# Next Livestream... what do you guys want to see/ask?



## JBroida (Jul 15, 2017)

I really enjoyed doing the last couple of livestreams, and thought i would reach out and see if you guys had anything in particular you wanted to see or hear about. I've already had a few suggestions:


Get a better mic to block out other noise... i bought a lav mic (the clip on kind)
accept questions to be answered ahead of time via e-mail
keep things in a more focused range (i.e. not a free for all q&a)... thoughts?


Are there subjects you would like me to cover or is there something else you would like to see? How did the timing work out on sunday at 10:30am PDT?


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## jklip13 (Jul 15, 2017)

It would be cool to hear your opinion on the performance differences between stainless and carbon, really going into it.


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## XooMG (Jul 15, 2017)

I kind of want you to mess something up and swear with great vigor.

Edit: maybe just more profanity in general.


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## YG420 (Jul 15, 2017)

Maybe show off some of them chef skills?? hehe


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## JBroida (Jul 15, 2017)

XooMG said:


> I kind of want you to mess something up and swear with great vigor.
> 
> Edit: maybe just more profanity in general.



I feel like I already did a pretty good job at this every day


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## panda (Jul 16, 2017)

how about a complete noobs guide to sharpening? as in first timers that havent a clue, or have tried and still clueless. with only laymans terms.


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## JBroida (Jul 16, 2017)

panda said:


> how about a complete noobs guide to sharpening? as in first timers that havent a clue, or have tried and still clueless. with only laymans terms.



isnt that what my sharpening videos already are?


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## Nemo (Jul 16, 2017)

Interested in the microbevels talk that you didn't quite get to.

Can you also talk about the role of finger pressure (pressing the knife against the stones) in different phases of sharpening?


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## JBroida (Jul 16, 2017)

Nemo said:


> Interested in the microbevels talk that you didn't quite get to.
> 
> Can you also talk about the role of finger pressure (pressing the knife against the stones) in different phases of sharpening?



yeah, but if you can do me a favor and remind me next time i announce one of these, that would be awesomely helpful


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## 42537703 (Jul 16, 2017)

I really enjoy the last video on sharpening on different natural stones. If you were doing another one, could you please bring the camera closer in order to view the finish of the knife better.


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## Nemo (Jul 16, 2017)

JBroida said:


> yeah, but if you can do me a favor and remind me next time i announce one of these, that would be awesomely helpful



Will try to remember.


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## JBroida (Jul 16, 2017)

42537703 said:


> I really enjoy the last video on sharpening on different natural stones. If you were doing another one, could you please bring the camera closer in order to view the finish of the knife better.



no prob


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## Dirt (Jul 16, 2017)

I'm sure there has to be some hidden treasure hidden treasure in that shop. Pull back the veils!


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## KJDedge (Jul 16, 2017)

have you done a vid/lesson detailing how to fix small edge chips


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## Omega (Jul 17, 2017)

I'd really like you to talk a bit more about Sakai knife culture, especially as it relates to how "political" things are. I hear that statement a lot, both with respect to secrecy, as well as why certain smith and sharpeners won't work together.. but it's always left at that. I hear 'political', and I get a picture of spiteful, 'House of Cards'-esque one-upsmanship.. The smiths being friends with some people, and preferring to work with them I totally get. Or how a smith / sharpener might prefer single bevel, or only certain steels. So a much more in depth talk (with nameless examples, if possible) about it would be super fascinating. 

I've heard random bits of 'a smith is careful not to pass an inferior blade to a sharpener, because the sharpener may decide not to take any more blades from that smith'.. but I'd love to hear much more.

Also interested in Dento kougeishi. How are they decided? Who decides? Does this play into the 'political' nature of Sakai knife culture? I've heard Yoshikazu Ikeda is the current president, having taken the mantel from his late-brother Tatsuo.. What all does that entail (his position, I mean). Are there different 'levels' of Dento kougeishi, such as new-inductees and 'Masters'? Does this affect the prices they can charge, or who they're "allowed" to work with?


Another question I have is with respect to your Gesshin Ittetsu line. In digging back, either through the forum, or wayback machine on your store, I'll see it sometimes referred to as 'Gesshin Ino'. I thought I remember you saying once (somewhere on the forum..) that'd you'd been intending to update the product page to Ittetsu, but couldn't find anything more on the subject. Did it have to do with one of the craftsman in that series changing? Or was it simply a more artistic / branding reason?


Interested in some of the history of knives, or especially Honyaki. A person can catch whisps of different names mentioned (Okishiba Masakuni, for example) of older, now-passed masters that helped pioneer such blades.. But it's hard to find much else. Also interested in how this relates to how people become renowned for Honyaki- I've heard one shop mention Shiraki-san and Ashi-san as being two of the most respected for Honyaki. In a forum post, I've heard you say you have much respect for Yoshikazu Ikeda-san. Is there an established hierarchy in how the craftsman view each others work? Or is it more akin to personal preference?


A couple questions on polishing: One, as it pertains to finishing a blade, using sandpaper vs stones.. When I hear people on the forum talk about refinishing a blade, I often here talk of a full progression of sand papers. When I see a video of Shigefusa finishing blades, it looks like they have a modified 'sen' that uses stones instead of blades.. Is there an advantage to sandpaper? Or is it just a different effect? The stones seem, from a completely inexperienced outside opinion, like they'd be much faster.. Is there a danger in that, with novice hands at the wheel? (over grinding / changing the geometry faster?) Is the sandpaper more of a go-between for people, as we enthusiasts don't often have a big stone wheel?


And another polishing question as it pertains to honyaki and hamon. In pictures of nihonto, it is common to see very clear lines of delineation between the hardened and unhardened steel, the kind I feel like I only see in the knife world when a person acid-etches. While I'd assume, of course, intricate lighting and photography work help to make this even more exaggerated looking.. I was wondering how all this is accomplished. Is this effect possible because of a tighter progression of natural stones, and more time spent? Or does it have much more to do with Nugui? How does Nugui compare to an acid-based etching? Or is that all just a ludicrous, enthusiasts pipe-dream that would take much more time than is realistic? (side note, I understand that the SHAPE of the hamon doesn't change because of polishing; I'm only asking about the contrast) 


Question about sharpening: You talked about asymmetrical grinds on knives, and how they effect the cutting experience, and that this can be changed as a person needs. But I was wondering.. why do they do this in the first place, aside from the right-hand bias of the craftsman. Do they do this for a reason with respect to performance? Is there a perceived benefit to this asymmetry in double bevel knives, from the craftsman's perspective? Or is it entirely an unintentional consequence of a long history of single bevel knives and a right-hand preference?

I'm sure I'll think of more.. but these were what I was wishing I could have asked you while catching the rebroadcast of the Stream.


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## JBroida (Jul 17, 2017)

this is really great... while i may not necessairly do these in a livestream, i may just make a video to address all of this stuff in the very near future... really great questions and subject matter.


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## Badgertooth (Jul 17, 2017)

Omega said:


> I'd really like you to talk a bit more about Sakai knife culture, especially as it relates to how "political" things are. I hear that statement a lot, both with respect to secrecy, as well as why certain smith and sharpeners won't work together.. but it's always left at that. I hear 'political', and I get a picture of spiteful, 'House of Cards'-esque one-upsmanship.. The smiths being friends with some people, and preferring to work with them I totally get. Or how a smith / sharpener might prefer single bevel, or only certain steels. So a much more in depth talk (with nameless examples, if possible) about it would be super fascinating.
> 
> I've heard random bits of 'a smith is careful not to pass an inferior blade to a sharpener, because the sharpener may decide not to take any more blades from that smith'.. but I'd love to hear much more.
> 
> ...



I would be absolutely fascinated by any insights into these. 

I'd also like a pragmatists approach to achieving an even polish on complex and convex bevels. What are the realistic rigours we can practise to achieve some semblance of what the pros can achieve on harder less forgiving stones without the "training wheels" of a wide bevel.


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## JBroida (Jul 17, 2017)

no secrets... just a ton of practice... doing it over and over again until it gets better. Also, keep in mind that a lot of the custom makers you guys see are using powered equipment and doing a lot of hand sanding, which just takes time.


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## Krakorak (Jul 17, 2017)

Omega said:


> I'd really like you to talk a bit more about Sakai knife culture, especially as it relates to how "political" things are. I hear that statement a lot, both with respect to secrecy, as well as why certain smith and sharpeners won't work together.. but it's always left at that. I hear 'political', and I get a picture of spiteful, 'House of Cards'-esque one-upsmanship.. The smiths being friends with some people, and preferring to work with them I totally get. Or how a smith / sharpener might prefer single bevel, or only certain steels. So a much more in depth talk (with nameless examples, if possible) about it would be super fascinating.
> 
> I've heard random bits of 'a smith is careful not to pass an inferior blade to a sharpener, because the sharpener may decide not to take any more blades from that smith'.. but I'd love to hear much more.
> 
> ...



Indeed, great ideas!


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## Omega (Jul 17, 2017)

JBroida said:


> this is really great... while i may not necessairly do these in a livestream, i may just make a video to address all of this stuff in the very near future... really great questions and subject matter.



For sure- if you feel it works better addressed in a stand-alone video, (or series of videos) I'm totally cool with it. Definitely appreciate it!


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## khashy (Jul 17, 2017)

I'd be interested in the extremes of kitchen knives you have experienced or heard of. I mean extremes that work and are not extremes for the sake of it. For example, what's the most extreme heat treat you have experienced that works or the most acute angle of a knife behind the edge?

W.r.t. Honyaki, why are there a huge variety of hamon shapes where as the honyakis that are made in Japan are all more or less 'Notare'/'Gunume' hamons? 

What's the easiest and least wasteful way of creating finger stones from the Uchigumoris we have lying around?

Is there a 'spiritual' aspect to kitchen knives, like there is with nihonto?

Who are the younger up and coming bladesmiths that are being talked about in the circles of the current master bladesmiths?

We know very little about the sharpeners/grinders, where as a lot of the actual forgers are well known. I'd like to get to know the sharpeners more. Who are they, who does what better? Are there different 'schools' of sharpening?

What are the current trends amongst the local Japanese kitchen knife enthusiasts?

Are there any different steels being experimented with beside the usual steels we are all familiar with?

What is he most beautiful damascus pattern you have ever seen?


I'm sure I'll have more questions as we get closer to the next live cast &#128521;


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## Ruso (Jul 17, 2017)

I would like to hear about wear resistant steel sharpening. I am not sure if you get many knives in those, but many outdoor knives makers are using high Vanadium content steels like CPM S110V or Vanadis #... Can you sharpen this steels on water stones, what is your experience and any tips etc...?

Another topic I would like to hear your thought on is different blade geometries. Wide bevels vs Lasers vs "workhorse". Pros and cons, personal preference (besides Ginga  ), regional differences...

Oh and another one, since you are in the industry, do see that patterns of "hot" items change and/or being cyclical. I remember when I joined KKF Lasers were all the rave, now the "mid weight and workhorse" is the new "cool". Do you see the same reflected in the sales? Do you think KKF has any impact on the overall knife hype?


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## Taramonia (Jul 17, 2017)

Yeah questions went all over the place, maybe having a theme or a little bit of non question talk to kick it off would be good. I don't like the idea of pre approved questions because it defeats the purpose of a livestream to me.


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## Choppin (Jul 18, 2017)

I really liked the livestream on Jnat testing, would love to see more of those. It makes the purchasing decision so much easier and less of a shot in the dark, as many times is the case with naturals when you don't have much information on a specific stone. 

Maybe this is a bit off topic but for the next natural stones that came up for sale it would be interesting not only to show a close up of the resulting blade finish in the livestream (like already suggested here) but to include in the product website photos of it, as well as pics of the stone wet and muddy.

And let poor Josh test more stones next time :hungry:


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## JBroida (Jul 18, 2017)

yeah... we can try to do that... we actually included a video on each product page that jumps to exactly the time that stone was being tested in our video, but we can try to do better with closeups for sure


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## 42537703 (Jul 19, 2017)

I think doing product review video on the knives that you have in stock would be interested. And have some pro chefs to do some actual cutting on some vegetables and give opinions on the knife.


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## tommybig (Jul 19, 2017)

More natural stone testing ofc , and maybe doing a kasumi finish from start to end.


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## 42537703 (Jul 19, 2017)

+1 for how to do kasumi finish ( including how to make it even, stone progression etc)


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## JBroida (Jul 19, 2017)

i will do my best, but not all of this is going to be possible


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## labor of love (Jul 19, 2017)

42537703 said:


> I think doing product review video on the knives that you have in stock would be interested. And have some pro chefs to do some actual cutting on some vegetables and give opinions on the knife.



Cutting demos would be really great.


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## ob-gym (Jul 20, 2017)

+1 for Kasumi finish, especially a method that doesn't require Jnats


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## Omega (Jul 21, 2017)

A couple more question question, more on the sharpening side of things:

You mentioned in your past video stropping, specifically as it pertained to leather and different additive compounds. Would you compare / contrast this with stropping (between full sharpening sessions) on a synthetic or natural stone? Are you still not as much of a fan of this? Or is the resultant change / refinement in the edge different enough that you don't mind this? As stones are harder than leather or balsa, is there more to beware of / take care with?

Question about grits. I understand that grits can be entirely variable, and shaped to the person that wants them. Want 1000 on a gyuto? Go for it. Want to refine it to something obscene with 0.25 micron diamond sprays? Have at it. I generally hear a recommendation for finishing in the 3-6k range for gyutos... But how does this translate when talking about natural stones? Hearing people talk about a progression on Jnats that ends with those finishers that have "relative" grits in the 12k+ range.. but still really loving the edge. I mean, I understand naturals aren't near as uniform as synthetics, but if you could talk about this in more detail that'd be awesome. How come such relatively high grit naturals still feel so great? Or is that not actually your feelings- I know you'd said to me in the past (when ordering the Gengetsu) that a natural stone edge isn't necessarily the best edge for someone. Could you elaborate on that more? Where do the different edges excel (3-6k synth, vs 8k+ synth vs Aoto / Monzento vs Suita)

Can you talk about zero-grinds a little bit? In looking at the theory of them, it seems like they'd be the ultimate way to maintain edge geometry across the life of a knife.. so thinning isn't necessary. But I don't see it utilized or talked about much in sharpening tutorials. Is it just because of how it scratches up the finish of the blade? Or are there other draw backs? Is the way you demonstrate a lot faster? With the method of sharpening you demonstrate, and also utilizing thinning, is it possible to faithfully keep (or keep close to) the original geometry? Which would you recommend most if the "most important" aspect was maintaining the OOTB shape (zero grind vs traditional sharpening + thinning)?


For what it's worth, I have no problem at all with you filling in the live-stream question session with some forum questions before hand. Live is always nice, but if you get on and don't have a solid audience for 10-15 minutes, having some stuff that you KNOW people want to hear about before fielding the live questions sounds like Win-Win.

Also happy to have any or all of these in just videos you make and upload later. Really appreciate your info on stuff like this!


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## unprofessional_chef (Aug 4, 2017)

I really enjoyed the stropping lecture. It forced me to rethink my strategy for stropping on stone instead of compound loaded leather. I am now using a slower more controlled motion which is more precise. This completely removes the burr on both sides of the edge in 2-3 passes. But does not diminish the edge. It leaves the cleanest cuts through paper. And it saves time because I don't need to take out the leather strop.


Japanese Knife Imports Livestream Q&A 7-9-17 36 minutes in

[video=youtube;-fKY617j10A]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-fKY617j10A&t=36m0s[/video]


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