# Who makes the finest Yanagiba in your humble opinion?



## Lazarus (Oct 18, 2017)

Who in your opinion makes a truly terrific Yanagiba?

Got to thinking whose do I want to try next, I'm the happy owner of a Kato, Shig, Keijiro Doi, already sold off a Toyama. Who else makes a truly spectacular single bevel?


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## Pensacola Tiger (Oct 18, 2017)

Watanabe. Specifically the Kintaro-ame blades.


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## daveb (Oct 18, 2017)

What he said.


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## ynot1985 (Oct 18, 2017)

Genkai masakuni, shiraki, tatsuo ikeda but for these guys you would only want their honyaki stuff


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## Lazarus (Oct 18, 2017)

Pensacola Tiger said:


> Watanabe. Specifically the Kintaro-ame blades.



I actually completely forgot about Shin, and I even have 4 of his knives.


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## Dave Martell (Oct 18, 2017)

Pensacola Tiger said:


> Watanabe. Specifically the Kintaro-ame blades.




Yup


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## StonedEdge (Oct 18, 2017)

The Jin yanagiba Jon carries (carried?) are pretty unique. If I had the use for a very scarce, rare, $1k+ fish slicer one of those would be the one.


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## Konge (Oct 19, 2017)

Out of curiousity, what did you think of the Toyama?


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## Lazarus (Oct 19, 2017)

Konge said:


> Out of curiousity, what did you think of the Toyama?



I loved the fit and finish, but it was too light for me.


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## cheflivengood (Oct 19, 2017)

Haburn and Oatley for customs


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## FoRdLaz (Oct 19, 2017)

Lazarus said:


> I loved the fit and finish, but it was too light for me.



I have the honyaki toyama and I have to say it has some real weight to it and is beautifully crafted. Havent put it to the stones yet but out the box edge is excellent


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## Tler (Feb 9, 2018)

Apart from the "finest" spec yanagiba, which yanagiba do you think has the most "soul"? As in best crafted, most tradition, pride etc


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## FoRdLaz (Feb 10, 2018)

To me it must be a Doi


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## Panamapeet (Feb 10, 2018)

I would suggest Genkai Masakuni. I have one and its an absolute work of art


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## KimBronnum (Feb 10, 2018)

Shigefusa is my number one. Toyama a close second. 
- Kim


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## Godslayer (Feb 10, 2018)

Budget(tanaka damasucs), mid range Ikeda Yoshikazu honyaki and skys the limit Genkai masakuni(purely based on hype and sex appeal) I had the tanaka and have the Ikeda now, the blade is beyond stunning


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## CB1968 (Feb 10, 2018)

Jin


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## Panamapeet (Feb 10, 2018)

Godslayer said:


> Budget(tanaka damasucs), mid range Ikeda Yoshikazu honyaki and skys the limit Genkai masakuni(purely based on hype and sex appeal) I had the tanaka and have the Ikeda now, the blade is beyond stunning



Ikeda mid range... should be almost as expensive as a genkai


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## NO ChoP! (Feb 10, 2018)

Nenohi, Masamoto, Mizuno. The classics.


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## StonedEdge (Feb 10, 2018)

CB1968 said:


> Jin


This


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## JBroida (Feb 10, 2018)

I know my commenting here is going to be crazy biased, and its important for people reading this who dont know me to know that I sell what i'm about to talk about, so that that for what its worth.

I own nearly 50 yanagiba (in my personal collection) right now, and have used and sharpened quite a bit more than that. Of all of the ones i own (from crazy fancy to really basic, and from 210mm to 360mm), the one i use most is my Gesshin Hide. Not flashy... really simple, but great to use.


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## Godslayer (Feb 10, 2018)

Spipet said:


> Ikeda mid range... should be almost as expensive as a genkai



$599 USD https://www.instagram.com/p/BOG-OhyhPuL/?taken-by=seymourskinner 300mm tamahagane honyaki Hamon can be seen on another picture, came with saya, if you can find me a better deal in the 500-800 dollar range your a better shopper than me.


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## Panamapeet (Feb 10, 2018)

Godslayer said:


> $599 USD https://www.instagram.com/p/BOG-OhyhPuL/?taken-by=seymourskinner 300mm tamahagane honyaki Hamon can be seen on another picture, came with saya, if you can find me a better deal in the 500-800 dollar range your a better shopper than me.



Awesome knife, i recognize that red cloth i think. With a bit of luck I think a Genkai with normal hamon should be possible under 1k!


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## dwalker (Feb 10, 2018)

I was lucky enough to score both an Ikeda shuminigashi made with 1953 vintage blue steel and a Genkai Masakuni. I'm no yanagiba expert, but both are fine knives.


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## BlueSteel (Feb 10, 2018)

I have not tried many, but can vouch for Yoshikane as an excellent choice...I own this beauty, which makes me very happy:

http://www.epicedge.com/shopexd.asp?id=87562&photo=1&size=n

Cheers,
Blair


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## pete84 (Feb 10, 2018)

Love my Doi Hayate


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## Omega (Feb 10, 2018)

I'd say a Sakai pairing is going to be untouchable for single bevels. Blacksmith is important, but sharpener more so.

Genkai has some awesome stuff. But I'd put way more stock in a Honyaki from Shiraki and Yoshikazu Ikeda. Those two are freaks. 

For a sharpener.. Hide-san would definitely be good. I've heard good things about Kasahara-san, but haven't tried his single bevels.


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## Omega (Feb 10, 2018)

JBroida said:


> I know my commenting here is going to be crazy biased, and its important for people reading this who dont know me to know that I sell what i'm about to talk about, so that that for what its worth.
> 
> I own nearly 50 yanagiba (in my personal collection) right now, and have used and sharpened quite a bit more than that. Of all of the ones i own (from crazy fancy to really basic, and from 210mm to 360mm), the one i use most is my Gesshin Hide. Not flashy... really simple, but great to use.



Good Lord... 50+ yanagiba?! That is insane. 

How many knives do you own personally, in total???


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## Tler (Feb 10, 2018)

Thanks KKF, I'm definitely going to keep my eyes peeled for a Doi or Ikeda that doesn't break the bank.


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## DitmasPork (Feb 10, 2018)

I've only owned one, love it, think it's great in my humble opinion. My 270 Left-handed Shigefusa yanagiba.


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## JBroida (Feb 11, 2018)

Omega said:


> Good Lord... 50+ yanagiba?! That is insane.
> 
> How many knives do you own personally, in total???



a lot


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## aboynamedsuita (Feb 11, 2018)

JBroida said:


> I own nearly 50 yanagiba (in my personal collection) right now



This makes me feel a bit better about my addiction collection lol I only have about 50 knives total


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## Omega (Feb 11, 2018)

JBroida said:


> a lot



Lol, and here I thought maybe my collection was getting close in number to yours.


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## NO ChoP! (Feb 11, 2018)

As a lefty, I haven't explored too much with single bevels. I have a Yoshikane yanagi and deba, mostly because they were easily accessible. But I do enjoy them.


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## cheflarge (Feb 11, 2018)

Doi Hayate 300mm, Tanaka 270mm in white #2.


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## Kingkor (Feb 12, 2018)

First lefty shig yanagiba that I've seen!


DitmasPork said:


> I've only owned one, love it, think it's great in my humble opinion. My 270 Left-handed Shigefusa yanagiba.


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## lumo (Feb 12, 2018)

from what Ive used and own...

Doi, weight and density of steel is appealing to me but Im a Clydesdale 
Shig, sexy finesse feel and nice finish, like a sports car
Jin, soul and character like no other, feels alive like an Elvish blade
Kato, havent used it yet, long story, but feels great
Haburn made me a gorgeous 330 sakimaru that has some of the best attributes from what I described above, soul and finesse but mighty.

If I had to choose one maker it would be Shigefusa, for single bevels. Im not a fan of their double bevels, or rather I prefer a lot of others for equal or less money.

my 2 cents
lumo


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## LifeByA1000Cuts (Feb 12, 2018)

@JBroida would any of the premium ones be notably better as tool to the occasional yanagiba user than a correctly sharpened "basic" one (say a tanaka damascus or sakai takayuki shirogami)?


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## JBroida (Feb 13, 2018)

LifeByA1000Cuts said:


> @JBroida would any of the premium ones be notably better as tool to the occasional yanagiba user than a correctly sharpened "basic" one (say a tanaka damascus or sakai takayuki shirogami)?



in a truly meaningful way, probably not. Consider this analogy... say you commute 5 miles to work in a 35mph zone. You could do that easily in a camry, which wouldnt struggle at all to go 35mph. You could do that same thing in a porche, and it would still be going 35mph. It might be a bit more fun, but it still does the same job. Its not until you start to push the boundries of what the cars can handle, and the differences become more clear. But that also takes skill and experience in driving. What i'm also saying is dont buy yourself the ford pinto of yanagiba (or pontiac aztec/pt crusier/etc).


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## LifeByA1000Cuts (Feb 13, 2018)

@Jbroida Pinto as in pseudo-yanagibas that have a flat ura and coarse grained stainless?


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## JBroida (Feb 13, 2018)

LifeByA1000Cuts said:


> @Jbroida Pinto as in pseudo-yanagibas that have a flat ura and coarse grained stainless?



yeah... that would be bad, but even not quite as bad as that, there are a number of really inexpsensive yanagiba that have horrible grinds (ura, omote, and bevel), are bent, twisted, and possibly even have sub-par steel and/or heat treatments.


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## LifeByA1000Cuts (Feb 13, 2018)

Speaking of the cheap ones: Why do some $30 pieces have a urasuki ground (and use some low carbon stainless that at least *gets sharp*) while the $100 half-western handled class often is ... exactly the worst case scenario I described... 

But then, most any yanagiba use I do is off-label, so it would be my view being twisted and bent


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## Dave Martell (Feb 13, 2018)

Speaking from a sharpener's perspective my favorites are Watanabe's Kintaro-ame and then Shigefusa


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## Godslayer (Feb 13, 2018)

Dave Martell said:


> Speaking from a sharpener's perspective my favorites are Watanabe's Kintaro-ame and then Shigefusa



When are you going to make a Yanagiba with a bolster and yo handle  :knife:


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## Dave Martell (Feb 14, 2018)

Dave Martell said:


> Speaking from a sharpener's perspective my favorites are Watanabe's Kintaro-ame and then Shigefusa





Godslayer said:


> When are you going to make a Yanagiba with a bolster and yo handle  :knife:





I hope never. :scared4:


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## apicius9 (Feb 14, 2018)

Not really having a clue what I am talking about, I would put a Watanabe in the top of my list, just because I liked every knife I have seen from him. But I also would blindly trust Jons recommendations, so I would need to buy 2 yanagis...

Stefan


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## daddy yo yo (Feb 14, 2018)

I definitely need to stop reading threads like this one. I don't need a yanagiba , but I feel the urge to buy one!!! :viking:


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## LifeByA1000Cuts (Feb 14, 2018)

If you aren't into fish, these things have good uses when working with doughs, pastry (not if there is coarse sugar in it!) etc - why squeeze through when you can actually cut through the gluten strands?


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## daddy yo yo (Feb 15, 2018)

LifeByA1000Cuts said:


> If you aren't into fish, these things have good uses when working with doughs, pastry (not if there is coarse sugar in it!) etc - why squeeze through when you can actually cut through the gluten strands?



I can definitely hear you! :knight:


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## osakajoe (Feb 15, 2018)

Morimoto
Hide
Nomura 

Are some of the better single bevel sharpeners out of Sakai. I would advise buying one in the next year or two. All of these guys are quite old and can probably no longer sharpen within a few years. 

Once they are gone or retired. Thats it. No one young even close to their potential out of Sakai. There will be a big void, a lot of scrambling and a lot of pirate tales being told to cover up this fact.

I also think many of you focus to much on brand names instead of craftsman and confuse forgers with sharpeners.


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## supersayan3 (Feb 15, 2018)

Osakajoe please, explain more


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## bkultra (Feb 15, 2018)

I would imagine that most individuals entering the field are drawn to the blacksmith side of the bussness. This has recently come up in another thread, but we tend to focus on the smith and over look the sharpener/shaper. I would image this means more money for the smiths and less for the sharpeners. If you were just entering the field would you be drawn to more recognition and money?


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## Panamapeet (Feb 15, 2018)

osakajoe said:


> Morimoto
> Hide
> Nomura
> 
> ...



Maybe that is because it can be very difficult to figure out who made a certain knife or sharpened it


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## StonedEdge (Feb 15, 2018)

That, and I'm assuming most of us are not anywhere near fluent in reading or understanding Japanese so we have to go by what other say (with a large grain of salt, obviously)


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## LifeByA1000Cuts (Feb 15, 2018)

@osakajoe wouldn't that suggest buying the knife as is, and paying a pro sharpener - somewhere else in japan or somewhere else in the world - to rework it?


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## osakajoe (Feb 15, 2018)

Wrote my post after a few mega highballs but to elaborate...



LifeByA1000Cuts said:


> @osakajoe wouldn't that suggest buying the knife as is, and paying a pro sharpener - somewhere else in japan or somewhere else in the world - to rework it?



This is what I mean. The way a knife is made in Japan. Let me break it down as simple as possible at first. 

- Knife blank is forged (factory, hand forged)

- blank is heatreated (by forger, sub contracor, or sharpener)

- Knife is sharpened (factory, all hand, some hand)

- Handled

- Engraved 

Now in Japan the business is usually clustering meaning a different specialist at each step. Take a knife branded by a forger. He may have forged the knife but he will probably have sub contracted the sharpening of that knife to grinder/sharpener he trusts. This also works the other way if branded by a sharpener. 

If branded by a wholesaler, the subcontract both steps and usually only do the engraving and handling. 

This is the standard and completely normal.



bkultra said:


> I would imagine that most individuals entering the field are drawn to the blacksmith side of the bussness. This has recently come up in another thread, but we tend to focus on the smith and over look the sharpener/shaper. I would image this means more money for the smiths and less for the sharpeners. If you were just entering the field would you be drawn to more recognition and money?



This is what most people assume but youre not looking at it from the business aspect. The forger and sharpener usually make and charge the same amount depending on and jus based on the work. Both are equally hard crafts and both take time. 

Im a farmer I sell you meat (youre a chef) to prepare a dish. You charge the customer accordingly to your food costs labor and restaurants fees. The chef/restaurant owner would make more here. 

Farmer/restaurant owner hires chef to cook for him. Cook makes his money on his work. Farmer makes more of his grown food and sales. 

Restaurant owner buys food and hires chef. Charges accordingly for his costs of food and labor.

Any one of these models can make more than the other and be recognized more than the other depending on how you work it. But let me ask you, when going to a restaurant what will you be looking at more?


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## knspiracy (Dec 24, 2020)

Godslayer said:


> $599 USD  300mm tamahagane honyaki Hamon can be seen on another picture, came with saya, if you can find me a better deal in the 500-800 dollar range your a better shopper than me.



Is that for sale?


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## adam92 (Jan 17, 2021)

osakajoe said:


> Morimoto
> Hide
> Nomura
> 
> ...


I heard Nomura used to be learn from Ino, May I assume Ino must be better than Nomura?


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