# EdipisReks' knives



## EdipisReks

here are a few of my chefs knives.



 click to embiggen

Kochi, Masamoto KS, Shigefusa, Sabatier nogent, Hattori FH, from left to right. all 240mm

here is the Masamoto, post patina



 click to embiggen

i'll post more of my knives as the light looks good.


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## Andrew H

Did you force the patina on your KS? Nice kit.


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## EdipisReks

Andrew H said:


> Did you force the patina on your KS? Nice kit.



i did a light mustard patina, and then butchered a chicken (and some veggies since). it's nice and stable and looks like i've used it for years, which is great. and thanks!


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## chazmtb

Beautiful knives.


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## apicius9

chazmtb said:


> Beautiful knives.



+1 - How come that Shigefusa is so shiny?

Stefan


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## EdipisReks

apicius9 said:


> +1 - How come that Shigefusa is so shiny?
> 
> Stefan



that Shigefusa is so shiny because i pulled it from a stone and was declared high king. i find that a bright polish, combined with blade convexing, feels best with it.


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## Johnny.B.Good

I love that picture of your chef's knives. In what order did you acquire them? And how is the "new" KS working out? Tough competition for it to see serious board time...


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## Johnny.B.Good

Also, do you use your Nogent very often? (It would appear so from the dark patina, though maybe you forced it.) I keep debating getting one, but now that I have a 240mm KS of my own (and am in talks with Jon about another 240mm), it seems like it might just end up in a drawer/on the wall. I just hear so many accolades for old (or historical in this case, if not necessary "vintage") Sabs. I also worry that I will end up with one of the not quite straight models that apparently ship from TBT from time to time... I suppose if it were too bent for me to fix myself, I could always send it to Dave to straighten out, sharpen up, and rehandle.


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## EdipisReks

i really need to get a pic of my newly re-handled Yoshikane kitaeji gyuto up there.

i've had the Hattori FH for a long time, but all of the other gyutos there are within the last year. i have a bunch of other knives that i've had for longer. the KS is great! i really like it. i use my Nogent fairly often, but i mostly use it when i'm cooking French country recipes, out of pure fake-nostalgia.  my Nogent chef and Nogent slicer were both perfectly straight, in terms of their blades. i had to bend the tang to straighten the handle of my Nogent chef, but it was no big deal. the slicer is great, very thin. i actually use it more than my Murray Carter suji.


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## Johnny.B.Good

EdipisReks said:


> i really need to get a pic of my newly re-handled Yoshikane kitaeji gyuto up there.



Yes, you do.  Carter suji? Where are the pictures of that? What are we waiting for, fair weather in Cincinnati?

I guess I better just bite the bullet and pick up a 10" Nogent chefs knife. It's too little money to pass up given that I may always regret it a little if I don't. Certainly not necessary given what I have (and will have when I am done with Jon at JKI), but why not.

What size is your Nogent slicer? 10"? I have read glowing reviews of the 6" slicer from BDL on Foodie Forums, however I picked up a 165mm Masamoto petty at the same time as the 240mm KS, so...it would be a pretty gratuitous purchase.


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## EdipisReks

both of my Nogents are 10".


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## Ucmd

love the pics of shig. how did you get it so polished. less reactive with the shine?


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## ajhuff

Johnny.B.Good said:


> Also, do you use your Nogent very often? (It would appear so from the dark patina, though maybe you forced it.) I keep debating getting one, but now that I have a 240mm KS of my own (and am in talks with Jon about another 240mm), it seems like it might just end up in a drawer/on the wall. I just hear so many accolades for old (or historical in this case, if not necessary "vintage") Sabs. I also worry that I will end up with one of the not quite straight models that apparently ship from TBT from time to time... I suppose if it were too bent for me to fix myself, I could always send it to Dave to straighten out, sharpen up, and rehandle.




It's funny, when I first saw the Nogent line I thought the handle was fugly at best. When it arrived, it only confirmed by thoughts. But once it was in my hand and I was using it.... that handle is amazing! Those French guys knew what they were doing with the Nogents. I would never change the handle on mine, no matter how chincy it looks. (One caveat, my hands are relatively small; I have large palms but short fingers.)

-AJ


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## Johnny.B.Good

That's it, I'm getting one. If I have to have the handle replaced, I will ask Dave to replicate the original with better wood.

One more question: does that ridge at the heel get in the way when sharpening?


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## EdipisReks

Johnny.B.Good said:


> One more question: does that ridge at the heel get in the way when sharpening?



yes. you'll want to grind it away at about a 45 degree angle, to make sure that the heel is fully exposed.


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## EdipisReks

Ucmd said:


> love the pics of shig. how did you get it so polished. less reactive with the shine?



i just used wet/dry, and elbow grease. i find it to be quite a bit less reactive, with the semi-mirror finish.


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## EdipisReks

here are a few more of them, including the Yoshikane and the Carter. it was hard to capture the kitaeji in the light i have available (it's more subtle since i refinished the knife, though it glides through food better, so totally worth it), so i didn't bother posting a blade closeup. 



 click to embiggen


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## Johnny.B.Good

Great picture. The Yoshikane is incredible. Love the handle and the bright finish you put on it.

Will you edit to add the make and size of each of the knives pictured?


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## EdipisReks

i'm outside the edit window, but from left to right: 240mm V2 Yoshikane gyuto, 270mm Tojiro bread knife, 270mm white #1 Murray Carter sujihiki, 300mm Yoshihiro white #2 yanagi, Yoshihiro 210mm white #2 usuba, and a cute little Ikeuchi 120mm white #2 ajikiri.


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## mhenry

That Yosh is a beauty.


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## EdipisReks

click to embiggen.

Takeda 240, post re-jiggering. this knife is a bit taller than it looks in the photo, at about 55mm heel to spine.


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## Johnny.B.Good

Sweet. 

New?


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## EdipisReks

new to me. it was C_Dawg's, originally.


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## Johnny.B.Good

Another icon joins the ranks over there! Will be curious to hear what you think of it after some board time.


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## EdipisReks

i've owned a Takeda before, a 300mm special edition or whatever from CKtG, which didn't feel right to me at all, as a gyuto. i didn't like this one much when i got it, but that's just because Curtis and i set our knives up in very different ways. after changing the profile a little bit and thinning the tip, i've really liked it for the brief amount of cutting i've done with it. i wish the emoto were a little longer, but it's not a big deal. i like that it cuts as well as my Shig, while feeling different while doing it. my Shig, Yoshi and Kochi all feel quite similar in use (the Kochi used to be a little different, but I had to shorten the blade, edge to spine, a bit due to a chip i put in it, and i ended up re-grinding it in a similar manner to my Shig and Yoshi), with weight and drag through the food being the main differences. that's a good thing, but it's nice having something different. it joins my Masamoto in that grouping. a keeper, i think.


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## bcrano

How does your Shige stack up against the Masamoto????? That Shige looks so nice.


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## EdipisReks

bcrano said:


> How does your Shige stack up against the Masamoto????? That Shige looks so nice.



they are different. in terms of pure cutting ease, the Masamoto, at least as i have it right now, isn't as good, but the profile of the Masamoto is great, and it's very nimble for how long the blade is. i haven't done much with the Masamoto, other than sharpen the factory bevels, whereas the Shigefusa, and Yoshi and Kochi, are convexed and very thin behind the edge.


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## EdipisReks

i've used the Takeda for a couple meals, now, and I've tweaked the profile some more (slightly flattening it, heel to tip, and then thinning to bring back the geometry), and the knife is really great. might be my new favorite.


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## Johnny.B.Good

I have been following your lead for a while now Edipis (KS, Shigefusa, Nogent), but I can't keep up!

I always think of a great white shark when I see a Takeda gyuto. Sweet looking knife. Glad you're enjoying it.


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## EdipisReks

great white shark is a good way to describe the look, i hadn't thought of that! i think you're going to love that Shigefusa!


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## Johnny.B.Good

Next time the sun is out out there, I want to see what else you have in your block. Surely this can't be all of it. Paring knives, petties, bread knife, etc.

Stop holding out on us!


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## EdipisReks

i really don't have a lot more. a Robert Herder parer, a Nogent slicer, a Shun parer, and a Shun utility. i've owned quite a few other knives in the past, but i tend to get rid of stuff pretty quickly if i quit using it.


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## Johnny.B.Good

No suji? No bread knife? Herder paring knife is sort of rare/interesting...

This thread is really over?


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## heirkb

There's a bread knife. In the same picture as the Carter. My thread would be really boring, then. Two knives. I'm even quicker to get rid of stuff if I'm not getting much use out of it.


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## Johnny.B.Good

heirkb said:


> There's a bread knife. In the same picture as the Carter.



So there is, I missed it.



heirkb said:


> I'm even quicker to get rid of stuff if I'm not getting much use out of it.



I think this is pretty common around here. I admire those of you who can let go of things and not let them sit in a drawer unused. I think one of the cool things about this section of the forum is that if you post things as you acquire them, even after they are gone you can look back and remember the good times (or bad) with knives that have moved on to new owners.


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## EdipisReks

heirkb said:


> There's a bread knife. In the same picture as the Carter. My thread would be really boring, then. Two knives. I'm even quicker to get rid of stuff if I'm not getting much use out of it.



and the Carter is a suji, though it has moved on, now.


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## EdipisReks

i've been working on my Shigefusa a bit, and i think i have the geometry about where i want it...



 (click to embiggen)


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## EdipisReks

Masamoto goes out, another Takeda arrives:





i'll probably own another Masamoto, down the road (just as i'll likely own another Mizuno), but i sure like this tall Takeda! and a fantastic Keller handle!

oh, and the Shig is no longer shiny, now that i've figured out how to approximate the stock Shig finish. i have the Yoshikane close to stock finish now, too, using a combination of purposefully bowled King 800 and sandpaper. and there is a K-Sab now, as well.


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## Johnny.B.Good

EdipisReks said:


> Masamoto goes out, another Takeda arrives...



I liked your KS, but I like this Takeda too (a pair of great whites).



EdipisReks said:


> ...oh, and the Shig is no longer shiny, now that i've figured out how to approximate the stock Shig finish. i have the Yoshikane close to stock finish now, too, using a combination of purposefully bowled King 800 and sandpaper. and there is a K-Sab now, as well.



A picture is worth a thousand words.


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## EdipisReks

i thought i'd post a picture of my Singatirin Honyaki, which looks pretty much exactly opposite of that awesome Masamoto polish that Jon posted.



 click to embiggen


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## JMac

How do you like the Singatirin?


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## EdipisReks

It's killer.


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## EdipisReks

my car was broken into last night, and between waiting for the police, waiting for the insurance agent, and waiting for the tow truck, I had lots of time to do some work that I'd been putting off (thinning and refinishing the top 240, the 270 and the Shig, mainly). I thought people might like a little "family photo," as it were. The bottom one isn't mine, but is one Brainsausage sent me for a refreshment and a new handle.



 click to embiggen


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## cheflarge

I think my heart just skipped a beat!!! :goodpost:


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## Mucho Bocho

Incredible set jacob. The second from the top looks tight. Did you get the finger stones out?


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## bkultra

Seems you could really use a Heiji to even out that collection.


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## EdipisReks

Mucho Bocho said:


> Incredible set jacob. The second from the top looks tight. Did you get the finger stones out?



Thanks, man. My finger stones have all turned into tiny little scales, and I haven't ordered new ones from Maxim yet, so I ended up using various grits of sandpaper that I doped with water stone slurry, or the finish. Not as handy as finger stones, but it worked. That second from the top is my newest Gesshin Heiji. It's the most perfect knife I've ever used. Medium thickness, very tall bevels tapering strongly to a very, very thin edge, a super thin tip, and very good food release. The third down is the carbon I ordered directly from Nakaya-San. It was the previous champion cutter, and I told Jon about that right before I ordered the Gesshin I mentioned: he might have sent me a ringer.  The top 240 and the 270 were bought used and had tips that were raised. I've been slowly fixing that as I've sharpened. 



bkultra said:


> Seems you could really use a Heiji to even out that collection.



Yeah, I should probably get a 240 semi-stainless gyuto.


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## Mucho Bocho

ER, Sorry to hear about your car. Hope the bad guys didn't nab anything of worth. I mean, who breaks into cars these days? What's to steal? Car mats, left over fries and seat lint.


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## EdipisReks

Mucho Bocho said:


> ER, Sorry to hear about your car. Hope the bad guys didn't nab anything of worth. I mean, who breaks into cars these days? What's to steal? Car mats, left over fries and seat lint.



Nothing was stolen, just a piece of concrete tossed through the driver side window.


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## mkriggen

Uh, were you in it?


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## EdipisReks

Nope, happened over night, when it was parked.


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## bkultra

Just pulled the trigger on a Gesshin Heiji Semi-Stainless -240mm... I blame you!


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## ramenlegend

EdipisReks said:


> Nothing was stolen, just a piece of concrete tossed through the driver side window.



cincinnati at its finest! I love this city! what area?


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## mr drinky

EdipisReks said:


> Nothing was stolen, just a piece of concrete tossed through the driver side window.



Man that sucks, sorry about the car, but thanks for the pics. Btw, doesn't Murray Carter sharpen on concrete?? Just saying. 

Maybe there was a cardboard strop there too??

k.


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## EdipisReks

ramenlegend said:


> cincinnati at its finest! I love this city! what area?



Clifton. I work at UC.



mr drinky said:


> Man that sucks, sorry about the car, but thanks for the pics. Btw, doesn't Murray Carter sharpen on concrete?? Just saying.
> 
> Maybe there was a cardboard strop there too??
> 
> k.



Hah, I'll ask the techs if they found anything, on Friday.


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