# K-Tip vs "regular" Gyuto tip



## alterwisser (Feb 21, 2016)

I'm curious hearing about opinions and experience ... 98% of all Gyutos are probably sold with a "regular" tip. 

I just love the looks of a K-Tip (don't have one ...yet), so I'd like to learn a bit more. Pros, cons and all the likes apart from looks. I'm sold on the look [emoji6]


----------



## Matus (Feb 21, 2016)

I would chime in even though I never had a K-tip gyuto - so just a thought really. If you look away from the tip but check out the blade profile you will find out that it is very flat with very most gyuto knives with a K-tip. I actually think that the K-tip is there to allow for that flat profile without making the knife very pointy (or with a very flat nose like most santoku knives have). So if you like knives with flatter profile, than a K-tip gyuto could be the right choice.


----------



## daveb (Feb 21, 2016)

I like (liked) the look as well. Bought a gorgeous Yoshikane SLD, Dammy k top 240. 

It felt like a nimble 240 Nakiri and was great on veg tasks. Did not like it as a slicer. When I used it I would always need a regular Gyuto as well for something. Reluctantly let it go. 

YMMV


----------



## aboynamedsuita (Feb 21, 2016)

I had one and loved the looks, but sold it before rehandling and got a regular. I'd say think of what ever size k tip you're interested in as a regular gyuto profile plus 30+mm, therefore flatter and better for push cutting than tip/detail work. That's my limited experience.


----------



## _PixelNinja (Feb 21, 2016)

tjangula said:


> [...]Than tip/detail work. That's my limited experience.


Interesting; I find the lower and thinner tip well suited for tip/detail work (my primary knife is a Nenohi K-Gyuto).


----------



## spoiledbroth (Feb 21, 2016)

Don't the ktip gyutos have usually a very flat edge profile? Or maybe I'm thinking of kiritsuke


----------



## osakajoe (Feb 21, 2016)

spoiledbroth said:


> Don't the ktip gyutos have usually a very flat edge profile? Or maybe I'm thinking of kiritsuke



Yes they do. Flatter also means you use the knife very differently. Thus is usually used in high paced kitchen where speed is more important than looks and finesse. Having more curve allows you to use your wrist more and letting the knife do the work but slower than a quick "flat" pull cut.


----------



## _PixelNinja (Feb 21, 2016)

spoiledbroth said:


> Don't the ktip gyutos have usually a very flat edge profile? Or maybe I'm thinking of kiritsuke


It depends on the maker. Takeda's interpretation would be on the flatter side of things, for instance. However, overall, most K-Gyutos tend have a profile with a progressive curve that I would not really describe as "very flat"  at least the ones I am familiar with.


----------



## kevpenbanc (Feb 21, 2016)

I've been thinking of getting one for years, then I was lucky enough to be able to borrow one for a while.
I guess that I had always thought of it as a cool shaped gyuto. It's not. As stated above it's used differently.
If you like the flatter profile, then maybe you'll like it, it's not for me though.


----------



## spoiledbroth (Feb 22, 2016)

I think we need some pictures here. Obviously a double beveled kiritsuke is quite flat indeed. I am wondering if anyone could provide a japanese k-tip gyuto with more a "gentle curve" profile... When I think of shibata kotetsu really I think that entire line of knives is heavily influenced by the double beveled kiritsuke. Beyond that and takeda who I'm not coming up with any other k-tip knives offhand that aren't sold specifically as a 50/50 kiritsuke... 

My roundabout point is... are we not discussing a 50/50 kiritsuke ? Or a gyuto with the "nose" ground off, if you'll permit me such a crude image. Does such a knife exist off the shelf or are we really talking short run customs? Cuz if its a custom then maybe issues might be down to the design. If it's a kiritsuke and you're expecting to use it just as you would a gyuto the general concensus seems to be that you're going to be disappointed no matter what knife you get.


----------



## jaybett (Feb 22, 2016)

If you like a nakiri, then you will like a kiritsuke shaped gyuto. Jon at JKI has his k gyutos made with upsweep to the tip. 

I find the lower tip helps with detail, becasue I don't have to lift the handle so far off the board. The tip of my k shaped guyto is thin and looks fragile. There have been multiple posts about people breaking the tips of their k shaped gytuos. . 

Jay


----------



## Kristoff (Feb 22, 2016)

osakajoe said:


> Yes they do. Flatter also means you use the knife very differently. Thus is usually used in high paced kitchen where speed is more important than looks and finesse. Having more curve allows you to use your wrist more and letting the knife do the work but slower than a quick "flat" pull cut.



+1. Perfect explanation. I have a custom watanabe kiritsuki shaped gyuto. It was really heavy and thick but after its been thinned down and sharpened by Dave M it's my only used gyuto at work cause I don't rock cut at all. I like the shibata k tip gyuto a lot but find it too thin and light 

Also I read before that the rocking technique dulls the edge a lot faster because all the edge is making contact with the chopping board. Hope someone can correct me if I am wrong


----------



## alterwisser (Feb 22, 2016)

So, after reading some of these comments... I never rock chop. Feels unnatural to me, only push cuts... Not sure if I use the proper technique, but I kind of make board contact with the front part (not tip) of the knife first, at a very low angle and then kind of push the knife down and forward if that makes sense.

That being said, I am a home cook. I definitely don't need a Kiritsuke, or double beveled Kiritsuke, but was thinking about getting a custom that has a large flat spot and then raised tip, just with K-Tip style instead of regular style.

Does that make sense?


----------



## alterwisser (Feb 22, 2016)

I tried to find some K-Tip Gyutos from some of the vendors here, to see how you feel about them... if they are more like a regular Gyuto that "just" has a different tip, or are they more like double bevel Kiritsukes etc.

Just trying to learn as much as possible before going down an expensive rabbit hole ...

https://www.japaneseknifeimports.co...ochi-240mm-kurouchi-kiritsuke-shaped-wa-gyuto


http://www.knivesandstones.com/sakai-takayuki-syousin-sakura-kirisuke-shaped-wa-gyuto-240mm/


http://www.buttermilksupply.com/shop/knives/kagekiyo-white-2-240mm-kiritsuke-shaped-gyuto/


The latter two seem different (more traditional Kiritsuke style shaped?) than the Kochi ...

What do you think?


----------



## brooksie967 (Feb 22, 2016)

I'll try to remember to post the pics of my takeda k tip gyuto tonight. SOmeone remind me


----------



## chinacats (Feb 22, 2016)

There was a passaround of the Sakai k-tip from James. Don't have a link but you can find the thread in his subforum. I thought it was an outstanding knife.


----------



## daveb (Feb 22, 2016)

I remember that k tip. I had a hard time finding things it did well. Not a slicer, nor a dicer. The accompanying Gyuto was great (once you got past the carbon part)...

But again this is all very subjective. If you want to try a k tip you should. If you love it then good on you. If you hate it then there's bst and someone else that wants to try one.


----------



## alterwisser (Feb 22, 2016)

daveb said:


> But again this is all very subjective. If you want to try a k tip you should. If you love it then good on you. If you hate it then there's bst and someone else that wants to try one.



Yeah, I'm a little worried about that with a custom Haburn K-Tip that I'm considering getting. Not sure that's easily sellable on BST, without a significant loss... Or is it?


----------



## daveb (Feb 22, 2016)

I would give you at least a buck - sight unseen!

(Don't think I've ever seen one of Ian's knives languish long on bst.)


----------



## alterwisser (Feb 22, 2016)

daveb said:


> I would give you at least a buck - sight unseen!
> 
> (Don't think I've ever seen one of Ian's knives languish long on bst.)



It's worth at least 2! [emoji106]&#127995;


----------



## Keith Sinclair (Feb 22, 2016)

Always liked the looks, never owned one. Have sharpened both DB & a SB K-tip. Quite a few Shun blue steel core. And a few high quality DB. The way the tip sweeps out I think they would be good for tip work. Never did rock cut much prefer forward push, chopping & slicing.

Just get one:biggrin: Of coarse it makes sense. You have to protect the tips of any fine gyuto, I think this would be more so the case with a K-tip. I know a few people in production kitchens using them. Have my eye out on BST for a good deal


----------



## jaybett (Feb 22, 2016)

The knife from JKI is more of a traditonal gyuto with a k-tip. The other two are kiritsuke shaped gytuos. You may like a kiritsuke shaped gyuto if you like a nakiri or a cleaver. 

Jay


----------



## alterwisser (Feb 22, 2016)

jaybett said:


> The knife from JKI is more of a traditonal gyuto with a k-tip. The other two are kiritsuke shaped gytuos. You may like a kiritsuke shaped gyuto if you like a nakiri or a cleaver.
> 
> Jay



I like Nakiris... Well, I would like them a lot better if they had a tip!


----------



## Karnstein (Feb 22, 2016)

@alterwisser: I got to K-tip knives... a 270 Konosuke w2 and a 210 Kotetsu. I'm going to upload some videos on the Kotetsu over the course of this week for a review that I will write for the German messerforum. For the Konosuke I wrote a review quite some time ago... http://www.messerforum.net/showthre...chenschwert-Konosuke-Shirogami-2-Wa-Kiritsuke

Maybe that's useful for you...


----------



## alterwisser (Feb 22, 2016)

Super, danke! Werde ich mir mal anschauen ... ich hab ein Ko-Bunka von Kotetsu, sehr schoenes Messer.

Cheers



Karnstein said:


> @alterwisser: I got to K-tip knives... a 270 Konosuke w2 and a 210 Kotetsu. I'm going to upload some videos on the Kotetsu over the course of this week for a review that I will write for the German messerforum. For the Konosuke I wrote a review quite some time ago... http://www.messerforum.net/showthre...chenschwert-Konosuke-Shirogami-2-Wa-Kiritsuke
> 
> Maybe that's useful for you...


----------



## Kristoff (Feb 23, 2016)

This is a pic of my k shaped gyuto by watanabe 

http://imgur.com/a/MnfJH


----------



## alterwisser (Feb 23, 2016)

Kristoff said:


> This is a pic of my k shaped gyuto by watanabe
> 
> http://imgur.com/a/MnfJH



Gorgeous!

That is very flat indeed. How do u like it?


----------



## Kristoff (Feb 23, 2016)

alterwisser said:


> Gorgeous!
> 
> That is very flat indeed. How do u like it?



This knife has been around the world from Japan to USA to Denmark then back to Australia. I didn't like it at first because it was too thick and heavy and the edge was too brittle. Used it for carving boneless roast the first time because I wanted the meat juices to have a nice patina and basically the whole edge was chipped. Sent it to Dave M. Fix the whole edge and thinned it down then maxim repolished it. Handle and saya was by Marko Tourskan. 

That was 6 years ago and till this day is my most used and fav knife. It's AS steel. Love it more than my mizuno honyaki, a type, hiromoto as, Hattori HD, shig kasumi and kitaeji as well as the shibatas.


----------



## sergeysus (Mar 1, 2016)

My Takeda is a near K-top and not technically a Gyoto, but what he calls a bunka. The photo is not mine, but the knife is.


----------



## brooksie967 (Mar 1, 2016)

Here's mine. Only a very subtle and gradual belly.


----------

