# Doi Gyuto



## Choppin (Jul 7, 2017)

I'm looking for more info on Itsuo Doi's gyutos - the ones that CKTG carries. Thinking about trying to get a 210 when they receive the next shipment. 

Has anyone here tried one (210 or 240) and could share their experience? Couldn't find much online, except for the 240 specs at CKTG. Seems like a midweight gyuto and I like the fact that it runs long

Thank's


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## dwalker (Jul 7, 2017)

I have one on the way. I'll weigh in when I have a little time with it.


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## Choppin (Jul 7, 2017)

dwalker said:


> I have one on the way. I'll weigh in when I have a little time with it.



Would love to read that. Thank's


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## Badgertooth (Jul 8, 2017)

dwalker said:


> I have one on the way. I'll weigh in when I have a little time with it.



I have never had to exercise as much restraint as I did for those few hours. That profile is outta sight. Please do share


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## Meesterleester (Jul 10, 2017)

I may be wrong, but I think tpits only the 240 that has been released with the first ever shipment of the 210 on the way.


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## brooksie967 (Jul 10, 2017)

I'm signed up! I wanna hear about this thing too.


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## dwalker (Jul 10, 2017)

Mine arrived today. I only had the opportunity to dice a couple of onions, quarter some small potatoes, and mince some garlic. My (VERY) early impressions are extremely positive. KS profile with a Toyama-ish grind and nice distal taper. Food release was good and performance was excellent. No sticking at all with the potatoes and a reasonably thin tip. Horizontal cuts through onions were easy and smooth. Nicely finished with a completely acceptable spine rounding and choil smoothing. The handle it shipped with is not my cup of tea though it was acceptable and appropriate for something else. IMHO, it is a little too large for this blade, but the balance was o.k. this thing is begging for either a nice custom or a traditional ho wood handle. Either would fit perfectly but I lean towards the humble ho wood/buffalo horn. I will have more to add as I get some use in, but initial impressions are that this one is a keeper. Now I gotta figure out what to get rid of.


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## Matus (Jul 10, 2017)

That sounds great dwalker - thanks!


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## Choppin (Jul 10, 2017)

Very nice. Any "Toyama-ish" quality sounds good to me. 

Have you tried it on harder/denser veggies? I was wondering if it wedges a bit, since from the choil shot it seems rather thick. 

That handle is getting some complains indeed...


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## Omega (Jul 10, 2017)

I know these are blue steel.. but I never saw any talk whether or not these were the "yakidoshi" forging I've heard about from the Doi's. I'm quite interested to see / hear how that type of forging affects the steel at the end.


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## dwalker (Jul 10, 2017)

I did not sharpen the knife as it came with an acceptable edge and I have only cut what I described above with the addition of a couple of tomatoes. I'll try to cut a wider range of product soon, but this is a difficult week for free time.


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## Badgertooth (Jul 10, 2017)

Omega said:


> I know these are blue steel.. but I never saw any talk whether or not these were the "yakidoshi" forging I've heard about from the Doi's. I'm quite interested to see / hear how that type of forging affects the steel at the end.



I wondered this too. That'd be quite something.


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## Badgertooth (Jul 10, 2017)

dwalker said:


> I did not sharpen the knife as it came with an acceptable edge and I have only cut what I described above with the addition of a couple of tomatoes. I'll try to cut a wider range of product soon, but this is a difficult week for free time.



And thank you, even your early insight has given us vastly more than we could have had just by looking at the website shots.


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## pd7077 (Jul 10, 2017)

I agree with the handle being a bit too large. I wasn't sure if I was the only one that felt this way since I'm so used to my custom handles that are tapered. It definitely feels a bit chunky, and I have average sized hands. The handles themselves look nice, but I think the issue is with the QC. Seems like there were more than a few that weren't finished very nicely. Mine were nowhere near as bad as others that I have seen, but it will definitely get rehandled in the near future.


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## Choppin (Jul 10, 2017)

Badgertooth said:


> And thank you, even your early insight has given us vastly more than we could have had just by looking at the website shots.



+1, really helpful


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## jonnachang (Jul 11, 2017)

Nice ! Thanks for the review dwalker!


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## GRoc (Jul 14, 2017)

https://www.instagram.com/p/BWiq6_cgTWE/

Looks very nice and is on the top 3 sharpest ootb edges ever... now I have some cutting to do....


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## Choppin (Jul 14, 2017)

GRoc said:


> https://www.instagram.com/p/BWiq6_cgTWE/
> 
> Looks very nice and is on the top 3 sharpest ootb edges ever... now I have some cutting to do....



Nice pics. Let us know what you think of it.


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## 42537703 (Jul 15, 2017)

I was so close to get one. It looks so good.


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## pd7077 (Jul 15, 2017)

Today was my first real day to test drive the Doi. F&F with the polished edge and satin cladding is nothing short beautiful. The spine and choil were not necessarily rounded off, but they were not sharp either. It was definitely comfortable. Balance is just forward of my punch grip, right at the base of the kanji...the sweet spot for me. 

The OOTB edge was good...maybe a 5-6/10. It was sharper OOTB than my Kono MB but not anywhere close to my Koishi. It cut through tomatoes just fine, but it did have just a little trouble biting into the skin on the free-standing tomato test. After some light stropping on a SP 5k, it wasn't a problem anymore. 

There is no real flat spot on the Doi. It's more of a gentle curve along the entire edge profile. The largest flat I could find on my example was a smidge over 1-1/2" long approximately 2" from the heel. Even so, I didn't have any issues with accordion cuts when push cutting. Chopping green onions was a different story so I probably won't be doing much chopping with it.

Mincing garlic and herbs....a breeze. Spongy mushrooms...not a problem. Dicing tomatoes and red peppers...all good there too. She pretty much flew through everything today. Not a single trace of wedging on the huge potatoes my wife bought. Too bad I don't have any thick carrots on hand. No onions today either so I wasn't able to test the tip on horizontal cuts. Food release was decent, but some things (i.e. zucchini) did climb up the blade face a bit, but it wasn't anything that a flick of the wrist couldn't handle.

Considering that the knife is iron clad B#2, I expected her to form a patina rather quickly. Others have reported that it was not as reactive as one would expect so I did not wipe down the knife right away during use to see exactly how reactive it would be. The iron cladding is showing a bit of patina, but the edge is resisting. 

All in all, im super stoked about this knife. She made a really good first impression, which means that she will likely be getting a new handle soon. And now time for the knife porn!!!


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## Badgertooth (Jul 15, 2017)

Thank you again. This gives some great insights and it sounds like a great knife


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## 42537703 (Jul 16, 2017)

This knife definitely deserves a custom handle.


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## Dirt (Jul 16, 2017)

I dream of a 270....


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## Choppin (Jul 16, 2017)

Thank's pd

Your pics made me notice how beautiful the kanji is


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## fatboylim (Aug 27, 2017)

So, I have had a good go with the Doi 240 and it's brilliantly executed. It's like a lower heel height, French chef profile Toyama! The Doi has better fit and finish and well defined rounding on the spine and choil. Also, the lack of height makes it more nimble and much better for tip work and for guillotine-and-glide volume prep. 

I totally get why the KS profile is so loved. It's a classic French chef profile and reminds me nostalgically of my early cheffing days. I would also suggest that a 210 would be too short for this type of knife. The 240 feels well balanced size wise and is as nimble as a tall 210.

If you like shorter knifes (less beastly), guillotine-and-glide cutting, but want the Toyama/Watanabe qualities, this is a knife for you. I'm enjoying it even though I'm a taller knife fan. 

I'll see if it stays in my rotation. But it's got some tough challengers in 2 Katos and a Denka. For the price it is damn good though


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## Choppin (Aug 27, 2017)

fatboylim said:


> So, I have had a good go with the Doi 240 and it's brilliantly executed. It's like a lower heel height, French chef profile Toyama! The Doi has better fit and finish and well defined rounding on the spine and choil. Also, the lack of height makes it more nimble and much better for tip work and for guillotine-and-glide volume prep.
> 
> I totally get why the KS profile is so loved. It's a classic French chef profile and reminds me nostalgically of my early cheffing days. I would also suggest that a 210 would be too short for this type of knife. The 240 feels well balanced size wise and is as nimble as a tall 210.
> 
> ...



Thank's, great review!

You made an interesting point about the 210 possibly being too short. I'm a fan of taller, heavier 210s (Toyama, Kato) and gyutos with less height feel more like slicers to me. A 240 would be my preference for this profile.


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## TheCaptain (Nov 14, 2017)

Bump. Ok so it would appear I won the email lottery and nabbed one of these puppies in a 210. I'd love to hear some more thoughts and comments from those who have the 240s. Does anyone have both? Yea, the 240 has the KS profile which I'm not sure I'd be into and I tend to like a taller profile.


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## TheCaptain (Nov 15, 2017)

And WOW it arrived at my office today. I closed my door, eagerly opened the box...

Damn that knife is heavy. It's one thing to read it's over 200 grams (for a 210), it's quite another to actually hold it in your hand. I think this may be the heaviest 210 in my collection by a healthy margin.

Handle's pretty decent as well. I wouldn't immediately say this is a candidate for a re-handle. Actually a bit chunkier than most, which is needed to balance the weight of the knife.

Nice big belly, with a flat spot for the first 1/3 of the blade then a gentle curve up. 

Obviously I can't do anything with it at work, but tonight I'll have two knives to put through the paces as the passaround just arrived yesterday.


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## Customfan (Nov 19, 2017)

TheCaptain said:


> And WOW it arrived at my office today. I closed my door, eagerly opened the box...
> 
> Damn that knife is heavy. It's one thing to read it's over 200 grams (for a 210), it's quite another to actually hold it in your hand. I think this may be the heaviest 210 in my collection by a healthy margin.
> 
> ...



Just bought the same blade, plese let us know what you think, specially of the profile, kind of curious how it stacks up next to my other 240 of Similar characteristics....

Might just have to put a custom handle on it as well, depends of how much I like it...


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## Chicagohawkie (Nov 19, 2017)

The profiles arent even remotely similar between the 240 and 210. Totally different.


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## Anton (Nov 19, 2017)

Chicagohawkie said:


> The profiles arent even remotely similar between the 240 and 210. Totally different.




Ya, Can't think of a single maker with this much variance.. Perhaps a custom profile for one of them?


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## K813zra (Nov 19, 2017)

I wonder how well it bodes that these seem to be coming up semi frequently on the used market but a few days after they arrived at the users homes. Maybe just fine, I have not been around that long but it makes me curious.


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## Customfan (Nov 19, 2017)

Did wonder the same thing....

Does anyone have access to the 210 and 240 profiles, flat pics or even better ... side to side to see the nuances? I can only tell so much from the typical 3/4 flyover pics :biggrin:


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## Pensacola Tiger (Nov 19, 2017)

Customfan said:


> Did wonder the same thing....
> 
> Does anyone have access to the 210 and 240 profiles, flat pics or even better ... side to side to see the nuances? I can only tell so much from the typical 3/4 flyover pics :biggrin:



Not here, but on other forums.


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## labor of love (Nov 19, 2017)

Yes other forum. The 210mm is like 49-50mm tall and 214mm long and the doi 240mm it was compared to was 46mm x 249mm I believe. The 210mm is nowhere close to ks in profile. If I could get a 240 doi that was atleast 49-50mm tall Id probably pull the trigger.


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## labor of love (Nov 19, 2017)

Also, the 210mm isnt as chubby.


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## Customfan (Nov 19, 2017)

Thanks for the info....


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## Chicagohawkie (Nov 20, 2017)

The Dois originally came about because of the unavailability of the KS and was supposed to be a copy of the said knife. I was semi interested in the Doi and the Shibata clones, but wanted to wait till the consensus came back on the lofty hype that was thrown around. When the 240 Doi came out, it had an appearance of the KS, but was very thick unlike the KS, it also had a little belly whereas the KS is a pretty flat knive. So, I marked that off my list. The 210 as far as I remember was supposed to be the same profile as the 240 but in a shorter format. Well, weve seen that the 210 has completely missed that profile and is a vastly different knife. Not saying that these are bad knives, but theyre different than envisioned, at least by me.


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## labor of love (Nov 20, 2017)

If I had to have something like a KS Id just talk to Marko. They look better to me than the real KS.


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## DitmasPork (Nov 20, 2017)

dwalker said:


> Mine arrived today. I only had the opportunity to dice a couple of onions, quarter some small potatoes, and mince some garlic. My (VERY) early impressions are extremely positive. KS profile with a Toyama-ish grind and nice distal taper. Food release was good and performance was excellent. No sticking at all with the potatoes and a reasonably thin tip. Horizontal cuts through onions were easy and smooth. Nicely finished with a completely acceptable spine rounding and choil smoothing. The handle it shipped with is not my cup of tea though it was acceptable and appropriate for something else. IMHO, it is a little too large for this blade, but the balance was o.k. this thing is begging for either a nice custom or a traditional ho wood handle. Either would fit perfectly but I lean towards the humble ho wood/buffalo horn. I will have more to add as I get some use in, but initial impressions are that this one is a keeper. Now I gotta figure out what to get rid of.



Gorgeous knife! I agree with you that the handle seems a little large. Looks to have a bit more belly than my KS. How's the edge holding up now that you've had it for over a week?

Wonder why more makers haven't done KS inspired profiles? There would certainly be a lot of interest.


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## dwalker (Nov 20, 2017)

The edge holding is exactly what one would expect from an expertly forged blue steel. The grind is to my liking. The only negative for my preference is the lack of height. Because of this, I have moved on and have sold the knife. I hope to someday find a taller example and would probably sprain my elbow reaching for my credit card if I saw one for sale. It is an expertly crafted blade in all respects.


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