# Bryan Raquin Passaround



## Jaszer13

Alright,

I'll keep it simple. I was inspired by the kindness of @tgfencer and since there has been alot of questions regarding Bryan's skills. I am offering a BNIB 210MM with a 1.25" heel gyuto as a passaround.

Same exact rules as @tgfencer (hope you don't mind me stealing the verbiage mate).

*IMPORTANT:*
-This is a *US-only* passaround. If you are outside this country, please don't try to include yourself.
-If you have *already used/owned* a Raquin Gyuto, please refrain from entering as I'm trying to get the knife into the hands of the uninitiated.
-This is meant for active members of the KKF community, so entrants should have a minimum of 50 posts. If you have a compelling argument otherwise, I'd rather you message me than spam posts just to pad your count.

*The Details:*
I will include *20* people on this passaround (if I fail to get sufficient interest I may decide to retract it and just sell/trade it). There will be a 'cost' associated with participating-*$35*. This basically protects me somewhat from the knife "getting lost in the mail" and showing up later on Ebay for $$$$$.

-Each participant is expected to mail the knife to the next person with *tracking and insurance of* *$700 dollars *using whatever service they wish. Please don't keep the knife longer than a week to ensure this passaround keeps moving along at a good rate.

*The Participation Bonus:*
At the end of the passaround, I will assign a number to all interested participants and randomly draw one. The person whose number I draw gets the knife, no extra charge. Essentially, you could end up with a Raquin for $35 and some shipping change. I intend to have it end up with Jon at JKI or someone similarly qualified, so it will be in good condition upon arrival to it's new owner.

Comment below if you want in.

*Final list in order:*


User:StatePaid:Received:1​@MikeadunneCAX24-Aug​2​@Malcolm JohnsonCAX2-Sep​3​@pleueORX09/164​@NagakinWAX5​@SolidSnake03NEX6​@LostHighwayMNX7​@OnionSlicerMNX8​@RyndunkMIX9​@mise_en_placeILX10​@tincentMOX11​@TwiggINX12​@KeatTNX13​@DoubleJJAL14​@banzai_burritoTXX15​@ColinTX16​@BodineFLX17​@CliffNY18​@UnstoppaboNYX19​@ExistentialHeroMAX20​@ma_sha1CTX


----------



## banzai_burrito

Definitely interested in this, would love to be able to join in


----------



## Mikeadunne

Count me in please, dying just to see one in person. They’re harder to cop than new Jordan’s.


----------



## Ryndunk

I'd like to give it a try. Count me in please.


----------



## Corradobrit1

Whats the core steel on this example?


----------



## Jaszer13

Corradobrit1 said:


> Whats the core steel on this example?


Its his classic Sanmai 125sc and xc10


----------



## pleue

would love to participate


----------



## DoubleJJ

I’m in!


----------



## Jville

I just got one, so I don't qualify or else I would be asking to get in on it. If you end up needing anyone to fill spot, I'd be happy to oblige.


----------



## Nagakin

Yowza. Top of my try list. In


----------



## Carl Kotte

Jaszer13 said:


> *The Participation Bonus:*
> At the end of the passaround, I will assign a number to all interested participants and randomly draw one. The person whose number I draw gets the knife, no extra charge. *Essentially, you could end up with a Kato for $35 and some shipping change*. I intend to have it end up with Jon at JKI or someone similarly qualified, so it will be in good condition upon arrival to it's new owner.



Sorry for being so lame, but you may want to change the text in bold above. Not that I think Anyone will hold it against you, but still. This is not a Raquin passaround where you have the chance to get a Kato in the end, I presume.

That said, excellent idea and very generous of you! I wish I could participate. Best of luck!


----------



## Nagakin

Carl Kotte said:


> This is not a Raquin passaround where you have the chance to get a Kato in the end


New standard, every passaround will have the chance at a Kato now.


----------



## Carl Kotte

Nagakin said:


> New standard, every passaround will have the chance at a Kato now.


Love it! Will have to join more passarounds


----------



## captaincaed

Count me in.


----------



## M1k3

Carl Kotte said:


> Love it! Will have to join more passarounds


Sign up now! Might get it next year. Or the year after?


----------



## M1k3

So for $35 I get try a Raquin and afterwards, I could win a Kato? Will the Kato be passed around first? Or BNIB?


----------



## ian

Jaszer13 said:


> Alright,
> 
> I'll keep it simple. I was inspired by the kindness of @tgfencer and since there has been alot of questions regarding Bryan's skills. I am offering a BNIB 210MM with a 1.25" heel gyuto as a passaround.
> 
> Same exact rules as @tgfencer (hope you don't mind me stealing the verbiage mate).
> 
> *IMPORTANT:*
> -This is a *US-only* passaround. If you are outside this country, please don't try to include yourself.
> -If you have *already used/owned* a Raquin Gyuto, please refrain from entering as I'm trying to get the knife into the hands of the uninitiated.
> -This is meant for active members of the KKF community, so entrants should have a minimum of 50 posts. If you have a compelling argument otherwise, I'd rather you message me than spam posts just to pad your count.
> 
> *The Details:*
> I will include *20* people on this passaround (if I fail to get sufficient interest I may decide to retract it and just sell/trade it). There will be a 'cost' associated with participating-*$35*. This basically protects me somewhat from the knife "getting lost in the mail" and showing up later on Ebay for $$$$$.
> 
> -Each participant is expected to mail the knife to the next person with *tracking and insurance of* *$700 dollars *using whatever service they wish. Please don't keep the knife longer than a week to ensure this passaround keeps moving along at a good rate.
> 
> *The Participation Bonus:*
> At the end of the passaround, I will assign a number to all interested participants and randomly draw one. The person whose number I draw gets the knife, no extra charge. Essentially, you could end up with a Kato for $35 and some shipping change. I intend to have it end up with Jon at JKI or someone similarly qualified, so it will be in good condition upon arrival to it's new owner.
> 
> Comment below if you want in.



Is the heel height really 1.25”? That’s 31mm, like the height of a petty. It looks short in the pic, but not that short...


----------



## Jaszer13

ian said:


> Is the heel height really 1.25”? That’s 31mm, like the height of a petty. It looks short in the pic, but not that short...



Yes, it's 50MM tall and the Choil is about 31mm


----------



## Jaszer13

M1k3 said:


> So for $35 I get try a Raquin and afterwards, I could win a Kato? Will the Kato be passed around first? Or BNIB?



Hey man cut me some slack lol.


----------



## Keat

I'd love to participate, always wanted to use one.


----------



## LostHighway

If there is room I'm in. My curiosity is definitely piqued on both Raquins and Puigs


----------



## ExistentialHero

Ooh, count me in for sure!


----------



## Malcolm Johnson

I’m definitely interested.


----------



## Colin

Id love to try the knife!


----------



## Wander Vanhoucke

man why are all these interesting passarounds in the US...


----------



## Dhoff

Wander Vanhoucke said:


> man why are all these interesting passarounds in the US...



Likely because most of the members are from US :9


----------



## bryan03

I am in !


----------



## ian

bryan03 said:


> I am in !



US only. Sorry.


----------



## Cliff

I would love to participate


----------



## Dhoff

bryan03 said:


> I am in !



Sounds good, you start out a passaround. First step is acquring a Raquin some way. This is pretty hard. Then you make a thread for EU passaround


----------



## danemonji

You should keep Bryan in the loop to fix the knife. Just take a look what happened to the kato passaround, someone decided to sharpen and thin the knife on a brick


----------



## esoo

bryan03 said:


> I am in !



Can we do a pass-around of you and each participant gets a knife?


----------



## McMan

This thing is going to be one Achin' Raquin by the end of a PA this long...
(Sorry, could't resist.)


----------



## DoubleJJ

danemonji said:


> You should keep Bryan in the loop to fix the knife. Just take a look what happened to the kato passaround, someone decided to sharpen and thin the knife on a brick



Who in their right mind would thin someone else’s knife???? I don’t even like to thin my own!


----------



## Jaszer13

Alright guys, Here's the current list in no particular order.

Order will be based on your proximity to Los Angeles CA. So when you have a moment please send me your city and state via PM.


1​@mise_en_place2​@banzai_burrito3​@Mikeadunne4​@Ryndunk5​@pleue6​@DoubleJJ7​@Jville8​@Nagakin9​@captaincaed10​@Keat11​@LostHighway12​@ExistentialHero13​@Malcolm Johnson14​@Colin15​@Cliff16​@tincent

​


----------



## OnionSlicer

I'd like to participate, thank you.


----------



## Bodine

Add me if you would, thanks for the opportunity.


----------



## SolidSnake03

I'm in if possible


----------



## msum

Very generous of the OP!


----------



## Jaszer13

Alright guys going to keep the last slot open, but want to get this show on the road. Waiting on DM's from @pleue @captaincaed @ExistentialHero @Malcolm Johnson with their locations and will create the distribution order.


----------



## Jaszer13

Alright guys, thanks for your patience. The knife will start in Southern California and make its way up the North West → Central US → South East and finally finish up in the North East.

The knife will come back to me and I will most likely just take it to JKI as they are down the street from me. The following day I will pick the winner. Best of luck to everyone.

Please send the $35 PP to [email protected] please include your username in the message.

@Mikeadunne I will drop the knife off with you whenever you are available.


----------



## ExistentialHero

As #20, I beseech you all to sharpen gently


----------



## juice

ExistentialHero said:


> As #20, I beseech you all to sharpen gently


----------



## ma_sha1

Can you make me the 21? 

20 is not even legal


----------



## F-Flash

ma_sha1 said:


> Can you make me the 21?
> 
> 20 is not even legal



I hear Raquin nakiris are rare compared to his qyutos. Just saying.


----------



## Jaszer13

ma_sha1 said:


> Can you make me the 21?
> 
> 20 is not even legal



I have only received payment from a few people. If someone pulls out. Ill DM you. Passaround starts today. I will be dropping it off with @Mikeadunne


----------



## ma_sha1

Jaszer13 said:


> I have only received payment from a few people. If someone pulls out. Ill DM you. Passaround starts today. I will be dropping it off with @Mikeadunne



Thanks!

Also, can someone please drop out


----------



## Jville

Money sent. Keep Ma_sha away from this. It will come back a Bryan Fu*kquin.


----------



## ma_sha1

Jville said:


> Money sent. Keep Ma_sha away from this. It will come back a Bryan Fu*kquin.



No more character assassination please. 
I will never modify a pass around knife. 

What I do to my own property is my business, it does not apply to other people’s knife what’s so ever. This is not a hard concept to grasp, geez.


----------



## Jville

ma_sha1 said:


> No more character assassination please.
> I will never modify a pass around knife.
> 
> What I do to my own property is my business, it does not apply to other people’s knife what’s so ever. This is not a hard concept to grasp, geez.


Of course, i wouldnt think you would modify someone else's knife. It was a joke man. It's not a hard concept to grasp, geeze, lighten up.


----------



## captaincaed

I'm actually going to withdraw, sorry about that!


----------



## Jville

captaincaed said:


> I'm actually going to withdraw, sorry about that!


Dang it, there goes the Raquin.


----------



## ma_sha1

I want to get it & do a honest review, because I can’t find any reviews, just opinions. Internet opinions without substance are misleading at best.

I am sure some non biased reviews will come out of the PA, much appreciate op for doing It, can’t wait to see some real reviews.


----------



## tincent

ma_sha1 said:


> Thanks!
> 
> Also, can someone please drop out





captaincaed said:


> I'm actually going to withdraw, sorry about that!




Ask and ye shall receive.


----------



## ma_sha1

tincent said:


> Ask and ye shall receive.



paypal sent, I am in


----------



## Jaszer13

List has been updated on page 1.

@Nagakin
@SolidSnake03
@LostHighway
@DoubleJJ
@Colin
@Cliff

If you have already sent me PP funds, please DM me with your E-mail address so I can cross reference. If not, please send payment to [email protected]

Thanks!


----------



## Mikeadunne

Got the knife from @Jaszer13 today! Very stoked to get my hands on one and see what all the fuss is about. First impression is just what a beautiful knife it is. I’ve got a gig cooking dinner for 6 in a couple days so I’ll be able to put it to work, get a good test drive in.


----------



## soigne_west

Wasn’t this knife only around $440??


----------



## ian

I guess this thread is essentially a raffle for what’s going to be a well used Raquin at slightly more than new price, with the opportunity for people to try it in the meantime. Not necessarily a bad thing, given that Raquins are hard to come by. Kudos to the OP for taking the time to organize everything, but it’s not so different from selling it straight up. @tgfencer’s Kato PA was a little different since $700 is way below current market value. But people do get to try a Raquin, and I guess that’s what matters!


----------



## Jaszer13

soigne_west said:


> Wasn’t this knife only around $440??



No it was 480 euro. About $600 USD plus I'm paying for the reconditioning at JKI at the end of the passaround + shipping which puts it at $700. Thanks for your comment.


----------



## soigne_west

Jaszer13 said:


> No it was 480 euro. About $600 USD plus I'm paying for the reconditioning at JKI at the end of the passaround + shipping which puts it at $700. Thanks for your comment.


----------



## Twigg

I'm in this PA and feel comfortable paying $35 plus shipping to try this knife out and possibly win it. I have never held a Raquin and this offers that to me without having to try to buy one at full price.


----------



## Barmoley

That's perfectly fine. It is all the praises of generosity that seem odd. It is a raffle for all intents and purposes with a caveat that 20 people will use it first. Even reconditioned the knife will not be what it was new. In addition as we saw in the past in passarounds knives sometimes break. Once again all fine and up to the participants, but let's call it what it is.


----------



## Jaszer13

Barmoley said:


> That's perfectly fine. It is all the praises of generosity that seem odd. It is a raffle for all intents and purposes with a caveat that 20 people will use it first. Even reconditioned the knife will not be what it was new. In addition as we saw in the past in passarounds knives sometimes break. Once again all fine and up to the participants, but let's call it what it is.



I completely agree with you. But what people are appreciative about is the knives that are being offered. In instances like Raquins, Katos, Shigs etc... I feel as if it's more than just a raffle. It's an opportunity for people to actually use knives that are extremely difficult to obtain.

As for me, I'm doing this at $0 gain. I received countless DM's from people wanting to purchase this knife at over $700 when I posted this. I feel as if raffles are typically made for financial gain. This is not the case. Just trying to help people out.


----------



## Barmoley

Jaszer13 said:


> I completely agree with you. But what people are appreciative about is the knives that are being offered. In instances like Raquins, Katos, Shigs etc... I feel as if it's more than just a raffle. It's an opportunity for people to actually use knives that are extremely difficult to obtain.
> 
> As for me, I'm doing this at $0 gain. I received countless DM's from people wanting to purchase this knife at over $700 when I posted this. I feel as if raffles are typically made for financial gain. This is not the case. Just trying to help people out.


I understand what you are saying and like I said it is perfectly fine and is up to you and the participants. Classic passarounds used to be free and usually done by the makers or members. Passarounds are very tough on knives, so it is understandable that the members are not willing to loose the value off the knife, especially popular knives that are difficult to get. Asking for each member to chip in and then raffle out the knife is also fine and understandable, but it does put a twist to a classic passaroud. It is also not a straight raffle as you don't get your knife any time soon and you are not getting a new knife or even really the same knife that was raffled out. 20 people can take a year for the knife to come back. $700 for a 210 SC125 Raquin also seems pretty expensive given that Bryan sells these for around $450 plus shipping, but it is your knife, you will pay for fixing it and secondary market prices are nuts. Clear indication that Bryan needs to charge more for these

Maybe this type of a passaround is the new normal and will allow more people to try difficult to get knives, it is very different from the classic passarounds though.


----------



## Jaszer13

Barmoley said:


> I understand what you are saying and like I said it is perfectly fine and is up to you and the participants. Classic passarounds used to be free and usually done by the makers or members. Passarounds are very tough on knives, so it is understandable that the members are not willing to loose the value off the knife, especially popular knives that are difficult to get. Asking for each member to chip in and then raffle out the knife is also fine and understandable, but it does put a twist to a classic passaroud. It is also not a straight raffle as you don't get your knife any time soon and you are not getting a new knife or even really the same knife that was raffled out. 20 people can take a year for the knife to come back. $700 for a 210 SC125 Raquin also seems pretty expensive given that Bryan sells these for around $450 plus shipping, but it is your knife, you will pay for fixing it and secondary market prices are nuts. Clear indication that Bryan needs to charge more for these
> 
> Maybe this type of a passaround is the new normal and will allow more people to try difficult to get knives, it is very different from the classic passarounds though.



Not sure if you have seen his prices lately. I have yet to purchase a knife from him anywhere in the $450 USD range. Happy to show receipts below in EUROS.


----------



## Corradobrit1

Doesn't he charge 1.7 Euro per mm for 125sc blades and 80 Euro for the Kasumi? That makes the price ~440 Euro ($520).


----------



## ma_sha1

Jaszer13 said:


> I completely agree with you. But what people are appreciative about is the knives that are being offered. In instances like Raquins, Katos, Shigs etc... I feel as if it's more than just a raffle. It's an opportunity for people to actually use knives that are extremely difficult to obtain.
> 
> As for me, I'm doing this at $0 gain. I received countless DM's from people wanting to purchase this knife at over $700 when I posted this. I feel as if raffles are typically made for financial gain. This is not the case. Just trying to help people out.



Thank you for doing this, much appreciated. To me it’s not about a raffle at all, I would not have participated if it’s just a raffle. We get to experience the knife for $35, that’s how I see it.

OP runs the risk of broken or damaged knife, or getting lost entirely. Even if there’s a small profit, it’s more than justifiable. I don’t see a profit built into this, I think OP is doing an honorable thing that benefits 20 people at once, while taking on a risk to himself. Mad respect from me.


----------



## Jaszer13

Corradobrit1 said:


> Doesn't he charge 1.7 Euro per mm for 125sc blades and 80 Euro for the Kasumi? That makes the price ~440 Euro ($520).



Paid $470 Euros = $556.25
Paying JKI for reconditioning of the knife ($150 give or take on the condition)
Shipping to winner $25

The $700 was meant so that this pass around is at $0 gain, but if there is any gain (Maybe $20 or so) it will go to KKF Board donation fund.


----------



## tchan001

It's a deal that has been set and people participating are willing to abide by the terms set by the owner. I don't see anything wrong with it. Of course knowing the retail price out in the open is good information for potential participants as part of their consideration as to whether to participate. But it is a rare opportunity to try out a knife that is very difficult to obtain.


----------



## josemartinlopez

Jaszer13 said:


> The $700 was meant so that this pass around is at $0 gain, but if there is any gain (Maybe $20 or so) it will go to KKF Board donation fund.


Your numbers might be short because you need to check how much your credit card actually charged you for the 470 Euros, and if there was a foreign exchange surcharge.


----------



## Jaszer13

josemartinlopez said:


> Your numbers might be short because you need to check how much your credit card actually charged you for the 470 Euros, and if there was a foreign exchange surcharge.



Correct, there were charges for the international transaction fee, but I guess the point here is that this is not a for profit raffle/passaround/pyramid scheme/whatever anyone wants to call it.


----------



## josemartinlopez

A 3.25% foreign exchange credit card charge for your 470 Euros is about US$18 FYI. So no gain.


----------



## tgfencer

@Barmoley The old passarounds are a great ideal to strive for, but as you say, there is inherent risk and some folks (speaking for myself) aren't keen to take on that risk, particularly in this crazy year. There are makers I would pay $35 to try for a week and possibly own later on, especially if they ended up saving me $600-$1000+ when I realized the cost wasn't worth it.

Personally, I'm just happy that there are passarounds at all. For a long while, there seemed to be none. While I appreciate that you're openminded about the whole thing, it does seem a little trite to criticize someone for doing something for the community just because it's not happening in the specific way you would prefer.


----------



## Codered

This guy is doing a favor to the community sharing a cool knife for people to test and you guys are asking him to justify every penny? This is very rude. It’s his knife, he finds it special he could have asked 1000$+. Let’s not ask people to justify what they ask for.


----------



## Tim Rowland

Codered said:


> This guy is doing a favor to the community sharing a cool knife for people to test and you guys are asking him to justify every penny? This is very rude. It’s his knife, he finds it special he could have asked 1000$+. Let’s not ask people to justify what they ask for.
> Off the record, Isn’t US a democracy? Because I swear that for some people raised in a democracy, some have some really closed market mindset specific to communist economies. That makes me wonder


Agreed, but with a simple correction.
The United States of America is a Republic, not a democracy. not to derail this thread.

Awesome knife for a pass around, I am sure that all involved parties feel the $35 is worth it to use a hard to acquire knife.


----------



## labor of love

I’ve done several public passarounds on the forum (I think 3?) every knife has returned in a condition that made me definitely not want to keep them. A restoration fee to return the knife somewhat to its initial condition makes a lot of sense.


----------



## Barmoley

ma_sha1 said:


> OP runs the risk of broken or damaged knife, or getting lost entirely. Even if there’s a small profit, it’s more than justifiable. I don’t see a profit built into this, I think OP is doing an honorable thing that benefits 20 people at once, while taking on a risk to himself. Mad respect from me.



I am not criticizing I am not understanding the above comments. There is no risk to the OP. OP got his money back.



tgfencer said:


> @Barmoley The old passarounds are a great ideal to strive for, but as you say, there is inherent risk and some folks (speaking for myself) aren't keen to take on that risk, particularly in this crazy year. There are makers I would pay $35 to try for a week and possibly own later on, especially if they ended up saving me $600-$1000+ when I realized the cost wasn't worth it.
> 
> Personally, I'm just happy that there are passarounds at all. For a long while, there seemed to be none. While I appreciate that you're openminded about the whole thing, it does seem a little trite to criticize someone for doing something for the community just because it's not happening in the specific way you would prefer.



Yes passarounds are better than no passarounds. As long as all participating are fine, it is all good.


----------



## LostHighway

labor of love said:


> I’ve done several public passarounds on the forum (I think 3?) every knife has returned in a condition that made me definitely not want to keep them.



I'm sorry, but in a way not surprised, to hear this. It seems to me that the correct etiquette/behavior when borrowing some else's knife should be fairly obvious and straightforward but apparently that is not the case.


----------



## labor of love

LostHighway said:


> I'm sorry, but in a way not surprised, to hear this. It seems to me that the correct etiquette/behavior when borrowing some else's knife should be fairly obvious and straightforward but apparently that is not the case.


Yeah, at this point it’s to be expected I think. Which is why I think a fee for restoration Post passaround is justified and should be the new norm.


----------



## bryan03

Mhhh...


----------



## tchan001

bryan03 said:


> Mhhh...


Rumblings from the mighty hammer god looking over the flow of his creation.


----------



## ian

Weapons down now, everyone.


----------



## Corradobrit1

tchan001 said:


> Rumblings from the mighty hammer god looking over the flow of his creation.


Maybe nervous about the in-depth reviews that will follow. I, for one, will be be subscribing to this thread. Surprisingly very few enduser reviews for Raquins


----------



## juice

All this nitpicking about a dollar here and a dollar there in relation to the theoretical new price seems to be entirely missing the point that if you can't buy a new one (unless you're very fortunate with your timing, and have a crazy-good internet connection), you just can't buy one. And we all know how often they show up used.

I'd be all over this if I didn't live at the arse end of the world (to quote a former prime minister of this theoretically great country).


----------



## captaincaed

Who the fock cares if the owner makes $20 on accident?


----------



## AT5760

Every bit of feedback that I hear about Bryan’s knives is that they are superb cutters and really well made. I’d love the opportunity to test drive one and I’m guessing that the 20 folks that signed up are pretty happy with the amount of the “rental” fee. Hopefully it works out well for the 21 folks involved. None of them seem to have a beef with the process.


----------



## bryan03

I am in !!!!


----------



## M1k3

I'm surprised no one has complained about the 'bait and switch'. Originally someone could of won a Kato. Boo! Hiss!


----------



## Corradobrit1

M1k3 said:


> I'm surprised no one has complained about the 'bait and switch'. Originally someone could of won a Kato. Boo! Hiss!


Occupational hazard of copy and paste.


----------



## M1k3

Corradobrit1 said:


> Occupational hazard of copy and paste.


Yeah, creepy and pasta can be tricky.


----------



## daveb

From the cheap seats it seems that Jaszer has explained what he is doing with this whatever. His rules are clear and well laid out. If you want to play, you're free to do so. If it makes you uncomfortable then scroll on by. 

But your not liking it doesn't mean I shouldn't like it. 

This should proceed without anymore rock throwing.


----------



## Malcolm Johnson

I am joining in on this because I want to try a Raquin. And just because the owner wants some security isn’t shady at all. It’s a valuable item and this seems like a fun thing to me. I am so stoked just to try out a Raquin after hearing so much about them. If you aren’t interested in this then that’s okay. Everything is clear and up front so it’s not like he is being sneaky.


----------



## ma_sha1

So, where’s the 1st review?


----------



## Mikeadunne

Sorry fellas, the first review is coming. Tomorrow I’m passing it off in person to @Malcolm Johnson. I’ve got two catering jobs the next two days & then I’ll share my thoughts/opinions!


----------



## Malcolm Johnson

I received the knife tonight from Mike. Looking forward to using it and sharing my thoughts


----------



## Malcolm Johnson

I picked up the knife and was not at home to use it. Just got home and had to post a picture of it for everyone and will give some first impression cuts and then my full thoughts later. All I can say is she is a beauty and I totally dig this handle.


----------



## Ploppy Blobby

Wander Vanhoucke said:


> man why are all these interesting passarounds in the US...


I got a lovely vintage piece made by an extremely well known maker we can passaround the EU and make the US well jel


----------



## Malcolm Johnson

Initial thoughts:

I totally get the hype behind Raquin. Love the handle, LOVE the flat profile (push, pull, and chopping are just a joy with this thing), the kurouchi finish is totally smart, dig the reactivity level (patina is brilliant), steel is great, spine is very comfy, and the whole package just feels tough and really to plow through everything. I’ve just done a light amount of prep for dinner but deciders that potato chips were going to be part of it because chopping potatoes with this was way to fast and fun.

I’ll continue to use it and give a more thorough collection of my thoughts.


----------



## Wander Vanhoucke

now, one thing that is a flag for me is the tip. Is it thin enough?


----------



## Malcolm Johnson

Wander Vanhoucke said:


> now, one thing that is a flag for me is the tip. Is it thin enough?


I was concerned as well when I was first examining the knife. Rest assured it can do horizontal slices on onions without a problem. Slides through quite easily.


----------



## Corradobrit1

I think that maybe the first spine shot I've seen on a Raquin. Was expecting more taper tbh. Is this a KT and if it is, typical?


----------



## Unstoppabo

I can't believe I missed this... Any chance I can get in on this while it's passing through NY? I only need a couple hours with it!


----------



## Jaszer13

Unstoppabo said:


> I can't believe I missed this... Any chance I can get in on this while it's passing through NY? I only need a couple hours with it!



Currently, 3 spots need to be paid. If anyone opts out. I can fit you in, but unfortunately I won't be adding anymore slots out of respect to the people in line.


----------



## Jville

Jaszer13 said:


> Currently, 3 spots need to be paid. If anyone opts out. I can fit you in, but unfortunately I won't be adding anymore slots out of respect to the people in line.


If you are willing to refund me, he can have my spot. I landed one recently.


----------



## Jaszer13

Jville said:


> If you are willing to refund me, he can have my spot. I landed one recently.



Thats really nice of you. Refund going out.


----------



## Unstoppabo

Wahooo!!! This made my day, thank you @Jaszer13 @Jville !!!


----------



## Jville

Unstoppabo said:


> Wahooo!!! This made my day, thank you @Jaszer13 @Jville !!!


Your welcome man, enjoy!


----------



## Hz_zzzzzz

If possible, I'd like to get a spot if anyone wants to opt out. I live in Connecticut.

Thanks,


----------



## Malcolm Johnson

Sorry for the delay in updates. I’ve been busy. I just got called into work early and so I will have to box it tonight and sent it in the morning. After that I will collect my thoughts and write my review.


----------



## SolidSnake03

Hey just wanted to see if there was any update to the order of people getting this knife? Sometimes with pass arounds we see a list every so often after a few folks have had the knife of who is up to bat, who's on deck etc...


----------



## Jaszer13

SolidSnake03 said:


> Hey just wanted to see if there was any update to the order of people getting this knife? Sometimes with pass arounds we see a list every so often after a few folks have had the knife of who is up to bat, who's on deck etc...



Hi,

I've been updating the list on the initial post on page 1. As soon as the next user gets the knife. I will update it as well. Please everyone, if at all possible please keep the knife for no more than a week. There's 20 people on the list and adding 2-3 days to each person will expand the time frame by 2 months.


Thanks again for your participation.


----------



## Bodine

A week? Open the box, cut up some produce, put it back in the box and send it off. Geeze a week is not necessary.


----------



## Bodine

If you want to speed it up, just state that anyone that has it for over 3 days is not eligible for the drawing, that will light a fire under most folks. 1 day to receive, one day to use, one day to ship.


----------



## Jaszer13

Bodine said:


> If you want to speed it up, just state that anyone that has it for over 3 days is not eligible for the drawing, that will light a fire under most folks. 1 day to receive, one day to use, one day to ship.



To be fair, the initial post says "no longer than a week". I will not change the conditions unless I have a unanimous agreement from anyone.

Although I would like for people to kinda speed it up and stick within the guidelines, I didn't realize how time consuming it would be to manage this thread lol.


----------



## SolidSnake03

Thanks for the update on the first page thing! Totally didn't notice that, my bad. see it now and thanks a bunch


----------



## Codered

Malcolm Johnson said:


> Initial thoughts:
> 
> I totally get the hype behind Raquin. Love the handle, LOVE the flat profile (push, pull, and chopping are just a joy with this thing), the kurouchi finish is totally smart, dig the reactivity level (patina is brilliant), steel is great, spine is very comfy, and the whole package just feels tough and really to plow through everything. I’ve just done a light amount of prep for dinner but deciders that potato chips were going to be part of it because chopping potatoes with this was way to fast and fun.
> 
> I’ll continue to use it and give a more thorough collection of my thoughts.


That choil is thicker than a Hinoura and the spine has so little temper. This is the first time I see these details.
I would like to see some carot/apples/thick celery root/squash cutting sessions. I know there are a lot of fanboys on this forums and guys who invest in knives as if they are stock and they are biased by the investment. But I would like to see some objective reviews and test the knives as if they are used daily in a pro kitchen and not kept BNIB or for cutting some salad ingredients. Test it like you would test a Shihan
Also please give info and on edge retention and light sharpening of the steel after some heavy use
Please also group review on pros and cons. I want to know all these details in case I want to buy one.


----------



## Codered

Also to keep objectivity please do same test with your best and worst knife in between to see how they compare. Add this piece of info to the review. This is after all a 700$ knife so I want to know how it stand up to other cheaper or more expensive knives


----------



## bryan03

It’s clearly a kitchen tractor, not a laser , don’t expect a no cracky knife here ... and it’s 450€.... not 700..


----------



## Codered

bryan03 said:


> It’s clearly a kitchen tractor, not a laser , don’t expect a no cracky knife here ... and it’s 450€.... not 700..


Thanks for the input. The OP valued this knife at 700$. Tractor or laser the purpose of a review is to show all aspects of a knife use and how it performs on various produce and situations. Also how it compares with other knives and also how it maintains. I have the best intentions in mind and same principles apply to any review regardless of maker or brand. I only care about objective input on performance.


----------



## bryan03

he not valued the knife 700usd, he valued the passaround at 700. (edit : and I am ok with that, no judgment from me here. )

he can dip the knife in gold, or swipe it on Kim Kardashian's pantie, it doesn't change the price I sold the knife. 


and personally, I do not expect anything in particular from a pass around except the opinions of users of one (and only one) of my knives, with specific characteristics.


----------



## ian

Codered said:


> I would like to see some carot/apples/thick celery root/squash cutting sessions.





Codered said:


> I only care about objective input on performance.



I think Bryan’s objection might include that the only food products you mentioned when talking about your knife analysis were hard fruits and root vegetables, which are not necessarily the items you’d want to cut with a kitchen tractor. It’s certainly useful info, and personally my tastes do skew towards knives that do better on hard product, but there’s a space for knives with an emphasis on durability and food release too.


----------



## AT5760

@Codered, do you realize that if you search the forums, you will see plenty of feedback on Bryan’s knives? You’ll also see that knives that few, if any, of his knives in BST are advertised as BNIB. Not sure where you are getting the impression that these are “collector” knives.

Maybe you should buy one and try it. If it’s not for you, you can see from BST traffic that you’ll be able to sell it pretty quickly.

That said, I’m looking forward to seeing the reviews from this pass around as well.


----------



## pleue

This escalated quickly. Can folks do a search on some of the previous pass around a including the very old ones? Some folks dive deep into how they experience the knife, other give a short opinion on what they like and don’t like. Im not going to get a pile of requested vegetables and cut them on scale to measure pressure needed to successful cut 10 identically carrots without wedging with this and all my other knives. Im going to make dinner, probably a couple of times, and tell you what I thought. Maybe you’ll find someone who is willing to respond to your demands but it’d be nice if you framed them as requests. Part of the pass around to me is that it was inherently trusting and about sharing. I get protecting investments, setting a timeframe etc. but please try to not make this not fun.

Ps I object to the 3 day thing for what it’s worth.


----------



## Codered

Sorry if some of you took this personally. I only asked that we get some actual reviews during this passaround as we did in the Kato one. The fact that i asked to get a feel of some actual test with various root vegetables is because I actually use my knives and cook with them and use root vegetables in most cooking. I am interested in all passarounds and for me this is a chance to give the community some actual information on various knives. The fact that some of you see in this an escalation or flame is very unusual for me since I asked nothing out of the ordinary. If you look on sites that review for instance hi-fi equipment such as headphones for the audiophiles, those communities are very open to reviews and nobody has a problem of actually puting the products to a thorough test.


----------



## Malcolm Johnson

I just dropped the knife off at the post office and is on the way to the next participant. Sorry for the delays. I have a video I will attach to my review of the Raquin vs my Y Tanaka gyuto on a large carrot. Gonna take some tome to write up a review and add additional pictures. I will say I was very impressed with Bryan’s work and would recommend it to anyone. It lives up to the kitchen tractor name. It plows through everything. Although I admit I would really like it in a longer taller variety.


----------



## tincent

Keep in mind only 2 people have even had their turn.


----------



## ma_sha1

This is me when the knife finally get to me:


----------



## M1k3

ma_sha1 said:


> This is me when the knife finally get to me:
> View attachment 94414


Still won't be as long as a wait as the European leg of the Kippington passaround


----------



## Mikeadunne

FWIW I had the knife for 2 extra days just because @Malcolm Johnson and I arranged to meet in person to pass the knife and I believe that was probably faster than shipping and kind a no brainer since we were that close geographically. I think that saved a day or two off of transit time. And I planned on keeping it for a week bc I just assumed that was what was agreed upon - a chance to use it a few times and really get a full impression of the knife.

That being said I did not take a very scientific or “review-oriented” approach. I took this opportunity as me paying a fee to try a knife out; one that I honestly would not probably get my hands on because I don’t click fast enough and I get really f-ing frustrated taking L’s trying to buy stuff online these days, over it. I will gladly share some of my thoughts but they are merely one man’s opinions. And I must say that although I’ve been cooking professionally for over a decade I have no understanding of half the technical stuff you guys talk about on here (though I enjoy reading and trying to understand some of it).
Due to the wonderful sci-fi covid world we live in these days I have stepped out of restaurant kitchens and am trying my hand in the private chef world. So I got to use the knife professionally in a home environment lol. I was afraid I wouldn’t have any gigs that week I had the knife and the opposite came true and I was so busy and didn’t want to have a knife I was too worried about caring for so I didn’t use it as much as I could have. Ok, enough bs.
The knife looks cool af on Instagram pics and it doesn’t disappoint in person. Bad ass looking knife. The handle looks so damn cool and the burnt oak had fantastic grip even when it got a little wet or greasy during prep. But I think it’s too big, and I mean girth. I don’t have big mitts like an offensive lineman but I’m also not dainty - 6ft 180 and my hands are proportionate. I know this is a preference but I thought the handle was too big, especially considering the knife felt tiny as I like the 230ish range for chef’s knives/gyutos. I did like the profile - I appreciate that it wasn’t too tall. Again, preference, short length and tall heel knives are clunky for me. The knife cuts pretty damn nice - like the way I imagined/wished my TF mab would. Not dainty, with authority, sturdy-feeling. I liked the steel. It stayed sharp through a few hours of prep and as per the last person in line’s request I didn’t want to go near the stones and mess w/ that pretty finish on the bevel. It honestly didn’t need it but I stropped like 10 strokes total on a Shapton glass 4K and the edge came right back to pretty f-ing sharp.
Basically I understand the appeal/hype now and that’s really all I wanted out of this experience. I am not all lathered up and ready to beg borrow or steal to get one though. Maybe it’s just this example - I understand there is variation. Maybe if it had been longer I would have fallen in love. I understand this seems to be contrary to how most professionals feel on this forum but I don’t value food release as the ultimate. I value it for sure, but I HATE wedging. Hate hate hate. And I know bbrrrraappp is kinda the calling card here - proudly cracking carrots with tractors, that’s tight. Not really my jam - again, preference. NOW this knife was not a wedge monster by any means but it did wedge on a couple large onions. You might say this is bc of the shorter heel height you complimented earlier in your post .
I’m thankful to @Jaszer13 for this generous act. Idgaf if he made a couple bucks (I don’t think he did). I liked the knife, for whatever reason I didn’t love it. Would I still buy a longer one or a Suji or butcher if given the opportunity - ya of course, I’m writing a review on a nerdy ass knife forum, no offense I love it here. But I won’t be setting reminders in my phone or trying to enter all my info in or paying over actual cost. Which probably means I won’t be getting one...but I’m not butt hurt about that anymore and again that’s thanks to this awesome opportunity. I wish these knives were more attainable but I get that might not make sense for Bryan financially/personally and also I probably wouldn’t want it so bad if I could get it easily.


----------



## Malcolm Johnson

Here are my official thoughts on the Raquin Gyuto that was up for the passaround. I’ll try to keep these thoughts organized and concise as there is quite a bit to cover with this knife.

Build Quality:

This is definitely a more rustic style of knife. The KU finish and the burnt oak one piece handle might make this look almost simple and rough in appearance. Once you pick up the knife… any such thought will be immediately gone. The spine is so wonderfully polished on this knife. The neck/choil is also well rounded. The polishing on these areas in combination with the thicker spine creates a very comfortable pinch grip even after extended use. I’m used to the more squared off edges and thinner spine of my Tsubaya branded Y Tanaka gyuto and the user comfort from the Raquin is head and shoulders above my gyuto. I really wish mine had a thicker spine out of the handle to make long prep sessions at work more comfortable. The signature burnt oak “rough” looking handle will certainly make you wonder why this isn’t the standard for knives. It’s grippy even when wet and just gives off a feeling of warmth. For my personal tastes I would appreciate a thinner handle but I quickly got used to it and didn’t really notice after a short amount of time. The knife feels light in hand thanks to the oak handle, moderate heel height, and shorter length than the 240 gyutos I’m used to using. It balances just slightly above a pinch grip which I was happy to see (I have a picture of the balance point below). I enjoy a more forward balance for a little extra authority on the board. Distal taper is actually not very present on this particular knife (see below for pictures of the spine). It thins out of the handle fairly swiftly but after that it pretty well keeps it’s thickness until right near the tip. The KU flats of the knife are quite textured and are beautiful to my eyes. I’m confident this will age beautifully with further use. Overall I was really impressed with the build quality. Everything is smartly designed and the knife certainly has a warm soul to it.

Performance:

This is what it’s all about right? How does the fabled Raquin Kitchen Tractor actually fare on the board? I am pleased to report this thing lives up to the title. It plows through prep. With soft ingredients it is an absolute pleasure to use. The tip slides through onions in vertical and horizontal cuts very easily despite the thicker looking tip. I was actually surprised how well it did compared to my Y Tanaka since that gyuto has a much thinner tip. I honestly couldn’t tell the difference between the two. Another absolutely winning feature of the performance for the Raquin is the flat profile. I am a push/pull cutter or chopper all day and this knife was perfect for me. It’s about ⅔ flat spot then has a gentle upsweep to that workable tip. Doing any type of board work with this knife was a pleasure to me. The knife with it’s profile just made everything so easy and enjoyable. The first run with the knife was so easy and enjoyable that I decided to make potato chips along with the rest of my dinner. It worked like a charm. So easy to just swiftly bust out paper thin disks of potato. After I had some fun with soft produce and some cooked beef, I made sure to run over to an asian market and purchased some thick carrots and a few sweet potatoes. One reason I was so excited to try out a Raquin (specifically his KT) was to see how the thicker knife dealt with dense ingredients. The sweet potatoes definitely gave a bit of resistance. I cut one slowly length wise to see how effective the grind was and it wedged quite a bit. When done with typical force it went through without issue. When I moved on with the carrots I was pleasantly surprised that the Raquin was able to slide through with only minor cracking. I will say my Y Tanaka (that I have reground with some convexity) went through the sweet potatoes and carrots with greater ease and with no cracking on the carrot. Overall I was impressed with the performance of the Kitchen Tractor. I only wish it was longer and heavier to aid in it’s ability to plow through dense ingredients. It really shocked me how well the tip performed and I am a total fan of the cutting profile on this thing. It just made prep work a breeze. All I can say is I understand the hype surrounding Raquin’s knives. They are top tier performers in all regards.

Steel:

This was my first experience with 145sc steel and I like it. I received it with a decent edge but wanted to feel the steel a bit. I gave a few small passes on the microbevel with my aoto to see how it was. I did not raise a bur, but did just enough to freshen up the edge and it did so very quickly. The edge on this thing gets serious in a matter of moments. Off the aoto it maintained a very toothy edge and only needed light stropping on a leather strop to keep it plowing through prep. It also seems fairly tough I didn’t do anything crazy with it but did slice up some beef with a fair bit of bark on it and no trace of any type of damage. I did that with a mazaki I had earlier this year and it chipped a bit. The combination of the thicker grind with the steel make for a very confident feeling knife. I was never worried about being too rough on it with the work I put it through.

I’ll also comment on reactivity here. This thing picks up a vibrant, gorgeous patina and does so quickly. It is quite reactive. I removed the patina that the last person left on it and it picked up a new one immediately upon use. It’s the prettiest patina I’ve seen in person.

Conclusion:

If you want a knife that is designed to work, a Raquin KT is a good knife to look at. I personally would look for a longer and taller variety to add a bit more weight and workability, but even this little tractor impressed me greatly. Despite it’s thickness in the tip and general grind it kept up with my gyuto that is much thinner all around and especially at the tip and edge. My favorite parts of the knife were the cutting profile with that long flat spot, comfort in a pinch grip, and the texture of the handle. Everything honestly combines to make up a fantastic knife for someone on the market for a fully reactive workhorse style knife.


----------



## Malcolm Johnson

Oh... I’ll post the choil on my Y Tanaka and the Raquin to show the difference in grinds.


----------



## Jaszer13

@Malcolm Johnson @Mikeadunne Thanks for the in-depth reviews!


----------



## tgfencer

For whatever it's worth to folks, I've owned 3 of Bryan's knives and borrowed another and I prefer his original grinds over the KT knives even though I tend to prefer workhorse/heavier knives on a whole. If this KT wasn't your speed and you prefer thinner grinds and generally lighter knives, the OG grinds might be more to your tastes.


----------



## Barmoley

tgfencer said:


> For whatever it's worth to folks, I've owned 3 of Bryan's knives and borrowed another and I prefer his original grinds over the KT knives even though I tend to prefer workhorse/heavier knives on a whole. If this KT wasn't your speed and you prefer thinner grinds and generally lighter knives, the OG grinds might be more to your tastes.


I also prefer Bryan's thinner grind, but to each his own.


----------



## Chang

tgfencer said:


> For whatever it's worth to folks, I've owned 3 of Bryan's knives and borrowed another and I prefer his original grinds over the KT knives even though I tend to prefer workhorse/heavier knives on a whole. If this KT wasn't your speed and you prefer thinner grinds and generally lighter knives, the OG grinds might be more to your tastes.





Barmoley said:


> I also prefer Bryan's thinner grind, but to each his own.



another fan of his thinner grinds. Not a fan of the KT. If I'm going in to a long day's worth of prep, I'm not going to be switching from knife to knife, so if its going to "crack" through root veg, no thanks. That being said, Bryan's utilization of the steel, the ku, the profile, and the handles have all been the best of the best. just my two cents.


----------



## HSC /// Knives

Blade geometry is the most important attribute in a kitchen knife. Even if the edge isn't sharpened, if the blade geometry is executed well, the blade will cut and pass through food well. It doesn't matter what steel it is. But if it's shaped like an axe, it will cut like an axe. I don't care what fancy name it's given.

If the blade is thick and the bevel grinding is too low, it's going to break apart food.

I cannot see any reason to have such blade geometry... but makers make what they want, and buyers purchase what they want. And that's why we have so many different style of knives and makers.

With that said, the Raquin knives are extremely pleasing visually and exhibit a high level of craftsmanship, and the edge is highly refined.


----------



## josemartinlopez

Malcolm Johnson said:


> I was actually surprised how well it did compared to my Y Tanaka


Thanks for the very thoughtful review. What are the specs of the Y Tanaka you are comparing against? The profile on the Hitohira website was taken down.


----------



## Malcolm Johnson

josemartinlopez said:


> Thanks for the very thoughtful review. What are the specs of the Y Tanaka you are comparing against? The profile on the Hitohira website was taken down.


The Tanaka is very similar to the hitohira Tanaka x Kyuzo wide bevel Gyutos. Around 3mm out of the handle, a touch under 230mm edge length, about 180 grams, and about 50mm height. I did, however, regrind the knife to have a convex geometry. So it is a bit different than stock and I found it to perform better than stock.


----------



## pleue

En route to the next person on the list in WA.

Some limited thoughts and disclaimers:

Knife arrived well packed. I changed out the packaging to a hard cardboard mailing tube for added protection for its long journey and added a sleeve with some anti corrosion paper wrapped around the blade. It's in a padded knife case that it arrived in.

I didn't get a chance to use it more than twice sadly. Thus, didn't get a chance to sharpen it either. It was usable but not what I'd define as sharp.

Fit an finish was lovely. The handle was larger than I'd prefer (6'1", size L/XL glove size) but the material was really comfortable. I bet cleaning fish out of it would be a ***** however due to the texture of it. Knife felt small because of how large the handle was. I'd expect the size on a tall large 270. It would be pushing it for me on mid height 270 which is where my comfort level is. Felt bigger than my denka 270 or DT 270.

Profile felt really great on the board, natural for push cutting, no clunk, good flat area that wasn't dead flat anywhere for long. Only experience with hard root veg was probably 5# of julienned carrots. I'd say it wasn't exactly wedging but you could feel it resist cutting through the carrots into long slices and strips. If I was cutting slowly, it probably wouldn't bother me much and it didn't a ton overall. I honestly didn't enjoy it for that purpose and swapped to another knife toward the end of the pile. Knife is a good cutter and felt natural going through food besides that. No real learning curve to it, it just felt good to cut with straight away which is significant to me since I don't usually use a knife this size. Didn't notice any discoloration of product going through some onions.

No feedback on retention, sharpening, etc. Had a good time with it. Would get one if it were within my budget and the opportunity arose. I think if I could take my pick, all things considered, I'd want a larger 270ish blade but again that may be preference. Height wise, maybe a 55-58mm would do a better job going through hard product given more room to bring the grind up the blade face. I could see going away from a KT grind in that size, most of my experience is in mid weights and I bet his original grind sings in that sizing. I bet a tall nakiri would be a lot of fun as well.

Thanks for the opportunity!

Sorry I had it too long, I think I may have broken a toe and it hobbled me getting things packed up and errands ran.


----------



## Malcolm Johnson

pleue said:


> En route to the next person on the list in WA.
> 
> Some limited thoughts and disclaimers:
> 
> Knife arrived well packed. I changed out the packaging to a hard cardboard mailing tube for added protection for its long journey and added a sleeve with some anti corrosion paper wrapped around the blade. It's in a padded knife case that it arrived in.
> 
> I didn't get a chance to use it more than twice sadly. Thus, didn't get a chance to sharpen it either. It was usable but not what I'd define as sharp.
> 
> Fit an finish was lovely. The handle was larger than I'd prefer (6'1", size L/XL glove size) but the material was really comfortable. I bet cleaning fish out of it would be a ***** however due to the texture of it. Knife felt small because of how large the handle was. I'd expect the size on a tall large 270. It would be pushing it for me on mid height 270 which is where my comfort level is. Felt bigger than my denka 270 or DT 270.
> 
> Profile felt really great on the board, natural for push cutting, no clunk, good flat area that wasn't dead flat anywhere for long. Only experience with hard root veg was probably 5# of julienned carrots. I'd say it wasn't exactly wedging but you could feel it resist cutting through the carrots into long slices and strips. If I was cutting slowly, it probably wouldn't bother me much and it didn't a ton overall. I honestly didn't enjoy it for that purpose and swapped to another knife toward the end of the pile. Knife is a good cutter and felt natural going through food besides that. No real learning curve to it, it just felt good to cut with straight away which is significant to me since I don't usually use a knife this size. Didn't notice any discoloration of product going through some onions.
> 
> No feedback on retention, sharpening, etc. Had a good time with it. Would get one if it were within my budget and the opportunity arose. I think if I could take my pick, all things considered, I'd want a larger 270ish blade but again that may be preference. Height wise, maybe a 55-58mm would do a better job going through hard product given more room to bring the grind up the blade face. I could see going away from a KT grind in that size, most of my experience is in mid weights and I bet his original grind sings in that sizing. I bet a tall nakiri would be a lot of fun as well.
> 
> Thanks for the opportunity!
> 
> Sorry I had it too long, I think I may have broken a toe and it hobbled me getting things packed up and errands ran.


I agree with just about everything you wrote. Especially with wanting one in 270mm. I just feel the way the knife works would be ideal in 270.


----------



## Nagakin

Package received, haven't opened it yet though. Forgot the package was coming and did all of my prep right before it came


----------



## OnionSlicer

Just FYI, with Jaszer13's approval I've given up my spot to @Hz_zzzzzz


----------



## Hz_zzzzzz

Thank you guys. So happy for this opportunity.


----------



## Twigg

Hz_zzzzzz said:


> Thank you guys. So happy for this opportunity.


IDK, you should read the fine print. You are required to get a proper avatar pic for the passaround.


----------



## juice

Twigg said:


> You are required to get a proper avatar pic for the passaround.


#Fontist


----------



## Twigg

juice said:


> #Fontist


No. I am a plowsmith or you could call me a plowist.


----------



## juice

Twigg said:


> No. I am a plowsmith


That could be the new Kama Sutra font, I guess - "Plowsmith"


----------



## Jaszer13

Unfortunately I can no longer edit the list on page 1.

Here is the latest info on where the knife is and where it's going to next:

User:StatePaid:Received:1​@MikeadunneCAX24-Aug2​@Malcolm JohnsonCAX2-Sep3​@pleueORX16-Sep4​@NagakinWAX28-Sep5​@SolidSnake03NEX06-Oct6​@LostHighwayMNX7​@RyndunkMIX8​@mise_en_placeILX9​@tincentMOX10​@TwiggINX11​@KeatTNX12​@DoubleJJAL13​@banzai_burritoTXX14​@ColinTX15​@BodineFLX16​@CliffNY17​@UnstoppaboNYX18​@ExistentialHeroMAX19​@Hz_zzzzzzCTX20​@ma_sha1CTX


----------



## SolidSnake03

I received the knife today from USPS, it was well packed and arrived safe and sound. The padded knife case is a nice touch on it. Have a bunch of cooking to do later this week/weekend and will update you all this coming week on performance based things relating to it. I should have it out by Weds/Thurs the latest and will update once it has gone out as well.

Brief first impressions are 
"damn it's a thicc boy"
"oh this hand has nice grip....like amazingly good grip"
"these bevels are smoooooootthhhhh"
"Interesting KU finish, kinda splotchy feeling but not weird gluey/sticky like some really cheap KU sometimes ends up"

I'm interested and intrigued that is for sure


----------



## SolidSnake03

Did some test cuts with it, who ever sharpened it last, what edge is this/what progression was used? It's hot damn sharp and I love it.


----------



## Jaszer13

Hi All,

As some of you may have noticed @DoubleJJ scored BIG and won a slot in @bryan03 custom order raffle (BIG Congrats you lucky MFer)

Do to the stipulated rules he would no longer be eligible for this passaround, so in fairness to the non-Raquin owners in this passaround he has agreed to opt out.

We also had another person opt out as well, so I have updated the list below. I do not plan on getting subs. I will eat the cost and still continue to pay for the knife "refresh" at the end of this passaround before it goes to a lucky winner.

Hope you are all enjoying it.


#User:StatePaid:Received:1@MikeadunneCAX24-Aug​2@Malcolm JohnsonCAX2-Sep​3@pleueORX16-Sep​4@NagakinWAX28-Sep​5@SolidSnake03NEX6-Oct​6@LostHighwayMNX16-Oct​7@RyndunkMIX26-Oct​8@mise_en_placeILX6-Nov​9@tincentMOX10@TwiggINX11@KeatTNX12@banzai_burritoTXX13@ColinTX14@BodineFLX15@UnstoppaboNYX16@ExistentialHeroMAX17@Hz_zzzzzzCTX18@ma_sha1CTX


----------



## juice

Jaszer13 said:


> 18 - @ma_sha1


I do get nervous every time I see this, with him last on the list


----------



## Nagakin

SolidSnake03 said:


> Did some test cuts with it, who ever sharpened it last, what edge is this/what progression was used? It's hot damn sharp and I love it.



I went natsuya>red aoto>cardboard 

Been sorting out what I think about the knife because I really like it, but more for how useful it is over how it excels at any particular thing. The length and heel height are perfect with the KT grind to me for both general prep and butchery. I'd choose something else for either in a professional environment, but at home it covers all of my needs. Thin enough behind the edge to enjoy cutting veggies and durable enough to take apart a few chickens or salmon. I enjoyed the tip profile in particular for this.

The only trade-off is that it does hesitate (not wedge) on taller items as others have said. I didn't notice much difference with density. It's not enough to care about compared to what you're gaining in return. I'd probably prefer his regular grind on anything larger. This is a sweet spot, I think. 

For a home or travel knife this is basically all you should want. I've spoken on my preference for all-rounders before and in these environments this fits the bill well. Still, if I had my choice of Raquin it would be a shorter Meat Killer. This would be my second.


----------



## SolidSnake03

Thanks for the write up! Ah figured it may be some naturals. Has a very nice feel to the edge and the way it cuts into food immediately is reminiscent of that. Thanks!

Red aotos are certainly getting harder to find so congrats on having one


----------



## SolidSnake03

Hey All!

Wanted to give an update with a review of sorts and let everyone know that I'll be shipping it out tomorrow with USPS insured and tracked for the $700.00 to the next user in line LostHighway. 

Review/Thoughts:
The knife is real, it is visceral and has a feeling of strength and confidence to it. I used the knife to prep a few weeks worth of meals as well as a variety of daily chores and it never once let me down. This is a knife that rewards you for using a little more force, a little more oomph and seemed to prefer a bit of a rock to the cutting motion (like a good French Sab does). To avoid repeating what some others have said, yes it's a bit thick...more than a bit thick but in that it has excellent separation and food release. I did get some slight wedging and halting in some foods but that went 99.9% away by using a bit of a rock/glide and using a little more confidence when cutting. I found that if I treated it lightly and used a really delicate touch I had more problems than if I gave it a little more moxie, then it really shone. The knife grew on me, it really did, it felt like something I've held in my hand for years and done 1000's and 1000's of covers with. The balance, height, length, everything felt perfect and natural. The wa handle had the most grip I've ever experienced and I want this type of handle for all my wa knives now. The feeling actually was a lot like Heiji, a direct from the maker Heiji is a little thicker than it needs to be (like this knife) but performs well, takes a wicked edge, feels natural in the hand and prefers a little more force/confidence in use. The knife could be thinned a bit and the shoulders eased but it would loose a hint of that magic then. Same with Heiji to me, the slight idiosyncratic aspects like this make it feel more real. Is it the best cutter I've ever used? No, it's top tier for sure, but the best? Nope. Does it have the best food release and separation? Nope, not that either but it's real close. Is it the best finished? Nope, not that, a little more artistic and rustic than high art. Do I care that it isn't first in any one thing? Absolutely not, I miss it already and I'd rather have it than my best cutter, my best food release or my nicest finish.

Overall....how did I feel and how do I like it in not so many words? I feel like I'm losing a friend sending it away, it was never mine but damn I'll miss it and you know I'll be counting my stars hoping to win it. 

Thanks for the experience, it's been great, really really great.


----------



## SolidSnake03

Just a quick update, this is in the mail with USPS insured for $700.00 to LostHighway who is next in line. Should arrive with him on Saturday. Thanks all, was an amazing experience and keeping my fingers crossed hard for this one


----------



## LostHighway

Raquin arrived in Minnesota early this evening. Kudos to my predecessors on the list as the knife is in fine shape and looks well cared for in marked contrast to the torture some other passarounds have suffered.
Initial observations: It isn't quite as much of a beast as I anticipated. At 181.4g it definitely has some heft for a 210 but not enough to feel unwieldy so far. Balance is at the pinch. The handle feels oversize, but given the weight of the blade that, or going to a denser wood, is probably required to maintain the balance point.


----------



## SolidSnake03

Glad you got it! Yup I found the same with the handle, definitely sized for balance otherwise with a more normal size wa handle you would be very blade heavy


----------



## LostHighway

First, my thanks to @Jaszer13 for putting together this passaround. Also, credit to the prior users as the knife arrived looking very carefully cared for, in marked contrasts to some other passarounds. My comments will be brief both because I'm pressed for time and because the knife has already been ably reviewed and there isn't much else to add.
Appearance-wise I loved the knife. Bryan Raquin's command of his craft is obvious and I can understand why his knives are sought after. I've never even seen a photo of Bryan but post using the knife I'm picturing a big guy. I'm far from tall, about 166cm, and the knife felt built for a larger person. The handle is markedly oversize for 210 gyuto, both in length and girth. It looks like it belongs on a 270 WH. I am guessing that it is this oversize because it was necessary not to make the knife super nose heavy (it balances at the pinch) given the choice of handle material. While I like the chosen wood, personally I probably would have gone for a denser species or put a tungsten slug in the handle to keep the balance but reduce the handle to a more conventional size. That said, the wood of the handle (oak?) felt really nice.
The edge profile also suggests to me that it is intended for a taller user. It functioned quite well for tip work although the high nose forced my elbow up a bit too far. For long push cuts the last few cm of the edge felt a little too flat/abrupt with more board contact "thunk" or drag than I'm used to although I have experienced that with other knives, my Isasmedjan has this quality but to a lesser extent, and I've used a few that were worse in this regard than the Raquin. @pleue didn't find this to be true so maybe it is just me or again a matter of stature/geometry. Chopping and draw cuts were issue free.
The wedging in taller, firmer produce was not as bad as I had feared it might be but there was a definite increase in required effort. Again less than I've experienced in a few knives but a bit more than in the knives I've kept. Food release was very good but not absolutely exceptional. I would place the release toward the bottom of the top quartile among gyutos of my experience.
The knife reached me perhaps not totally fresh off the stones razor sharp but certainly with a good working edge. I used it exclusively on my Hi-Soft board which I consider the most edge friendly of my boards, but never-the-less there was some obvious loss of sharpness after about four vegetarian meals (peppers, cauliflower, onions, garlic, potatoes, tomatoes, ginger, a few herbs...) - this kind of surprised me but there are too many uncontrolled variable to draw any firm conclusions.
Overall my reaction is nice knife but probably not for me. I might have slightly preferred the standard, not KT, version - hard to say not having tried one. Personally, I would not trade my HSC/// or Kippingtons for this knife (only one of the Kippingtons is close to the same size) but those knives were made for me and the product of protracted discussion as to my preferences.


----------



## mise_en_place

Just got a chance to use this to make a quick squash soup. Knife didn't wedge at all in the smaller honeynut squash, but wedged slightly in the bell bottom of the butternut. 







Then I cut up an onion, shallot, clove of garlic, and a bell pepper. I really liked the performance of the knife. Came with a nice edge and sweet polish job courtesy of @ryandunk . No resistance on the skin of the bell pepper and the tip glided through the onion and shallot. 






After cutting that much veg here is the patina:











Only downside so far is there was a little bit of rust formation after very minimal prep:











I removed the rust with a cork and some baking soda slurry. 

I'll do a more in depth write-up later but so far the knife is pretty great.


----------



## tincent

Knife just arrived. Took a full week in the mail via USPS. Opened the package just to inspect it. Initial impression: small but hefty. Love the large, textured handle. Love the weight, not a fan of the height. Haven't used it yet just wanted to update.


----------



## Jaszer13

#User:StatePaid:Received:1@MikeadunneCAX24-Aug2@Malcolm JohnsonCAX2-Sep3@pleueORX16-Sep4@NagakinWAX28-Sep5@SolidSnake03NEX6-Oct6@LostHighwayMNX16-Oct7@RyndunkMIX26-Oct8@mise_en_placeILX6-Nov9@tincentMOX20-Nov10@TwiggINX10-Dec11@KeatTNX18-Dec12@banzai_burritoTXX13@BodineFLX14@UnstoppaboNYX15@ExistentialHeroMAX16@Hz_zzzzzzCTX17@ma_sha1CTX


----------



## tincent

Barely had a chance to use it but I made a point to go through some mirepoix and potatoes. I only cut 2 onions, but unlike others, I thought it was a struggle. The knife didn't have as much distal taper as I expected, but I assume that's a property of the kt grind.

Other than the onion, everything else was blissful. Wonderful food release without wedging. The height initially looked and felt a bit short, but I didn't notice during use.

It never touched the stones. Stropped on bare veg tan leather. I did notice a rolled edge near the heel but it was above the pinch point so I didn't bother doing anything. Didn't feel it on the strop, just saw light reflecting off the edge.

Did not realize how much I'd like the brut de forge finish with a burnt oak handle.


----------



## Twigg

Just received the knife today. USPS sucks! I will try it over the weekend and get it out to the next person early next week.


----------



## tincent

Yeah USPS has been consistently inconsistent. You have any big meal or prep planned? I did but it arrived late and I missed out on my big baby food prep sesh.


----------



## Twigg

Nothing major planned this weekend. I will pick up some things and come up with a plan though.


----------



## mise_en_place

I still plan to do a full review but with Thanksgiving and now Xmas around the corner, it'll probably have to be after the new year. Glad the knife is moving along.


----------



## Twigg

I had the opportunity to try out the Raquin for a few days last weekend and had an enjoyable experience. It arrived in great shape and well packed. This particular example is handle-heavy which, for me, made the blade feel nimble and more controllable. The KU finish is less pitted/creviced than my Mazaki and was easier to clean. This is a very small point, but I felt more confident that the blade was completely dry after washing. I really liked the handle. It had a good heft to it and it was just the right size for me.

I decided to pretend that this was my only knife and put it to use in a variety of situations over the weekend. First, I needed to debone a leg of lamb. I erred on the side of caution and did not go up against the bone, but did get close. While not my first choice for this role, it did well enough. In addition, I trimmed the fat and silver skin from the meat. The Raquin did better than I thought it would. The last 2 inches at the tip was thin and short enough to glide along and easily remove the silver skin. I imagine it would have been more difficult if the meat was smaller with less flat areas. Finally, it sliced the lamb well enough.

I received a thawed ham as well this week. I was able to trim the skin and fat from it and deboned it too. As before, I avoided going up against the bone. This left me with 2 pieces of bone with some meat to slow cook beans with later this winter. Also, I sliced up most of the ham into sandwich meat. I was easily able to slice at 1/8” in thickness when desired. The remainder went to ham salad.

I was able to slice a variety of veggies. I harvested some radishes from the garden and cut them into chunks. There was some cracking from wedging, but I didn’t expect it to fall through them. I ended up making garlic butter roasted radishes as a side for the lamb.

Other uses over the weekend involved slicing onions, cauliflower, broccoli and green peppers. These were simple tasks for the knife and I experienced very good food release on the onions and peppers.

My overall impressions are very positive. It slices proteins, raw or cooked, well. The food release was very good and it had no trouble with the limited veggies I cut up. On a day-to-day basis, I go between my 240 Doi and a 210 Jiro. I feel that this could easily fit in as an everyday primary knife for home use. In my limited time with it, I was able to comfortably tackle a range of tasks and I never felt lacking. I did not take it to the stones, only stropped it on leather when I first received it.


----------



## Jaszer13

Hi All,

So @banzai_burrito has opted out for personal reasons. I will refund him and as before, I will just eat the cost. No subs. Next on the list will be @Bodine.

#User:StatePaid:Received:1@MikeadunneCAX24-Aug2@Malcolm JohnsonCAX2-Sep3@pleueORX16-Sep4@NagakinWAX28-Sep5@SolidSnake03NEX6-Oct6@LostHighwayMNX16-Oct7@RyndunkMIX26-Oct8@mise_en_placeILX6-Nov9@tincentMOX20-Nov10@TwiggINX10-Dec11@KeatTNX18-Dec12@BodineFLX​26-Dec​13@UnstoppaboNYX12 - Jan14@ExistentialHeroMAX15@Hz_zzzzzzCTX16@ma_sha1CTX17@francoalophotoCAX


----------



## Keat

I’m excited to try it, but haven’t actually received it yet. It’s in transit. I think the received column may be off by a row.


----------



## Jaszer13

Keat said:


> I’m excited to try it, but haven’t actually received it yet. It’s in transit. I think the received column may be off by a row.




Sorry the original tracking # showed you were supposed to get it the 19th. But the package keeps getting delayed. Maybe it will come by the 26th. 

Also, I wasn't going to originally add anyone else to the list but @francoalophoto reached out to me and he is here in Los Angeles. So I will let him use it before it goes to JKI for a Spa day. Hope no one minds.


----------



## Bodine

Just received the knife, well packaged with a light coat of oil. I will forward it on by the end of the week to Unstoppabo.
It does look good on my knife rack


----------



## Bodine

I have cut my usual variety of items I use regularly for meals here. Onions , peppers, carrots , radishes, meat etc.
This knife does very well with no steering it is able to cut onions paper thin.
It is stable in the hand, and looks quite appealing as well.
I used it as it came to me, did not touch a stone, it is now oiled and ready to ship as soon as Unstopabo sends me his contact info.
Thanks for the opportunity to sample this fine piece.


----------



## Bodine

The knife is on his way to unstoppabo


----------



## Unstoppabo

Knife received. Looks like it's time to grab some produce to try this out!


----------



## Unstoppabo

Knife is on it's way to @ExistentialHero.

Unfortunately, I decided to move right before my turn with the knife so I didn't get to use it as much as I hoped, but definitely had a blast regardless. Thank you @Jaszer13 and KKF!

Not planning to do a thorough writeup but wanted to share some of my thoughts. 

- Definitely a great looking knife. The handle is probably the best part. My hands are pretty average sized but I prefer beefier handles and the burnt oak looks and feels just right. Whoever polished the bevels did a great job and the blacksmith finish looks great. Noticed right away that the finish was almost exactly like the KU on my Watanabe petty.
- Profile was maybe a tad too high at the tip but nice and flat otherwise. I was actually hoping to try something a bit beefier but it's probably right where you want to be for a knife this length. I have a 210 Shigehiro that's around the same thickness at the heel but way thinner at the tip. I always wanted the Shigehiro to be just a bit taller and the Raquin is just happens to be ~5mm taller, which definitely helps performance. 
- I always thought the Shigehiro was a midweight so I was expecting the Raquin to be a thicker but they're about the same at the heel. Guess this is just about as thick as you'd want to go on a shorter knife. I would probably thin out the tip but I also enjoyed the relatively well-defined bevel shoulders from heel to tip and it worked way better than I thought It would.
- The knife was used to make a few salads and slice up a porkbelly and it handled everything well. Thin enough to do horizontal cuts on an onion but doesn't breeze through like some others. Food release is good and I got the knife with a nice sharp edge that does plow through whatever you throw at it.

TLR - Great looking, well-balanced knife that lives up to the hype. Didn't have time to put it one the stones but the bevels look just about perfect and really hope I can get my hands on a 240!


----------



## ExistentialHero

Knife landed today, looking good and ready to work! I'll run it through a few meals in the coming days and see what's up.


----------



## Jaszer13

Hi All,

As the previous list can no longer be edited. Please see the updated list below:

�

#​User:State:Received:1​@MikeadunneCA24-Aug2​@Malcolm JohnsonCA2-Sep3​@pleueOR16-Sep4​@NagakinWA28-Sep5​@SolidSnake03NE6-Oct6​@LostHighwayMN16-Oct7​@RyndunkMI26-Oct8​@mise_en_placeIL6-Nov9​@tincentMO20-Nov10​@TwiggIN10-Dec11​@KeatTN18-Dec12​@BodineFL26-Dec13​@UnstoppaboNY12-Jan14​@ExistentialHeroMA23-Jan15​@Hz_zzzzzzCT1-Feb16​@francoalophotoCA15-Feb


----------



## ExistentialHero

Shipped out the knife today to @Hz_zzzzzz; it's going less than 200 miles so hopefully it'll move quickly. My impressions were similar to others' on the thread, but I'll write up more this evening. Thanks @Jaszer13 for this awesome opportunity!


----------



## Hz_zzzzzz

Confirming that I received the knife today. It was well packaged and oiled. It looks good. I’ll try to provide some impressions in a few days.


----------



## Jaszer13

Hi All,

Unfortunately we have been unable to get in touch with @ma_sha1 . It seems like he hasn't been online since Oct.

I have sent him a refund and will move forward with the final recipient @francoalophoto . Once he is done I will have the knife refurbished by JKI. ETA for the drawing is 2/20. Will do it live via my IG @Knife_roll. Details to come as soon as I have the knife back from JKI.

Thanks all who participated.


----------



## ExistentialHero

Oh shoot, I never posted my notes! Not a ton to add over the excellent comments upthread. My main impression, like @Unstoppabo, was that this knife just *feels right*. It's much smaller than my usual preference, but it's hefty enough to feel natural in hand anyway. The grind is thicker than I like for onions and struggled with hard squash, but it's perfect for working with meat.

I had a lot of fun with this--thanks again @Jaszer13!


----------



## Hz_zzzzzz

My impression is similar. It’s smaller than I thought, but the cutting ability is better than the choil shot suggests. I was actually a bit surprised by how well it cuts potato and carrots given the geometry. The handle is super comfy as well. It’s overall very pleasant.


----------



## SolidSnake03

Looking forward to that drawing coming up on this


----------



## francoalophoto

Knife has been received here yesterday. What can I say? I've been dreaming of holding a Raquin for years, and have been trying to figure out for years WHY are so many people obsessed. Well once it's in your hand it becomes evident. My first impression pre-having it in my hand was "damn that's a thick handle for my small hands". However, the second it was in my hand my new comment was "holy, how is this handle so comfortable?" Sooo basically what I'm saying is I get the hype, and I WANT one now. 1-day impressions: love the workhorse geometry, that kurouchi finish is fire, and the edge performance is very satisfactory (joy to use and nice edge resiliency).

Here are some straight out of the camera JPEGS I took yesterday.


----------



## banzai_burrito

Pretty snazzy looking!


----------



## francoalophoto

banzai_burrito said:


> Pretty snazzy looking!


Was hoping the pictures would do it justice, glad you like them. That handle feels great in hand, love the texture from the oak.


----------



## Bodine

Nice pass around folks, knife was well taken care of and respected.
Thanks for letting me participate.


----------



## Twigg

I can say I really enjoyed my time with it!


----------



## Jaszer13

Hello everyone,

Setting a 2/20 date for the raffle was a bit ambitious. @francoalophoto will be passing me back the knife on Monday the 22nd.

But another issue has come up. Unfortunately JKI is currently not offering sharpening/restoration services due to COVID. I will most likely need to go to Hitachiya. They are further away from me so I will have to drop it off the weekend of the 27th and pick it back up the following weekend of the 6th. Realistically we can have the raffle that same weekend.

OR

Judging by the pictures posted by @francoalophoto it seems as if the knife held up pretty well and if everyone is in accordance we can just have the give away next week when I get the knife back (without reconditioning). I will just touch it up via, Makuri (Arato) > Suisa (Nakato) > Natsuya before sending it off.

Edit: @Twigg brought up a good idea. I will just do the raffle this weekend and the winner will decide if they want it to be reconditioned or not.


----------



## bryan03

And if you want I can take care of this one , we just see what to do with shipping cost.


----------



## Jaszer13

bryan03 said:


> And if you want I can take care of this one , we just see what to do with shipping cost.



Thanks Bryan!

If the winner choses this option, I will cover the shipping fees.


----------



## Jaszer13

@Mikeadunne@Malcolm Johnson@pleue@Nagakin@SolidSnake03@LostHighway@Ryndunk@mise_en_place@tincent@Twigg@Keat@Bodine@Unstoppabo@ExistentialHero@Hz_zzzzzz@francoalophoto

Drawing will be tomorrow (Saturday Feb 20th) at 1:00PM (Pacific). Via Instagram Live @knife_Roll.

Best of luck to all.


----------



## SolidSnake03

Can't wait


----------



## Bodine

I dont have instagram, so just let me know on here


----------



## Jaszer13

Congratulations to @tincent for the win.


----------



## tincent

Well maybe 2021 isn't so bad after all. Thank you @Jazner13 for this passaround and thank you @bryan03 for your craftsmanship.


----------



## Malcolm Johnson

Congrats! She is a sweetie. Can’t say I’m not a bit envious. Thanks for letting me be a part of the passaround


----------



## pleue

Congrats!!


----------

