# request thread? (Tanaka)



## chinacats (Dec 20, 2016)

Hey James, noticed your comment in the Tanaka thread and figured maybe we could start a special interest/request thread here. I believe the original question was about the less expensive R2 line but I'll let someone else speak to that. My curiosity involves the blue 2 nakiris...really like to see how a 180 Tanaka would perform.

Cheers


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## jmgray (Dec 20, 2016)

+1 1 want a 180 nakiri too


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## Godslayer (Dec 20, 2016)

Tanaka migaki ginsanko cleaver. Nice the thin maybe 1.8 mm at the spine, convex grind. 210-220 x 110-120 that would be baller nice kns treatment.


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## F-Flash (Dec 21, 2016)

Sounds awesome.:viking:

Also 180mm petty Would Be cool. 

210mm lineknife / gyutohiki...


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## JaVa (Dec 21, 2016)

Yeah, the 180 nakiri sounds great, B2, SS clad, heel hight 54-59mm and the vintage Tanaka grind. Where can send my money???


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## James (Dec 21, 2016)

I'd be interested in a polished blue#2 wide bevel knife. Like the nashiji, but polished above the bevel. It'd be a plus if it were stainless clad too, but I don't think he does stainless clad carbon


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## Tobes (Dec 21, 2016)

Stainless Clad Blue2 or ginsan 180 mm Nakiri and im in!


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## pkjames (Dec 21, 2016)

thanks guys. AFAIK, a batch Tanaka Ginsan will come around the new year. Next year I will work more closely with Tanaka to figure out some more new stuff. Obviously not everything is achievable but I will try my best  

The cheap R2 will be available once I come back from the holidays.

James


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## panda (Dec 23, 2016)

how come tanaka doesnt make any suji's? not for me but i think there is a niche of affordable suji that isn't filled yet.
oh, i miss my old 270 ginsan gyuto, that thing had such a sweet profile.


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## tommybig (Dec 23, 2016)

While we are at it, does tanaka still make the western ironwood? Seems to be out of stock everywhere for a while now.


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## pkjames (Dec 23, 2016)

he does make ironwood, but mostly for his local customers. I receive a batch now and then in very limited qty.


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## xsmx13 (Dec 23, 2016)

pkjames said:


> thanks guys. AFAIK, a batch Tanaka Ginsan will come around the new year. Next year I will work more closely with Tanaka to figure out some more new stuff. Obviously not everything is achievable but I will try my best
> 
> The cheap R2 will be available once I come back from the holidays.
> 
> James



The Migaki?!?!


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## TheCaptain (Dec 24, 2016)

I'm seriously hoping to get a few of the Tanaka Ginsan to try out!


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## xsmx13 (Dec 25, 2016)

So in my excitement over the Ginsanko Migaki I overlooked the cheap R2 part. Can I ask, are these the same as you currently have but with simpler handles, or different models than you currently have on the site?


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## pkjames (Jan 18, 2017)

As promised, the cheap R2 is now availalbe. You also have the chance of customizing the handles. For 240mm Gyuto, you can purchase a saya with it as well.

http://www.knivesandstones.com/tanaka-r2-sg2-damascus-gyuto-wa-240mm/


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## strumke (Jan 18, 2017)

Are the cheaper R2s the same blade as the original R2? It's a significant (~$150) difference in price, just curious as to how that was possible, unless it was a sizable initial markup?


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## pkjames (Jan 18, 2017)

strumke said:


> Are the cheaper R2s the same blade as the original R2? It's a significant (~$150) difference in price, just curious as to how that was possible, unless it was a sizable initial markup?



Are you referring to the very first one that I sold you? They are the same blade (current version is K&S treated) except the very first one I purchased off a show from Tanaka (He didn't have any other WA R2 at that time, and it was like so for a long long time). 
I had to buy it at retail along with the box, horn handle, etc. Knocked the stock off and replace with my handle. The high cost meant it was expensive.

Now is different, Tanaka is now able to supply me with a lot more knives, in blade form rather than a completed knife and I am also able to reduce the cost of handles. So instead of keep everything high, I opted to pass on the cost saving to my customers, which is also true to a lot of other knives like the Chiku (Kurosaki) & Kurokumo (Kamo).


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## TheCaptain (Jan 19, 2017)

Tobes said:


> Stainless Clad Blue2 or ginsan 180 mm Nakiri and im in!



+1

++1 for a 210 mm Nakiri


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## strumke (Jan 19, 2017)

pkjames said:


> Are you referring to the very first one that I sold you? They are the same blade (current version is K&S treated) except the very first one I purchased off a show from Tanaka (He didn't have any other WA R2 at that time, and it was like so for a long long time).
> I had to buy it at retail along with the box, horn handle, etc. Knocked the stock off and replace with my handle. The high cost meant it was expensive.
> 
> Now is different, Tanaka is now able to supply me with a lot more knives, in blade form rather than a completed knife and I am also able to reduce the cost of handles. So instead of keep everything high, I opted to pass on the cost saving to my customers, which is also true to a lot of other knives like the Chiku (Kurosaki) & Kurokumo (Kamo).



Gotcha, makes sense. Its a great blade, and it's good that folks can get into it at a lower price.


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## pkjames (Jun 2, 2017)

answering the call!


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## James (Jun 2, 2017)

pkjames said:


> answering the call!
> View attachment 35791



you really know the path to our wallets :rofl2:


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## Fong (Jun 3, 2017)

Is that the stainless clad B2?


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## pkjames (Jun 3, 2017)

Good guess


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## Fong (Jun 3, 2017)

pkjames said:


> Good guess



Guess I'll be seeing you soon James! HAHAHAHA :biggrin:


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## Nemo (Jun 3, 2017)

Are they up on the website yet? I can't find them. What length are they?


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## pkjames (Jun 3, 2017)

Nemo said:


> Are they up on the website yet? I can't find them. What length are they?



i just received the samples, hence the lack of kanji.

James


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## chinacats (Jun 12, 2017)

Will update in a new thread very soon but want to note here that there's one of these here in the states that will soon become a passaround and end as a PIF.

Awesome cutter and if I can get a decent choil shot, it is sure to impress.


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## malexthekid (Jun 13, 2017)

pkjames said:


> answering the call!
> View attachment 35791



James, any chance of us Aussies getting a chance to play with these? Will they be at the Sydney Knife Show?


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## pkjames (Jun 14, 2017)

malexthekid said:


> James, any chance of us Aussies getting a chance to play with these? Will they be at the Sydney Knife Show?



Alex, Yes and Yes. PM me your address and I will send one along. 

James


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## DanHumphrey (Jun 20, 2017)

Whatever happened to those "thin grind" ginsankos? It was like a small batch appeared, I missed them, I got on the email list, and they're GONE.


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## JaVa (Jun 21, 2017)

DanHumphrey said:


> Whatever happened to those "thin grind" ginsankos? It was like a small batch appeared, I missed them, I got on the email list, and they're GONE.



There's only been that one initial batch so far. Since then James has gotten a couple of batches of the nashiji ginsanko Tanakas. They are not the same ones as the old nashiji ginsanko. The new ones have the same profile as the Migaki version which is very different from the old nashiji. The new nashiji versions are clearly much thinner behind the edge too, which looks very similar to my migaki. Since there's no way of knowing if/when the migaki will make it's return, why not try one of the new nashiji Tanakas with the new grind?

Just a thought.


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## Sillywizard (Jun 21, 2017)

Godslayer said:


> Tanaka migaki ginsanko cleaver. Nice the thin maybe 1.8 mm at the spine, convex grind. 210-220 x 110-120 that would be baller nice kns treatment.



This would be too awesome to be true! Pleasanton make this happen!!


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## DanHumphrey (Jun 21, 2017)

JaVa said:


> There's only been that one initial batch so far. Since then James has gotten a couple of batches of the nashiji ginsanko Tanakas. They are not the same ones as the old nashiji ginsanko. The new ones have the same profile as the Migaki version which is very different from the old nashiji. The new nashiji versions are clearly much thinner behind the edge too, which looks very similar to my migaki. Since there's no way of knowing if/when the migaki will make it's return, why not try one of the new nashiji Tanakas with the new grind?
> 
> Just a thought.



Well, because what I'm really trying to do is try a bunch of different profiles so that when my number comes up at Bloodroot I know what I want them to make me (which I really don't want to get wrong!). Which means I really ought to try a big tall gyuto like a Shiro Kamo and a K-tip. The thin grind just sounded so nice.


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## JaVa (Jun 21, 2017)

DanHumphrey said:


> Well, because what I'm really trying to do is try a bunch of different profiles so that when my number comes up at Bloodroot I know what I want them to make me (which I really don't want to get wrong!). Which means I really ought to try a big tall gyuto like a Shiro Kamo and a K-tip. The thin grind just sounded so nice.



Gotcha.

...and yes they seriously are. My favourite knife so far.


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## pkjames (Jun 21, 2017)

DanHumphrey said:


> Well, because what I'm really trying to do is try a bunch of different profiles so that when my number comes up at Bloodroot I know what I want them to make me (which I really don't want to get wrong!). Which means I really ought to try a big tall gyuto like a Shiro Kamo and a K-tip. The thin grind just sounded so nice.



Basically the migaki is the "new Nashiji" with the nashiji finish polished off if you get what I mean. When the two came out, I feel like the migaki could be a little bit thicker overall so I opt for the Nashiji for the rest of the knives. If you really want to try the thin grind migaki, I do have a blue 2 stainless sample pictured above which is basically the same as the ginsan migaki. For the purpose of trying out the geometry, that could work (samples usually get discounted by a big margin  )


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## online (Dec 23, 2017)

You also have the chance of customizing the handles.


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