# Japanese Naturals???



## brooksie967 (Aug 11, 2015)

Where are all the pic heavy threads showing off all your brick sized jnats? Maybe I'm looking in the wrong area of the forum? All I ever see is talk of synthetic stuff and while they work they simply aren't pretty!


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## Pensacola Tiger (Aug 11, 2015)

Maksim started this thread in his sub-forum and it's become the defacto thread for Japanese naturals:

http://www.kitchenknifeforums.com/showthread.php/6921-J-Nat-Club?highlight=jnat+club


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## Bill13 (Aug 11, 2015)

brooksie967 said:


> Where are all the pic heavy threads showing off all your brick sized jnats? Maybe I'm looking in the wrong area of the forum? All I ever see is talk of synthetic stuff and while they work they simply aren't pretty!



That's a great thread, but hold onto your wallet - you will be tempted:biggrin:


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## Asteger (Aug 11, 2015)

Pensacola Tiger said:


> Maksim started this thread in his sub-forum and it's become the defacto thread for Japanese naturals:
> 
> http://www.kitchenknifeforums.com/showthread.php/6921-J-Nat-Club?highlight=jnat+club



Actually, although it's in the JNS forum the thread doesn't have much to do with JNS at all, and less and less so over time, especially as Maxim seems to have lost interest in KKF nowadays. The thread's already way long and I've suggested in the past that something new gets set up. For discussion's sake, maybe a few ideas: 1) an awasedo/finisher/fine stone thread, 2) a medium/coarse natural thread, 3) a polishing thread. Might get new contributions this way, as sometimes I think that some readers feel they don't see how they could contribute.


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## Pensacola Tiger (Aug 11, 2015)

Asteger said:


> Actually, although it's in the JNS forum the thread doesn't have much to do with JNS at all, and less and less so over time, especially as Maxim seems to have lost interest in KKF nowadays. The thread's already way long and I've suggested in the past that something new gets set up. For discussion's sake, maybe a few ideas: 1) an awasedo/finisher/fine stone thread, 2) a medium/coarse natural thread, 3) a polishing thread. Might get new contributions this way, as sometimes I think that some readers feel they don't see how they could contribute.



Okay, moderators (brianh or daveb), how about starting these threads as "stickies" in the Sharpening Station sub-forum?


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## Bill13 (Aug 11, 2015)

Pensacola Tiger said:


> Okay, moderators (brianh or daveb), how about starting these threads as "stickies" in the Sharpening Station sub-forum?



I think the sub-forum idea for natural stones is a great idea too. Three stickies to start and see where it goes.


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## Marcelo Amaral (Aug 11, 2015)

That would be a more logical, easier to find place for those searching for jnats. Great idea!


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## daveb (Aug 11, 2015)

I can run it up the flagpole and see if it gets a salute.


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## daveb (Aug 11, 2015)

And Maxim may not be as active as he's been in the past but "lost interest" is a bit of a reach.

NO KATO FOR YOU! :nunchucks: (Ger - this is funny (to me anyway) if you're familiar with US TV.)


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## pkjames (Aug 11, 2015)

I spend a great deal of time packing and I suppose maxim is way more busier than I am.


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## dough (Aug 11, 2015)

ya id also love to see a sub-forum and/or stickies for naturals. dont got a lot to add to the discussion other then i love that thread in maxim sub-forum but its kinda hard to navigate as its over 100 pages


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## Asteger (Aug 12, 2015)

dough said:


> ya id also love to see a sub-forum and/or stickies for naturals. dont got a lot to add to the discussion other then i love that thread in maxim sub-forum but its kinda hard to navigate as its over 100 pages



Yeah, it's long. And actually one problem is that it's even longer than it could be because the navigation issue means that similar questions/topics come up, and then things get repeated.



daveb said:


> NO KATO FOR YOU! :nunchucks: (Ger - this is funny (to me anyway) if you're familiar with US TV.)



Shucks, lost on me  but thanks for the effort. Clearly too much time on KKF, to the detriment of my tv knowledge

I suppose I'll have to go non-Workhorse Kato then!


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## Pensacola Tiger (Aug 12, 2015)

daveb said:


> And Maxim may not be as active as he's been in the past but "lost interest" is a bit of a reach.
> 
> NO KATO FOR YOU! :nunchucks: (Ger - this is funny (to me anyway) if you're familiar with US TV.)





Asteger said:


> Shucks, lost on me  but thanks for the effort. Clearly too much time on KKF, to the detriment of my tv knowledge
> 
> I suppose I'll have to go non-Workhorse Kato then!



[video=youtube;7WRxEY8o3kc]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7WRxEY8o3kc[/video]


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## Asteger (Aug 12, 2015)

No Kato, then. The effect of living under a Nazi regime! :dazed:


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## Pensacola Tiger (Aug 12, 2015)

Asteger said:


> No Kato, then. The effect of living under a Nazi regime! :dazed:



It's meant to be humorous. "No soup for you!" is a meme taken from the irreverent TV show _Seinfeld_, about four ne'er-do-wells living in New York City.


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## Asteger (Aug 13, 2015)

Pensacola Tiger said:


> It's meant to be humorous. "No soup for you!" is a meme taken from the irreverent TV show _Seinfeld_, about four ne'er-do-wells living in New York City.



Jerry is the only one to emerge with his knife - soup, I mean - and doesn't share any with George, blaming the Nazi regime.

 Seen this episode about 3-4 times but missed Dave's reference. And is it me, or doesn't Mr Soup Nazi look like Borat?


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## DeepCSweede (Aug 13, 2015)

NEXT!!!!unish:


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## DeepCSweede (Aug 13, 2015)

Love the Soup Nazi


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## brooksie967 (Aug 20, 2015)

Looking forward to a sub forum as well!

I won't be tempted to buy any more than I already have!

This is some of but not my entire collections:

[video]https://video-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/hvideo-xpt1/v/t42.1790-2/11845568_10153083540307444_292758124_n.mp4?efg=eyJ ybHIiOjM3OSwicmxhIjo1MTJ9&rl=379&vabr=211&oh=94da378480d8ebdd7db4a226f1ff06e8&oe=55D641D6[/video]


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## Asteger (Aug 20, 2015)

Looks like some variety there, though not sure what they are, nor the music!


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## BHolcombe (Aug 22, 2015)

3rd from the top is my Shinden Yama Renge Suita


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## Asteger (Aug 22, 2015)

BHolcombe said:


> ... Shinden Yama Renge Suita



Looks good (and very Aframes). I've never allowed myself a splurge on one. How is it?


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## BHolcombe (Aug 22, 2015)

Good eye, it is Aframes. I use it for chisels/plane blades, but I will have some feedback from a Heiji carbon steel yanagi-ba next week.

It's a great stone, fast cutter and leaves a good kasumi finish. No scratches.

I'm afraid this stone has ruined me as I find my man-made finishers lacking.though I do sill prefer them for all western blades.


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## brooksie967 (Aug 22, 2015)

Asteger said:


> Looks like some variety there, though not sure what they are, nor the music!



Haha, my 3 year old likes dance music. There's a variety of stones there from soft narutakis, hideriyama suita, a size 24 hakka, 2 nakayama maruichis, a shobu suita, an ohira renge suita, a reddish shobu iromono, a kizuyama etc


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## Dardeau (Aug 22, 2015)

BHolcombe said:


> Good eye, it is Aframes. I use it for chisels/plane blades, but I will have some feedback from a Heiji carbon steel yanagi-ba next week.
> 
> It's a great stone, fast cutter and leaves a good kasumi finish. No scratches.
> 
> I'm afraid this stone has ruined me as I find my man-made finishers lacking.though I do sill prefer them for all western blades.



This is the guy that got it! I was wondering who picked it up.


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## BHolcombe (Aug 23, 2015)

:dance:

Talking about the stone or the knife?


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## Dardeau (Aug 23, 2015)

The Heiji, I've been thinking about ordering one for a while. When that one popped up on Japan tool it was hard to resist.


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## BHolcombe (Aug 23, 2015)

Can't wait, missed the postman yesterday (nice when they update all of the tracking at the same time)....so I'll get to check it out tomorrow.


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## BHolcombe (Nov 10, 2015)

Been putting some time into that kasumi finish, the extreme edge is finished with the nakayama, but the bevel is finished with uchigumori stones, and judging from this photo is still in need a bit more work.


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## Asteger (Nov 10, 2015)

BHolcombe said:


> Been putting some time into that kasumi finish, the extreme edge is finished with the nakayama, but the bevel is finished with uchigumori stones, and judging from this photo is still in need a bit more work.



I wouldn't say so, looks fine to me. This was a Heiji, right? I received one a few weeks ago; was slightly 'rough' overall as expected, but I liked that as I'd expeced it. I could see and also knew myself that Heiji's are finished on naturals, and mine appeared to be done on a typical aoto-type stone - so not a completely uniform stone, but with a nice medium-ish finish nonetheless. Basically, I felt why not? People often seem to hope for a pretty uniform, almost manufactured, look on finishes, even if using naturals, etc. But no need to be perfect so long as it's good and, if you want, looks good. Handmade, is handmade. This one looks good to me.


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## BHolcombe (Nov 10, 2015)

Thank you, glad to hear I'm on the right path. It was probably a bit goofy of me to renovate the bevel upon receiving the knife because as you say the finish was pretty nice looking right from Heiji, but there were a few minor dips and such that I wanted to work out. I also had to straighten the blade, no big deal aside from it being a hair unnerving.


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## Asteger (Nov 10, 2015)

BHolcombe said:


> Thank you, glad to hear I'm on the right path. It was probably a bit goofy of me to renovate the bevel upon receiving the knife because as you say the finish was pretty nice looking right from Heiji, but there were a few minor dips and such that I wanted to work out. I also had to straighten the blade, no big deal aside from it being a hair unnerving.



The wide bevel on mine was pretty even except, of course, for the *%@[email protected]!! heel. (Please show me a knife one day that isn't at least a little overground at the heel. Do they exist?) This one isn't too overground, though.

The nat-stone finish was fine, but not 'showcase' in the sense that KKFers would be oohing and ahhing over, because it was also a bit inconsistent and scratchy, which did give the knife a home-done look. I think uneven finishes on wide bevels on deba, for eg, can look quite good if done right. Mine is a gyuto, though. But because Heiji gyuto resemble big mioroshi deba, it sort of also works looks fine and of course has no bearing on performance.

The edge, on the other hand, lasted only a few seconds when I tried it out. Instant crumbling, but easily fixed and after one or two rounds on the stones and a micro, the knife's working great. Oh, and I installed a larger handle too.


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## BHolcombe (Nov 10, 2015)

Same thing on this one, and you can still see some evidence of the heel being over ground. This one had an incredibly shallow edge on it, which met the cutting board and turned into a burr even with a very light touch. I microbeveled this one also and to the same effect now the knife is sturdy and scary sharp.


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