# Tanaka Yoshikazu from JNS



## Barry's Knives

Has anyone had a chance to use one of these yet? And for that matter does anyone know anything about the sharpener Mitimoto Nakazima? The choil looks searingly thin to me.


https://www.japanesenaturalstones.com/tanaka-yoshikazu-gyuto-240mm-white-1/


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## wind88

it’s also monosteel, which is interesting.


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## dwalker

wind88 said:


> it’s also monosteel, which is interesting.


Says iron clad in the description.


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## wind88

it says zenko on the stamp


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## Corradobrit1

I looked hard for the cladding line and can't see one. Maybe Maksim can confirm


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## HRC_64

IMHO a great profile, not a fan of the sakai laser-type choil shot tho


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## MrHiggins

I'm not really in the market for a new knife right now, but I think my next purchase will be a tall laser. This one is 55mm. Sounds perfect. Can't to hear how people like them.

Edit: just looked at the price. Yikes! That's a lot for a laser.


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## Barry's Knives

Corradobrit1 said:


> I looked hard for the cladding line and can't see one. Maybe Maksim can confirm


Yeah likewise. Seems at odds with other knives on a website largely dedicated to natural stone polishing


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## labor of love

I’d rather pay a little more and get a Tanaka from somewhere else. Ctkg is getting cheaper Tanakas in soon as well


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## Matus

Barry's Knives said:


> Yeah likewise. Seems at odds with other knives on a website largely dedicated to natural stone polishing



'Knives dedicated to natural stone polishing' - I would rather think they are dedicated to cutting. There is no 'conflict of interest' with monosteel knives on JNS


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## Cbt

That profile looks killer to me. The price, on the other hand...


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## labor of love

Cbt said:


> That profile looks killer to me. The price, on the other hand...


Pretty inexpensive for a Tanaka.


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## CiderBear

These Tanakas are the same Tanaka of Konosuke Fujiyama and not the K&S Tanaka, right?


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## labor of love

Yep


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## MarkC

labor of love said:


> Pretty inexpensive for a Tanaka.


Can you provide a link or sample of the Tanakas you are talking about that are different than K&S.


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## Alder26

at 55mm tall and with a laser grind I would be concerned with food release being really poor.


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## labor of love

https://hitohira-japan.com/collections/tanaka-kyuzo/products/aaa-015-49-fa240?variant=14048198918197

https://hitohira-japan.com/collections/tanaka-kyuzo/products/daa-150-fa240?variant=12406979330101


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## labor of love

I would love to find this Tanaka 

https://hitohira-japan.com/collections/tanaka-blue-1/products/dea-070-fa270?variant=8442979287093


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## Corradobrit1

labor of love said:


> I would love to find this Tanaka
> 
> https://hitohira-japan.com/collections/tanaka-blue-1/products/dea-070-fa270?variant=8442979287093


Yes, that does look appealing.


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## Xin Sun

It looks pretty similar to Konosuke FM except the height.


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## Jimbo1217

I bought one. I’ll let y’all know how it performs. It will go through hard root vegetables very well without a doubt


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## F-Flash

Razorsharp sells white #2 yozhikazu tanaka kurouchi gyutos. 
Mine is 240mm long 53mm tall @ 450 Singapore dollars its amazing value. Maybe best cutter out of all my knives.


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## Jimbo1217

Maksim sent me a few photos of the knife because I was afraid of overgrind. I bought a few Sakai knives from a reputable vendor and they had overgrinds.

From the photos Maksim sent me, it definitely looks like there is no lamination line, therefore it being monosteel. I’m not 100% though, just postulating.

Can’t wait to touch it up on a natural and play with it!

Ps. I’m on my phone rn, but it looks like I need a computer to upload photos and it’s kind of a hassle. Sorry people!


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## HRC_64

Xin Sun said:


> It looks pretty similar to Konosuke FM except the height.



Yeah I think they are copying Konosuke in some regard here, maybe even more the FT laser/grind than the FM.

JNS profile actually looks better than Kono (IMHO) but profiles are always subjective.

Keep in mind also it's really hard to duplicate a 51 profile with 55 heel height because of the trigonomerty.


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## Xin Sun

Is this the cladding line?


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## CiderBear

@labor of love ahaha, we literally have the same taste in knives. Last week I asked Hitohira if the 240mm version of that Tsubaya Tanaka would come back in the future and they said yes.


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## Jimbo1217

Xin Sun said:


> View attachment 62059
> 
> Is this the cladding line?


Looks like you’re right!


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## jimmy_d

So not to derail this thread, but does the Tanaka that K&S sell have anything to do with the Tanaka blacksmith from this line and the knives labor of love linked?


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## wind88

K&S is Shigeki Tanaka. JNS is Yoshikazu Tanaka (blacksmith for konosuke fujiyama). They are different smiths.


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## wind88

Jimbo1217 said:


> Looks like you’re right!


It's very strange that the stamp says zenko (monosteel).


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## jimmy_d

wind88 said:


> K&S is Shigeki Tanaka. JNS is Yoshikazu Tanaka (blacksmith for konosuke fujiyama). They are different smiths.


Thanks!


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## daveb

Maxim used to mark a "house" Yoshikane as Zensho and his Kato were marked Workhorse. Not sure of it's meaning but would not be surprised if he's marking his line of Tanaka.


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## Jimbo1217

wind88 said:


> It's very strange that the stamp says zenko (monosteel).


Here’s what I know: the Chinese translation for 純鋼 in this case the kanji means “pure steel”, which I am assuming is suggesting Shirogami 1, since I have heard it is a very “clean” or “pure” steel.


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## Ivang

Tanaka's w1 is amazing! Its the only w1 that can hang around with TF's rendition in my experience.


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## Corradobrit1

Jimbo1217 said:


> Here’s what I know: the Chinese translation for 純鋼 in this case the kanji means “pure steel”, which I am assuming is suggesting Shirogami 1, since I have heard it is a very “clean” or “pure” steel.


The single horizontal line above those kanji is No1. So yes, shirogami #1


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## Jimbo1217

Corradobrit1 said:


> The single horizontal line above those kanji is No1. So yes, shirogami #1


Actually the 義一 is Yoshikazu Tanaka’s kanji. I believe his name (kanji) is 田中義一


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## Corradobrit1

Jimbo1217 said:


> Actually the 義一 is Yoshikazu Tanaka’s kanji. I believe his name (kanji) is 田中義一


You're probably right. I'm just a gaijin


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## Jimbo1217

Corradobrit1 said:


> You're probably right. I'm just a gaijin


All good! we’re all learning something here!


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## Omega

I would honestly be very surprised if this was actually monosteel- Tanaka rarely ever does unclad knives. I've heard rumors of a few odd zenko (or even mizu Honyaki) knives from him, but I've never, ever heard of one for sale. And I've been refused by every single wholesaler or retailer I've requested one from.

As was pointed out earlier, the ad page on JNS also says White 1 clad in Iron.
And I think the Kanji is... Tanaka's kanji, followed by 'Jun Hagane', which means 'Pure Steel', which is used for White 1 a fair bit. (which.. was also pointed out by someone before me)

As far as forging, yeah- its no surprise to anyone here I'm a HUGE Tanaka fan. His White 1 usually clock in around 65 HRC, and when sharpened well cuts scary-nice.


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## Jimbo1217

Omega said:


> I would honestly be very surprised if this was actually monosteel- Tanaka rarely ever does unclad knives. I've heard rumors of a few odd zenko (or even mizu Honyaki) knives from him, but I've never, ever heard of one for sale. And I've been refused by every single wholesaler or retailer I've requested one from.
> 
> As we pointed out early, the ad page on JNS also says White 1 clad in Iron.
> And I think the Kanji is... Tanaka's kanji, followed by 'Jun Hagane', which means 'Pure Steel', which is used for White 1 a fair bit. (which.. was also pointed out by someone before me)
> 
> As far as forging, yeah- its no surprise to anyone here I'm a HUGE Tanaka fan. His White 1 usually clock in around 65 HRC, and when sharpened well cuts scary-nice.


Damn... now I can’t wait to try it!


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## Matus

I wish it was not such a laser though. The profile looks great.


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## turbochef422

I bought this one a few months ago. White 2. Very similar to the konosuke FT. Even the clad line which you can’t see in the picture. Cuts like a dream. Definitely a laser. I think it was $235


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## Barry's Knives

turbochef422 said:


> I bought this one a few months ago. White 2. Very similar to the konosuke FT. Even the clad line which you can’t see in the picture. Cuts like a dream. Definitely a laser. I think it was $235View attachment 62115


My god that's good value!


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## Jimbo1217

Quick update: I just received the knife. I can confirm it is indeed a San-mai knife, which means it is laminated.

I have yet to use it, but the profile is really sweet. Very thin behind the edge.


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## CiderBear

@Jimbo1217 that's awesome to hear! Pics pls <3


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## Jimbo1217

CiderBear said:


> @Jimbo1217 that's awesome to hear! Pics pls <3


My apologies sir, I don’t have my computer with me rn, therefore it is unlikely I can upload any photos.

However, I can say the model I have is almost identical to the one on the website! The lamination line is a little faint, but shows up on different lighting and tilt when examining it.


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## Jimbo1217

Quick update: I did a short prep session with the knife. Great cutter, especially suitable for push cutting. I cut some vegetables and also a good amount of button mushrooms and diced a potato to make cream of mushroom soup for dinner.

I was able to do the job swiftly. The knife felt very comfortable in the hand, weighing in at only 179g.

Hopefully this provides a little more insight, albeit short.


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## Barmoley

Thanks for the report. How was food release?


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## Sharpchef

turbochef422 said:


> I bought this one a few months ago. White 2. Very similar to the konosuke FT. Even the clad line which you can’t see in the picture. Cuts like a dream. Definitely a laser. I think it was $235]



Lamination line could be made by Takefu San ...

Greets Sebastian.


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## Alder26

turbochef422 said:


> I bought this one a few months ago. White 2. Very similar to the konosuke FT. Even the clad line which you can’t see in the picture. Cuts like a dream. Definitely a laser. I think it was $235View attachment 62115


Do you have any in person pics of your knife?


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## Jimbo1217

Barmoley said:


> Thanks for the report. How was food release?


Food release is quite good! The button mushrooms did not stick much at all to the blade face. And keep in mind this is an ingredient shorter than the overall blade height, which I think speaks a lot about the food release? 

This is the case with the current polish too, of course. I am not very knowledgeable on how the grinding is done to create optimal cutting and food release, but it certainly feels good to me, and I’ve used knives from mainly Toyamas, to Ikedas, and Mazakis.


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## HRC_64

Jimbo1217 said:


> Food release is quite good! ... I think speaks a lot about the food release?


Now need some peeled/soaked potatoes test 


IMHO x55 laser with good food release would be a triumph ...


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## Alwayzbakin

turbochef422 said:


> I bought this one a few months ago. White 2. Very similar to the konosuke FT. Even the clad line which you can’t see in the picture. Cuts like a dream. Definitely a laser. I think it was $235View attachment 62115


Thanks for pointing these out they are really tempting, especially a 50mm tall ktip! I’m sure I recall you praising Tanka’s white 1 in the past. How would you compare the White2 in these Miuras to the White1 in in his other blades? These have a unique shape at a great price tag but there’s also a lot of his White 1 options popping up everywhere that are tempting


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## jimmy_d

CiderBear said:


> @labor of love ahaha, we literally have the same taste in knives. Last week I asked Hitohira if the 240mm version of that Tsubaya Tanaka would come back in the future and they said yes.


Did they say when by any chance?


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## CiderBear

jimmy_d said:


> Did they say when by any chance?


No


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## jimmy_d

Anyone have any reviews of these now that they have been out for a bit? looks like JNS is coming out with a dammy Yoshikazu Tanaka in blue 1 soon https://www.instagram.com/p/B4KDxN7jHWc/


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## Hz_zzzzzz

jimmy_d said:


> Anyone have any reviews of these now that they have been out for a bit? looks like JNS is coming out with a dammy Yoshikazu Tanaka in blue 1 soon https://www.instagram.com/p/B4KDxN7jHWc/


Oh no... I don’t have anything in blue 1 yet


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## Hz_zzzzzz

I like Kono Fuji white 1 a lot. This seems a better value with better profile...


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## Barry's Knives

Whilst these knives aren't cheap I think the Damascus is pretty good value if its as good as it is likely to be. Would be really good to hear more about the grind and sharpener etc.


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## CiderBear

@jimmy_d 240mm Tsubaya Tanaka with yew handle just came back in stock on hitohira website this morning


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## jimmy_d

CiderBear said:


> @jimmy_d 240mm Tsubaya Tanaka with yew handle just came back in stock on hitohira website this morning


Oh nice! That's the one you've been waiting for right? I'm debating between 2 very different knives right now but my bank account says don't buy anything... Thanks for the heads up!


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## CiderBear

jimmy_d said:


> Oh nice! That's the one you've been waiting for right? I'm debating between 2 very different knives right now but my bank account says don't buy anything... Thanks for the heads up!



Funny story... I had been waiting for it,but I also have a 210mm paid for that I asked a vendor to hold for me while waiting for the 240mm to come back. That's why I've been asking about short gyutos in the 180mm gyuto thread. Last night I broke and asked the vendor to ship the 210mm to me cause I want a new knife and I think it would be useful to keep an undersized 210mm around (made a cardboard cutout of the knife and everything) 

Woke up this morning and got the stock alert for the 240mm from Hitohira. I think it's just not meant to be between me and the 240mm


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## jimmy_d

CiderBear said:


> Funny story... I had been waiting for it,but I also have a 210mm paid for that I asked a vendor to hold for me while waiting for the 240mm to come back. That's why I've been asking about short gyutos in the 180mm gyuto thread. Last night I broke and asked the vendor to ship the 210mm to me cause I want a new knife and I think it would be useful to keep an undersized 210mm around (made a cardboard cutout of the knife and everything)
> 
> Woke up this morning and got the stock alert for the 240mm from Hitohira. I think it's just not meant to be between me and the 240mm


Oh No! Tough break man... Well who knows - maybe that 210 will be your new favorite knife and you'll forget all about that 240!


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## CiderBear

jimmy_d said:


> Oh No! Tough break man... Well who knows - maybe that 210 will be your new favorite knife and you'll forget all about that 240!



That's alright! I stabbed the sink with my 240mm Wat yesterday, so I finally admitted to myself that maybe a 205mm knife would be good.


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## jimmy_d

CiderBear said:


> That's alright! I stabbed the sink with my 240mm Wat yesterday, so I finally admitted to myself that maybe a 205mm knife would be good.


 hope the damage wasn't too bad!


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## CiderBear

jimmy_d said:


> hope the damage wasn't too bad!



There was no damage, lol. I think I've been using the 225mm Kochi and 210mm Morihei so much recently that I forgot how long a 240mm knife is. Kept stabbing cabinet doors and such with it as well. I keep wondering if I would accidentally stab myself in the face by just examining a long knife one of these days... 

(and if you wonder how that's even possible, remember that I'm a 160cm tall woman)

So all in all, perhaps the Knife God™ really wanted me to give this a try.


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## jimmy_d

CiderBear said:


> There was no damage, lol. I think I've been using the 225mm Kochi and 210mm Morihei so much recently that I forgot how long a 240mm knife is. Kept stabbing cabinet doors and such with it as well. I keep wondering if I would accidentally stab myself in the face by just examining a long knife one of these days...
> 
> (and if you wonder how that's even possible, remember that I'm a 160cm tall woman)
> 
> So all in all, perhaps the Knife God[emoji769] really wanted me to give this a try.


[emoji38] Glad it's just the cabinets and you haven't stabbed yourself! It must have been meant to be lol


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## K813zra

CiderBear said:


> That's alright! I stabbed the sink with my 240mm Wat yesterday, so I finally admitted to myself that maybe a 205mm knife would be good.



I've stabbed the sink with a 210 and I frequently use 240+ gyutos nowadays. I blame the faucet for being too close to the wall of the sink. Regardless, you adjust. If I switch between something around 200mm to something at 240+ it takes a few minutes, maybe sometimes a few sessions on the board to get back into the swing of things.

By no means does that mean you should not get more 210s btw. Just sharing my experience. I like knives of all sizes.  But I really like them at 200x50mm fwiw. (Give or take.)


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## Kristoffer

It seems sinks and faucets are frequent culprits... The same thing happened to a Masahiro MV-H 300 mm I found for cheap recently. Thankfully our faucet is made of far softer cheaper material than the knife and consequently took most of the damage.


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## Itsjun

My only Yoshikazu Tanaka's knife.
White2 Suji
So performance wise, very sharp and easy to sharpen.
But very prone to rust as well as patina.
I like his work on single bevel knives as well, like single beveled gyuto or sakimaru.


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## Barry's Knives

Itsjun said:


> My only Yoshikazu Tanaka's knife.
> White2 Suji
> So performance wise, very sharp and easy to sharpen.
> But very prone to rust as well as patina.
> I like his work on single bevel knives as well, like single beveled gyuto or sakimaru.
> View attachment 64390


Just out of curiosity, having never used one, what are single bevel gyutos good for? How are they for chopping etc.? Are they more fragile?


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## Corradobrit1

Barry's Knives said:


> Just out of curiosity, having never used one, what are single bevel gyutos good for? How are they for chopping etc.? Are they more fragile?


Don't think I've seen a single bevel Gyuto. Single bevels seem optimal for slicing, especially fish.


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## CiderBear

Corradobrit1 said:


> Don't think I've seen a single bevel Gyuto. Single bevels seem optimal for slicing, especially fish.


Yeah I didn't know they existed either, but Y Tanaka does make them 
https://www.razorsharp.com.sg/yoshikazu-tanaka.html


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## M1k3

Gyuto

https://japanesechefsknife.com/coll...an-hon-kasumi-series-blue-steel-no-2-wa-gyuto

Santoku

https://japanesechefsknife.com/coll...n-hon-kasumi-series-blue-steel-no-2-wasantoku


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## wind88

I’ve seenn a single bevel kitaeji western shig gyuto and I think it was a 300mm.


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## Itsjun

Barry's Knives said:


> Just out of curiosity, having never used one, what are single bevel gyutos good for? How are they for chopping etc.? Are they more fragile?





Corradobrit1 said:


> Don't think I've seen a single bevel Gyuto. Single bevels seem optimal for slicing, especially fish.



I never own one but I went down and had a feel holding them.
Given the general knowledge of single bevel, it's easier to sharpen and also stays sharper than double bevel. 

Mostly for slicing and small vegetables as well as herbs will do great.
I'm using my yanagiba single bevel as a butcher knife.


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## JBroida

I would urge you guys to consider that just because something has been done does not necessarily make it a good idea. It’s possible to order many things from craftsman, but it doesn’t necessarily mean that they have a functional purpose or any serious thought behind them other than the fact that someone ordered them. There is no significant history of this kind of knife in Japan, nor any kind of common use that you will see.


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## GorillaGrunt

I’m sure there’s someone for whom a “single bevel gyuto” might be the perfect knife for a particular task or set thereof, but I think the name is the problematic part: a gyuto is an all purpose knife and a single bevel gyuto is not interchangeably so, while presumably also being too thin to be suitable as an ai deba or mioroshi deba.


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## Matus

Jon, I think the 'single bevel' Shig guto mentioned was actually not single bevel, just forged as ni-mai, but ground as a double bevel knife. I think this is the knife in question (at least id does not look like it has a single bevel grind):
https://www.instagram.com/p/BzzRTjgnpvm/


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## Hz_zzzzzz

Anyone had experience with this one from Bernal?

http://bernal-cutlery.shoplightspeed.com/oul-240mm-wa-gyuto-shirogami-2-maple-octagon.html


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## dan

I’m also curious about OPs original question. I see one review on the knife in this thread but haven’t heard anything else. Has anyone else tried the Yoshikazu Tanaka at JNS? Those sleek Blue 1 Damascus 240s are already sold out!

In a related vein, are there any others knives like this one out there? This is a 55mm tall 240mm gyuto with a seemingly laser profile, right? The other knives I found by Y. Tanaka all seem shorter, or wide bevel... I haven’t seen another by him like this combination.


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## Hz_zzzzzz

dan said:


> I’m also curious about OPs original question. I see one review on the knife in this thread but haven’t heard anything else. Has anyone else tried the Yoshikazu Tanaka at JNS? Those sleek Blue 1 Damascus 240s are already sold out!
> 
> In a related vein, are there any others knives like this one out there? This is a 55mm tall 240mm gyuto with a seemingly laser profile, right? The other knives I found by Y. Tanaka all seem shorter, or wide bevel... I haven’t seen another by him like this combination.


I bought the blue 1 Damascus from JNS. Unfortunately it arrived with a broken tip so I haven’t tried it yet. The profile looks promising, although the edge length is a little bit shorter than I expected. The heel to tip length of this one is about 5 mm shorter than my kono fuji.


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## Matus

Based on JNS website it should be 220 heel-to-tip. Was it even shorter than that?


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## Hz_zzzzzz

Matus said:


> Based on JNS website it should be 220 heel-to-tip. Was it even shorter than that?


No, it is indeed 220. I just didn’t read that part before buying. I simply assumed it would be a typical Sakai 240. Not saying there’s anything wrong with the knife though.


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## Corradobrit1

dan said:


> I’m also curious about OPs original question. I see one review on the knife in this thread but haven’t heard anything else. Has anyone else tried the Yoshikazu Tanaka at JNS? Those sleek Blue 1 Damascus 240s are already sold out!
> 
> In a related vein, are there any others knives like this one out there? This is a 55mm tall 240mm gyuto with a seemingly laser profile, right? The other knives I found by Y. Tanaka all seem shorter, or wide bevel... I haven’t seen another by him like this combination.


https://www.kitchenknifeforums.com/threads/show-your-newest-knife-buy.7655/page-498#post-655874


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## dan

@Corradobrit1 Thanks for the drop on the new knife buy thread!! Good to know some of them are in the community so I'm hoping to hear more about them.

@Hz_zzzzzz What's the plan with a broken tip? I haven't had such an experience before... Sorry to hear that it happened.


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## jimmy_d

I just got the white 1 240mm, and so far I'm loving it! It is wicked thin behind the edge and I am really enjoying the tall profile. It took a nice edge really quickly and has flown through everything so far. Haven't cut potatoes yet, so I can't comment on the stiction too much yet.


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## Hz_zzzzzz

dan said:


> @Hz_zzzzzz What's the plan with a broken tip? I haven't had such an experience before... Sorry to hear that it happened.


It is also my first time receiving a knife with a broken tip......sadly......after about 25 online knife orders (not a lot I know). The knife does look very nice at the first glance though. Even the supposedly not so good JNS handle feels very good in the hand. I've shoot Maxim an email to see what he suggests.


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## IsoJ

240 blue#1 damascus online at JNS at the moment


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## dan

jimmy_d said:


> I just got the white 1 240mm, and so far I'm loving it! It is wicked thin behind the edge and I am really enjoying the tall profile. It took a nice edge really quickly and has flown through everything so far. Haven't cut potatoes yet, so I can't comment on the stiction too much yet.



I can recognize a fellow Masshole a mile away, _wicked _obvious. Are you using this at home or professional kitchen? Any follow-on thoughts? Seems like everyone has said only good things so far.


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## jimmy_d

dan said:


> I can recognize a fellow Masshole a mile away, _wicked _obvious. Are you using this at home or professional kitchen? Any follow-on thoughts? Seems like everyone has said only good things so far.


Haha! Yup guilty as charged. Mass transplant in Seattle? Used to live out on the Olympic peninsula. Love the northwest, but nothing beats home! I'm just a home cook, but I've put it to use almost every day since I got it. It is still pretty new so I can't comment much more than what I wrote in that post. I can't predict having anything really negative to say about it though!


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## dan

jimmy_d said:


> Haha! Yup guilty as charged. Mass transplant in Seattle? Used to live out on the Olympic peninsula. Love the northwest, but nothing beats home! I'm just a home cook, but I've put it to use almost every day since I got it. It is still pretty new so I can't comment much more than what I wrote in that post. I can't predict having anything really negative to say about it though!



Yep, I grew up in MA and lived there until mid-20s. Moved to Seattle for grad school, which I'm still working on. Glad to hear you've been enjoying it... if this thread dies, I'll probably try to resurrect this thread in a few weeks to get more feedback! Is there anything you'd compare this knife to?


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## ian

This is a wicked good conversation.


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## olivers

I grabbed a 240mm blue #1 from JNS at the end of the Black Friday sale, I just used it this weekend, I really like it. The blade is very thin behind the edge and it’s a pretty tall knife, it flys through onions and softer items, there was a little more sticking than I’d like though in carrots. It arrived completely blunt but sharpened up really easily.

The length and profile are as expected short and tall with a decent flat spot. If I wanted a 240mm knife I’d be disappointed (but I wasn’t) I’m only a home cook so it’s quite nice in my small kitchen but big enough to take in most tasks. 

The fit and finish of the handle was a bit rough so I gave it a sand and polish with some some oil and beeswax and added a bit more wax around the tang but now it looks very much more in keeping with the rest of the knife. The finish on the blade is beautiful and rounded in all the right places (though only slightly on the spine). 

Mine also arrived with a tiny bit of damage to the tip, literally the last fraction of a mm of the point was missing - I suspect from shipping. It’s so small it wasn’t worth complaining about (some might even have not noticed) and only took a minute to fix.

All in all I think it’s a fantastic knife which compliments my other Toyama gyutos well as a more lasery option. I also prefer the geometry to my blue #1 Kagekiyo, I’m still not sure about wide bevels..

Being sold by JNS also means as a UK buyer I don’t get hit with massive import tax compared to other similar knives from hitohira / konosuke etc.


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## dan

I'm excited for the good reviews but maybe I shouldn't propagate hype


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## jacko9

HRC_64 said:


> Yeah I think they are copying Konosuke in some regard here, maybe even more the FT laser/grind than the FM.
> 
> JNS profile actually looks better than Kono (IMHO) but profiles are always subjective.
> 
> Keep in mind also it's really hard to duplicate a 51 profile with 55 heel height because of the trigonomerty.



I have the Kono Fujiyama FT grind in a 240mm Gyuto and I love how it cuts. Konosuke is not using the FT sharpener any longer so these Tanaka's look appealing.

While I'm sitting here agonizing about an e-mail I just got from JNS announcing a 15% discount on Tanaka's - dang i don't need a new knife but - they look pretty nice in B#1


----------



## Hz_zzzzzz

olivers said:


> The blade is very thin behind the edge and it’s a pretty tall knife, it flys through onions and softer items, there was a little more sticking than I’d like though in carrots.


I have exactly same feeling about my 240 Tanaka blue 1 from JNS. And almost everything else you said. Very good review.


----------



## M1k3

15% off Tanaka at JNS.


----------



## Matus

M1k3 said:


> 15% off Tanaka at JNS.



... right when I want to put mine 240 white2 for sale ... (but I will miss it)


----------



## M1k3

Matus said:


> ... right when I want to put mine 240 white2 for sale ... (but I will miss it)



Thanks @maxim !


----------



## Matus

M1k3 said:


> Thanks @maxim !



I am going to ban you for 30 minutes


----------



## M1k3

Matus said:


> I am going to ban you for 30 minutes


----------



## jacko9

JNS is offering a 240 white 1 at a pretty reasonable price but - dang I want that 240 Blue 1 I just don't know if it's worth it to pay for an iron clad Damascus? What do you all think?


----------



## jacko9

CiderBear said:


> That's alright! I stabbed the sink with my 240mm Wat yesterday, so I finally admitted to myself that maybe a 205mm knife would be good.



I've done that with a few of my knives and I decided that I need a bigger sink!


----------



## Receiver52

Have the 210 blue 1 dammy knife and at present it is my favourite. Very thin behind the edge, glides through carrots and stiction not bad.


----------



## labor of love

The 270mm Tanaka suji would be the one I grab.
$283. What a deal.


----------



## jacko9

labor of love said:


> The 270mm Tanaka suji would be the one I grab.



That looks interesting but I picked up a Kagekiyo Sujihiki from Jon at JKI a while back. I also picked up a Konosuke Fujiyama 210 W2 Petty that is my "short slicer".


----------



## labor of love

Well you might need to start thinking about owning multiple sujis


----------



## jacko9

labor of love said:


> Well you might need to start thinking about owning multiple sujis



That 240 B#1 Tanaka Gyuto at JNS to calling to me but, I already have a knife on order at Watanabe and just picked up that Shigefusa Santuko at JNS a few week back so - I need to proceed with "caution" while my wife get's over my spending spree ;-)


----------



## bahamaroot

I'd pick up a B#1 if I could get it in kasumi and didn't have to pay the upcharge for Damascus.


----------



## nwshull

I see these are on sale. How do they compare to his other maker grinds. I have a tsubaya 240 gyuto and a Fujiyama mukimono. Steels fantastic. How's the feel? The Tsubaya has some variation, my dad and I bought the same knife at the same time, when I used his, it was thicker than mine more height and better separation, but less surgical than mine. 

My current two are Blue 1s. I really love the look of the Damascus, but is the W1 worth checking out at this price instead?


----------



## jacko9

bahamaroot said:


> I'd pick up a B#1 if I could get it in kasumi and didn't have to pay the upcharge for Damascus.



I feel the same way since for me the Damascus is only for appearances. The kasumi gluts he's offering are in W#1 and I'm looking for a blue paper steel knife.


----------



## labor of love

The impression I get is that the Maxim Tanakas have thinner spines and overall lighter weight than other tanakas.


----------



## jacko9

It's been implied that they are like the Konosuke Fujiyama FT knives and I love the one I picked up a few months back. I have heavier knives in T-F and Kato Workhorse so a thinner knife is welcome for most tasks in my home kitchen.


----------



## jacko9

85mm pairing knife that I came across while looking for a Blue #1 Gyuto;

https://hitohira-japan.com/products/dea-100-aa85?_pos=13&_sid=9cf4a9f96&_ss=r&variant=8332417400885


----------



## Receiver52

My 210 blue 1 Tanaka is 3,2 and 1 at the heel, half way and close to the tip respectively. Very thin. Weighs 133 grams with a ho handle. It fills my need for a light knife for delicate tasks.

Got it on sale the last time Maxim had a sale.


----------



## jacko9

Receiver52 said:


> My 210 blue 1 Tanaka is 3,2 and 1 at the heel, half way and close to the tip respectively. Very thin. Weighs 133 grams with a ho handle. It fills my need for a light knife for delicate tasks.
> 
> Got it on sale the last time Maxim had a sale.



Is your 210 a Damascus version? If the Tanaka is anything like my Konosuke Fujiyama FT I'm interested.


----------



## Receiver52

Yes it is the Damascus


----------



## jacko9

Receiver52 said:


> Yes it is the Damascus



Nice now I'm running out of excuses except the one where my wife will stab me with it if I buy a third knife this month ;-)


----------



## Receiver52

I feel your pain. I have 2 customs rolling up soon. I can justify one as a birthday present to myself. The other one is gonna be a problem.


----------



## jacko9

Well I casually mentioned to my wife buying a Watanabe Pro for our granddaughter and that Shigefusa was just too good to pass up - so you see where this is leading ;-) But dang I have been wanting a B#1 Gyuto for so long (I have two B#2's). My wife wants me to make sure that I inventory everything in case I get hit by a bus or something! I hate the thought of my collection going at a garage sale for $10 each ;-(


----------



## TSF415

jacko9 said:


> Well I casually mentioned to my wife buying a Watanabe Pro for our granddaughter and that Shigefusa was just too good to pass up - so you see where this is leading ;-) But dang I have been wanting a B#1 Gyuto for so long (I have two B#2's). My wife wants me to make sure that I inventory everything in case I get hit by a bus or something! I hate the thought of my collection going at a garage sale for $10 each ;-(


Just have your wife become a member on here so she’ll know how much all your knives are worth...... actually wait a minute that might not be a good idea. Lol. Just write down the values and seal them in an envelope titled. “Only open this if i’m ever hit by a bus”


----------



## Receiver52

Funny, I was just looking at a Wat Pro Nakiri on Sin’s site. Any drugs I can take to cure this disease?

Think I’ll go back to looking at sports cars again. Easier to say no.


----------



## Chicagohawkie

Jacko,
I’d pick one of the Damascus versions up for the price that JNS has them on sale for. If you A and B these with a new kono blue 1 Damascus you will see the Damascus pattern is identical. Most likely the only difference is sharpener.


----------



## M1k3

jacko9 said:


> Nice now I'm running out of excuses except the one where my wife will stab me with it if I buy a third knife this month ;-)



Just wait until the 1st to show her.


----------



## LuvDog

This thread keeps tempting me... but I told myself that I don't really want the damascus


----------



## jacko9

I know what you mean and I just got an email that my new knife from Watanabe is being shipped - talk about timing!


----------



## jacko9

Receiver52 said:


> Funny, I was just looking at a Wat Pro Nakiri on Sin’s site. Any drugs I can take to cure this disease?
> 
> Think I’ll go back to looking at sports cars again. Easier to say no.



I bought a Wat Pro Nakiri Dec. 2018 and then ordered another for my granddaughter in Dec. 2019 and they both are excellent. I just bought her a KU Pro Gyuto with rosewood handle and matching saya for her 21st birthday.


----------



## jacko9

Chicagohawkie said:


> Jacko,
> I’d pick one of the Damascus versions up for the price that JNS has them on sale for. If you A and B these with a new kono blue 1 Damascus you will see the Damascus pattern is identical. Most likely the only difference is sharpener.



Looks like I need to start a "selling job" on the wife - it's a good thing we have been married 54 years and she knows me so well she'll get whatever she wants in return!


----------



## M1k3

LuvDog said:


> This thread keeps tempting me... but I told myself that I don't really want the damascus



Why? Do you already have one?


----------



## Matus

Had the blue have been available when I got my white, I would have bought it. Love how it looks, love how the white cuts (and they appear to have pretty much the same geometry). But sadly I am out of budget (and out of need, to be honest, got a WH and Mune honyaki rather recently, apparently we can't have it all).


----------



## jacko9

LOL dam that "out of need was surpassed quite a while ago" I'm operating on want and have to avoid the wife's anger if i get too carried away!

Can anybody give me an idea of the performance (if any) between the B#1 and B#2? I have two Kono Fuji B#2 blades and love them but I'm curious about the B#1


----------



## Steel+Fire

I was looking at the Y. Tanaka damy blades for a while. I know it is just cosmetic but I wanted one. Anyhow the sale caused me to break down and grab one. I already have a Kono FT 240 in Shiro #2 so when I get this I will use it for a few days and post some thoughts and comparisons. I have a FM in Aogami 2 as well.

Also, I can't measure it but I should be able to tell you if the description on the site is accurate. Looks to me like it was a cut and paste job and may be reflective of the regular Shiro 2 blades also for sale there. I am actually hoping it is in fact 55mm tall.


----------



## Steel+Fire

So I received the damy 240mm gyuto today from JNS. It is more similar to the FM than the FT I own. It is beautiful but there is no question to me that Konosuke puts more time in on fit and finish. Little things like beveled edges on the spine on the Fuji series that are not present on this Y. Tanaka blade. Just goes to show the difference from who is finishing the knives I guess. It is tall like I was hoping, spine is as thick as my FM and it seems to have a similar grind. I will use it for the next couple days provide more info when I know how it actually performs. It is a stunning knife. The handle is pretty vanilla though so I may replace it down the road.

As far as dealing with JNS. No issues. I ordered it on Saturday and it arrived to the other side of the world in under 5 days days, thanks DHL. No customs issues. Knife was packed very well and in perfect condition with a nice coat of oil. My first purchase form JNS and it went perfectly so kudos on that.


----------



## Steel+Fire

Some folks may be interested in some observations from using the dammy 240mm from JNS. First as stated previously it is a solid middle weight knife. Think of it as a 5mm taller Fujiyama FM. The grind is nice and high so the knife is thin behind the edge but also has a pretty substantial spine. It obviously is gorgeous and even though the handle is plain it is quite well made. This is my first knife with a D shaped handle and thus far I like it. The whole package is rock solid.

I have used it for several meals. I like the height and in fact was looking at the Tanaka knives from JNS specifically because of the height. It is a short 240mm and is really probably closer to a 225mm. My 240mm Kono FM is about half 5mm longer. The spine is a bit wider than my FM as well.

I used it with the edge it came with which was good. I then ran it from a 400 grit to a 5k Rika and finished de-buring it on a loaded strop and then a felt block. It was nasty sharp after that. Steel was so nice on the stones. Raised a bur quick on the 400 and 1000 grits.

Next meal I cooked I used it again. Made Danzo's Tanjiru from the recipe subforum. It blew through all the roots, only made a slight crack on the largest carrot. Very nice all around. Enough concave shape to the blade sides that they shed tall product. I really like the versatility of the blade as it rocks, pulls and pushes well. Reactivity has not been all that bad. So far I have really enjoyed it.


----------



## dan

FWIW I recall some people talking about a 270mm and it seems like Maxim put up some of the damascus Blue 1s:

https://www.japanesenaturalstones.com/tanaka-yoshikazu-gyuto-270mm-blue-1-dama/


----------



## adrianopedro

Sorry guys, wrong thread


----------



## labor of love

dan said:


> FWIW I recall some people talking about a 270mm and it seems like Maxim put up some of the damascus Blue 1s:
> 
> https://www.japanesenaturalstones.com/tanaka-yoshikazu-gyuto-270mm-blue-1-dama/


Looks awesome


----------



## CiderBear

I really, really like Tanaka's heat treatment of Blue #1. My Tsubaya Tanaka is my favorite knife to have sharpened, with the 220mm Watanabe nakiri in Blue #2 being a close second.


----------



## labor of love

Yeah 270mm Y Tanaka Aren’t easy to find. Very tempting.


----------



## jacko9

CiderBear said:


> I really, really like Tanaka's heat treatment of Blue #1. My Tsubaya Tanaka is my favorite knife to have sharpened, with the 220mm Watanabe nakiri in Blue #2 being a close second.



Do you find the Wat. to be a thicker knife? The Tanaka seemed to be very thin and light weight comparable to my Konosuke FT Fujiyama. If I get a Wat I want one a bit heftier than my FT Fuji.


----------



## CiderBear

jacko9 said:


> Do you find the Wat. to be a thicker knife? The Tanaka seemed to be very thin and light weight comparable to my Konosuke FT Fujiyama. If I get a Wat I want one a bit heftier than my FT Fuji.


I honestly don't obsess over thickness and weight, as long at the knife feels right


----------



## jacko9

CiderBear said:


> I honestly don't obsess over thickness and weight, as long at the knife feels right



I love the feel of the Fuji and it cuts very nicely but, it does seem to flex a little too much and while I don't want another heavy monster like my T-F Nashiji I would like one just a little heftier.


----------



## IsoJ

labor of love said:


> Yeah 270mm Y Tanaka Aren’t easy to find. Very tempting.


Yeah very tempting...Only downsize is the pricetag with the damascus. Hitohira had kurouchi ones but seems to be out of stock for quite some time.


----------



## Hz_zzzzzz

I won’t compare the Hirohira ones to the JNS ones as they have very different grind. The JNS Tanaka is extremely thin behind the edge and has a very generous thin area above the edge. It is almost a laser with a stiff spine. Very impressive.


----------



## IsoJ

Hz_zzzzzz said:


> I won’t compare the Hirohira ones to the JNS ones as they have very different grind. The JNS Tanaka is extremely thin behind the edge and has a very generous thin area above the edge. It is almost a laser with a stiff spine. Very impressive.


Thank you for the info and clarifying the differences. I have definitly Y.Tanaka 270 gyuto at my list for knives to try.


----------



## _THS_

labor of love said:


> I would love to find this Tanaka
> 
> https://hitohira-japan.com/collections/tanaka-blue-1/products/dea-070-fa270?variant=8442979287093


I have one, it gets very ugly pretty quickly, but it performs super ngl


----------



## labor of love

_THS_ said:


> I have one, it gets very ugly pretty quickly, but it performs super ngl


It seems like an answer to so many “which knife should I buy” threads.


----------



## dan

Are you saying ugly knife = best knife? I think I've seen one made from a metal file somewhere


----------



## labor of love

Oh I mean like “I’m looking for a thin lasery knife that’s tall with great heat treat”
Maybe not. Just thinking out loud.

At $717 for the 270mm Tanaka, I do feel hesitation.
Good knife to target for maxims next store sale.


----------



## M1k3

labor of love said:


> Oh I mean like “I’m looking for a thin lasery knife that’s tall with great heat treat”
> Maybe not. Just thinking out loud.
> 
> At $717 for the 270mm Tanaka, I do feel hesitation.
> Good knife to target for maxims next store sale.



Let @CiderBear buy it. Then you'll get a lefty.


----------



## jacko9

labor of love said:


> Oh I mean like “I’m looking for a thin lasery knife that’s tall with great heat treat”
> Maybe not. Just thinking out loud.
> 
> At $717 for the 270mm Tanaka, I do feel hesitation.
> Good knife to target for maxims next store sale.



I kept looking at that knife when he had the 15% introductory sale - it was keeping me awake at night! I don't need another knife but, that is such a great blade!


----------



## labor of love

jacko9 said:


> I kept looking at that knife when he had the 15% introductory sale - it was keeping me awake at night! I don't need another knife but, that is such a great blade!


Oh he did an introductory sale on the 270mm gyuto? I missed that! 
Would be lovely if he could get a wh1 270mm


----------



## jacko9

labor of love said:


> Oh he did an introductory sale on the 270mm gyuto? I missed that!
> Would be lovely if he could get a wh1 270mm



He did a three day 15% off sale because he stated that "he wanted to encourage people to try them out and review them". I agonized for three day right up to the end wanting to buy one but, I had just received a Watanabe Gyuto that I ordered that week and buying at that time might have gotten the wife a little disturbed ;-)


----------



## Orange Yolks

Exact same thing happened to me. Even asked the Mrs. I was looking hard at the 240mm before his email, but then it was real, real tough, but I had literally just bought a knife... and then when I broke and was going to buy it and not say anything they were sold out, so that took care of that. 

All the same, I love hearing opinions from folks with them above. My only gripe with my ginga is I wish it was taller. I’m tall and my countertops are bafflingly low, like can’t put a dishwasher in low, like fisher price low.


----------



## ian

Orange Yolks said:


> I’m tall and my countertops are bafflingly low, like can’t put a dishwasher in low, like fisher price low.



Ouch, that’s tough. Guess you better start a knife suggestion thread for a knife with a 1 ft heel height, if you want to make up for that.


----------



## Hz_zzzzzz

I would attach feet to my cutting board if my countertop is too low. Just my 2 cents


----------



## Orange Yolks

I was checking my email when Maxims went out and I must’ve stared at that Blue custom for 5 min taking my wallet out, putting it away, taking it out, no no, you just bought a knife yesterday, put it away... ugh, wonder how long I’ll regret that.


----------



## jacko9

I hesitated then put it in my cart - too late it was gone!


----------



## Orange Yolks

I have an aogami gyuto and had wanted that Tanaka 240 in shirogami, I’m gonna cling on to that. Patience, it’s ok, there will be another...


----------



## labor of love

Did the blue 1 Tanaka 270 gyuto sell out?


----------



## Orange Yolks

That one wasn’t up on the sale page, so at the moment it’s retail, but who knows in the coming week.


----------



## labor of love

Ah okay. I see it.


----------



## dan

That 270mm Blue Dama back on sale

https://www.japanesenaturalstones.com/tanaka-yoshikazu-gyuto-270mm-blue-1-dama/


----------



## Corradobrit1

dan said:


> That 270mm Blue Dama back on sale
> 
> https://www.japanesenaturalstones.com/tanaka-yoshikazu-gyuto-270mm-blue-1-dama/


Been on sale all day. Prob won't be reduced tomorrow if you are on the fence


----------



## Orange Yolks

Corradobrit1 said:


> Been on sale all day. Prob won't be reduced tomorrow if you are on the fence



I’ve been looking at it. At $540 still seems a bit steep though, no? I don’t place a premium on Damascus, lengths great, dunno, just can’t seem to justify the price tag. Not for a lack any of wanting to


----------



## labor of love

Yeah, it’s a tough call. I’m not sure I’d like the tip shape. Sometimes it’s really hard to tell with photos.


----------



## panda

Don't think I could ever spend over 400 for a laser


----------



## sumofruit

turbochef422 said:


> I bought this one a few months ago. White 2. Very similar to the konosuke FT. Even the clad line which you can’t see in the picture. Cuts like a dream. Definitely a laser. I think it was $235View attachment 62115


@turbochef422 that's a beauty. What size is that?


----------



## Steel+Fire

panda said:


> Don't think I could ever spend over 400 for a laser


Blue #1 Dammy is not a laser. I have the 240mm. Spine is over 3mm and it has a nice amount of convex. Due to the height and the grind it is very thin behind the edge but it is a middle weight solid performer. Tall heel and short of its listed length. The 270mm is probably more like a 250-255mm.


----------



## ared715

Hz_zzzzzz said:


> Anyone had experience with this one from Bernal?
> 
> http://bernal-cutlery.shoplightspeed.com/oul-240mm-wa-gyuto-shirogami-2-maple-octagon.html



Just ordered one today. Will let you know when it arrives!


----------



## MrHiggins

I picked up the Tanaka W1 210 gyuto from the JNS April sale today. It was a mix of curiosity, a good discount, and boredom that drove me to it.


----------



## MrHiggins

Anyone know the hardness of the white 1 versions?


----------



## jacko9

Tanaka 270 Damascus Blue #1 on sale at JNS April sale site for those who missed it the first time!


----------



## MrHiggins

I bought the 210 white 1 when it was on sale last week. I can't give a full review since I've only had it for a few hours, but I do have some thoughts:

The good: The profile is probably the best I've experienced. It feels very good on the board. The grind is awesome, too. Zero grind on the left side, lightly convexed on the right. It's a laser, though, so food release is basically nonexistent. Bottom line is that it's a very comfortable, natural feeling knife to use. 

The bad: It chips. All the time. No matter what. I chipped it cutting the stem off a garlic clove. OK, that can totally happen, no big deal. I wanted to test it on the stones anyway, so I worked out the chip, only to have it chip again while I deburred by passing it through some cork (now that's new!). After I was done sharpening, I test cut a carrot, and the blade became filled with microchips. 

I'm hoping that things will stabilize (I have a Tanaka in Blue #1 that gave me early chipping problems but is now quite good). 

The whole experience has me wondering whether a brittle steel like White 1 is a good idea with such an insanely thin grind. Time will tell...


----------



## M1k3

Try a micro-bevel around 25°? Or more?


----------



## Carl Kotte

@MrHiggins Thanks for these first impressions. It looked like a very interesting and fun knife; now you’ve confirmed it (at least partly). Did you find out how hard it is? I hope the chipping goes away eventually


----------



## MrHiggins

Carl: no one ever answered my question about the hardness, but if hardness and brittlenesd are correlated, then I'd say its Rockwell number is way up there. Like all White steels, it was a pleasure to sharpen.

M1k3: I put a microbevel on the left side last night. I'll see if it works better. If not, I'll microbevel both sides.


----------



## Alwayzbakin

MrHiggins said:


> Carl: no one ever answered my question about the hardness, but if hardness and brittlenesd are correlated, then I'd say its Rockwell number is way up there. Like all White steels, it was a pleasure to sharpen.
> 
> M1k3: I put a microbevel on the left side last night. I'll see if it works better. If not, I'll microbevel both sides.



Omega wrote that Tanaka treats his white 1 to 65 in the Fuji’s, perhaps he would be doing the same heat treat on these?


----------



## Corradobrit1

These guys are not testing the hardness for each and every blade or even batch of blades. But I would guess Tanaka is aiming for 64-65. I hope the micro chipping clears up as the angle at the edge becomes less extreme. The edge instability can also be caused by the sharpener especially thin blade roads like these knives have, if overheated during the grinding process.


----------



## lechef

Strongly considering the 210 Deba, any more experiences with this maker? Actually if the general style is a blade thinner behind the edge might work great on a Deba(?) Maybe Maxim has a post holiday sale...


----------



## daveb

No experience with maker. But. 210 is a lot of Deba. I use a 165 or 180 for good sized salmon and it's all I need. I've found it's easier to work with a deba that's small for the job than one that is big for the job.


----------



## Nagakin

I picked up a blue dammy 240 off BST and will buy a 270 once there's another JNS sale. 

Steel is tough and survived an old, dry stack of lemongrass about a dozen thick and portioning a chicken without chipping. Still sharp after a few weeks of home use. I leave it laying around forever without a wipe all the time. Food release is better than the grind suggests. Nothing but praise on my end.


----------



## lechef

daveb said:


> No experience with maker. But. 210 is a lot of Deba. I use a 165 or 180 for good sized salmon and it's all I need. I've found it's easier to work with a deba that's small for the job than one that is big for the job.


Have been using 180 last years. What you say does make a lot of sense. 
My thought pattern is that it will make the cleaning part of the filet easier after its off the bone, because you have a longer blade. The butchering part I am a bit more curious/worried about, and think the 180 is easier to handle in that regard...


----------



## daveb

Have you considered a 210 Mioroshi?


----------



## lechef

Yes that is an intriguing knife. Honestly have not found other good places to find Japanese knives in the EU than JNS apart from BST, always stuck with Maxim. Buying from US or Japan is too much of a hassle with toll offices and taxes, but if someone knows about good EU sources I´d be all ear.


----------



## Jville

Nagakin said:


> I picked up a blue dammy 240 off BST and will buy a 270 once there's another JNS sale.
> 
> Steel is tough and survived an old, dry stack of lemongrass about a dozen thick and portioning a chicken without chipping. Still sharp after a few weeks of home use. I leave it laying around forever without a wipe all the time. Food release is better than the grind suggests. Nothing but praise on my end.


That's impressive and ballsy going at deboning chicken with a nice thin, thin at the edge dammy 240. Those dammys have been quite tempting


----------



## Nagakin

Jville said:


> That's impressive and ballsy going at deboning chicken with a nice thin, thin at the edge dammy 240. Those dammys have been quite tempting


tbh the lemongrass was scarier. That and crispy, day old bacon are my favorite ways to test an edge. I would never use it for chicken at work though, too many outside variables.


----------



## M1k3

lechef said:


> Yes that is an intriguing knife. Honestly have not found other good places to find Japanese knives in the EU than JNS apart from BST, always stuck with Maxim. Buying from US or Japan is too much of a hassle with toll offices and taxes, but if someone knows about good EU sources I´d be all ear.


Check out CleanCut. Another good EU option.


----------



## MrHiggins

Jville said:


> That's impressive and ballsy going at deboning chicken with a nice thin, thin at the edge dammy 240. Those dammys have been quite tempting


Ballsy indeed! My White version was a chipping machine until I took off the stock edge. Even though I made a more stable edge, I'd still never take mine to lemongrass.


----------



## jacko9

There a lot of very good vendors lately, I just picked up a 240mm Shigefusa form Knifewears at an outstanding price. It seems that I keep finding great knives between JNS Tanaka sales!


----------



## gclgary

jacko9 said:


> There a lot of very good vendors lately, I just picked up a 240mm Shigefusa form Knifewears at an outstanding price. It seems that I keep finding great knives between JNS Tanaka sales!


wow, lucky you. I turned on every email notifications and never get a chance to actually purchase one. When was that?


----------



## jacko9

gclgary said:


> wow, lucky you. I turned on every email notifications and never get a chance to actually purchase one. When was that?


Perhaps I was lucky being at the keyboard at the right time. It was 6/23 and since I get up a lot at night (old guy issues) I stumbled on to both a 240 and a 270 Shigefusa at JNS two weeks ago. I was a little surprised that the JNS price on the 240 was almost $180 more than Knifewear. I didn't need a second 240 and the 270 at over $1000 was too much for me.


----------



## JayS20

lechef said:


> Yes that is an intriguing knife. Honestly have not found other good places to find Japanese knives in the EU than JNS apart from BST, always stuck with Maxim. Buying from US or Japan is too much of a hassle with toll offices and taxes, but if someone knows about good EU sources I´d be all ear.


Apart from JNS and Cleancut there is also meesterslijpers.nl and hamono.nl, japan-messer-shop.de who have some intersting and well priced stuff. There is also japanische-kochmesser.ch in Switzerland but unless you are in Switzerland , know someone there or take a journey, not really cheap since you also have to pay Vat and duties. Cuttingedgeknives.co.uk and kitchenprovisions sometimes has interesting stuff too.


----------



## Rom

jacko9 said:


> Perhaps I was lucky being at the keyboard at the right time. It was 6/23 and since I get up a lot at night (old guy issues) I stumbled on to both a 240 and a 270 Shigefusa at JNS two weeks ago. I was a little surprised that the JNS price on the 240 was almost $180 more than Knifewear. I didn't need a second 240 and the 270 at over $1000 was too much for me.


How much did the 240 Shig cost you if you don’t mind me asking?


----------



## jacko9

Going off topic here a bit.


----------



## jacko9

Rom said:


> How much did the 240 Shig cost you if you don’t mind me asking?











Shigefusa Kasumi Gyuto 240mm


About the Shape - Inspired by the profile of a traditional European chef knife, Gyutos are a multi-purpose knife with a slight meat cutting bias. “Gyuto” translates to “cow sword.” If you want one knife to do it all, This is it. Starting at 180mm, Gyutos can reach the ridiculously long (and...




knifewear.com


----------



## josemartinlopez

Going back to the original post, anyone have an idea how the JNS Y Tanakas sharpened by Mitimoto Nakazima compare to the Y Tanakas retailed by Sakai Kikumori and other domestic retailers in Japan sharpened by one of the master (dentokougeishi) sharpeners in Sakai? For example, the Y Tanakas carried by Knifewear are sharpened by Ajioka, who is a dentokougeishi. (I understand that dentokougeishi can but does not necessarily mean a sharpener is more skillful than everyone else in Sakai but it's a data point.)


----------



## labor of love

josemartinlopez said:


> Going back to the original post, anyone have an idea how the JNS Y Tanakas sharpened by Mitimoto Nakazima compare to the Y Tanakas retailed by Sakai Kikumori and other domestic retailers in Japan sharpened by one of the master (dentokougeishi) sharpeners in Sakai? For example, the Y Tanakas carried by Knifewear are sharpened by Ajioka, who is a dentokougeishi. (I understand that dentokougeishi can but does not necessarily mean a sharpener is more skillful than everyone else in Sakai but it's a data point.)


Classic Jose posting. Love it. 
I’d stay away from the JNS Tanakas, the grind doesn’t seem to have much character (sorry). I hear people like them.

Tanaka Yohei really activated my almonds, but some other folks think their meh.
Also Takada no Hamono w Tanaka forging.
Curious about those Tanaka Sakai Kikumoris also.


----------



## josemartinlopez

The Yohei is great but a bit different not being a wide bevel unlike others being discussed right?


----------



## labor of love

josemartinlopez said:


> The Yohei is great but a bit different not being a wide bevel unlike others being discussed right?


Oh...well yeah...but JNS Tanaka isn’t wide bevel either is it?


----------



## spaceconvoy

Seconded. I would stay very far away from JNS Tanaka knives. There's a reason he's closing out his stock of them. This 160 petty I bought has two holes in the edge. Completely worthless junk.


----------



## labor of love

Not surprised at all. I have my own horror stories.


----------



## josemartinlopez

labor of love said:


> Oh...well yeah...but JNS Tanaka isn’t wide bevel either is it?


Apologies I mixed this up with something else then.


----------



## Matus

@spaceconvoy - that does not look nice. Did you try to return it? I have a 240 gyuto in white #1 and the knife does not have any apparent issues (the sharpening bevel has even width).


----------



## spaceconvoy

Unfortunately I didn't notice this issue for over three months. It's a long story involving a leak that developed in my apartment shortly before it was scheduled to be demolished, compounded by other problems. I lost it among boxes that were haphazardly packed by friends, and just found it this past week. I'll try shooting him an email anyway.


----------



## Matus

labor of love said:


> Not surprised at all. I have my own horror stories.


This would be the right thread to share.


----------



## labor of love

Matus said:


> This would be the right thread to share.


Well my story has to do w too good to be true Maxim discounted prices on gyutos (not Tanaka but shiraki). 
Grind was a total mess.


----------



## Matus

Do you mean the Jikko Honyaki?


----------



## labor of love

Yes.


----------



## Matus

labor of love said:


> Yes.


So unrelated in any way to Tanaka.


----------



## labor of love

Yes, unrelated to Tanaka. Which I already stated. 
But Maxim discounted knives are usually not a good idea.


----------



## Runner_up

@spaceconvoy wow that sucks. I hope Maksim makes you whole, as that knife should not have been sold in that condition. 

I was tempted by the close out Tanakas on his site but this turns me off.


----------



## nwshull

Isn't he continuing to sell the exact same grind Tanaka in Damascus Blue 1, for full price? I wouldn't think it'd be in his economic interest to let a bunch of really shoddy blades go if the Damascus inventory has the same sharpener. Could well be the case the white inventory just isn't moving as fast with the Damascus.


----------



## spaceconvoy

Just noticed he's out until the 12th - will have to wait and see


----------



## MrHiggins

I have a white #1 210 from JNS. The steel is chippy, that's for sure, but damn can it get sharp. I think the grind is great: it's THIN, but the food release is pretty good. I'm gentle with it, reserving it for precious cuts (like scalloped potatoes, ratatouille, etc...). Keep moving if you're looking for a workhorse. This is more a surgical tool. Also, the cladding is very reactive.


----------



## Hz_zzzzzz

My blue 1 dammy from JNS is not chippy I would say. Given how thin it is BTE I think it’s actually pretty tough. However, it also had slight overgrind issue near heel. I discovered the issue and fixed it during 1st sharpening. It was easy/quick to fix because it is so thin that there is no much steel to remove.


----------



## RockyBasel

Hz_zzzzzz said:


> My blue 1 dammy from JNS is not chippy I would say. Given how thin it is BTE I think it’s actually pretty tough. However, it also had slight overgrind issue near heel. I discovered the issue and fixed it during 1st sharpening. It was easy/quick to fix because it is so thin that there is no much steel to remove.



I got the 240 blue dammy Y Tanaka from JNS - about 205 gm. I love that knife - really well made, excellent steel - no sign of chipping. I ordered the 270 blue dammy as well last week because the 240 blue me away. Maksim said the knife is not in good shape, has some chips and damage, and he is sending me a brand new Y Tanaka one arriving next week- a much better one according to him


----------



## Receiver52

I have bought a Mazaki and 2 YTanakas from Maxim on sale. All 3 have been excellent with no grind issues. Altogether, I have 3 Tanakas including a W1 Konosuke, a blue 1 Damascus and another White 1. His steel is my favourite to sharpen as it has a feel on the stones that is hard to describe, perhaps buttery smooth that no other steel seems to replicate. I also have Raquins, Toyama, Watanabe, Morihei Hisamoto ( TF steel ) Yu Kurosaki and others. All have their respective strong points which is why I still own them but none feel as good on the stones as those Y Tanakas.


----------



## Mathias Z.

Went for the Tanaka 240 - Shirogami 1 / close out sale. I will keep you informed, as soon as I will get the knife. Hopefully Maxim closes them out for not moving fast enough, and that there are no other issues with the blade. Shouldn´t it be satisfying, I am gonna try to return the knife. A microbevel might be a good idea. I asked Maxim about the sharpener, but have not gotten an answer yet.


----------



## RockyBasel

Mathias Z. said:


> Went for the Tanaka 240 - Shirogami 1 / close out sale. I will keep you informed, as soon as I will get the knife. Hopefully Maxim closes them out for not moving fast enough, and that there are no other issues with the blade. Shouldn´t it be satisfying, I am gonna try to return the knife. A microbevel might be a good idea. I asked Maxim about the sharpener, but have not gotten an answer yet.


Those white Y Tanaka knives are an incredible deal right now at JNS. I was tempted, but already had ordered the blue Damascus 270


----------



## josemartinlopez

would there be any significant difference in buying the Y Tanaka in White #1 versus White #2 or other steels, or it's really a much smaller factor than people may think?


----------



## spaceconvoy

Common wisdom is the difference between two very similar steels like white 1 and 2 is minuscule compared to the variation in heat treatment among makers. White 2 with an incredible HT would be preferable to white 1 with a pretty good HT. Go with the better blacksmith instead of the 'better' steel.


----------



## Matus

JNS does not offer Tanaka in White#2. The blue#1 damascus clad is supposed to be the cooler/better steel. I would love to get one, but it is currently out of my range.


----------



## Mathias Z.

A much smaller factor i think. I always wanted to have a knife in Shirogami #1 - from the collectors point of view. I doubt that Shirogami #1 is the perfect match for gyutos, maybe more suitable for knifes where you treat the blade cautiously (Yanagiba etc. ) and where you don´t get hard contact on the cuttingboard. So Shirogami #2 might be the better choice for a gyuto. I already got the Munetoshi 240 in Shirogami #2 (stellar knife), so I could not resist to get a Tanaka at that price point. I have the Tanaka x Kyuzu blue #1 from Hitohira and I must say it is one of the finest edges I have. If Tanakas Shirogami #1 compares to his blue #1, all the better. The grind will be the big question. Never heard of the sharpener, don´t find anything about him on the web. It looks similar to the Hitohira "Yohei" in my opinion, but who knows for sure?


----------



## Jville

josemartinlopez said:


> would there be any significant difference in buying the Y Tanaka in White #1 versus White #2 or other steels, or it's really a much smaller factor than people may think?


You should already have a tanaka white #1, right?


----------



## QCDawg

Mathias Z. said:


> A much smaller factor i think. I always wanted to have a knife in Shirogami #1 - from the collectors point of view. I doubt that Shirogami #1 is the perfect match for gyutos, maybe more suitable for knifes where you treat the blade cautiously (Yanagiba etc. ) and where you don´t get hard contact on the cuttingboard. So Shirogami #2 might be the better choice for a gyuto. I already got the Munetoshi 240 in Shirogami #2 (stellar knife), so I could not resist to get a Tanaka at that price point. I have the Tanaka x Kyuzu blue #1 from Hitohira and I must say it is one of the finest edges I have. If Tanakas Shirogami #1 compares to his blue #1, all the better. The grind will be the big question. Never heard of the sharpener, don´t find anything about him on the web. It looks similar to the Hitohira "Yohei" in my opinion, but who knows for sure?


Tanaka’s B1 via “Takada no Hamono” is a BEAST


----------



## QCDawg

RockyBasel said:


> Those white Y Tanaka knives are an incredible deal right now at JNS. I was tempted, but already had ordered the blue Damascus 270


That last 160 petty is mine... hope it’s good


----------



## QCDawg

Mathias Z. said:


> Went for the Tanaka 240 - Shirogami 1 / close out sale. I will keep you informed, as soon as I will get the knife. Hopefully Maxim closes them out for not moving fast enough, and that there are no other issues with the blade. Shouldn´t it be satisfying, I am gonna try to return the knife. A microbevel might be a good idea. I asked Maxim about the sharpener, but have not gotten an answer yet.


The 160 petty is otw to me! They sure look great. (Had to order some nagura 2 get shipping )


----------



## RockyBasel

QCDawg said:


> Tanaka’s B1 via “Takada no Hamono” is a BEAST



Please expand...I have a takada no Hamono, white, from CKC, does not meet standard of “beast”


----------



## QCDawg

RockyBasel said:


> Please expand...I have a takada no Hamono, white, from CKC, does not meet standard of “beast”


Well.. cuts like a beast. Killer edge. 

Not heavy like a beast / workhorse.
Michael Jordan was a beast. So was Shaq. Feel me now, “beast standard bearer”?


----------



## RockyBasel

Ok - totally makes sense, when I hear “beast” I think heavy, WH, Watanabe, etc


----------



## QCDawg

RockyBasel said:


> Ok - totally makes sense, when I hear “beast” I think heavy, WH, Watanabe, etc



I have some of those too. I have Shaqs and Air 23’s. Keeps it fun around the cutting board.


----------



## labor of love

Tanaka can do no wrong. If there’s any flaw, it’s in the grind.


----------



## LucasFur

spaceconvoy said:


> Common wisdom is the difference between two very similar steels like white 1 and 2 is minuscule compared to the variation in heat treatment among makers. White 2 with an incredible HT would be preferable to white 1 with a pretty good HT. Go with the better blacksmith instead of the 'better' steel.


This is one thing that drives me nuts in the Industry.

Who makes a "Bad/pretty good" white 1 HT? 
Who does and "Incredible" white 2 HT. 
Its all sales and marketing talk. 
My experience is generally ... *you get what you pay for* 
There are some pieces that are over-valued (typically the hyped stuff) - and there is the under-valued (Generally what nobody bothers talking about) 

I havn't spend enough time grinding down Y. Tanaka's steels to give my impression admittedly. Can somebody take theirs down to a Zero grind and let us know how it holds up?


----------



## JDC

The grind seems to be a concave, if so it would be a world difference to a thin convex.


----------



## juice

labor of love said:


> Tanaka can do no wrong. If there’s any flaw, it in the grind.


So it's possible they CAN do some wrong?


----------



## Matus

Lucas, it is not that impossible. It does not take a scientific measurements to feel that, for example, Tanaka white#1 is much faster to sharpen than for example white#2 Munetoshi Honyaki. There is definitely difference in hardness and also edge holding.


----------



## QCDawg

Good luck finding



something wrong with this..


----------



## QCDawg

Oh.. Takada no Hamono 240 aogami.. fwiw


----------



## labor of love

Matus said:


> Lucas, it is not that impossible. It does not take a scientific measurements to feel that, for example, Tanaka white#1 is much faster to sharpen than for example white#2 Munetoshi Honyaki. There is definitely difference in hardness and also edge holding.


Tanaka wh1 seems pretty hard to me though.
Or atleast Yohei line is...I thought it was not full TF Maboroshi but very close...Munetoshi must be very hard stuff...


----------



## Matus

I must admit that I know little about different Y. Tanaka lines available from different vendors, so I guess there will be differences. The one from JNS feels ‘normal’ or as one could expect on stones. Honyaki Munetoshi feels very hard - makes me wonder how it can stay without microchipping - contrary to kurouchi Munetoshi (which is also harder than most)


----------



## LucasFur

Matus said:


> Tanaka white#1 is much faster to sharpen than for example white#2 Munetoshi Honyaki. There is definitely difference in hardness and also edge holding.


So this means tanaka white 1 is better for sharpening than munetoshi white 2 Honyaki? 
I know tanaka has an amazing reputation for high hardness. So is Tanaka’s HT “better than” even munetoshi’s Honyaki HT?
I’ll say right off the bat, I had a carter cutlery... and tanaka’s ht was way better. TF has mean even better HT (thoigh there are other issues) 
So bad HT ... who has a “bad HT” ... we all want high hardness/ ease of sharpening / non-chippy ... who’s brittle/ smudgy and soft? ... Maybe “Laguiole” .


----------



## M1k3

Tojiro Shirogami. Well, inconsistent..


----------



## JoBone

Here a view of a B1 dammy with Mitimoto Nakazima San as the finisher.


----------



## Hz_zzzzzz

I didn't find my Munetoshi KU white 2 very hard to be honest. I mean it’s not soft, but I thinned it and a zkramer 52100 down to zero bevel and Munetoshi KU felt softer than zkramer 52100. Among white 2 steel knives I tried, I think Mazaki Ku is also a little harder than Munetoshi Ku but not by much. The Munetoshi honyaki might be a different story though. And my Kono FM white 1 feels harder than both Munetoshi and Mazaki.

However, I do feel Watanabe blue 2 harder than my Tanaka blue 1. Am I crazy? Everyone is saying Tanaka San is pushing it to the limit like HRC of 64 or 65 for blue 1. I have a abs style damascus knife that was tested to be 64.5. It feels harder than any of knives mentioned above including Tanaka blue 1.


----------



## Jville

Hz_zzzzzz said:


> I didn't find my Munetoshi KU white 2 very hard to be honest. I mean it’s not soft, but I thinned it and a zkramer 52100 down to zero bevel and Munetoshi KU felt softer than zkramer 52100. Among white 2 steel knives I tried, I think Mazaki Ku is also a little harder than Munetoshi Ku but not by much. The Munetoshi honyaki might be a different story though. And my Kono FM white 1 feels harder than both Munetoshi and Mazaki.
> 
> However, I do feel Watanabe blue 2 harder than my Tanaka blue 1. Am I crazy? Everyone is saying Tanaka San is pushing it to the limit like HRC of 64 or 65 for blue 1. However, I have a abs style damascus knife that was tested to be 64.5. It feels harder than any of knives mentioned above including Tanaka blue 1.


Definitely not crazy imo. I can't think of any blue #2 that seems harder or better edge retention then toyama. I have a tanaka blue #2 FM, and although it seems pretty hard and great edge retention. It does not seem to outlast toyama. I suspect the tanaka will feel better on the stones.


----------



## Hz_zzzzzz

Speaking of soft steel, I have a Shibazi Chinese cleaver in 4cr steel which is super soft. It’s even softer than CCK carbon steel by quite a bit. I was able to thin it to nearly zero bevel in ~20 minutes on shapton glass 500.


----------



## labor of love

Yeah I dunno about crazy high hardness from Tanaka but it does feel harder than other things of similar nature from sakai. I still keep going back to Ikeda because evidently he and I shared the same tastes for sharpeners so whatever.


----------



## RockyBasel

juice said:


> So it's possible they CAN do some wrong?


----------



## Twigg

Jville said:


> Definitely not crazy imo. I can't think of any blue #2 that seems harder or better edge retention then toyama. I have a tanaka blue #2 FM, and although it seems pretty hard and great edge retention. It does not seem to outlast toyama. I suspect the tanaka will feel better on the stones.


Itsou Doi is great with Blue #2. I think it is every bit as good as what I experienced with Toyama.


----------



## nwshull

juice said:


> So it's possible they CAN do some wrong?



Tanaka's a Sakai smith. Grind, sharpening, handle fits, polishing are someone else's problem.


----------



## Jville

Twigg said:


> Itsou Doi is great with Blue #2. I think it is every bit as good as what I experienced with Toyama.


I cant argue that. I had one of his blue#2 for a little bit, and for the small time that i had the knife his blue #2 treatment seemed stellar!


----------



## turnips

QCDawg said:


> The 160 petty is otw to me! They sure look great. (Had to order some nagura 2 get shipping )


How did this turn out?


----------



## QCDawg

turnips said:


> How did this turn out?


It’s one of my favorites. And I looove mid to big petties. It has become my “go to“ raw meat portioning, silverskin removal etc. it’s better than the 160 KS petty, which is a legend for this work. It also rips shallots apart. The edge retention is weak...but if you blow on it... it comes right back


----------



## shinyunggyun

I finally got myself one of these blue #1 tanaka dammy 240mm gyuto from jns. This one is so far the best knife that I ever tried by yoshikazu tanaka. At the laserish level at least. I like it even better than my konosuke fujiyama fm.


----------



## Checkpure

Tanakas white 1 and blue steels are the best I’ve used so far. I can’t believe how long the edge retention is on my white 1 FMs.


----------



## QCDawg

shinyunggyun said:


> I finally got myself one of these blue #1 tanaka dammy 240mm gyuto from jns. This one is so far the best knife that I ever tried by yoshikazu tanaka. At the laserish level at least. I like it even better than my konosuke fujiyama fm.


I hear it’s the same knife as the $1300 Mizuno dammy


----------



## Jason183

I have 270mm Y Tanaka white 1 Sujihiki from JNS, the only full reactive carbon knife I kept, very very sharp, have that concave wide bevelish grind, you won’t notice the shinogi line until you sharpen, cuts better than Yanagiba I’ve used for sashimi. so far still my best slicer, but it’s very easy to chip cause it’s so thin and hard behind the edge.


----------



## RockyBasel

shinyunggyun said:


> I finally got myself one of these blue #1 tanaka dammy 240mm gyuto from jns. This one is so far the best knife that I ever tried by yoshikazu tanaka. At the laserish level at least. I like it even better than my konosuke fujiyama fm.


Now you are making me want to take the 270 JNS Tanaka off BST!


----------



## Receiver52

I also have the JNS Dammy, a Y Tanaka W1 and a Konosuke FM W1. The Blue 1 Dammy is my preference of the 3


----------



## shinyunggyun

RockyBasel said:


> Now you are making me want to take the 270 JNS Tanaka off BST!


You probably should. As far as thin, lightweight, sakai profile gyutos go, it really doesn't get much better than this.


----------



## shinyunggyun

Receiver52 said:


> I also have the JNS Dammy, a Y Tanaka W1 and a Konosuke FM W1. The Blue 1 Dammy is my preference of the 3


Is your tanaka white #1 the sakai OUL by any chance? I think we have the exact same setup.


----------



## RockyBasel

shinyunggyun said:


> You probably should. As far as thin, lightweight, sakai profile gyutos go, it really doesn't get much better than this.


Taking it off BST - you are right


----------



## Receiver52

shinyunggyun said:


> I finally got myself one of these blue #1 tanaka dammy 240mm gyuto from jns. This one is so far the best knife that I ever tried by yoshikazu tanaka. At the laserish level at least. I like it even better than my konosuke fujiyama fm.





shinyunggyun said:


> Is your tanaka white #1 the sakai OUL by any chance? I think we have the exact same setup.



i got the W1 from JNS.


----------



## DarKHarlequiN

I cracked and took advantage of the last day of JNS’s store wide 20% reduction and ordered
*TANAKA YOSHIKAZU GYUTO 270MM BLUE 1 DAMA*

Praying there will be no issue with the cutting edge


----------



## Checkpure

DarKHarlequiN said:


> I cracked and took advantage of the last day of JNS’s store wide 20% reduction and ordered
> *TANAKA YOSHIKAZU GYUTO 270MM BLUE 1 DAMA*
> 
> Praying there will be no issue with the cutting edge


Yea that knife was the one to get imo. Going to love that.


----------



## iandustries

DarKHarlequiN said:


> I cracked and took advantage of the last day of JNS’s store wide 20% reduction and ordered
> *TANAKA YOSHIKAZU GYUTO 270MM BLUE 1 DAMA*
> 
> Praying there will be no issue with the cutting edge



nice. when was the sale?

any thoughts between the kiritsuke and gyuto? gyuto looks to be taller at the heel. but profile wise, any thoughts?


----------



## iandustries

FWIW i m mulling which Tanaka knife to get:

Tanaka Yohei
Tanaka Kyuzo
Takada Suiboku - White 2 or Blue 1 by Tanaka
JNS Damy
Something from Sakai Kikkumori


----------



## Checkpure

iandustries said:


> FWIW i m mulling which Tanaka knife to get:
> 
> Tanaka Yohei
> Tanaka Kyuzo
> Takada Suiboku - White 2 or Blue 1 by Tanaka
> JNS Damy
> Something from Sakai Kikkumori


Tanakas white 1, blue 2 and blue 1 are the best steels I’ve used.


----------



## DitmasPork

Very, very, high on my list is to grab the Migoto, b1, Y Tanaka/Shotaro Nomura. Was about to pull the trigger, but opted for the Migoto, w1, instead. The Y Tanaka will likely be next.








Migoto Blue 1 Gyuto 240mm Shinogi


Hitachi Blue #1 core and soft iron cladding. One of the best Japanese cutlery steels forged by Yoshikazu Tanaka of Sakai City. Undoubtedly one of the most revered blacksmiths, Tanaka-san's mastery of heat treating steel is loved by many users around the globe. The sharpener for this blade is...




migotocutlery.com


----------



## shinyunggyun

DitmasPork said:


> Very, very, high on my list is to grab the Migoto, b1, Y Tanaka/Shotaro Nomura. Was about to pull the trigger, but opted for the Migoto, w1, instead. The Y Tanaka will likely be next.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Migoto Blue 1 Gyuto 240mm Shinogi
> 
> 
> Hitachi Blue #1 core and soft iron cladding. One of the best Japanese cutlery steels forged by Yoshikazu Tanaka of Sakai City. Undoubtedly one of the most revered blacksmiths, Tanaka-san's mastery of heat treating steel is loved by many users around the globe. The sharpener for this blade is...
> 
> 
> 
> 
> migotocutlery.com


I ain't never even heard about this line before. Where did you find this?


----------



## shinyunggyun

iandustries said:


> FWIW i m mulling which Tanaka knife to get:
> 
> Tanaka Yohei
> Tanaka Kyuzo
> Takada Suiboku - White 2 or Blue 1 by Tanaka
> JNS Damy
> Something from Sakai Kikkumori


What are you going to use your knife for?


----------



## DitmasPork

shinyunggyun said:


> I ain't never even heard about this line before. Where did you find this?



Migoto is a new company based in Australia. Ordered my first knife a few days ago—service has been topnotch, very responsive to my questions. Migoto kinda checked a lot of my boxes—a small but very well curated selection of knives by some great makers. Can't remember exactly how I first heard of them.
I didn't get the Tanaka, b1—got their Nakagawa w1 instead.








Migoto White 1 Gyuto 240mm


Hitachi White #1 Steel and soft iron cladding, forged by Satoshi Nakagawa, one of Sakai City's busiest and most well regarded blacksmiths. Nakagawa-san rose to fame as the protégé of the great Kenichi Shiraki, and in more recent years has taken up the mantle of this esteemed blacksmithing...




migotocutlery.com


----------



## shinyunggyun

DitmasPork said:


> Migoto is a new company based in Australia. Ordered my first knife a few days ago—service has been topnotch, very responsive to my questions. Migoto kinda checked a lot of my boxes—a small but very well curated selection of knives by some great makers. Can't remember exactly how I first heard of them.
> I didn't get the Tanaka, b1—got their Nakagawa w1 instead.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Migoto White 1 Gyuto 240mm
> 
> 
> Hitachi White #1 Steel and soft iron cladding, forged by Satoshi Nakagawa, one of Sakai City's busiest and most well regarded blacksmiths. Nakagawa-san rose to fame as the protégé of the great Kenichi Shiraki, and in more recent years has taken up the mantle of this esteemed blacksmithing...
> 
> 
> 
> 
> migotocutlery.com


Sounds like some new revolutionary ****!


----------



## iandustries

DitmasPork said:


> Migoto is a new company based in Australia. Ordered my first knife a few days ago—service has been topnotch, very responsive to my questions. Migoto kinda checked a lot of my boxes—a small but very well curated selection of knives by some great makers. Can't remember exactly how I first heard of them.
> I didn't get the Tanaka, b1—got their Nakagawa w1 instead.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Migoto White 1 Gyuto 240mm
> 
> 
> Hitachi White #1 Steel and soft iron cladding, forged by Satoshi Nakagawa, one of Sakai City's busiest and most well regarded blacksmiths. Nakagawa-san rose to fame as the protégé of the great Kenichi Shiraki, and in more recent years has taken up the mantle of this esteemed blacksmithing...
> 
> 
> 
> 
> migotocutlery.com



I've just heard about Migoto from another friend this week as well. What made you pick the Nakagawa vs the Tanaka? I would have prob done the same, but already have a Kikuchiyo Yohei. So looking for something different.

@shinyunggyun looking for my go-to knife, no specific task in mind. Been looking at Y Tanaka options for awhile.


----------



## tcmx3

the migoto white 2 looks pretty 

the description is similar, is that also Yoshikazu?


----------



## iandustries

Tanaka Kyuzo vs Kikumori Blue #1 Damy?


----------



## DitmasPork

iandustries said:


> I've just heard about Migoto from another friend this week as well. What made you pick the Nakagawa vs the Tanaka? I would have prob done the same, but already have a Kikuchiyo Yohei. So looking for something different.
> 
> @shinyunggyun looking for my go-to knife, no specific task in mind. Been looking at Y Tanaka options for awhile.



Firstly, I'll probably end up getting the Migoto, Tanaka, b1, at some point—it was a toss up. and not like I need to get everything at the same time.

Ended up getting the Migoto, w1, for several reasons—I like w1 a lot; I already have two knives forged by Y Tanaka and never tried Nakagawa; I dig the profile of the w1. 

@Elliot also showed me his 270 Migoto, w1, and it was literally love at first sight. Very sexy knife.


----------



## shinyunggyun

iandustries said:


> Tanaka Kyuzo vs Kikumori Blue #1 Damy?


All depends on what you are using the knife for.


----------



## WiriWiri

DitmasPork said:


> Firstly, I'll probably end up getting the Migoto, Tanaka, b1, at some point—it was a toss up. and not like I need to get everything at the same time.
> 
> Ended up getting the Migoto, w1, for several reasons—I like w1 a lot; I already have two knives forged by Y Tanaka and never tried Nakagawa; I dig the profile of the w1.
> 
> @Elliot also showed me his 270 Migoto, w1, and it was literally love at first sight. Very sexy knife.



How does the Nakagawa compare to the Yohei out of interest? Or I may have imagined you mentioning a Yohei before, so apologies in advance for any confusion

Slight self interest here admittedly. Have a few Tanaka blades, the JNS 165 petty included (excellent, lovely thin thing), and a Yohei about to arrive, plus that Migoto looks lush


----------



## WaTFTanaki

Where did you get the Yohei if you don’t mind me asking?


----------



## iandustries

WaTFTanaki said:


> Where did you get the Yohei if you don’t mind me asking?



Strata, Bernal, Carbon, Tosho, aiandom usually have a couple stocked. also staysharp in montreal


----------



## WaTFTanaki

Gracias


----------



## iandustries

WaTFTanaki said:


> Gracias











Hitohira Tanaka Yohei Blue #1 Kasumi Gyuto 240mm Cherry Wood Handle (Saya)


Brand: Hitohira ひとひら Blacksmith: Tanaka Blacksmith 田中刃物製作所 Producing Area: Sakai-Osaka/ Japan Profile: Gyuto Size: 240mm Steel: Yasuki Blue (Aogami) #1, Soft Iron Clad Handle: Cherry Wood & Ebony Ferrule Octagonal Total Length: 386mm Edge Length: 226mm Handle to Tip Length: 240mm Blade Height...




www.toshoknifearts.com


----------



## WiriWiri

WaTFTanaki said:


> Where did you get the Yohei if you don’t mind me asking?



This one was off BST and I’m just awaiting the customs letter now. The same Aogami Yohei was available from ProTooling in Aus at the same time FWIW and buying it new would have been similar with their free P&P offer factored in. Hokuto from Hitohira can usually point to you which stockists have have recent deliveries and you can work out the pricing Implications after. P&P (and the choice of courier with their extra fees) can be a significant difference

I didn’t even consider the authorised UK dealer (Kataba), despite liking the owner, because they sadly seem ridiculously expensive for these premium lines - it basically seems to take the US price, turn that into pounds and add a few hundred extra nicker on top of that. The similarish Tanaka Kyuzo works out at a shade under £700 ($950!) mystifyingly. I wouldn‘t be able to keep a straight face if they asked me to pay that.

You never did give further details of the 7 tanakas that you’ve managed to pick up in superquick style iirc. Genuinely interested how you’ve found the differences.


----------



## WaTFTanaki

I have been digging the white 2 210 Y Tanaka from OUL. The Blue Y Tanaka from JNS was my second Tanaka and I love it. The OUL is much wider at the spine than the JNS or my takada. Digging it as it’s still super thin behind the edge like all the other Tanakas I have. Totally different flavor.


----------



## iandustries

I recently purchased a couple of Tanaka W2s: Kagekiyo, Takada Reika & Suiboku and all are amazing. Havent had to sharpen them yet. just strop so far.

I blame this forum for encouraging my purchases of Tanaka forged knives, since these join my Tanaka Kikkumori b1 damy, Tanaka Kyuzo and stainless clad tanaka yugiri petty which I absolutely love.

I've told myself that my last purchase for the next 12 months will be a Takada Ginsan Suiboku 240 which I m holding out for.


----------



## WaTFTanaki

Ah yes. Sorry. I started down the Y Tanaka windy path with this one. And fell in love. It may or may not be a laser but it’s pretty close. Easy to get insanely sharp. Very light. Sugi cutlery carries this same knife. Post UK import duties it might be cheaper.









Gyuto knife, Shirogami 1 core, iron clad, Damascus finish - Yoshikazu Tanaka


Yoshikazu Tanaka is at the very top of the Sakai makers, he individually forges each knife. This range is forged with a workhorse profile, they also feature wide bevels, making sharpening much easier and a real joy. SHAPE: Gyuto. Japan's answer to the chef's knife with a thinner profile. Gyuto...




www.kitchenprovisions.co.uk





Honestly it and the JNS blue 210 are quite similar in character. Both beautiful knives. 

For me the Takada no Hamono suiboku 210 I got from Bernal is very much in line with the JNS and first knife with the suiboku being the apex of the three. The F&F and aesthetics are just slightly more refined. But all are killer with super thin grinds, 44-47 height and weights around 150 grams. I would call these the light Tanakas.

I have two from Miura. A 150 petty and an itadaki 210 gyuto. Both in white 1. These are the least refined. But they cost a fraction of the first 3. Heavier bigger spine but also not requiring as much worry. Which is nice at times.

I have 2 OULs which are heavier in the 170-180 gm range. Wider spine and taller close to 50 mm in height. I am digging the OULs at the moment. They have a more Denka like heft and weight I am liking them a LOT. 

I am debating on the Yohei and other Y Tanakas at hitohira or kikumori since dimension wise they seem so similar to the first 3 knives I have mentioned. Light. And am kind looking for Y Tanakas that have a new flavor.

Buying knives in UK sucks though. Prices and import tariffs are tough to swallow.


----------



## WiriWiri

WaTFTanaki said:


> I have been digging the white 2 210 Y Tanaka from OUL. The Blue Y Tanaka from JNS was my second Tanaka and I love it. The OUL is much wider at the spine than the JNS or my takada. Digging it as it’s still super thin behind the edge like all the other Tanakas I have. Totally different flavor.



Cheers for that. Been much tempted by the Oul, as I really like their ginsan (Yamatsuka) range. Fit and finish are excellent and the sharpener (Maruyama) is obviously very talented - it’s a mid-heavyweight blade with a ridiculously thin edge that bites into the board. If anything I’ve hesitated because I suspect the Oul Tanaka may share some of the same slight downsides - the edge almost feels too thin/fragile and Maruyama‘s love of a defined shinogi line makes the wide-bevel transition a little less smooth that I’m accustomed to. Still would be tempted if the stainless-clad Hados make an appearance however.

Top Tanaka rank in my household is currently held by a Tsubaya Tanaka 240 that some heavy-handed Finn foolishly let go (love you @IsoJ ). That FInnish fella may have found if too light, but by Tanaka standards it’s a heavy one, 220g+, Edge feels more robust, there’s a more buttery smoothed transition on the wide bevel and it carries a little more heft and authority.

The Yohei is intended as the lightweight comparison to the Tsubaya if anything. Looking forward to it

@iandustries - the Ginsan Suib does look very tempting too - but isn‘t it only one retailer (Bernal) that stocks it? Think the other ginsans are Nakagawa forged, which may not be a bad thing - between him and Yamatsuka they seem to have the ginsan expertise, I’d suggest buying both Ginsan Suiboko varieties and writing a detailed comparison for KKF, Seems only fair.


----------



## tcmx3

WaTFTanaki said:


> I have two from Miura. A 150 petty and an itadaki 210 gyuto. Both in white 1. These are the least refined. But they cost a fraction of the first 3. Heavier bigger spine but also not requiring as much worry. Which is nice at times.



I can confirm these are a good deal. You're definitely giving up a bit of f&f quality but the knives are pretty good overall. 

should you choose one over any other number of wide bevel iron clad white 2 knives? that really depends. you have a lot of choices but the miura knives are well sorted and certainly not worse.


----------



## WaTFTanaki

Damn it. Now you’ve got me curious about the Tsubaya Tanakas which seem unobtainable. Was just looking at the Yohei and kyuzo but these seem more super models like the the thin Tanakas I already have.


----------



## Bodine

I wish I had never seen this thread, that Tanaka Blue #1 is so inviting, anyone held one, cut with one?








Migoto Blue 1 Gyuto 240mm Shinogi


Hitachi Blue #1 core and soft iron cladding. One of the best Japanese cutlery steels forged by Yoshikazu Tanaka of Sakai City. Undoubtedly one of the most revered blacksmiths, Tanaka-san's mastery of heat treating steel is loved by many users around the globe. The sharpener for this blade is...




migotocutlery.com


----------



## iandustries

WiriWiri said:


> Cheers for that. Been much tempted by the Oul, as I really like their ginsan (Yamatsuka) range. Fit and finish are excellent and the sharpener (Maruyama) is obviously very talented - it’s a mid-heavyweight blade with a ridiculously thin edge that bites into the board. If anything I’ve hesitated because I suspect the Oul Tanaka may share some of the same slight downsides - the edge almost feels too thin/fragile and Maruyama‘s love of a defined shinogi line makes the wide-bevel transition a little less smooth that I’m accustomed to. Still would be tempted if the stainless-clad Hados make an appearance however.
> 
> Top Tanaka rank in my household is currently held by a Tsubaya Tanaka 240 that some heavy-handed Finn foolishly let go (love you @IsoJ ). That FInnish fella may have found if too light, but by Tanaka standards it’s a heavy one, 220g+, Edge feels more robust, there’s a more buttery smoothed transition on the wide bevel and it carries a little more heft and authority.
> 
> The Yohei is intended as the lightweight comparison to the Tsubaya if anything. Looking forward to it
> 
> @iandustries - the Ginsan Suib does look very tempting too - but isn‘t it only one retailer (Bernal) that stocks it? Think the other ginsans are Nakagawa forged, which may not be a bad thing - between him and Yamatsuka they seem to have the ginsan expertise, I’d suggest buying both Ginsan Suiboko varieties and writing a detailed comparison for KKF, Seems only fair.



Haha yup these are nakazawa forged. it’s not been in stock for sometime, but the typical hitohira partners will carry when they come in. mtckitchen had some too


----------



## heldentenor

WaTFTanaki said:


> I am debating on the Yohei and other Y Tanakas at hitohira or kikumori since dimension wise they seem so similar to the first 3 knives I have mentioned. Light. And am kind looking for Y Tanakas that have a new flavor.



Working with Strata, you can get almost anything custom you want from Tanaka through Sakai Kikumori. I have a Martell-inspired profile Tanaka in blue #1 coming to me in the next couple of months.


----------



## WaTFTanaki

heldentenor said:


> Working with Strata, you can get almost anything custom you want from Tanaka through Sakai Kikumori. I have a Martell-inspired profile Tanaka in blue #1 coming to me in the next couple of months.



very interesting thanks


----------



## WaTFTanaki

Anyone own of the Yugiri’s. This has to be the tallest and heaviest Y Tanaka I have seen per unit of length 









Sakai Kikumori - Yugiri - Tanaka - Stainless Clad Blue #1 - 225mm Kiritsuke Gyuto - Ebony Handle


Brand: Sakai Kikumori 堺菊守Line: YugiriSmith: TanakaProfile: Kiritsuke GyutoEdge Steel: Blue #1 (Aogami)Steel Type: CarbonCladding: StainlessBevel: DoubleBevel Symmetry: 50/50Hand Orientation: AmbidextriousHandle: Ebony WaTotal Length: 370mmEdge Length: 216mmSpine Length: 231mmBlade Height...




strata-portland.myshopify.com


----------



## iandustries

WaTFTanaki said:


> Anyone own of the Yugiri’s. This has to be the tallest and heaviest Y Tanaka I have seen per unit of length
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Sakai Kikumori - Yugiri - Tanaka - Stainless Clad Blue #1 - 225mm Kiritsuke Gyuto - Ebony Handle
> 
> 
> Brand: Sakai Kikumori 堺菊守Line: YugiriSmith: TanakaProfile: Kiritsuke GyutoEdge Steel: Blue #1 (Aogami)Steel Type: CarbonCladding: StainlessBevel: DoubleBevel Symmetry: 50/50Hand Orientation: AmbidextriousHandle: Ebony WaTotal Length: 370mmEdge Length: 216mmSpine Length: 231mmBlade Height...
> 
> 
> 
> 
> strata-portland.myshopify.com



I have the petty. love it especially since it’s stainless clad. Performs as well as all other Y Tanakas. 

From Evan at strata about the yugiri line:



> Yugiri, well we just got these in and we helped design them so I'm partial to these. One of the best in-hand feels I've ever experienced. The ebony handle is slightly wider than normal and adds a premium feel and grounding (like in control) to the blade. Since the blade is tall for most of its length, it adds a bit of mass. They are modern with a tall heel height, 54mm, and the grinds are crazy thin. This will zip through product. The ktips are robust and not flimsy, just enough fineness at the tip. The finish is very intriguing with vertical scratch patterns which I haven't really seen before. The stainless cladding helps you focus on your edge and cutting since you don't have to deal with corrosion along the large blade. You don't see much stainless clad knives in Sakai, not easy to work with. 225mm is a great length that is underrepresented.


----------



## WiriWiri

WaTFTanaki said:


> Anyone own of the Yugiri’s. This has to be the tallest and heaviest Y Tanaka I have seen per unit of length
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Sakai Kikumori - Yugiri - Tanaka - Stainless Clad Blue #1 - 225mm Kiritsuke Gyuto - Ebony Handle
> 
> 
> Brand: Sakai Kikumori 堺菊守Line: YugiriSmith: TanakaProfile: Kiritsuke GyutoEdge Steel: Blue #1 (Aogami)Steel Type: CarbonCladding: StainlessBevel: DoubleBevel Symmetry: 50/50Hand Orientation: AmbidextriousHandle: Ebony WaTotal Length: 370mmEdge Length: 216mmSpine Length: 231mmBlade Height...
> 
> 
> 
> 
> strata-portland.myshopify.com



Bear in mind the ebony handle will typically add some extra g and I’m not convinced it’s a much more weighty Tanaka number. Particularly given that the edge length falls in the middle ground between a Tanaka gyoto in 210 and 240 (likely 225). Same with the Tsubaya tbh - it has a custom handle (it’s actually 212 grsms too, not the 221 I misremembered),- I reckon it’s generally close to to the Kyuzos or some of the Kikumori Tanakss given the usual hand forged variations

Bottom line is that I’m not convinced there’s a much weightier Tanaka variation out there that’ll really startle you given your current roster, nor that weight (or height - Tanaka;s profiles work well imo) should be all that vital here. I reckon you’re largely in the ground of trying to work out the myriad subtleties of.grind, balance and how the height/smoothing of any wide bevel can affect the cutting experience, plus all the usual quirks that your match your personal preferences. I’d like to explain more cogently, but frankly I’m, not really clever enough here, particularly in these early hours. if you want significantly more heft it may be time to change smith and head towards a more workhorse style comparison.

And I’d also recommend you also try out a Tanaka 240 if you haven’t already. I started off on undersized Sakai 210s and still have a soft spot for them, but I‘ve come to like slightly longer blades in the 225-230 zone ideally, which is what Tanaka’s 240s tend to top out at. Tends to bring the balance point of the blade forward slightly, which may give you more of the feeling of heft and authority you seem to like - the knife seems to do more work for you.

Good luck in your search, even if it does take you beyond YT…


----------



## WiriWiri

WaTFTanaki said:


> Damn it. Now you’ve got me curious about the Tsubaya Tanakas which seem unobtainable. Was just looking at the Yohei and kyuzo but these seem more super models like the the thin Tanakas I already have.



Ha, and you in turn have me increasingly looking at the Ouls/Hados again. I like my Yamatsuka Oul loads, I like Tanaka, Hmmm….

I almost certainly don’t need another Tanaka, but potentially I could create another desperate/arbitrary justification to upgrade one of my stainless 210 as a diminishing Kono retires to the Sujipetty role. And the Ouls are actually available all too easily

I‘ve got as far as scrutinising multiple choil shots on t‘interweb wistfully, trying to work out the differences. Do you have both of Oul Tanaka ranges - the Sumi (Ku) and the Stainless clad variations (junpaku)? At a reasonably quick glance, the Sumi looks more my tastes in terms of grind - there’s less of the overt transition on the shinogi line, particularly at the heel. I’d prefer stainless for a 210 mind, and Kikumori seems to have produced an alternative Junpaku variant with smoother grind, which is probably the one I should seek out

The Sumi is all too frustratingly available nearby, and at a reasonabilish (for the UK) cost. And given that Hado’s prices are likely to increase, this may be the last opportunity to jump on this ship at this price. That nagging feeling has kept going around in my head for the last day or two, to the extent that I seem to have gone the full Lionel and have involuntarily come up with an annoying earworm jingle to hum along to:

Say you,
Su-mi
Buy It Together
..Naturally…

This is not helping my self reserve. Rest assured that, whilst I almost certainly annoy other posters with my inane waffle on here, it also appears that I am quite capable of annoyingly twisting my own mental melons.


----------



## rstcso

DitmasPork said:


> @Elliot also showed me his 270 Migoto, w1, and it was literally love at first sight. Very sexy knife.


Just when I was thinking I'd take a breather, BAM!, you throw this out there. 

As of last night before going to bed, I'd thought sometime in the future I'd like to get another gyuto to replace my first and only one, which had an issue and was returned for a refund. Jon at JKI has one listed on his website I was interested in, but not in stock. No problem, I'll just wait.

I saw @Elliot was online while reading about this knife, he answered a couple of questions... and now this knife is ordered. 

Migoto White 1 Gyuto 270mm


----------



## WaTFTanaki

WiriWiri said:


> Ha, and you in turn have me increasingly looking at the Ouls/Hados again. I like my Yamatsuka Oul loads, I like Tanaka, Hmmm….
> 
> I almost certainly don’t need another Tanaka, but potentially I could create another desperate/arbitrary justification to upgrade one of my stainless 210 as a diminishing Kono retires to the Sujipetty role. And the Ouls are actually available all too easily
> 
> I‘ve got as far as scrutinising multiple choil shots on t‘interweb wistfully, trying to work out the differences. Do you have both of Oul Tanaka ranges - the Sumi (Ku) and the Stainless clad variations (junpaku)? At a reasonably quick glance, the Sumi looks more my tastes in terms of grind - there’s less of the overt transition on the shinogi line, particularly at the heel. I’d prefer stainless for a 210 mind, and Kikumori seems to have produced an alternative Junpaku variant with smoother grind, which is probably the one I should seek out
> 
> The Sumi is all too frustratingly available nearby, and at a reasonabilish (for the UK) cost. And given that Hado’s prices are likely to increase, this may be the last opportunity to jump on this ship at this price. That nagging feeling has kept going around in my head for the last day or two, to the extent that I seem to have gone the full Lionel and have involuntarily come up with an annoying earworm jingle to hum along to:
> 
> Say you,
> Su-mi
> Buy It Together
> ..Naturally…
> 
> This is not helping my self reserve. Rest assured that, whilst I almost certainly annoy other posters with my inane waffle on here, it also appears that I am quite capable of annoyingly twisting my own mental melons.



Hmm. Liking your 240 advice. I think the quest to try something new is just part of the fun, like more albums by the same artist. I am still a bit of an idiot about grind preferences. To be honest all the light super model knives mentioned I adore. But if I want to slice a thick steak I tend to pull out the Denka, not a YT. This OUL I am digging seems to blend the Denka heft with the super thin grind of the super light ones.

It’s this one








OUL SHIROGAMI-2 SUMI KUROUCHI GYUTO 210MM OAK HANDLE FORGED BY YOSHIKAZU TANAKA*


Oul Shirogami-2 Sumi Kurouhi Gyuto 210mm Oak Handle Forged by Yoshikazu Tanaka Forged by master craftsman Yoshikazu Tanaka and hand ground by expert sharpener Tadataka Maruyama. Edge Angle: Double Bevel Blade Length: 210mm Total Length: 360mm Weight: 181g HRC: 62±1 Blade Material: Shirogami-2...




katabahamono.com





You could very well be right that the handle changes things for weight.

i was hoping not to buy any more knives for awhile. Oh well there goes that fantasy.


----------



## tcmx3

I appreciate theyre considerably more expensive, but if you want a heavier Y Tanaka IMO a T x Kyuzo with an ebony handle is probably where I would start looking. Ive seen several 240s that are near as makes no difference 200 grams.

yes TFs have a lot of weight but much of it is in the handle. IMO this is kind of against the ethos of a gyuto but I will admit they manage to balance things out correctly in spite of that. 

also for you guys who already have a bazillion Y Tanakas and want something heavier, have you tried Togashi? little bit more heft, similar feeling on the stones. usually pretty similar sizes/profiles as well


----------



## Ben.G.

It’s not from JNS, but I have a Y Tanaka gyuto in Aogami Super. I haven’t seen Y Tanakas with AS steel mentioned in this thread. It is a bit thicker than most Tanakas. Actual length is about 230mm. 50mm tall. Spine is 3.5mm thick at the heel, 3mm at halfway. The weight is 222 grams with a basic magnolia handle.

The heft suits my style and it is a beast in the prep kitchen. I really like this knife and I am now a big fan of Yoshikazu Tanaka.

Purchased from The Cooks Edge in Canada and distributed by Sakai Kikumori so I don’t know the name of the sharpener.


----------



## Nagakin

Ben.G. said:


> It’s not from JNS, but I have a Y Tanaka gyuto in Aogami Super. I haven’t seen Y Tanakas with AS steel mentioned in this thread. It is a bit thicker than most Tanakas. Actual length is about 230mm. 50mm tall. Spine is 3.5mm thick at the heel, 3mm at halfway. The weight is 222 grams with a basic magnolia handle.
> 
> The heft suits my style and it is a beast in the prep kitchen. I really like this knife and I am now a big fan of Yoshikazu Tanaka.
> 
> Purchased from The Cooks Edge in Canada and distributed by Sakai Kikumori so I don’t know the name of the sharpener.


I've been curious. Can you compare his AS to Takeda, Hinoura, TF, or other popular makers?


----------



## WaTFTanaki

Ben.G. said:


> It’s not from JNS, but I have a Y Tanaka gyuto in Aogami Super. I haven’t seen Y Tanakas with AS steel mentioned in this thread. It is a bit thicker than most Tanakas. Actual length is about 230mm. 50mm tall. Spine is 3.5mm thick at the heel, 3mm at halfway. The weight is 222 grams with a basic magnolia handle.
> 
> The heft suits my style and it is a beast in the prep kitchen. I really like this knife and I am now a big fan of Yoshikazu Tanaka.
> 
> Purchased from The Cooks Edge in Canada and distributed by Sakai Kikumori so I don’t know the name of the sharpener.


Thanks for this. These look really interesting to me. Never seen a YT in Aogami Super. May pick one up.


----------



## Ben.G.

Nagakin said:


> I've been curious. Can you compare his AS to Takeda, Hinoura, TF, or other popular makers?


No, I cannot. I am just a cook and not a collector. I have not used knives from those makers. I would love to if I could though. Most of my experience is with cheap western knives. I am sure that a knife from any of those popular Japanese makers would be fantastic. They are professionals that take pride in their craft. 

It’s funny when guys at work are excited to show me their shiny new knives, but don’t realize that they are actually cheap Chinese steel. I don’t bother telling them unless they are close friends. I don’t want to ruin their joy.


----------



## shinyunggyun

WaTFTanaki said:


> Ah yes. Sorry. I started down the Y Tanaka windy path with this one. And fell in love. It may or may not be a laser but it’s pretty close. Easy to get insanely sharp. Very light. Sugi cutlery carries this same knife. Post UK import duties it might be cheaper.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Gyuto knife, Shirogami 1 core, iron clad, Damascus finish - Yoshikazu Tanaka
> 
> 
> Yoshikazu Tanaka is at the very top of the Sakai makers, he individually forges each knife. This range is forged with a workhorse profile, they also feature wide bevels, making sharpening much easier and a real joy. SHAPE: Gyuto. Japan's answer to the chef's knife with a thinner profile. Gyuto...
> 
> 
> 
> 
> www.kitchenprovisions.co.uk
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Honestly it and the JNS blue 210 are quite similar in character. Both beautiful knives.
> 
> For me the Takada no Hamono suiboku 210 I got from Bernal is very much in line with the JNS and first knife with the suiboku being the apex of the three. The F&F and aesthetics are just slightly more refined. But all are killer with super thin grinds, 44-47 height and weights around 150 grams. I would call these the light Tanakas.
> 
> I have two from Miura. A 150 petty and an itadaki 210 gyuto. Both in white 1. These are the least refined. But they cost a fraction of the first 3. Heavier bigger spine but also not requiring as much worry. Which is nice at times.
> 
> I have 2 OULs which are heavier in the 170-180 gm range. Wider spine and taller close to 50 mm in height. I am digging the OULs at the moment. They have a more Denka like heft and weight I am liking them a LOT.
> 
> I am debating on the Yohei and other Y Tanakas at hitohira or kikumori since dimension wise they seem so similar to the first 3 knives I have mentioned. Light. And am kind looking for Y Tanakas that have a new flavor.
> 
> Buying knives in UK sucks though. Prices and import tariffs are tough to swallow.











Gyuto knife, Aogami 1 core, iron clad, Damascus finish - Yoshikazu Tanaka


Yoshikazu Tanaka is at the very top of the Sakai makers, he individually forges each knife. These have a convex grind, the Japanese call this hamaguri which means Clam Shell. By not having a flat spot on the blade face, this helps prevent food sticking to the surface. SHAPE: Gyuto. Japan's...




www.kitchenprovisions.co.uk





So is this knife the same blue #1 gyuto as the sugi cutlery version? Grinded by nakazima?


----------



## josemartinlopez

The Y Tanaka Yohei is a beautiful light knife


----------



## WaTFTanaki

shinyunggyun said:


> Gyuto knife, Aogami 1 core, iron clad, Damascus finish - Yoshikazu Tanaka
> 
> 
> Yoshikazu Tanaka is at the very top of the Sakai makers, he individually forges each knife. These have a convex grind, the Japanese call this hamaguri which means Clam Shell. By not having a flat spot on the blade face, this helps prevent food sticking to the surface. SHAPE: Gyuto. Japan's...
> 
> 
> 
> 
> www.kitchenprovisions.co.uk
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> 
> So is this knife the same blue #1 gyuto as the sugi cutlery version? Grinded by nakazima?


99.9% sure it’s the same. Kanji & stamp is identical.


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## WaTFTanaki

How did you find out who the grinder/sharpener were? Neither merchant would tell me?


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## shinyunggyun

WaTFTanaki said:


> How did you find out who the grinder/sharpener were? Neither merchant would tell me?


Well it does say on the sugi cutlery website who the sharpener is. And it is this same sharpener who sharpens the blue #1 gyutos for JNS.


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## WaTFTanaki

Ah it’s the white 1 where I couldn’t get the sharpener not Blue


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## Jason183

WaTFTanaki said:


> Ah it’s the white 1 where I couldn’t get the sharpener not Blue


The ones without wide bevel is sharpened by Mitimoto Nakazima, not sure about wide bevel ones


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## RockyBasel

shinyunggyun said:


> Well it does say on the sugi cutlery website who the sharpener is. And it is this same sharpener who sharpens the blue #1 gyutos for JNS.


What is the name of the sharpener?


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## shinyunggyun

RockyBasel said:


> What is the name of the sharpener?


Mitimoto nakazima


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