# Gisele (wanring - long winded and pic heavy)



## mpukas

Gisele
With so many things so right, if there is anything not quite right, its easily overlooked. 







Thats pretty much sums up how I feel about this new knife from Yusuke, a 240mm stainless steel KS clone gyuto, by way of Keiichi Omae and his Blue Way Japan eBay store. 

A brief background; 

Its no secret that Im huge fan of Yusuke knives sold by Keiichi Omae through his eBay store, Blue Way Japan. I bought my first Yusuke knives looking to try a carbon laser without breaking the bank. I soon discovered that the Yusuke knives are not a budget line with some trade-offs and compromises. They are indeed some of the best made knives out there, rivaling other brands that are highly regarded. 

A few months ago, I informed Keiichi there was a buzz going around about Yusuke knives. He is not a member of any forums that I know of, and he was pleased to hear of the favorable praise. During that time there was also a buzz going around about the beloved Masamoto KS knives, and how it was being cloned by other makers and sellers. 

I had a back and forth e-mail conversation with Keiichi suggesting he and Yusuke produce a KS clone with the features that we westerners like in a knife. A stiffer blade with little flex (which means a blade slightly thicker than most lasers), distal taper to have a thin tip, a flat edge for about the first half of the blade road, then a slight rise to the tip, stainless or at least semi-stainless steel (not only to reduce maintenance but some believe stainless steel have better edge retention, especially when cutting acidic foods), thinness behind the edge for better cutting ability, convex grind for food release, higher HT for better edge retention, 

One of the ideas was to make a knife that was a little more sturdy than the lasers were accustomed to in the low and sub- 2mm range that have some flex, especially towards the tip, and feel whippy. Thinness behind the edge was a key factor when making the knife thicker at the spine. I was told that Yusuke works with 3mm stock, and the thickest knife they could make is 2.8mm after grinding and finishing, which I thought was fine. 

So, after several months, Yusuke produced a prototype and Keiichi graciously gave me the opportunity to purchase it. I jumped at the chance. To say this knife has been a game changer for me would be an understatement. I thought I was fairly well educated and experienced with what Japanese knives have to offer. This knife changes everything. Yeah, its that good. Ill try to break it down into manageable thoughts. 

Specs (as from Keiichi)
length of blade (tip to handle)---249mm
length of cutting edge---237mm
total length---388mm
width at heel---47.5mm
width at 12cm for handle---40.5mm
thickness of spine above heel---2.8mm
thickness of spine at 12cm for handle---2.5mm
weight---approx 165gr
hardness---61 HRC
steel----Swedish stainless steel

Fit and Finish
Thats and easy one  its nearly perfect. I say nearly, because there may be some fault or flaw that I havent found yet. Everything is as it should be, and nothing more. The spine and choil are rounded. There are no grind marks from the rounding and finishing. The handle is perfectly straight both horizontally and vertically. There are no gaps or ridges between the collar and handle. 

Handle 
I now own four different Yusuke knives in different sizes and styles, and the handle on each its perfectly suited to the blade size and purpose. This knife being a 240 has a slightly smaller handle than my 270 gyuto. At first I was thrown off a little and wanted a bigger handle, but when I compared to entire knife to the 270, I now find the handle perfect for the size knife. Its a simple ho wood handle and buffalo horn collar. Its got a slight taper from the butt to the shoulders. Its octagonal shape that is slightly taller than it is wide, so it doesnt twist easily in hand. It feels clean, simple and functional when using it. 

Blade 
The KS profile is so, so good. From the heel to the tip, every millimeter of edge is useful. The flat edge from the heel forward is not dead flat, but so flat that in use I dont notice any curve to it. I have found that a blade that is truly dead flat can be difficult to use, as weve had a discussion about this. I have a kiri-gyuto that is dead flat on the edge, and it has an awkward ka-clunk to it when push cutting towards the heel. Not so with this knife. 

The taper on the spine from heel to tip is not drastic. Ill say the spine is perhaps a little thicker towards the tip than what we would normally expect from a laser, but as the spine drops to the tip it gets very thin and fine. This slightly thicker spine makes for a stiffer blade. If I use my 270 gyuto to lightly whack a garlic clove to break the skin, the tip will bend down and hit the board. Not so with this knife  it gives a satisfying solid thud and doesnt flex. Sure theres minimal flex, but compared to the 270, its much stiffer. 

We always talk about how a knife has to have distal taper to be in the ball park of what we consider a good knife. But does it really? What does taper give  it gets thinner from heel to tip, therefore the tip will be finer and have less drag as it cuts. That is good, but taper also leads to e thin spine which can flex. I think this KS profile with its long, gradual drop to the tip produces a thin tip while maintaining a spine thickness with some stiffness. 

The tip is especially nice. Its like the tip on a paring knife. Sharp. Thin. Pointy. Sexy. Very useful for fine tip work. 

The convex grind is great. Its not so pronounced that it feel forced and unnatural. While Ive had a few things occasionally stick to sides as Im cutting, it does have considerable less stiction than other knives that I have. Potatoes to tomatoes, the convex grind pushes the food away in a noticeable way so that stiction is minimized and cutting ability is maximized. To me, every knife is going to have some degree of stiction; its just a matter of minimizing as much as practical without making the knife feel unnatural. 

OOTB Edge 
Yusuke knives have a reputation for having very good OOTB edges, and this knife is no exception. The initial edge would easily and cleanly shave arm hair but wasnt what I would call scary sharp, a far cry from what I call Salty Sharp. None the less the edge was very practical for cutting food. And it still is. Ive had this knife for about 6 weeks now, and its the off season for me so Im not doing any private chef work, but I still cook two to three meals a day of varying levels of cutting requirements. 

I have no idea how Yusuke sharpened this knife, but its quite something. To look at the bevels, they are not noticeable from the grinding on the sides. There is barely a hairline visible at the edge. I wonder if the knife was sharpened, then a final finish/grinding performed, and then the edge touched up prior to shipping. However it was done its been a very stable edge with no chipping. I did notice some rolling of the edge after the first several days of use. 

I have not sharpened this knife yet, primarily because it doesnt need it. But also, the knife is so pretty Im in no hurry to scuff it up. So far Ive taken it the MAC black ceramic rod 3 or 4 times  maybe once every 5-7 days. Three passes on each side, edge leading, heel to tip, and three passes on each side, edge trailing, tip to heel, and then deburr in champagne cork. This stainless steel responds very well to the rod. 

On the white #2 Yusuke knives, the rod leaves a very aggressive, rather toothy edge that has too much bite and really doesnt feel sharp, yet cuts acceptably in a pinch. This steel, and how it was sharpened, responds to the ceramic rod with a very smooth clean edge that easily shaves arm hair. 

Ive stropped it once on my 1micron boron-on-balsa, .5 micron chromium oxide-on-balsa and plain leather strop progression, and it left a very, very sharp edge, as expected. 

Whats been remarkable so far is the edge retention. Again, Im not sure if this is due to how Yusuke sharpened the knife, the bevel angle, or the HT of the steel. Ive read posts where users say they have used their knife for several weeks with only touch-ups in between and can still shave, and pass crazy sharpness tests. Honestly, Ive always been skeptical of reports like this, as it just doesnt seem plausible to me (saying that however, I dont discredit accounts of blades from masters like Devin Thomas and Bill Burke who are infamous for their edge retention), plus I hadnt experienced it yet. Well, now I have, and I have a new standard for how long a good edge should last. The edge on this steel far outlives the edge on my white # 2, SG2 and even AS knives. 

The edge is now getting to a point where it hasnt responded as well to the rod, and I think its about time to finally sharpen it myself (for better or worse). 

Steel
Yusuke uses a Swedish steel for their stainless knives, which is usually hardened to around 58 HRC. This knife is hardened to 61 HRC. As Ive not sharpened this knife myself yet, I cannot comment on how it feels on the stones, how it takes an edge, etc. All I can say so far is that retention of the OOTB edge has been great, and it is truly stainless  the blade looks as good as the day I opened the box. Ive intentionally left acids like lemon and lime juice on it, and nothing happened. No reactions to onions, cabbage, or any of the other usual suspects, which is refreshing after having to be wary of my carbon blades reacting and turning foods off-colored. 

Performance
This is where its going to get a little hard for me. This knife cuts unlike anything else Ive ever used, and its got qualities that leave me grasping for words to use to describe just how it cuts. To use a car analogy, lets say my standard 270 white #2 Yusuke is a BMW M3 GTS. Sick track car, right? By anyones regard, this is a serious, respectable road eating machine. The new Yusuke KS clone is more like a McLaren MP4-12c. Its just in a completely different world of performance. 

Lets face it, all of the usual descriptions about how a sharp Japanese knife cuts are getting old. Cuts like buttah, Falls right through food like its not even there, Cuts everything I throw at it, and the like are all quite stupid, really. Unless a knife is a big, fat dull pig, of course its gonna cut right through food. Just like a hot knife through cold butter. 

This knife doesnt just fall through food  for one thing the edge isnt that sharp, and I like it this way. Its got great feedback. Its cuts well, very well. I think its got something to do with the convex grind in assisting with cutting. It almost feels like the convex faces part the food as the edge slices, releasing pressure on the sides of the blade. Ive had it wedge in large, hard sweet potatoes, but then again what wouldnt? 

The profile is probably what I love most about this knife. Honestly, why arent more knives being made in this shape? It is just so good (maybe I said that before). The low tip makes it easy to actually use the tip, yet there is enough curve that it rock chops equally well (yeah, I do that on herbs and garlic sometimes). The flat spot is great for push cutting. There is not a section of the blade that I find doesnt work well for multiple functions. 

Another factor that I think plays a role is that its stainless and does not have any patina on it. I think that on my carbon knives, the patina lends a small amount of drag as it cuts through food. Call me crazy and making up shite, but I think this is something that has a slight but noticeable effect. 

Summary
What would I change about this knife, if I could, or were ordering a new custom? Not much. I prefer a knife that is a little longer and slightly taller at the heel, but in using this for the past two months Ive become accustomed to it the way it is just fine. 

Ive been back and forth about the merits of a mono-steel vs clad blade. Originally, I was on the mono-steel side. Recently I had changed my opinion, thinking that clad blades had an edge, primarily because a knife can have a higher HT on the edge steel for a higher angle and better edge retention while maintaining ease of thinning with softer cladding. Now Im not so sure. 

Ive had this knife for about 7 weeks now, and sharing it has been long overdue. I actually started writing this over two weeks. When I was looking for a pic of Gisele, my computer got infected with a virus. It corrupted my OS, and I had to reinstall. During the reinstall process, my hard drive failed, and I had to purchase a new. All of my data was safe as I use multiple back up sources. All in all I was down for about two weeks. See what I do for you guys? 

Keiichi has informed me that he is planning on having Yusuke make more of these knives for sale, but he said it may take some time to get them produced. At this point, it may be sooner than later that he has them available. 

If anyone has any questions or comments, let em rip. Dont be afraid to question or contest anything Ive written  this is just my opinion and in no way resembles fact. 

NOTE: I have no professional affiliation with Keiichi Omae, Blue Way Japan, or Yusuke. Or anyone else for that matter. 

&#8195;


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## echerub

The regular profile looks pretty curvy in photos - this looks much more appealing to me.


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## heirkb

Wow, definitely seems more to my liking than the other Yusuke knives. Are these going to go into production?


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## mpukas

heirkb said:


> Wow, definitely seems more to my liking than the other Yusuke knives. Are these going to go into production?



Yes, but I have no idea when.


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## mpukas

Just for reference, here's my standard 270 white #2 gyuto when it was new OOTB. I've since taken some of the curve out of the blade. Still a great knife.


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## labor of love

i hope they make a 270mm version. exciting news indeed!


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## El Pescador

how much was it?


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## stereo.pete

That choil is drop dead sexy!


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## NO ChoP!

The Yusuke attention to detail, especially in regards to handle construction, rounded and polished choil and spine, packaging, are definitely a notch above the likes of Konosuke and such... I've had three; miss them.

My one peeve of Yukes has always been the printed kanji, though.

Would love to see this side by side with a Masamoto KS; also would be interesting to have available a carbon version; and ebony handle; and thin version; wow the possibilities are endless! lol


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## mpukas

Just a heads up that these are finally available f/ BWJ (I'm not gonna post the link - just head to ebay. It's the first knife listed in the gyuto seciton). He only has two listed as available. I'd love to see them go to members here, before they get knabbed up somewhere else.


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## labor of love

mpukas said:


> Just a heads up that these are finally available f/ BWJ (I'm not gonna post the link - just head to ebay. It's the first knife listed in the gyuto seciton). He only has two listed as available. I'd love to see them go to members here, before they get knabbed up somewhere else.


nice. i just requested they make a few in carbon. they look like quite a bargain!


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## perneto

labor of love said:


> nice. i just requested they make a few in carbon. they look like quite a bargain!



Did the seller confirm they will make some white steel ones? Will they be the same thickness? (2.8mm sounds a little thick, it's thicker than the Masamoto KS for example).


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## labor of love

he hasnt responded yet. if you have an ebay account and youre interested, you should request it too. blue way is pretty responsive to requests. i dont mind the thickness, i just wish they ran longer like 245-250mm instead of 237mm.


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## mpukas

perneto said:


> Did the seller confirm they will make some white steel ones? Will they be the same thickness? (2.8mm sounds a little thick, it's thicker than the Masamoto KS for example).



2.8mm thick spine comes from the max they can get out of 3.0mm bar stock. It's really not very thick. The extra thickness allows them to get a much better convex grind on the face, which results in this being a much, much better cutter than their standard gyuto which is in the 2.2mm range. It's also much stiffer. 

If you're concerned about thickness vs cutting ability, check out the Kato reviews (if you haven't already). Those knives are in the 6mm range, and the guys that have them say they are the best cutters they've used. I'm not trying to convince you one way or another, just saying that thin knives do not necessarily cut better than thick knives.


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## mpukas

labor of love said:


> i dont mind the thickness, i just wish they ran longer like 245-250mm instead of 237mm.



Keiichi has told me they are working on a longer 270 model. My guess is the blade length will be propotionate to the 240 version. 

When I first got my 240, I thought it was a bit short in length and height for my taste. I'm prefer 270's and a little taller at the heel. Since I've been using it so several months now, I've grown accustomed to it and really appreciate the size for it's combination of precision and general utility. It's an extremely versatile knife that does almost everything well, from psuh cutting veggies to slicing proteins and everything in between. But for sure I'll get a 270 when it's available. 

I've found that Keiichi can take 1 - 2 days to respond due to the time difference from Japan and his work load.


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## labor of love

perneto said:


> Did the seller confirm they will make some white steel ones? Will they be the same thickness? (2.8mm sounds a little thick, it's thicker than the Masamoto KS for example).


white versions will come out in 2-3 monthes. i hope 270mms come out around the same time.


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## perneto

Here's what he told me:

Will you offer this with an Ichii handle as well?
I've also heard on kitchenknifeforums.com that white steel and 270mm versions were in preparation, I'm also interested.

Hello,
Yes I will take an order for the knife with an ichii handle with $12 extra if you could wait a couple of months.
Also yes the white steel 270mm version are coming up in a couple of months(maybe in Jan).
Thanks in advance.


Has someone tried both the swedish stainless (which I think is 19c27?) and the white steel, with the Yusuke heat treatment?
I was planning to get the white steel, but if there's no major sharpness difference, stainless could be good too.


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## Timthebeaver

I reckon it's Sandvik 13c26 (equivalent to Uddeholm AEB-L). I would imagine the Swedish @ RC61 would have superior edge retention than white steel. As far as "sharpness" goes, you are the limiting factor.


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## stevenStefano

Yeah I'd go stainless. I got a White #2 suji a while ago but that was before I realised he'd do stainless at 61 HRC. I know many people say hardness ain't such a big deal but for the amount of use my knives get I'd rather keep them higher than lower


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## Aphex

I could no longer resist and just bought the blonde ferrule version. 

I was looking for a high performing stainless knife for quite sometime as i'm getting sick of the sticky patina of some of my carbon knives. If the geometry of the yusuke is as good as claimed then i'll be super happy as i was about to comission a very expensive stainless custom. I love saving money.

I'll report back when it arrives.


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## makanouchi

Aphex, have you received the knife yet, your impressions?


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## Aphex

No, it's currently in the hands of UK customs.


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## perneto

An update: these are no longer in stock, but I asked Keiichi who told me they would be available again within a couple of months (so end of January probably). This corresponds to the date he previously gave us for white #2 steel and 270mm versions.

He will also have two different thicknesses available: 2.2mm like the standard Sakai Yusuke gyuto, and the 2.8mm that was the only version available up to now, and which was reviewed in this thread.

I'm placing a pre-order for the 240mm stainless with Ichii handle, but I'm not sure which thickness to choose. Which would you recommend?


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## mpukas

Having both a standard 270 white #2 gyuto and the 240 SS KS clone, I think the thicker knife is a much better cutter. I think it's primarily due to the grind - the extra thickness allows for more convexing on the blade face. The thinner knife may have a slight advantage in that because it's thinner it may slice through an item with less resistance, but I also find the thicker knife with greater convexing has a characteristic where it parts food rather than just slicing through it - kinda hard to describe. 

The thicker knife also has much less of an issue with stiction. 

I also find the KS profile to be much better overall, all around, than the standard profile, so that also plays into my findings on it being a better cutter. 

Good for you for getting one - are you gonna get SS or carbon? You'll love it either way. Cheers! mpp


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## Aphex

After comparing the thick yusuke to my suisin honyaki 270mm i much prefer using the thick yusuke to a classic laser. The only benifits i could find in the thin suisin was in chopping large hard things like turnips and massive onions etc. The thick yusuke with it's gentle spine to edge convex grind cut everything else with not only less effort, but with hardly any product sticking to the blade thanks to good but not excellent food release. The yusuke also had a better ballance, better feel than the laser. There was no getting to know the knife, it felt natural as soon as i picked it up. The stainless steel also got mighty sharp after a couple of strops of the original edge as well, almost carbon sharpness. Overall i would say this knife was a far better knife that the thinner version and worth the increased cost.


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## mpukas

Great to see you got your knife, and great to see another review of it. I'm relieved to hear that I'm not just in a little fantasy world of mine own... ;-)


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## perneto

FYI, it seems all of the new batch of Yusuke gyutos available at bluewayjapan have the KS profile, but with their standard 2.2mm thickness. The 2.8mm ones are still not in stock, but will be soon I hope.


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## marc4pt0

Aphex,

just curious to see what your thoughts are on this stainless after using it a couple months later. I'm very interested in scoring one with the blonde cap as opposed to the black. looks real nice


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## Aphex

marc4pt0 said:


> Aphex,
> 
> just curious to see what your thoughts are on this stainless after using it a couple months later. I'm very interested in scoring one with the blonde cap as opposed to the black. looks real nice



Two months on and it's still up there with my very favourite knives. It cut's through most things with such little resistance. The only down side i can see is the fact that food release isn't as good as what i would like.


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## labor of love

perneto, im not sure which new gyutos your talking about but i made some inquiries about a couple of the new lasers w/extra hardness and keichi told me theyre actually just the regular profile.


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## marc4pt0

what other knives are you comparing the food release to? I'm just wondering how good, or bad, the food release is. Root vegetables sticking strongly?


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## perneto

labor of love said:


> perneto, im not sure which new gyutos your talking about but i made some inquiries about a couple of the new lasers w/extra hardness and keichi told me theyre actually just the regular profile.



I thought the new pictures looked more like the new profile, for example here:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Japanese-Sakai-Yusuke-White-Steel-Wa-Gyuto-Knife-270mm-Octagon-/380573788682

But if Keiichi said they were the regular ones, he must be right.


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## don

perneto said:


> I thought the new pictures looked more like the new profile, for example here:
> 
> http://www.ebay.com/itm/Japanese-Sakai-Yusuke-White-Steel-Wa-Gyuto-Knife-270mm-Octagon-/380573788682
> 
> But if Keiichi said they were the regular ones, he must be right.



I got the same response from Keiichi last week. The KS profiles are on order (2.2 and 2.8 thickness) but there is no timeline.


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## Aphex

marc4pt0 said:


> what other knives are you comparing the food release to? I'm just wondering how good, or bad, the food release is. Root vegetables sticking strongly?



The knife has a gentle spine to edge convex grind which favours ease of cutting rather than food release. Cut a potato in half and it releases fine, cut the half and there can be some sticking. The tip releases better but there still can be some sticking. Take half of a small to medium sized onion and push cut 1cm chunks and they tend to stick. On small to medium sized carrots, cut the thick end and it releases fine, cut the small end and there can be some stickage. I should point out that none of food sticks strongly and a quick flick of the blade removes them pretty easily.


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## marc4pt0

that sounds pretty good given the price point. I'll just have to wait for the next round of "ks" to come along. Thanks for the input


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## panda

are all the latest ones ks profiled? only the thin version is available at the moment, atleast for stainless. can he get custom ones made? i'd like to try this knife but a taller blade, 47mm is too short. and maybe 2.5mm instead of 2.8mm thickness.


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## labor of love

i dont think the new yusukes have the ks profile. i think the listing would call it "flatter profile" or something like that if it was. but i could be wrong. yeah, blue way will put different handles on instead of ho wood if thats what you mean. i doubt theres a noticeable difference between a 2.5 and 2.8mm spine. Even at 2.8mm, the yusukes ks profiles are still real light and thin behind the edge. the 270mm lasers have a 2.4 spine if that helps your decision at all.


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## panda

i dont mean handle, but the blade height, referring to how wide it is at the heel.


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## labor of love

i send blue way japan questions all the time at ebay. keiichi is pretty fast at responding to inquiries. he will let you know what is and isnt possible.


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## panda

i inquired about a taller version, will post update when they respond.


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## panda

no custom orders =(
the 270 thick version is 53mm though which is tall enough, do they tend to run short at all? i'm really not a fan of that length.


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## labor of love

they run short. my 300mm suji was 10-12mm short if memorie serves. i would expect a 270mm gyuto to measure 260-262mm.


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## Aphex

panda said:


> no custom orders =(
> the 270 thick version is 53mm though which is tall enough, do they tend to run short at all? i'm really not a fan of that length.



My "thick" 240 is 240 at the edge.


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## vai777

nice review..I always wondered about these knives


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## eaglerock

Want to get one of those but thinking about Carbon VS SS. What do you guys think ? 
And will the Ichii handle look good with blonde ferrule?


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## berko

ive never owned an aeb-l steel knive but ive had several white ones and therefore i would go for a stainless, as the edge retetion is said to be better. white steel seems to lose it rather quick in comparison.


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## labor of love

It's a win win situation. I favor stainless just because there are so few production stainless knives i like. Yusuke does a better job than most when it comes to white steel heat treating.


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## mpukas

Recently, since I've actually sharpened my SS KS-clone instead of just touch-ups, I've found that the edge retention is not as good as white #2. White #2 may get a bit of a bad rap for edge retention, but I'm finding it better that some other steels I have, including the SS KS and the Blazen SG2. The SS will get just as sharp as white #2 for me, tho. On the other hand, the SS responds better to a touch-up on the MAC black rod and stropping. 

On advantage to the SS is its non-reactive, and doesnt build up a patina. Im finding that the patina has a slight drag effect on cutting, whereas the SS feels super-smooth. 

Even though Yusuke/BWJ claims the extra-hardness of the SS is HRC61, it still feels a bit softer than white #2. 

Its a tough call, and Im not sure which one Id pick if I were to do it all over again, knowing what I know now. Cant go wrong with either steel choice.


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## labor of love

Both myself and kfed have noticed that yusukes white steel seems slightly harder and maybe a little more wear resistant than most white steel knives. It is surprising to hear that the masamoto ks has better retention than yusuke SS. Perhaps the masamoto edge is less delicate(thicker behind the edge)and this is keeping the edge from dulling as quickly?


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## eaglerock

I love patina so White#2 is the answer 

What about Ichii handle with blonde ferrule, will it look good ?


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## mpukas

labor of love said:


> Both myself and kfed have noticed that yusukes white steel seems slightly harder and maybe a little more wear resistant than most white steel knives. It is surprising to hear that the masamoto ks has better retention than yusuke SS. Perhaps the masamoto edge is less delicate(thicker behind the edge)and this is keeping the edge from dulling as quickly?


 I was comparing Yusuke's SS to their own white #2. I haven't used the Masamoto enough to comment on it's edge retention.


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## mpukas

eaglerock said:


> I love patina so White#2 is the answer
> 
> What about Ichii handle with blonde ferrule, will it look good ?


 I haven't seen that combo, but I bet it would look good. I have a 210 petty w/ ho wood handle and blonde horn and I think I prefer it to the dark horn.


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## labor of love

At this point, ill buy whatever blueway puts up that has the new profile, stainless or carbon, "thicker" grind or thin. Im sure theyre all excellent performers. The thing is i dont think any of the new yusukes on ebay actually have the ks profile at the moment. Im pretty sure he would it "flatter profile"gyuto in the description if was.


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## mpukas

labor of love said:


> At this point, ill buy whatever blueway puts up that has the new profile, stainless or carbon, "thicker" grind or thin. Im sure theyre all excellent performers.


+1



labor of love said:


> The thing is i dont think any of the new yusukes on ebay actually have the ks profile at the moment. Im pretty sure he would it "flatter profile"gyuto in the description if was.


Agree. But the new gyutos dont look like quite the same profile as their original ones, the Tadatsuna shape, if you will.


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## labor of love

Well well well....the restock is here! Plenty if new flatter profile thick and thin gyutos!


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## labor of love

and all the restocks are gone except for one gyuto...that was quick.


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## jer

Just white steel in the thicker profile or was stainless restocked too?


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## labor of love

just white steel. only 240mm size also. still waiting for the 270mm size to make an appearance.


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## eaglerock

I'll wait for 270mm too


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## marc4pt0

got the 240 with blonde ferrule this morning. He emailed me at 10:10 and I bought mine at 10:10. If you hit him up he'll keep in touch


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## labor of love

congrats on the purchase!


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## marc4pt0

Ha! thanks! been waiting a little bit on that one, but you guys have me convinced that it's worth it!


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## chinacats

marc4pt0 said:


> got the 240 with blonde ferrule this morning. He emailed me at 10:10 and I bought mine at 10:10. If you hit him up he'll keep in touch



I love the lack of indecision involved here...:biggrin:


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## labor of love

mpukas said:


> I was comparing Yusuke's SS to their own white #2. I haven't used the Masamoto enough to comment on it's edge retention.



my mistake! that makes much more sense. not to get to redundant here, but there is something special about yusukes white steel.


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## eaglerock

It is a shame that they print the kanji. If it is engraved the knife will look amazing. But it is a small thing


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## stevenStefano

Can't you ask them to engrave it?


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## eaglerock

I asked but he said they can't


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## mpukas

marc4pt0 said:


> Ha! thanks! been waiting a little bit on that one, but you guys have me convinced that it's worth it!



Congrats!!! Is that SS or carbon?


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## marc4pt0

white #2. Stainless wasn't offered, though I would have still gone with the white either way. I actually don't have Anything in white #2 oddly enough!


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## marc4pt0

not too sure if this question warrants an entirely new thread (if so don't hesitate telling me) but I'm curious about the San Mai construction-
I'm wondering how far the carbon steel goes up the blade. I ask because I want to round the spine more but don't want to expose more carbon underneath. Any thoughts?


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## JohnnyChance

These are san mai? I thought they were mono steel blades.


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## Andrew H

JohnnyChance said:


> These are san mai? I thought they were mono steel blades.



I thought they were monosteel too.


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## marc4pt0

UGH, ignore that last post with my apologies! Wrong thread, long day. What an idiot! Sorry guys


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## marc4pt0

So I was able to throw this guy into service last night. First, let me just say that the shipping speed is so fast! Paid money on Monday, hit my door Thursday! From Japan! 
Second, and more important, this thing is razor sharp right from the get go! No strop, one hand slice right through tomatoes no prob. But, before I go any further I want to figure out something. This guy just plowed through 50# duck legs and breasts, lots of mire poix, potatoes, tomatoes, asparagus, etc... But NO patina. Then I mince up some tarragon and this happened:



















It's like a super thin film is peeling off. In fact, I can scrape it off with my thumb nail. I have No idea what this is. I'm a little concerned/ confused. Does anybody know this is? Bad or nothing to worry about?


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## berko

i guess its a coat of lacquer that appears to be on every white no 2, at least the ones that i bought. protects from patinaing, can be removed with acetone, but will naturally remove from time to time.


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## Chefdog

If you got the carbon, it's a little lacquer type protective film they put on to prevent any oxidation during storage/shipping. Nail polish remover should take it off.


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## marc4pt0

thanks guys! Whew! I was hoping that's all it was. I've never seen it on others I've gotten, but just needed to know for sure.


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## labor of love

i like keeping the laquer on personally. behind the edge will eventually take on a real bright blue patina while the rest of the blade almost appears stainless, atleast for awhile. i think the contrast is cool. Marc4pt0, did you get the thinner or thicker one? please tell us more about your first impressions!


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## mpukas

Yeah, like the other guys said, it's a protective lacquer. I've read that it should be removed prior to use as it may have some adverse health affects, but it's up to the user. Personally, I remove it w/ acetone but leave it on the kanji to protect it for as long as possible. Marc - please tell us more about what you think of it???!!!


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## marc4pt0

I was thinking about starting a different thread as to not steal this one, but I'm glad I can continue right here! I'm not much of a knife reviewer, I just know what I do and don't like. I can't get much into tech and spec, only because that's not solely my thing. I just basically want to cut, chop and slice a ton crap

So I got the thinner of the group, 2.3mm. I wanted to try the thinner one and it was also the only one offered with blonde ferrule. Straight to the point? Ok, Frankly, I'm in love with this knife, and I have this thread to thank for the introduction. That's not saying much though, as I fall in love with all my knives... 
Out of the box, this guy is way more sharp than most others I've gotten. It feels so light, but oh so right when using it. I plowed through Saturday prep and was just amazed at how well it bounced from hard root veg to mince of shallots to cleaning duck to light handed herb chopping and a whole slew of other tasks. It's got a decent flex to it, but not a lot. Just the right amount, the kind of flex that won't bend or sway unless intended w/ purpose.
It's not a tall knife like I tend to gravitate towards, but the profile lends itself well with no learning curve. 
After the lacquer started to peel, I just took it off the rest of the way. It looked as though there was a gummy residue on the blade and I just couldn't get past it. The blade itself is now taking on a nice hue of blue.
For the handle, I wasn't 100% sold on it at first. I think it may be a bit too smooth of a finish, but I'm sure that will change with some beaten up. I also think it could stand a little thinning along the sides, thus giving the handle more of a "taller" feel. I might try that later down the road.
As for cutting, nothing sticks to it. Everything just stays put as the blade goes to work. For the 1st half of the day, I just worked with the OOTB edge, and it didn't disappoint. We've all seen the videos of knives cutting tomatoes and such. Well I've never recorded a video of me slicing or cutting anything. So please excuse this piece of crap I'm linking here. I was honestly just amazed how well sharpened this knife was straight out of the bubble wrap! So I made this video. Anybody not wanting to break the bank while still trying to elevate performance will hopefully find this of interest: (and yes, that's me w/ my phone propped up against a mixing bowl. Slicing slowly trying to keep the focus clear)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oa5_uXp1vi4


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## labor of love

wow. that has to be the best OOTB edge ever!


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## Crothcipt

Lol great vid and nice write up Mark4pt0. The only critique I would say is you did the last tomato test upside down.....:sarcasmalert: :whistling:

All seriousness great job on the vid.


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