stainless and sharp but not much bite.
Felt cheap in my hands although it was a good knife. Especially for chopping onions in very thin slices for Marcella Hazan's 'potatoe and smothered onions soup'


----------



## salparadise (Oct 29, 2022)

WellLikedTurtle said:


> I got Miura Itadaki Tanaka and Hitohira Nakagawa Ren white 2 240 gyutos since they were cheap and from popular Sakai blacksmiths



I bought one of the Miura Itadaki Tanaka 210mm for basically the same reason… cheap, well-known maker, and I wanted a white #2 to practice my sharpening skills. F&F not great, kurouchi wearing off quickly, not much distal taper, it’s small in height and length, and geometry is so so. But I don’t have the experience to make critical judgements, and I needed a cheap knife to learn on so I kept it and use it as a daily beater that I don’t need worry about. It cuts okay when fresh, but doesn’t seem to hold an edge that well. I still don’t know if it’s typical of white #2 in that regard. All I know is that it doesn’t have the nice cutting feel of my two aogami knives. But it serves a purpose and wasn’t expensive. I never thought I’d hear myself saying that a $200 knife was a write off.


----------



## blokey (Oct 29, 2022)

salparadise said:


> I bought one of the Miura Itadaki Tanaka 210mm for basically the same reason… cheap, well-known maker, and I wanted a white #2 to practice my sharpening skills. F&F not great, kurouchi wearing off quickly, not much distal taper, it’s small in height and length, and geometry is so so. But I don’t have the experience to make critical judgements, and I needed a cheap knife to learn on so I kept it and use it as a daily beater that I don’t need worry about. It cuts okay when fresh, but doesn’t seem to hold an edge that well. I still don’t know if it’s typical of white #2 in that regard. All I know is that it doesn’t have the nice cutting feel of my two aogami knives. But it serves a purpose and wasn’t expensive. I never thought I’d hear myself saying that a $200 knife was a write off.


Y. Tanaka's white 2 is not that great compare his other stuff.


----------



## MarcelNL (Oct 29, 2022)

does a regret NOT buying count too?
that would be the Kamon KKf drop


----------



## blokey (Oct 29, 2022)

MarcelNL said:


> does a regret NOT buying count too?
> that would be the Kamon KKf drop


That's gonna be a long list tho... A lot of makers were much more affordable just years back...


----------



## bradmacmt (Oct 29, 2022)

I don't regret any of them, though I've sold the vast majority. All those purchases were part of an ongoing learning curve that has brought me to where I am currently. I'm pretty well settled on what I like, so the future looks fairly free of too many more purchases.


----------



## Gregmega (Oct 29, 2022)

I’ve had a handful of regrets. A couple that downright depressed me.


----------



## blokey (Oct 29, 2022)

Gregmega said:


> I’ve had a handful of regrets. A couple that downright depressed me.


Would love to hear it.


----------



## Beerzebub (Oct 29, 2022)

1. False economies, as mentioned.

2. Stainless knives I bought early on, thinking I was being practical. Turned out I just like carbon way more, and as a home cook only have a (limited) use for 90mm and 150mm knives in stainless.

3. Knives I bought thinking they would be for my partner. I have since accepted that she's perfectly content with a couple of small Victorinox knives; I keep them sharp for her, which she appreciates.


----------



## Gregmega (Oct 29, 2022)

Probably top of the heap would be a western maker that sent basically an unfinished knife- a full 6 months later than promised for his basic model in simple specs. Choil was a wreck, grind was super fat, handle was still wet. I used it for one day in the kitchen and had crazy wrist fatigue, which is unusual for a pro that bangs knives all day.

It was bad enough that I sent it out to couple friends to regrind the bevels, clean up all the transitions and angles, and put on a new stone finish for me. I then had to shave down the handle because it was basically a giant clump of wood with little to no intention (that stained my hands and smelled of fish)- too large for the blade. By the time it was ‘finished’, it was in great working order- which just made me depressed- the steel was amazing, it looked cool as hell, but the love was gone. I sold it for a song, whoever got it has a perfect version of said maker’s knife.

Moral of the story is some knives are just photogenic beauty queens that look great on IG. Funnily enough, this maker’s entire market is home-cook/collector types, which I guess says a lot about these particular knives. Every pro I know will not use them in a pro environment.



blokey said:


> Would love to hear it.



I recently purchased a few rather high value knives that have put me off the expensive stuff as well. Going back into bangers from here on I think. I could probably go on for pages on this thread as many knives as I’ve had . But I’m not one to expose names in the open.


----------



## KOA (Oct 29, 2022)

As a home cook I don’t see a need for a Sujihiki. I cook a lot of roasts(oven &bbq) but rarely portion slabs of meat. I think a gyuto is more than capable in my needs. i would have rather put the funds into another gyuto. Howerver, the Mazaki ku suji is fun at least….

Edited to add: As a noob, I would have rather have put the funds to explore more gyutos, to find my preference, before adding a specialty category such as a suji.


----------



## HappyamateurDK (Oct 30, 2022)

jaydee said:


> Guess i had it similarly with a Aoki Grand Chef Wa. A laser but too thin and wobbly. Stainless and sharp but not much bite.
> Felt cheap in my hands although it was a good knife. Especially for chopping onions in very thin slices for Marcella Hazan's 'potatoe and smothered onions soup'


Funny you mention it.
My last big disappointment when it comes to knives was also a Aoki. A western handle gyuto in Aogami monosteel. The knive came with a terrible finish, a very cheap feeling and a crooked blade. I could straighten the blade though. It's performance out of the box was terrible. And I haven't bin able to make it nearly satisfying with my own skills. 

It was not as big a disappointment as the konosuke though. I have very high expectations for the HD2. Not as much for the Aoki.


----------



## jaydee (Oct 30, 2022)

Gregmega said:


> But I’m not one to expose names in the open.


That´s probably the way to go here.
I do regret mentioning a brand name here, as you can´t generalize a huge brand like that and it can be misleading to some as it is a very personal thing if you like something or not.
Basically all of their knives are pretty good value (even the cheap stainless Takayuki´s which I handled).
Of course then there are the knives that are made by Doi, Togashi, Oda, Tosa, Yamazuka that are the some of the finest you can find.

It would have been better to say: "I personally regretted buying a knife that is paper-thin and paper-light".
And similar to KOA, I had a sujihiki that didn´t get much workout as I generally don´t slice lots of protein.
A gyuto will just do it for anything but german bread ;-)


----------



## Dan- (Oct 30, 2022)

Most recently I bought a TF nashiji 180 gyuto to use as a beater for stuff like frozen butter and limes. It cuts well, at least at the tip, but it sure is ugly and F&F is just poor. My wife thinks there's food stuck to it whenever she sees it. At least the wabisabi is right for a $150 knife. Anyway, what I regret is not buying a prettier non-TF with rounded choil/spine (that I'd still use on frozen butter, so yeah there's that).


----------



## deardorff8x10 (Oct 30, 2022)

I sort of regret buying my two kiritsukes (Ikeda and Suisun inox honyaki). Beautiful, but sort of chunky and hard to use for what I do. I like the Suisun Inox generally and use the wa-petty and gyuto (really a great laser) a lot.


----------



## jedy617 (Oct 30, 2022)

I could never regret something that pretty. Not often you see k tip gyuto honyaki


----------



## deardorff8x10 (Oct 30, 2022)

jedy617 said:


> I could never regret something that pretty. Not often you see k tip gyuto honyaki


Yes, I bought it due to beauty, but don't often use it -- it sits in a drawer, sadly


----------



## jedy617 (Oct 30, 2022)

deardorff8x10 said:


> Yes, I bought it due to beauty, but don't often use it -- it sits in a drawer, sadly


I feel you. What steel is it? I assume white 1 or 2? Do you know the sharpener? 

I haven't had the heart yet to use my ikeda ironwood honyaki, but I really should. Have it listed for sale, but I really don't want to let it go, very conflicted


----------



## deardorff8x10 (Oct 30, 2022)

jedy617 said:


> I feel you. What steel is it? I assume white 1 or 2? Do you know the sharpener?
> 
> I haven't had the heart yet to use my ikeda ironwood honyaki, but I really should. Have it listed for sale, but I really don't want to let it go, very conflicted


It is white, but not sure if 1 or 2. I got it from Korin at their Suisin event, so maybe they had something to do with it.


----------



## jedy617 (Oct 30, 2022)

deardorff8x10 said:


> It is white, but not sure if 1 or 2. I got it from Korin at their Suisin event, so maybe they had something to do with it.


Ah cool


----------



## enrico l (Oct 30, 2022)

I always get a little disappointed when I see all these Honyaki’s brand new with their mirror polish still fresh. 

Use those bad boys and lets see some patina


----------



## jedy617 (Oct 30, 2022)

enrico l said:


> I always get a little disappointed when I see all these Honyaki’s brand new with their mirror polish still fresh.
> 
> Use those bad boys and lets see some patina


I got you, definitely get use out of my blue 1 togashi x tosa...need to use it more though.


----------



## enrico l (Oct 30, 2022)

jedy617 said:


> I got you, definitely get use out of my blue 1 togashi x tosa...need to use it more though.
> 
> View attachment 206038



Looks so much better. I wanted @Gregmega Togashi just so I can mess up the pretty polish


----------



## SwampDonkey (Oct 30, 2022)

I was bummed by a Y. Kato 210 AS gyuto. I have his ginsan santoku and I thoroughly enjoy it so I wanted to try a gyuto of his and ended up with a SS clad kurouchi model.

It looked lovely and the f&f was excellent but I just didn't like the profile one bit. The rear end had an abrupt stop but there wasn't enough of a flat spot to use like my other flat profile knives. The belly was odd too, not enough of it to be flowy and fun but enough to make me lift the back end fairly high to begin the cut then drop in to that abrupt stop. The knife felt like it couldn't decide what it wanted to be so did neither well. I had some fatigue after a big batch of etouffee which was a first. Then the steel itself was a little chippy which surprised the hell out of me. 

I kept coming back and wanting to like it but just never jived with the profile and all my other gyutos outcut it so I sold it. Just a bummer for a ~$250 knife and I had high hopes since his ginsan santoku is perfectly balanced, beautiful to look at, fun with multiple cutting styles, and I like the steel.


----------



## bearhippo (Oct 30, 2022)

Yoshida Hamono "Wide" HAP-40 240mm Gyuto.

I was head over heels with this knife because the vendor (somewhere in Europe I believe) put on this gorgeous handle and I wanted something that could provide some more spice. (I use a Wusthof when things are hectic so I don't have to spend the extra time drying down my other knives.) This was _the_ knife on paper since HAP40 apparently has god-like tier edge retention but it soured on me fairly quickly. Namely, there was way too much curve to the profile for me (zero clue as to what I wanted at first) and the feedback was abysmal. By abysmal, I mean that I could not feel much of a thing (compared to the Wusthof or my carbon knives in general) when doing any kind of cut (barring a rock chop I guess). There isn't really any other way I can describe it besides feeling as if the knife died inside and gave up.

I have long since sent it to a new home... never again.


----------



## Chopper88 (Oct 31, 2022)

Hinoura Ajikataya, my first 'real' knife, and my only ku knife. 
The knife is great, zero complaints at all, but it's super impractical to maintain the finish.

Nowadays I use 'hairline' finished knives on a daily basis, no worries anymore. A spot of rust? Just polish the entire thing with some flitz or similar and be done with it


----------



## miggus (Oct 31, 2022)

Interesting. I always considered KU finishes amongst the most easy ones, even eith iron cladding. What do you find so impractical about it @Chopper88 ?


----------



## Ocanada (Oct 31, 2022)

miggus said:


> Interesting. I always considered KU finishes amongst the most easy ones, even eith iron cladding. What do you find so impractical about it @Chopper88 ?


I find that most cleaners used to clear rust like BKF will degrade the KU finish, so it can be a bit annoying to have to carefully avoid that part of the knife if you're trying to clear rust. It's even worse if there's rust on the KU (which has happened to me before) because it means you're probably gonna lose some of it, and there's not really any way to bring it back (short of gun bluing the knife).


----------



## miggus (Oct 31, 2022)

Ah, yeah that's true of course. This is not how I thought about KU finishes, hehe. That is indeed something one should factor in - they won't last if the knife gets significant use. I found that my Moritaka Nakiri just has gotten prettier with every year!







And in order to write something on topic too: One knife I wasn't so keen on was the Moritaka AS 240 Kiritsuke. The profile was dead straight, and I really had no idea on how to use it. If I can lift the handle up 1-2 cm, I'm happy already. This knife didn't do that.

But frankly, I sold it quickly for what I had paid for it, so there were not many genuine regrets


----------



## Chopper88 (Oct 31, 2022)

miggus said:


> Interesting. I always considered KU finishes amongst the most easy ones, even eith iron cladding. What do you find so impractical about it @Chopper88 ?



What Ocanada said, but also the fact that it's ku with a kasumi polish that will be destroyed once it's sharpened a bit more often, and especially once it needs thinning. 

I know they're just tools, and this is bound to happen at some point, but I just never thought about it when buying


----------



## blokey (Oct 31, 2022)

I kind like how KU finish degrade over time, kind of actual Wabisabi aesthetic to them. Also kind reminds me of Jiro.


----------



## deardorff8x10 (Oct 31, 2022)

enrico l said:


> I always get a little disappointed when I see all these Honyaki’s brand new with their mirror polish still fresh.
> 
> Use those bad boys and lets see some patina


Guilty as charged


----------



## Chopper88 (Oct 31, 2022)

I'm jealous of people like you guys, with my OCD


----------



## Professor Chaos (Nov 6, 2022)

I received these last week:

JCK Natures Blue Clouds Series VG-10 Tsuchime Damascus Petty 135mm & Santoku 180mm (BCD 2Pcs Set)

Not terrible, but the geometry isn't that great.


----------



## iimi (Nov 8, 2022)

SwampDonkey said:


> I was bummed by a Y. Kato 210 AS gyuto. I have his ginsan santoku and I thoroughly enjoy it so I wanted to try a gyuto of his and ended up with a SS clad kurouchi model.
> 
> It looked lovely and the f&f was excellent but I just didn't like the profile one bit. The rear end had an abrupt stop but there wasn't enough of a flat spot to use like my other flat profile knives. The belly was odd too, not enough of it to be flowy and fun but enough to make me lift the back end fairly high to begin the cut then drop in to that abrupt stop. The knife felt like it couldn't decide what it wanted to be so did neither well. I had some fatigue after a big batch of etouffee which was a first. Then the steel itself was a little chippy which surprised the hell out of me.
> 
> I kept coming back and wanting to like it but just never jived with the profile and all my other gyutos outcut it so I sold it. Just a bummer for a ~$250 knife and I had high hopes since his ginsan santoku is perfectly balanced, beautiful to look at, fun with multiple cutting styles, and I like the steel.


I kinda feel the same about my 240 nashiji AS, the profile and grind just feel meh to me. Definitely a knife I should have sold, but I'm too far gone in trying to thin and reprofule it to sell it for anything close to what I paid, so I guess I'll just keep it around to practice thinning, despite the large hollow on one side of the kireha.


----------



## SwampDonkey (Nov 8, 2022)

Brakedeezbohnz said:


> I kinda feel the same about my 240 nashiji AS, the profile and grind just feel meh to me. Definitely a knife I should have sold, but I'm too far gone in trying to thin and reprofule it to sell it for anything close to what I paid, so I guess I'll just keep it around to practice thinning, despite the large hollow on one side of the kireha.


I was wondering if the 240s were long enough to realize that flat spot and belly without failing at both like the 210. Glad to hear your experiences before I fell for the pretty pictures again


----------



## iimi (Nov 8, 2022)

SwampDonkey said:


> I was wondering if the 240s were long enough to realize that flat spot and belly without failing at both like the 210. Glad to hear your experiences before I fell for the pretty pictures again


I get better edge retention and overall performance out of my matsubara 240 in blue 2, and the matsubara doesn't have so much hollow grinding in the kireha that would be impossible to thin out. The Kato has gone thru hours on a 140 grit diamond plate and still has deep hollow parts, and now the nashiji is scratched up and the shinogi line on one side is basically nonexistent.


----------



## Ochazuke (Nov 8, 2022)

The only one I really regret was a 240 Tanaka Kyuzo B1. It was a fine knife. The steel is great. It looks beautiful and performs well. But honestly I only really bother polishing my single bevels and that iron cladding was not pretty after a hard day on the line. 

It was a lot of money and I genuinely don’t have time to keep it looking pretty after using it in a commercial kitchen. Considering the abuse I put it through I couldn’t even get half the value from it if I tried to sell it. I ended up gifting it to a colleague who was opening a restaurant of his own because the upkeep wasn’t worth the hassle. Fwiw, I tend to rotated between watanabe and kintaro for my work gyuto.


----------



## Hockey3081 (Nov 8, 2022)




----------



## blokey (Nov 8, 2022)

Hockey3081 said:


> View attachment 207464


What is the knife?


----------



## NotAddictedYet (Nov 8, 2022)

Ochazuke said:


> The only one I really regret was a 240 Tanaka Kyuzo B1. It was a fine knife. The steel is great. It looks beautiful and performs well. But honestly I only really bother polishing my single bevels and that iron cladding was not pretty after a hard day on the line.
> 
> It was a lot of money and I genuinely don’t have time to keep it looking pretty after using it in a commercial kitchen. Considering the abuse I put it through I couldn’t even get half the value from it if I tried to sell it. I ended up gifting it to a colleague who was opening a restaurant of his own because the upkeep wasn’t worth the hassle. Fwiw, I tend to rotated between watanabe and kintaro for my work gyuto.


I don't have a Kyuzo but a similar Kagekiyo with iron cladding and I share this sentiment. It's just a ton of work to keep it looking nice if you are going to use it regularly. I cut lots of acidic vegetables and bright orange patina just doesn't look that good. Iron clad works way better as a show piece/protein slicer if you care at all about how it looks (and they do look nicee when polished).

Staineless clad gets hate since it feels gummy on stones but I really like it for the convenience.


----------



## blokey (Nov 8, 2022)

Ochazuke said:


> The only one I really regret was a 240 Tanaka Kyuzo B1. It was a fine knife. The steel is great. It looks beautiful and performs well. But honestly I only really bother polishing my single bevels and that iron cladding was not pretty after a hard day on the line.
> 
> It was a lot of money and I genuinely don’t have time to keep it looking pretty after using it in a commercial kitchen. Considering the abuse I put it through I couldn’t even get half the value from it if I tried to sell it. I ended up gifting it to a colleague who was opening a restaurant of his own because the upkeep wasn’t worth the hassle. Fwiw, I tend to rotated between watanabe and kintaro for my work gyuto.


Good thing now they have a Stainless cladded version, Hado also have a stainless cladded white #1. Tho the Hitohira is quite expensive. BTW is the Kintaro from JKI? I'm kind interested, but there are also quite some advice against Y. Kato in this thread.


----------



## superworrier (Nov 8, 2022)

blokey said:


> Good thing now they have a Stainless cladded version, Hado also have a stainless cladded white #1. Tho the Hitohira is quite expensive. BTW is the Kintaro from JKI? I'm kind interested, but there are also quite some advice against Y. Kato in this thread.


The Hado is pretty nice and I think performs at the same level from what I can recall. The Hitohira is prettier though.


----------



## Ochazuke (Nov 9, 2022)

blokey said:


> Good thing now they have a Stainless cladded version, Hado also have a stainless cladded white #1. Tho the Hitohira is quite expensive. BTW is the Kintaro from JKI? I'm kind interested, but there are also quite some advice against Y. Kato in this thread.


So the Kintaro is from JKI. It's a thin knife. Probably one of the thinnest I have left in my collection. Despite that it's decently tough.

I will say that there are low spots all up and down the blade face. The plus side is that the food release is pretty good. The down side is that if you try to thin it you're going to eff up the finish. I lent mine out to a chef who gave it back chipped and tipped (because he thought it would be fine for lobster), so I ended up having to thin mine and as a result the finish looks pretty rough. It still performs great though and because it's stainless cladding it's still pretty easy to care for.

But here's the thing: it's not a tf. You don't need to thin it to get good performance. It's already got good performance. Unless you sharpen at a super high angle, the average home user probably wouldn't get any wedging for years. TBH I don't think this knife was designed for people who would think to thin their knife. I think it's designed for the average person who thinks to sharpen their knife once or twice a year. 

To boil it down: it's a good, no frills performer. Keeping it looking nice is easy so long as you don't thin it and it's thin enough that most people shouldn't have to thin it.


----------



## ampersandcetera (Nov 18, 2022)

My first “real” knife purchase taught me a lot about the importance of research and specs. After reading some fluffy article about old Sabatier knives, I picked up a random 270 Sab sight unseen from Thebesthings.com before I knew anything about sharpening or even different styles of chef knives. I figured a big long knife would do everything, but it ended up being very short, way too chunky slicer that wedged with just about everything. Really bummed me out. Then I carved a big holiday roast with it and realized what it was actually good for—nice clean slices and a bright blue patina.

After some actual research I learned it was a Jeune Garanti, and once I started sharpening at home I found it took a good edge and was super easy to touch up. I don’t use it much anymore—kind of makes me sad to see it languishing on the magnetic block at home but I can’t bring myself to sell it. It gets some use around the holidays for about 45 seconds every year now.


----------



## Jovidah (Nov 18, 2022)

ampersandcetera said:


> After some actual research I learned it was a Jeune Garanti, and once I started sharpening at home I found it took a good edge and was super easy to touch up. I don’t use it much anymore—kind of makes me sad to see it languishing on the magnetic block at home but I can’t bring myself to sell it. It gets some use around the holidays for about 45 seconds every year now.


That's still more usage than some of the other high-end knives see around here...


----------

