# Lefty Stay Aways



## Southpaw (May 9, 2020)

So I’m new here and I’ve just started my serious collection... and I know for a fact my next but is gunna be one of those Shigefusa Ku Nakiris when I can find one... but that depressing Kippington post on Assymetry and looking thru the classifieds and seeing for sales because the knife sucked for a lefty got me thinking...

there should be a list of stay away Brands/Models for lefties!

please post your horror stories here!


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## labor of love (May 9, 2020)

Fellow southpaw here. Uh yeah I’ve had to let go of quite a few knives that didn’t work for me. But vendors (especially JKI and CarbonKnifeCompany) and also custom makers have been able to get a proper lefty friendly knife in my hands.


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## labor of love (May 9, 2020)

Mizuno KS gyuto was probably the hardest to let go of. Perfect profile and steel but the left side was almost completely flat.


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## Southpaw (May 9, 2020)

labor of love said:


> Mizuno KS gyuto was probably the hardest to let go of. Perfect profile and steel but the left side was almost completely flat.



actually seeing that WTS is what made me finally join this forum. I had been looking at mizunos for weeks and I was wonderinghow Many others are like that


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## Hassanbensober (May 9, 2020)

I am also a lefty and shig nakiri owner. I love mine and have never had an issue with it whatsoever. I have thinned and modified it over the course of 4 years but not due to being a lefty.


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## Qapla' (May 9, 2020)

The Jikko Ginsan line is extremely righty-biased.


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## Southpaw (May 9, 2020)

Hassanbensober said:


> I am also a lefty and shig nakiri owner. I love mine and have never had an issue with it whatsoever. I have thinned and modified it over the course of 4 years but not due to being a lefty.


Where’d you get yours? I know they prob don’t still sell them but it’s worth asking


Qapla' said:


> The Jikko Ginsan line is extremely righty-biased.


That’s a HUGE bummer! After the shig Nakiri I was planning on getting a carbon 210 Gyuto, after seeing Mizuno doesn’t work for me I was starting to look at Jikkos. Major bummer.


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## labor of love (May 9, 2020)

Southpaw said:


> actually seeing that WTS is what made me finally join this forum. I had been looking at mizunos for weeks and I was wonderinghow Many others are like that


I feel like you have a good chance of getting a 50/50 Miz KS if you can find one of the ones made without shinogi line, however it’s not guaranteed.


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## Hassanbensober (May 9, 2020)

I got mine from jns a long time ago. I think they are in stock here though 
Japan-messer-shop.de


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## labor of love (May 9, 2020)

Carbon Jikkos have been okay for me. Lots of this stuff varies from each individual knife. Just contact the vendor about it.


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## esoo (May 9, 2020)

My coworker lent me a Ginga Stainless - it was righty biased, but I found it usable. Rotating it a touch did make it cut better as a lefty. Don't think it was a Gesshin.


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## soigne_west (May 9, 2020)

Check this miz out from CKTG. Looks like it would be pretty decent for a lefty.


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## soigne_west (May 9, 2020)

Actually the more I look the more I second guess my eyes


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## ian (May 9, 2020)

Yea, that looks really similar to the one I sold. Flatish left face, lots of convex on the right. It's always a guess with choil shots, of course.


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## labor of love (May 9, 2020)

@soigne_west lmao no way man!


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## soigne_west (May 9, 2020)

I can see clearly now...


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## Southpaw (May 9, 2020)

Hassanbensober said:


> I got mine from jns a long time ago. I think they are in stock here though
> Japan-messer-shop.de


If only I knew German... they def are...
there in stock on this site Dictum.de but that makes me nervous cuz it’s not like a knife shop




labor of love said:


> @soigne_west lmao no way man!


Hahaha I mean you tried @soigne_west! Kinda a good example of what I’m sick of. And a perfect example of you can’t just glance at a choil shot either.

my Yaxell is prob the best at food release, but on the other end it can’t cut for sh*t! It’s so thick behind and the edge it’s like driving a 1970s Cadillac only cutting. It’s a boat-grind


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## dsk (May 9, 2020)

The other way would be useful as well: which brands are most lefty friendly. So far wakui, maz, masashi and tanaka have been pretty good to me I think, I know I want to try a takamura next. My munetoshi petty is close, I hand picked the more even one between two. 

Seems sakai tends to have heavier right bias than sanjo.


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## labor of love (May 9, 2020)

dsk said:


> The other way would be useful as well: which brands are most lefty friendly. So far wakui, maz, masashi and tanaka have been pretty good to me I think, I know I want to try a takamura next. My munetoshi petty is close, I hand picked the more even one between two.
> 
> Seems sakai tends to have heavier right bias than sanjo.


Have you seen the new KU masashis at cleancut? Pretty nice.


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## soigne_west (May 9, 2020)

soigne_west said:


> Check this miz out from CKTG. Looks like it would be pretty decent for a lefty.
> 
> View attachment 79831



This was just a test... you all passed. 




labor of love said:


> Have you seen the new KU masashis at cleancut? Pretty nice.


.

Yoshihiro has them too. Here’s thespecs I got from Jenson


Weight: ~7.2 oz
Total Blade Length: ~23cm
Height: ~50mm
Spine Thickness: ~4mm


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## dsk (May 9, 2020)

labor of love said:


> Have you seen the new KU masashis at cleancut? Pretty nice.


Yeah those are pretty, I like burnt handles over the yoshihiro ones, though their handles are pretty good too. I think if I were to go masashi route again I might go for the aframes updated profile sld. 

I just want to try a 210mm red handle first, since it seems the pro is never in stock, and the only vendor that has a blazen 210 is burrfection lol. Wanna see if I'll like the 45mm heel in a slender size


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## labor of love (May 9, 2020)

Is there a photo somewhere of this new Masashi profile?


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## dsk (May 9, 2020)

MASASHI Wa Gyuto 210mm SLD Steel blade Japanese Chef Knife







www.aframestokyo.com





Less torpedo and more watoyama bordering on santoku


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## labor of love (May 9, 2020)

Ahh okay that does look nice. I’m trying to figure out if the 240mm and 270 wh2 kasumi are also the new profile.
I might get one just to use while my shihan gets rehandled lol


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## dsk (May 9, 2020)

labor of love said:


> Ahh okay that does look nice. I’m trying to figure out if the 240mm and 270 wh2 kasumi are also the new profile.
> I might one just to use while my shihan gets rehandled lol


The new profile is only in 240 white, and the 210 and 240 sld. They list both the old and new, though that may have changed if they ran out of old profile stock. *270 sld too it looks like

His sld is pretty sweet, let my dad use one and hes like a pissed off orc with knives and the edge never really suffered.


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## labor of love (May 9, 2020)

Yes I had an SLD petty. Incredible toughness for such a thin edge and tip actually. 
There was many an occasion where I thought I chipped the tip using too much force but nope it was fine.


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## Up_dog128 (May 13, 2020)

Guess I could put this in knife findings, but this seemed like a more appropriate place. Tadafusa lefty 240 yanagi, Iron clad shirogami for $86 (if you give your email & get 10%off)








Tadafusa - Hon Kasumi 240mm Sashimi Hocho for Left Hand - Tadafusa


Left Handed Hocho. Sashimi Hocho are used for slicing the raw fish (sashimi) traditionally served by the Japanese. They are also suitable for fine slicing of other meats.




www.woodcraft.com




The same site has '12000 grit-ish' Chinese nats on clearance for $11-15


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## LucasFur (May 13, 2020)

I actually love having a right hand bias. (Im right handed) 
A few of you (Especially Labor) will defiantly be more knowledgeable than I with all that you have used. 

my 2cents.... 

Stay away: 
Mizuno (the couple ive dealt with) 
Surprisingly my Mr Itou (though my wife is left handed, and its her knife, but shes not that proficient on the board) 
TF's may be an issue
"Custom ordered" honyaki Gyuto from japan. 

Shouldnt be an issue: 
Sukenari 
Takamura / blazen 
kagekiyo 
Konosuke


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## Hassanbensober (May 13, 2020)

Mr Itou for observation purposes. If not so spendy I wouldn’t hesitate to add another.


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## Southpaw (May 13, 2020)

LucasFur said:


> I actually love having a right hand bias. (Im right handed)
> A few of you (Especially Labor) will defiantly be more knowledgeable than I with all that you have used.
> 
> my 2cents....
> ...



it really bums me out about Mizuno, esp cuz like my knife goals dream is a honyaki KS. I was really leaning towards the DX blue 1 as my next 210 Gyuto as well. His knives look so good and his process is real old school.

Ive been looking at Konosuke a lot too, although I don’t know what to make of the steel in the HD2.

Sukeneri might have to be my first foray into Honyaki, but that’s a bit down the road...


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## LucasFur (May 13, 2020)

Southpaw said:


> it really bums me out about Mizuno, esp cuz like my knife goals dream is a honyaki KS. I was really leaning towards the DX blue 1 as my next 210 Gyuto as well. His knives look so good and his process is real old school.


1. Im sure you can custom order something. 2. you can re-grind yourself esp. on a honyaki. Might take 20hrs on the stones and doing that on such an expensive knife is a risk.


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## Barmoley (May 13, 2020)

Southpaw said:


> it really bums me out about Mizuno, esp cuz like my knife goals dream is a honyaki KS. I was really leaning towards the DX blue 1 as my next 210 Gyuto as well. His knives look so good and his process is real old school.
> 
> Ive been looking at Konosuke a lot too, although I don’t know what to make of the steel in the HD2.
> 
> Sukeneri might have to be my first foray into Honyaki, but that’s a bit down the road...


HD2 is good semi stainless.


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## esoo (May 13, 2020)

Barmoley said:


> HD2 is good semi stainless.



I concur. Just got a 210 HD2 and even the out of the box edge was quite nice. No issues with the being lefty either


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## Southpaw (May 13, 2020)

LucasFur said:


> 1. Im sure you can custom order something. 2. you can re-grind yourself esp. on a honyaki. Might take 20hrs on the stones and doing that on such an expensive knife is a risk.


Ya to me a Honyaki knife is truly a work of art made by an artisan, and doing something like that is like putting ketchup on KOBE steaks. Like my best case knife I could think of would be a lefty grind honyaki 240 with a “French profile.” To get one though I think would be quite the hassle and the expense on top of the price of a honyaki blade.
i could just never see myself thinning someone’s hard work like that...


Barmoley said:


> HD2 is good semi stainless.





esoo said:


> I concur. Just got a 210 HD2 and even the out of the box edge was quite nice. No issues with the being lefty either


Is it more stainless or more carbon characteristic wise? I assume it doesn’t sharpen or hold as well as the blues but doesn’t react as much either? Like what’s it take to form a patina?
i need a carbon 210 and that Konosuke HD2 is very intriguing. Their super blues don’t have quite the same profile and they’re way thicker.


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## esoo (May 13, 2020)

The patina that is forming on mine is mild. In fact the first bit of patina came from leaving it wet after washing while washing another knife (so it looks like water drops). Other than that the knife is very stable. Haven't taken it the stones yet.


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## labor of love (May 13, 2020)

Just bought a 270mm blue1 kagekiyo yesterday with help from Craig @carbon. From the few he sent me pics of there seems to be plenty that can work for a lefty. 
For Honyaki I have my sights set on Ittetsu.


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## Barmoley (May 13, 2020)

Southpaw said:


> Ya to me a Honyaki knife is truly a work of art made by an artisan, and doing something like that is like putting ketchup on KOBE steaks. Like my best case knife I could think of would be a lefty grind honyaki 240 with a “French profile.” To get one though I think would be quite the hassle and the expense on top of the price of a honyaki blade.
> i could just never see myself thinning someone’s hard work like that...
> 
> 
> ...


It forms very stable gray patina, to me it feels very similar to A2 at 59-60 HRC, please don't take this to mean anything I have no idea what it is or its hardness. Edge holding is rather good and I wouldn't call it worse than usual blue 2, if anything it was better in my use. Sharpening wasn't a problem, slightly harder than white 2, or softer AEB-L, but easier than really hard blue 2. Again my opinion only and I think they are all easy.

As far as modifying Mizuno honyaki for lefty, I am sure this was a joke. The asymmetry is so severe that it would be nearly impossible to do and if you managed it you would end up with a totally different knife in grind and profile because of how much steel you would have to remove.

I agree with @labor of love that Mizuno hates lefties.


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## Southpaw (May 14, 2020)

labor of love said:


> Just bought a 270mm blue1 kagekiyo yesterday with help from Craig @carbon. From the few he sent me pics of there seems to be plenty that can work for a lefty.
> For Honyaki I have my sights set on Ittetsu.







this one?
She’s a beaut!

I haven’t looked much at Ittetsu, do you have any of their Gyutos?


Barmoley said:


> It forms very stable gray patina, to me it feels very similar to A2 at 59-60 HRC, please don't take this to mean anything I have no idea what it is or its hardness. Edge holding is rather good and I wouldn't call it worse than usual blue 2, if anything it was better in my use. Sharpening wasn't a problem, slightly harder than white 2, or softer AEB-L, but easier than really hard blue 2. Again my opinion only and I think they are all easy.
> 
> As far as modifying Mizuno honyaki for lefty, I am sure this was a joke. The asymmetry is so severe that it would be nearly impossible to do and if you managed it you would end up with a totally different knife in grind and profile because of how much steel you would have to remove.
> 
> I agree with @labor of love that Mizuno hates lefties.



I just messaged Kippington since he does REALLY affordable honyaki. Don’t know what to make of that W-2 steel but he sent me a link that showed it’s composition compared to hitachi and Takefu white 2 so I think it should turn out well. I got a while to think about it tho.

I still eventually will want something Japanese tho, maybe I’ll ask Koki at JCK what it would take for Mizuno to doa lefty grind... I’m setting the over under at 1,600 lol.


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## labor of love (May 14, 2020)

Oh yeah. I like ittetsu a lot. Just talk to Jon about the line if you’re interested. They’re not for everyone but I like them.
Kippington will not disappoint either. He makes great lefty asymmetrical knives too. I’ve enjoyed his 52100 and 1095, can’t remember if I used his w2 or not. If I was ordering right now from him W2 is likely what I’d ask for.


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## Southpaw (May 18, 2020)

https://www.**************.com/kaasgy212.html
Get a load of this choil boys!




karaku blue super


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